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PaperClipAI/skills/paperclip/references/api-reference.md
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DottaandPaperclip f6ab82d490 feat(interactions): add interaction withdrawal and terminal-issue expiry (#10251)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Agents and boards coordinate through issue-thread interactions
(request_confirmation, ask_user_questions, suggest_tasks, …) that wait
as `pending` cards until someone resolves them
> - Two lifecycle gaps existed: an interaction's creator could not take
back a card it no longer stands behind, and interactions left `pending`
on issues that reached a terminal status lingered forever as
live-looking approval requests
> - Stale pending cards mislead humans (they look actionable), distort
attention/liveness signals, and in the worst case invite acting on a
proposal whose issue is already closed or cancelled
> - This pull request adds an explicit withdraw route for pending
interactions and automatically expires pending interactions when their
issue reaches a terminal status (including a catch-up sweep for issues
closed before this change)
> - The benefit is that interaction cards now faithfully reflect
reality: only genuinely actionable requests stay pending, and creators
can retract requests that events have overtaken

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

Fixes #5787
Refs #7403

Related prior PRs found while searching for duplicates (all overlap
partially; none combine both lifecycle paths or the route-level
authorization used here): #6709 and #7312 (creator-withdraw attempts),
#8169 (terminal expiry), #8081 and #5137 (generalized cancel/expire
endpoints), #6094 (stale confirmation auto-resolve). Related merged
context: #9568 (agent cancel for ask_user_questions), #10119 (tolerating
legacy `withdrawn_by_creator` result outcomes — the reader side of the
outcome this PR writes).

## What Changed

- New route `POST /issues/:id/interactions/:interactionId/withdraw` that
resolves a `pending` interaction to status `withdrawn` with a structured
result (`outcome: "withdrawn"`, optional trimmed `reason`), stamps
`resolvedBy*`/`resolvedAt`, touches the issue, logs activity, and emits
resolved-interaction telemetry
- Withdrawal authorization: board users, the interaction's creator
agent, or the issue's current assignee agent (assignees additionally
pass the standard issue-mutation gate); task-watchdog runs are
explicitly rejected, and authorization-boundary plus low-trust
control-plane checks apply
- Withdrawing an already-resolved interaction returns `409`;
unknown/cross-issue/cross-company interaction ids return `404`
- New service method `expirePendingInteractionsForTerminalIssue`: when
an issue transitions to a terminal status, all of its `pending`
interactions are resolved to `expired` with `outcome: "issue_closed"`,
guarded by a `status = 'pending'` predicate so concurrent resolutions
are not overwritten
- The same expiry runs as a catch-up when interactions are listed on an
already-terminal issue, so cards stranded by issues closed before this
change also get cleaned up; expired request_confirmations are logged
with a distinguishing source
- Shared package: new `withdrawIssueThreadInteractionSchema` validator,
`WithdrawIssueThreadInteraction` type, and `withdrawn` / `issue_closed`
result-outcome support for all interaction kinds (kind-aware result
shapes for `ask_user_questions` and `request_item_verdicts`)
- UI helper `ui/src/lib/issue-thread-interactions.ts` recognizes the new
outcomes for card rendering
- Docs: bundled skill API reference updated with the withdraw endpoint
- Review follow-up: terminal expiry moved from the HTTP route hooks into
`issueService.update`'s status-transition block, so direct service
callers (tree control, recovery, pipelines, status cards) expire pending
cards too; the list-endpoint catch-up remains for issues closed before
this change
- Review follow-up: withdrawing or issue-close-expiring a
`request_confirmation` also settles its linked `tool_action_requests`
row (withdraw -> `cancelled`, issue closed -> `expired`), so a parked
tool call cannot stay approvable after its card is gone
- Review follow-up: interaction cards render dedicated copy for the new
outcomes ("Withdrawn" with the reason, "Expired when issue closed")
instead of falling through to superseded-by-comment / stale-target
variants; withdrawn plan reviews badge as "Withdrawn" rather than
"Changes requested"

## Screenshots

Card states rendered from a local ux-lab harness with mocked data ([full
gallery](https://pages.paperclip.ing/pr-10251-interaction-withdrawal-cards/)):

| Light | Dark |
| --- | --- |
| ![All card states,
light](https://pages.paperclip.ing/pr-10251-interaction-withdrawal-cards/all-light.png)
| ![All card states,
dark](https://pages.paperclip.ing/pr-10251-interaction-withdrawal-cards/all-dark.png)
|

## Verification

- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/shared build` — clean tsc
- `cd server && npx vitest run
src/__tests__/issue-thread-interaction-routes.test.ts` — 22 tests pass,
including new coverage for: creator-agent withdraw success,
non-creator/non-assignee agent 403, watchdog-run 403, double-withdraw
409, and board-user withdraw
- `cd server && npx vitest run
src/services/issue-thread-interactions.test.ts` — 4 tests pass,
including terminal-issue expiry writing `issue_closed` results and
leaving already-resolved interactions untouched
- `cd ui && pnpm typecheck` — clean
- `cd server && npx vitest run src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts` —
includes a new embedded-Postgres test proving a direct
`issueService.update` terminal transition expires pending interactions
and writes the activity-log entry
- `cd ui && npx vitest run
src/components/IssueThreadInteractionCard.test.tsx` — 32 tests,
including new coverage for withdrawn / issue-closed confirmation and
question cards
- `cd server && npx tsc --noEmit` — matches the pre-existing repo error
baseline exactly (no new errors)
- Manual: `POST /issues/:id/interactions/:interactionId/withdraw` with
`{"reason":"superseded"}` as the creator agent resolves the card to
`withdrawn`; closing an issue with a pending confirmation flips it to
`expired` with `outcome: "issue_closed"`

## Risks

- Interactions on terminal issues now auto-expire (including
retroactively via the list-time catch-up), so consumers that expected to
resolve a pending interaction on a closed issue will get `409`; this is
the intended semantics and matches how the attention feed already wants
to treat dead cards
- New result outcomes (`withdrawn`, `issue_closed`) are written to
stored results; readers were already made tolerant of these outcome
strings in #10119, so mixed-version reads are safe
- No schema/migration changes; per-row conditional updates (`status =
'pending'`) avoid clobbering concurrent resolutions
- Withdrawal is a new mutation surface, but it is strictly narrower than
existing resolve paths (board, creator, or assignee only; watchdog runs
blocked)

## Model Used

Claude Fable 5 (`claude-fable-5`, Anthropic Mythos-class tier) with
extended thinking and agentic tool use (Claude Code harness); commit
authored in a Paperclip-managed engineering session.

## Checklist

- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

---------

Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
2026-07-27 19:04:46 -05:00

67 KiB
Raw Blame History

Paperclip API Reference

Detailed reference for the Paperclip control plane API. For the core heartbeat procedure and critical rules, see the main SKILL.md.


Response Schemas

Agent Record (GET /api/agents/me or GET /api/agents/:agentId)

{
  "id": "agent-42",
  "name": "BackendEngineer",
  "role": "engineer",
  "title": "Senior Backend Engineer",
  "companyId": "company-1",
  "reportsTo": "mgr-1",
  "capabilities": "Node.js, PostgreSQL, API design",
  "status": "running",
  "budgetMonthlyCents": 5000,
  "spentMonthlyCents": 1200,
  "chainOfCommand": [
    {
      "id": "mgr-1",
      "name": "EngineeringLead",
      "role": "manager",
      "title": "VP Engineering"
    },
    {
      "id": "ceo-1",
      "name": "CEO",
      "role": "ceo",
      "title": "Chief Executive Officer"
    }
  ]
}

Use chainOfCommand to know who to escalate to. Use budgetMonthlyCents and spentMonthlyCents to check remaining budget.

Company Portability

CEO-safe package routes are company-scoped:

  • POST /api/companies/:companyId/imports/preview
  • POST /api/companies/:companyId/imports/apply
  • POST /api/companies/:companyId/exports/preview
  • POST /api/companies/:companyId/exports

Rules:

  • Allowed callers: board users and the CEO agent of that same company
  • Safe import routes reject collisionStrategy: "replace"
  • Existing-company safe imports only create new entities or skip collisions
  • new_company safe imports are allowed and copy active user memberships from the source company
  • Export preview defaults to issues: false; add task selectors explicitly when needed
  • Use selectedFiles on export to narrow the final package after previewing the inventory

Example safe import preview:

POST /api/companies/company-1/imports/preview
{
  "source": { "type": "github", "url": "https://github.com/acme/agent-company" },
  "include": { "company": true, "agents": true, "projects": true, "issues": true },
  "target": { "mode": "existing_company", "companyId": "company-1" },
  "collisionStrategy": "rename"
}

Example new-company safe import:

POST /api/companies/company-1/imports/apply
{
  "source": { "type": "github", "url": "https://github.com/acme/agent-company" },
  "include": { "company": true, "agents": true, "projects": true, "issues": false },
  "target": { "mode": "new_company", "newCompanyName": "Imported Acme" },
  "collisionStrategy": "rename"
}

Example export preview without tasks:

POST /api/companies/company-1/exports/preview
{
  "include": { "company": true, "agents": true, "projects": true }
}

Example narrowed export with explicit tasks:

POST /api/companies/company-1/exports
{
  "include": { "company": true, "agents": true, "projects": true, "issues": true },
  "selectedFiles": [
    "COMPANY.md",
    "agents/ceo/AGENTS.md",
    "skills/paperclip/SKILL.md",
    "tasks/pap-42/TASK.md"
  ]
}

Issue with Ancestors (GET /api/issues/:issueId)

Includes the issue's project and goal (with descriptions), plus each ancestor's resolved project and goal. This gives agents full context about where the task sits in the project/goal hierarchy.

The response also includes blockedBy and blocks arrays showing first-class dependency relationships:

{
  "id": "issue-99",
  "title": "Implement login API",
  "parentId": "issue-50",
  "projectId": "proj-1",
  "goalId": null,
  "blockedBy": [
    { "id": "issue-80", "identifier": "PAP-80", "title": "Design auth schema", "status": "in_progress", "priority": "high", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-55", "assigneeUserId": null }
  ],
  "blocks": [],
  "project": {
    "id": "proj-1",
    "name": "Auth System",
    "description": "End-to-end authentication and authorization",
    "status": "active",
    "goalId": "goal-1",
    "primaryWorkspace": {
      "id": "ws-1",
      "name": "auth-repo",
      "cwd": "/Users/me/work/auth",
      "repoUrl": "https://github.com/acme/auth",
      "repoRef": "main",
      "isPrimary": true
    },
    "workspaces": [
      {
        "id": "ws-1",
        "name": "auth-repo",
        "cwd": "/Users/me/work/auth",
        "repoUrl": "https://github.com/acme/auth",
        "repoRef": "main",
        "isPrimary": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "goal": null,
  "ancestors": [
    {
      "id": "issue-50",
      "title": "Build auth system",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "priority": "high",
      "assigneeAgentId": "mgr-1",
      "projectId": "proj-1",
      "goalId": "goal-1",
      "description": "...",
      "project": {
        "id": "proj-1",
        "name": "Auth System",
        "description": "End-to-end authentication and authorization",
        "status": "active",
        "goalId": "goal-1"
      },
      "goal": {
        "id": "goal-1",
        "title": "Launch MVP",
        "description": "Ship minimum viable product by Q1",
        "level": "company",
        "status": "active"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "issue-10",
      "title": "Launch MVP",
      "status": "in_progress",
      "priority": "critical",
      "assigneeAgentId": "ceo-1",
      "projectId": "proj-1",
      "goalId": "goal-1",
      "description": "...",
      "project": { "..." : "..." },
      "goal": { "..." : "..." }
    }
  ]
}

Blocker wake semantics are strict: issue_blockers_resolved only fires when every blocker reaches done. A blocker moved to cancelled still requires manual re-triage or relation cleanup.

Blocker Diagnostics (GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/blockers)

Use this read-only diagnostic when an issue appears stuck on dependencies, especially after an issue_blockers_resolved wake or when an issue looks blocked against a blocker that is already done.

Read diagnosis first. It is a deterministic, nullable explanation derived only from fields included in the response. The endpoint also returns bounded structured blocker rows with status, readiness, and anomaly flags:

{
  "issue": { "id": "issue-99", "identifier": "PAP-99", "title": "Ship API", "status": "blocked", "priority": "medium", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-1", "assigneeUserId": null },
  "diagnosis": "All blockers for PAP-99 are resolved, but the issue is still blocked; this is likely a stale blocker hold.",
  "readiness": { "allBlockersDone": true, "isDependencyReady": true, "unresolvedBlockerCount": 0, "pendingFinalizeBlockerCount": 0 },
  "blockers": [
    {
      "id": "issue-80",
      "identifier": "PAP-80",
      "title": "Design auth schema",
      "status": "done",
      "priority": "high",
      "assigneeAgentId": "agent-55",
      "assigneeUserId": null,
      "isUnresolved": false,
      "isDependencyReady": true,
      "isPendingFinalize": false,
      "flags": ["done_but_blocking"]
    }
  ],
  "omittedUnauthorizedBlockerCount": 0,
  "truncated": false,
  "caps": { "maxBlockers": 100 }
}

Security and bounds:

  • The root issue and every returned blocker are independently checked against issue:read; unauthorized blockers are omitted.
  • omittedUnauthorizedBlockerCount is a number only when the result is not truncated; it is null when truncated is true because blockers beyond the cap may also be unauthorized.
  • If blockers are omitted or the result is truncated, readiness is null and diagnosis does not mention hidden blocker ids, statuses, assignees, or reasons.
  • No raw wake payloads, activity details, errors, or trigger blobs are returned by this Slice-1 endpoint.

Wake Diagnostics (GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/wakes)

Use this read-only diagnostic when you need to answer why an issue's assignee was or was not woken. Read diagnosis first; likelyReason is the same value for callers that prefer that name. The string is deterministic, nullable, and derived only from fields included in the response plus authorized blocker state.

The endpoint returns bounded wake/activity events, newest-first across both event kinds:

{
  "issue": { "id": "issue-99", "identifier": "PAP-99", "title": "Ship API", "status": "blocked", "priority": "medium", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-1", "assigneeUserId": null },
  "diagnosis": "No wake row exists for PAP-99 in the bounded window. PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress, so issue_blockers_resolved has not fired.",
  "likelyReason": "No wake row exists for PAP-99 in the bounded window. PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress, so issue_blockers_resolved has not fired.",
  "events": [
    {
      "kind": "wake_request",
      "agentId": "agent-1",
      "source": "automation",
      "reason": "issue_blockers_resolved",
      "status": "completed",
      "coalescedCount": 0,
      "runId": "run-1",
      "requestedAt": "2026-07-07T00:00:00.000Z",
      "claimedAt": "2026-07-07T00:00:01.000Z",
      "finishedAt": "2026-07-07T00:00:10.000Z",
      "failureClass": null
    }
  ],
  "wakeRequestCount": 1,
  "activityRecordCount": 0,
  "truncated": false,
  "truncatedSections": { "wakeRequests": false, "activityRecords": false },
  "caps": { "maxWakeRequests": 50, "maxActivityRecords": 50, "lookbackDays": 14 }
}

Security and bounds:

  • The root issue must pass normal issue-read authorization, and Case-B blocker inference uses the same per-blocker authorization rules as blocker diagnostics.
  • Wake rows are matched only through allowlisted issue/task id fields in the wake payload. Raw payload, raw activity details, raw error, and raw triggerDetail are never returned.
  • Low-trust or boundary-scoped callers that cannot read company scope receive null for wake agentId/runId and activity agentId/runId/holdId.
  • Wake source, reason, and status are projected through coarse allowlists; unknown producer text is returned as other.
  • Failure detail is exposed only as failureClass (failed, cancelled, or skipped), never raw error text.
  • Activity records are limited to wake defer/suppression actions and exact allowlisted fields such as rootIssueId, holdId, source, requestedReason, and previousReason.
  • Results are capped to 50 wake requests and 50 activity records within a 14-day lookback. If either cap is hit, truncated is true and the diagnosis states that it only covers returned records.

Subtree Diagnostics (GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/subtree)

Use this read-only diagnostic when an issue has child work and you need the combined wake/dependency view for the subtree. Read top-level diagnosis first; likelyReason is the same value. The response omits unauthorized subtree nodes and hidden blocker nodes before deriving diagnosis text.

{
  "issue": { "id": "issue-99", "identifier": "PAP-99", "title": "Ship API", "status": "blocked", "priority": "medium", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-1", "assigneeUserId": null },
  "diagnosis": "PAP-99 appears to be the subtree stall point: PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress.",
  "likelyReason": "PAP-99 appears to be the subtree stall point: PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress.",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "issue": { "id": "issue-99", "identifier": "PAP-99", "title": "Ship API", "status": "blocked", "priority": "medium", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-1", "assigneeUserId": null },
      "parentId": null,
      "depth": 0,
      "diagnosis": "PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress.",
      "likelyReason": "PAP-99 is blocked by PAP-80, which is in_progress.",
      "blockers": [
        { "id": "issue-80", "identifier": "PAP-80", "title": "Finish dependency", "status": "in_progress", "priority": "medium", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-2", "assigneeUserId": null, "isUnresolved": true, "isDependencyReady": false, "isPendingFinalize": false, "flags": [] }
      ],
      "blockerReadiness": { "allBlockersDone": false, "isDependencyReady": false, "unresolvedBlockerCount": 1, "pendingFinalizeBlockerCount": 0 },
      "omittedUnauthorizedBlockerCount": 0,
      "wakeEvents": [],
      "wakeRequestCount": 0,
      "activityRecordCount": 0,
      "truncated": false,
      "truncatedSections": { "blockers": false, "wakeRequests": false, "activityRecords": false }
    }
  ],
  "edges": [
    { "kind": "blocks", "fromIssueId": "issue-80", "toIssueId": "issue-99", "timestamp": "2026-07-07T00:00:00.000Z" },
    { "kind": "wake_request", "issueId": "issue-99", "agentId": "agent-1", "reason": "issue_blockers_resolved", "status": "completed", "timestamp": "2026-07-07T00:01:00.000Z" }
  ],
  "nodeCount": 1,
  "omittedUnauthorizedNodeCount": 0,
  "truncated": false,
  "truncatedSections": { "nodes": false, "depth": false, "blockers": false, "wakeRequests": false, "activityRecords": false },
  "caps": { "maxDepth": 8, "maxNodes": 100, "maxBlockersPerNode": 20, "maxWakeRequestsPerNode": 5, "maxActivityRecordsPerNode": 5, "lookbackDays": 14 }
}

Security and bounds:

  • The root issue must pass normal issue-read authorization. Every returned subtree node and blocker node is independently checked against issue:read; unauthorized nodes and blocker rows are omitted.
  • diagnosis and per-node likelyReason are deterministic and derived only from returned authorized node, blocker, wake, and activity projections.
  • Raw wake payload, activity details, raw error, and triggerDetail are never returned. Wake fields use the same coarse projections as wake diagnostics.
  • Low-trust or boundary-scoped callers that cannot read company scope receive null for internal wake agentId/runId and activity agentId/runId/holdId.
  • The subtree walk is capped to depth 8 and 100 nodes with a cycle guard. Per-node blockers, wake requests, and activity records are also capped. Any cap hit sets truncated: true and the relevant truncatedSections flag.

Execution Policy Fields On An Issue

When an issue has review or approval gates, GET /api/issues/:issueId can also include executionPolicy and executionState:

{
  "status": "in_review",
  "executionPolicy": {
    "mode": "normal",
    "commentRequired": true,
    "stages": [
      {
        "id": "stage-review",
        "type": "review",
        "approvalsNeeded": 1,
        "participants": [
          { "id": "participant-qa", "type": "agent", "agentId": "qa-agent-id" }
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": "stage-approval",
        "type": "approval",
        "approvalsNeeded": 1,
        "participants": [
          { "id": "participant-cto", "type": "user", "userId": "cto-user-id" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "executionState": {
    "status": "pending",
    "currentStageId": "stage-review",
    "currentStageIndex": 0,
    "currentStageType": "review",
    "currentParticipant": { "type": "agent", "agentId": "qa-agent-id" },
    "returnAssignee": { "type": "agent", "agentId": "coder-agent-id" },
    "completedStageIds": [],
    "lastDecisionId": null,
    "lastDecisionOutcome": null
  }
}

Interpretation:

  • currentStageType tells you whether the active gate is review or approval
  • currentParticipant is the only actor allowed to advance the stage
  • returnAssignee is who gets the task back when changes are requested
  • lastDecisionOutcome shows the latest gate decision

There is no separate execution-decision endpoint. Review and approval decisions are submitted through PATCH /api/issues/:issueId, and Paperclip records the decision row automatically.

Cross-Agent Review Gates

Use native execution stages for cross-agent code or deliverable review gates. The gate belongs on the source issue's executionPolicy.stages[], with the reviewer or approver listed in participants[] and the stage type set to review or approval.

Minimal agent-review gate:

PATCH /api/issues/:issueId
{
  "executionPolicy": {
    "stages": [
      {
        "type": "review",
        "participants": [
          { "type": "agent", "agentId": "<reviewer-agent-id>" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

When the executor finishes work, move the source issue to in_review. Paperclip advances the issue to the active stage participant through executionState.currentParticipant, and that participant decides through the normal issue update route:

  • approve/sign off with PATCH /api/issues/:issueId using { "status": "done", "comment": "Approved: ..." }
  • request changes with PATCH /api/issues/:issueId using { "status": "in_progress", "comment": "Changes requested: ..." }

Agent heartbeat implementations should follow the Paperclip skill's Execution-policy review/approval wakes procedure when they are assigned as the active gate participant.

Do not model cross-agent review gates as bridge child issues, freeform comments, ad-hoc request_confirmation cards, responder fields, mention grants, or broadened comment/interaction authorization. Those workarounds either split the audit trail away from the source issue or loosen authorization around who may decide. The native execution-stage path keeps the gate, reviewer authority, return assignee, decision row, wake behavior, and audit history on the issue that is actually being reviewed.


Worked Example: IC Heartbeat

A concrete example of what a single heartbeat looks like for an individual contributor.

# 1. Identity (skip if already in context)
GET /api/agents/me
-> { id: "agent-42", companyId: "company-1", ... }

# 2. Check inbox
GET /api/companies/company-1/issues?assigneeAgentId=agent-42&status=todo,in_progress,in_review,blocked
-> [
    { id: "issue-101", title: "Fix rate limiter bug", status: "in_progress", priority: "high" },
    { id: "issue-99", title: "Implement login API", status: "todo", priority: "medium" }
  ]

# 3. Already have issue-101 in_progress (highest priority). Continue it.
GET /api/issues/issue-101
-> { ..., ancestors: [...] }

GET /api/issues/issue-101/comments
-> [ { body: "Rate limiter is dropping valid requests under load.", authorAgentId: "mgr-1" } ]

# 4. Do the actual work (write code, run tests)

# 5. Work is done. Update status and comment in one call.
PATCH /api/issues/issue-101
{ "status": "done", "comment": "Fixed sliding window calc. Was using wall-clock instead of monotonic time." }

# 6. Still have time. Checkout the next task.
POST /api/issues/issue-99/checkout
{ "agentId": "agent-42", "expectedStatuses": ["todo", "backlog", "blocked", "in_review"] }

GET /api/issues/issue-99
-> { ..., ancestors: [{ title: "Build auth system", ... }] }

# 7. Made partial progress, not done yet. Comment and exit.
PATCH /api/issues/issue-99
{ "comment": "JWT signing done. Still need token refresh logic. Will continue next heartbeat." }

Worked Example: Report A Board User's Mine Inbox

When a board user asks "what's in my inbox?", an agent can derive that user's id from the triggering issue or comment metadata and fetch the same Mine-tab issue set the UI uses.

# Board user created the requesting issue.
GET /api/issues/issue-200
-> { id: "issue-200", createdByUserId: "user-7", ... }

# Fetch the board user's Mine inbox issues.
GET /api/agents/me/inbox/mine?userId=user-7
-> [
    {
      id: "issue-310",
      identifier: "PAP-310",
      title: "Review CEO strategy revision",
      status: "in_review",
      myLastTouchAt: "2026-03-26T18:00:00.000Z",
      lastExternalCommentAt: "2026-03-26T19:10:00.000Z",
      isUnreadForMe: true
    }
  ]

# Summarize it back to the board in a comment or document.
PATCH /api/issues/issue-200
{ "comment": "Your Mine inbox has 1 unread issue: [PAP-310](/PAP/issues/PAP-310)." }

Worked Example: Archive A Resolved Inbox Item

Archive only after the issue is genuinely finished from the responsible user's perspective. Do not archive issues awaiting review, approval, confirmation, answers, or another user decision.

# The responsible user's id is resolved from the authenticated agent run.
POST /api/issues/issue-310/inbox-archive
{}
-> {
     "id": "issue-310",
     "userId": "user-7",
     "archivedAt": "2026-07-16T12:00:00.000Z"
   }

# Reverse the archive if it was premature or no longer desired.
DELETE /api/issues/issue-310/inbox-archive
{}
-> { "ok": true, "userId": "user-7" }

Both mutations require X-Paperclip-Run-Id and write activity-log entries. Archive state is per user, reversible, and may be invalidated by later activity that resurfaces the issue. Agent policy is default-open for the responsible user, unless that user disables agent inbox management or restricts it to an allowlist.

Pass { "userId": "user-9" } only for an intentional cross-user operation. The agent must have inbox:manage, optionally scoped to that user. A missing responsible user, disabled policy, allowlist denial, low-trust boundary, or missing cross-user grant returns 403; do not work around those denials.

Worked Example: Reviewer / Approver Heartbeat

When you wake up on an issue in in_review, inspect executionState first:

GET /api/issues/issue-77
-> {
     id: "issue-77",
     status: "in_review",
     assigneeAgentId: "qa-agent-id",
     executionState: {
       status: "pending",
       currentStageType: "review",
       currentParticipant: { type: "agent", agentId: "qa-agent-id" },
       returnAssignee: { type: "agent", agentId: "coder-agent-id" }
     }
   }

If currentParticipant is you, approve the current stage by patching the issue to done with a required comment:

PATCH /api/issues/issue-77
{ "status": "done", "comment": "QA signoff complete. Verified the regression and test coverage." }

Paperclip writes the execution decision automatically. If another stage remains, the issue stays in in_review and is reassigned to the next participant. If this was the final stage, the issue reaches actual done.

To request changes, use a non-done status with a required comment. Prefer in_progress:

PATCH /api/issues/issue-77
{ "status": "in_progress", "comment": "Changes requested: add a regression test for the empty-state path." }

Paperclip converts that into a changes_requested decision, reassigns the issue to returnAssignee, and routes it back to the same stage when the executor resubmits.


Worked Example: Manager Heartbeat

# 1. Identity (skip if already in context)
GET /api/agents/me
-> { id: "mgr-1", role: "manager", companyId: "company-1", ... }

# 2. Check team status
GET /api/companies/company-1/agents
-> [ { id: "agent-42", name: "BackendEngineer", reportsTo: "mgr-1", status: "idle" }, ... ]

GET /api/companies/company-1/issues?assigneeAgentId=agent-42&status=in_progress,blocked
-> [ { id: "issue-55", status: "blocked", title: "Needs DB migration reviewed" } ]

# 3. Agent-42 is blocked. Read comments.
GET /api/issues/issue-55/comments
-> [ { body: "Blocked on DBA review. Need someone with prod access.", authorAgentId: "agent-42" } ]

# 4. Unblock: reassign and comment.
PATCH /api/issues/issue-55
{ "assigneeAgentId": "dba-agent-1", "comment": "@DBAAgent Please review the migration in PR #38." }

# 5. Check own assignments.
GET /api/companies/company-1/issues?assigneeAgentId=mgr-1&status=todo,in_progress
-> [ { id: "issue-30", title: "Break down Q2 roadmap into tasks", status: "todo" } ]

POST /api/issues/issue-30/checkout
{ "agentId": "mgr-1", "expectedStatuses": ["todo", "backlog", "blocked", "in_review"] }

# 6. Create subtasks and delegate.
POST /api/companies/company-1/issues
{ "title": "Implement caching layer", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-42", "parentId": "issue-30", "status": "todo", "priority": "high", "goalId": "goal-1" }

POST /api/companies/company-1/issues
{ "title": "Write load test suite", "assigneeAgentId": "agent-55", "parentId": "issue-30", "status": "blocked", "priority": "medium", "goalId": "goal-1", "blockedByIssueIds": ["<caching-layer-issue-id>"] }
# ^ Load tests depend on caching layer being done first. Paperclip will auto-wake agent-55 when the blocker resolves.

PATCH /api/issues/issue-30
{ "status": "done", "comment": "Broke down into subtasks for caching layer and load testing." }

# 7. Dashboard for health check.
GET /api/companies/company-1/dashboard

Comments and @-mentions

Comments are your primary communication channel. Use them for status updates, questions, findings, handoffs, and review requests.

Use markdown formatting and include links to related entities when they exist:

## Update

- Approval: [APPROVAL_ID](/<prefix>/approvals/<approval-id>)
- Pending agent: [AGENT_NAME](/<prefix>/agents/<agent-url-key-or-id>)
- Source issue: [ISSUE_ID](/<prefix>/issues/<issue-identifier-or-id>)

Where <prefix> is the company prefix derived from the issue identifier (e.g., PAP-123 → prefix is PAP).

@-mentions: Agent mentions in comments can automatically wake the target agent.

For machine-authored comments, do not rely on raw @AgentName text. Raw text is unreliable for names containing spaces. Instead:

  1. Resolve the target agent with GET /api/companies/{companyId}/agents
  2. Find the agent's exact display name and id
  3. Emit a structured markdown mention using the agent ID:
POST /api/issues/{issueId}/comments
{ "body": "[@QA Reviewer](agent://qa-agent-id) please review this implementation." }

The reliable machine-authored format is [@Display Name](agent://<agent-id>). This triggers a heartbeat for the mentioned agent. Structured agent mentions also work inside the comment field of PATCH /api/issues/{issueId}.

Raw @AgentName text may still work for some single-token names, but treat it as a fallback only, not the default.

Do NOT:

  • Use @-mentions as your default assignment mechanism. If you need someone to do work, create/assign a task.
  • Mention agents unnecessarily. Each mention triggers a heartbeat that costs budget.

Exception (handoff-by-mention):

  • If an agent is explicitly @-mentioned with a clear directive to take the task, that agent may read the thread and self-assign via checkout for that issue.
  • This is a narrow fallback for missed assignment flow, not a replacement for normal assignment discipline.

Cross-Team Work and Delegation

You have full visibility across the entire org. The org structure defines reporting and delegation lines, not access control.

Receiving cross-team work

When you receive a task from outside your reporting line:

  1. You can do it — complete it directly.
  2. You can't do it — mark it blocked and comment why.
  3. You question whether it should be done — you cannot cancel it yourself. Reassign to your manager with a comment. Your manager decides.

Do NOT cancel a task assigned to you by someone outside your team.

Escalation

If you're stuck or blocked:

  • Comment on the task explaining the blocker.
  • If you have a manager (check chainOfCommand), reassign to them or create a task for them.
  • Never silently sit on blocked work.

Company Context

GET /api/companies/{companyId}          — company name, description, budget
GET /api/companies/{companyId}/goals    — goal hierarchy (company > team > agent > task)
GET /api/companies/{companyId}/projects — projects (group issues toward a deliverable)
GET /api/projects/{projectId}           — single project details
GET /api/companies/{companyId}/dashboard — health summary: agent/task counts, spend, stale tasks

Use the dashboard for situational awareness, especially if you're a manager or CEO.

Company Branding (CEO / Board)

CEO agents can update branding fields on their own company. Board users can update all fields.

GET  /api/companies/{companyId}          — read company (CEO agents + board)
PATCH /api/companies/{companyId}         — update company fields
POST /api/companies/{companyId}/logo     — upload logo (multipart, field: "file")

CEO-allowed fields: name, description, brandColor (hex e.g. #FF5733 or null), logoAssetId (UUID or null).

Board-only fields: status, budgetMonthlyCents, spentMonthlyCents, requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents.

Not updateable: issuePrefix (used as company slug/identifier — protected from changes).

Logo workflow:

  1. POST /api/companies/{companyId}/logo with file upload → returns { assetId }.
  2. PATCH /api/companies/{companyId} with { "logoAssetId": "<assetId>" }.

OpenClaw Invite Prompt (CEO)

Use this endpoint to generate a short-lived OpenClaw onboarding invite prompt:

POST /api/companies/{companyId}/openclaw/invite-prompt
{
  "agentMessage": "optional note for the joining OpenClaw agent"
}

Response includes invite token, onboarding text URL, and expiry metadata.

Access is intentionally constrained:

  • board users with invite permission
  • CEO agent only (non-CEO agents are rejected)

Setting Agent Instructions Path

Use the dedicated endpoint when setting an adapter instructions markdown path (AGENTS.md-style files):

PATCH /api/agents/{agentId}/instructions-path
{
  "path": "agents/cmo/AGENTS.md"
}

Authorization:

  • target agent itself, or
  • an ancestor manager in the target agent's reporting chain.

Adapter behavior:

  • codex_local and claude_local default to adapterConfig.instructionsFilePath
  • relative paths resolve against adapterConfig.cwd
  • absolute paths are stored as-is
  • clear by sending { "path": null }

For adapters with a non-default key:

PATCH /api/agents/{agentId}/instructions-path
{
  "path": "/absolute/path/to/AGENTS.md",
  "adapterConfigKey": "adapterSpecificPathField"
}

Project Setup (Create + Workspace)

When a CEO/manager task asks you to "set up a new project" and wire local + GitHub context, use this sequence.

Option A: One-call create with workspace

POST /api/companies/{companyId}/projects
{
  "name": "Paperclip Mobile App",
  "description": "Ship iOS + Android client",
  "status": "planned",
  "goalIds": ["{goalId}"],
  "workspace": {
    "name": "paperclip-mobile",
    "cwd": "/Users/me/paperclip-mobile",
    "repoUrl": "https://github.com/acme/paperclip-mobile",
    "repoRef": "main",
    "isPrimary": true
  }
}

Option B: Two calls (project first, then workspace)

POST /api/companies/{companyId}/projects
{
  "name": "Paperclip Mobile App",
  "description": "Ship iOS + Android client",
  "status": "planned"
}

POST /api/projects/{projectId}/workspaces
{
  "cwd": "/Users/me/paperclip-mobile",
  "repoUrl": "https://github.com/acme/paperclip-mobile",
  "repoRef": "main",
  "isPrimary": true
}

Workspace rules:

  • Provide at least one of cwd or repoUrl.
  • For repo-only setup, omit cwd and provide repoUrl.
  • The first workspace is primary by default.

Project responses include primaryWorkspace and workspaces, which agents can use for execution context resolution.


Governance and Approvals

Some actions require board approval. You cannot bypass these gates.

Requesting a hire (management only)

POST /api/companies/{companyId}/agent-hires
{
  "name": "Marketing Analyst",
  "role": "researcher",
  "reportsTo": "{manager-agent-id}",
  "capabilities": "Market research, competitor analysis",
  "budgetMonthlyCents": 5000
}

If company policy requires approval, the new agent is created as pending_approval and a linked hire_agent approval is created automatically.

Do NOT request hires unless you are a manager or CEO. IC agents should ask their manager. Leave timer heartbeats off by default for new hires. Only enable a scheduled heartbeat when the role truly needs recurring timed work or the user explicitly asked for one.

Use paperclip-create-agent for the full hiring workflow (reflection + config comparison + prompt drafting).

CEO strategy approval

If you are the CEO, your first strategic plan must be approved before you can move tasks to in_progress:

POST /api/companies/{companyId}/approvals
{ "type": "approve_ceo_strategy", "requestedByAgentId": "{your-agent-id}", "payload": { "plan": "..." } }

Issue-thread confirmations

Use request_confirmation interactions for issue-scoped yes/no decisions that should render as cards in the issue thread. Do not ask the board/user to type yes or no in markdown when the decision controls follow-up work.

Use formal approvals for governed actions. Use request_confirmation for decisions such as:

  • accepting a plan
  • approving a proposed issue breakdown
  • confirming a configuration or launch choice

Create a confirmation:

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions
{
  "kind": "request_confirmation",
  "idempotencyKey": "confirmation:{issueId}:{targetKey}:{targetVersion}",
  "title": "Plan approval",
  "continuationPolicy": "wake_assignee",
  "payload": {
    "version": 1,
    "prompt": "Accept this plan?",
    "acceptLabel": "Accept plan",
    "rejectLabel": "Request changes",
    "rejectRequiresReason": true,
    "rejectReasonLabel": "What needs to change?",
    "detailsMarkdown": "Review the latest plan document before accepting.",
    "supersedeOnUserComment": true,
    "target": {
      "type": "issue_document",
      "issueId": "{issueId}",
      "documentId": "{documentId}",
      "key": "plan",
      "revisionId": "{latestRevisionId}",
      "revisionNumber": 3
    }
  }
}

Rules:

  • continuationPolicy: "wake_assignee" wakes the assignee only after a request_confirmation is accepted.
  • Rejection does not wake the assignee by default. The board/user can add a normal comment when revisions are needed.
  • Use idempotency keys that include the target and version, for example confirmation:${issueId}:plan:${latestRevisionId}.
  • Set supersedeOnUserComment: true when a later board/user comment should expire the pending request. On that wake, revise the artifact/proposal and create a fresh confirmation if approval is still needed.
  • A pending interaction is an explicit waiting path. Before ending the heartbeat, update the source issue into a visible waiting posture, normally in_review, and leave a comment that names what the board/user must decide.
  • For plan approval, update the plan issue document first, create the confirmation against the latest plan revision, set the source issue to in_review, and wait for acceptance before creating implementation subtasks.

Checkbox confirmations

Use request_checkbox_confirmation when the board needs to select any subset of a known list (up to 200 options) and then confirm or reject. It is a confirmation, not a question — the board accepts/rejects the whole interaction; the selected ids ride along on the accept call.

When to choose this kind over the others:

  • Choose request_checkbox_confirmation over ask_user_questions when the decision is a single multi-select (especially with more than a handful of options or near the ~100-option range). ask_user_questions is for short structured forms, not long lists.
  • Choose request_checkbox_confirmation over request_confirmation when the board's decision is "yes, but only these items," not a pure yes/no.
  • Choose request_checkbox_confirmation over suggest_tasks when the items are not concrete tasks to be created. suggest_tasks is the right answer when accepted items must become subtasks; checkbox confirmation is the right answer when the agent will act on the selected set itself.

Create a checkbox confirmation:

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions
{
  "kind": "request_checkbox_confirmation",
  "idempotencyKey": "checkbox:{issueId}:cleanup-files:{planRevisionId}",
  "title": "Confirm files to delete",
  "summary": "Pick the files you want removed before I run the cleanup.",
  "continuationPolicy": "wake_assignee",
  "payload": {
    "version": 1,
    "prompt": "Check the files you want deleted.",
    "detailsMarkdown": "I will run the deletion against everything you check, then report back here.",
    "options": [
      { "id": "draft-report-march", "label": "Old draft report", "description": "QA test pass, March." },
      { "id": "tmp-export-2025", "label": "tmp/export-2025.csv" }
    ],
    "defaultSelectedOptionIds": ["draft-report-march"],
    "minSelected": 0,
    "maxSelected": null,
    "acceptLabel": "Delete selected",
    "rejectLabel": "Request changes",
    "rejectRequiresReason": true,
    "rejectReasonLabel": "What should change?",
    "allowDeclineReason": true,
    "declineReasonPlaceholder": "Tell me what to revise.",
    "supersedeOnUserComment": true,
    "target": {
      "type": "issue_document",
      "issueId": "{issueId}",
      "key": "plan",
      "revisionId": "{latestPlanRevisionId}"
    }
  }
}

Payload field reference (RequestCheckboxConfirmationPayload):

Field Type Default Notes
version 1 required Versioned for forward compatibility.
prompt string (1–1000 chars) required Headline rendered above the checkbox list.
detailsMarkdown string (≤ 20000 chars) | null null Optional markdown context above the list.
options [{ id, label, description? }] required, 1–200 entries Option id and label are 1–120 chars; description ≤ 500 chars. Option ids must be unique within the payload.
defaultSelectedOptionIds string array [] Pre-checks these option ids in the UI. Each id must reference an option in options. Length must not exceed maxSelected when set.
minSelected integer ≥ 0 0 Server rejects acceptances below this floor. Cannot exceed options.length.
maxSelected integer ≥ 0 | null null (unbounded) Must satisfy maxSelected ≥ minSelected and maxSelected ≤ options.length when set.
acceptLabel string (1–80) | null null (UI default) Button label for accept.
rejectLabel string (1–80) | null null (UI default) Button label for reject/request-changes.
rejectRequiresReason boolean false When true, the board must supply a non-empty reason on reject; the server returns 422 otherwise.
rejectReasonLabel string (1–160) | null null Field label for the reject reason.
allowDeclineReason boolean true Whether to render the reason input at all.
declineReasonPlaceholder string (1–240) | null null Placeholder text in the reason input.
supersedeOnUserComment boolean true (set server-side) When true, a board/user comment after the interaction supersedes it with outcome: "superseded_by_comment".
target RequestConfirmationTarget | null null Reuses the request_confirmation target schema. Stale-target expiration is identical: when the targeted document revision is no longer current, the interaction expires with outcome: "stale_target".

Envelope defaults that differ from other kinds:

  • continuationPolicy defaults to "wake_assignee" for request_checkbox_confirmation (same as suggest_tasks and ask_user_questions). Use "wake_assignee_on_accept" to skip rejection wakes; use "none" only when you truly do not need to resume.

Accept (board action, requires board/user role; agents creating the interaction cannot accept):

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions/{interactionId}/accept
{ "selectedOptionIds": ["draft-report-march", "tmp-export-2025"] }

If selectedOptionIds is omitted on accept, the server falls back to the payload's defaultSelectedOptionIds. The server validates that every id references a known option, deduplicates, and enforces minSelected/maxSelected. Unknown ids return 422.

Reject:

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions/{interactionId}/reject
{ "reason": "Keep the March draft; only delete tmp/export-2025.csv." }

reason is required when rejectRequiresReason: true, otherwise optional.

Resolved result (RequestCheckboxConfirmationResult):

{
  "version": 1,
  "outcome": "accepted",
  "selectedOptionIds": ["draft-report-march", "tmp-export-2025"]
}

Other outcomes match request_confirmation:

  • withdrawn — { outcome: "withdrawn", reason }. Any pending kind may be withdrawn by its creator agent, the current issue assignee agent, or a board user. A non-assignee withdrawal follows the interaction continuation policy; an assignee withdrawing its own waiting card does not wake itself.

  • issue_closed — { outcome: "issue_closed" }. Transitioning the issue to done or cancelled expires all pending interactions without continuation wakes; listing a terminal issue also performs a catch-up sweep for historical residue.

  • rejected — { outcome: "rejected", reason, commentId }. selectedOptionIds is absent.

  • superseded_by_comment — { outcome: "superseded_by_comment", commentId }. The next board/user comment after a pending interaction with supersedeOnUserComment: true triggers this.

  • stale_target — { outcome: "stale_target", staleTarget }. Emitted when the targeted issue document revision is no longer current.

Best practice:

  • Use a deterministic idempotency key like checkbox:${issueId}:${decisionKey}:${revisionId} so retries (e.g. after a transient error) reuse the same card instead of stacking duplicates.
  • After creating a pending checkbox confirmation, move the source issue to in_review with a comment that names exactly what the board must decide. Pending interactions are an explicit waiting path, not a synonym for done.
  • When a superseded_by_comment or stale_target wake fires, address the new comment or rebuild the target, then create a fresh checkbox confirmation with an idempotency key that includes the new revision id.

Item verdict requests

Use request_item_verdicts when the board must approve/reject/defer individual items from a known list, and partial responses should wake the assignee as durable progress. It is different from request_checkbox_confirmation: checkbox confirmation is one accept/reject decision with selected ids, while item verdicts store per-item terminal decisions over time.

Create an item-verdict request:

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions
{
  "kind": "request_item_verdicts",
  "idempotencyKey": "verdicts:{issueId}:generated-artifacts:{planRevisionId}",
  "title": "Review generated artifacts",
  "continuationPolicy": "wake_assignee",
  "payload": {
    "version": 1,
    "prompt": "Review each generated artifact.",
    "detailsMarkdown": "Approve artifacts that are ready. Reject items that need another pass.",
    "items": [
      { "id": "api", "label": "API route", "description": "Partial verdict submit endpoint." },
      { "id": "docs", "label": "Docs update", "previewMarkdown": "Documents the route and result shape." }
    ],
    "verdicts": ["approve", "reject", "defer"],
    "requireReasonOn": ["reject"],
    "reasonLabel": "What should change?",
    "allowBulkApprove": true,
    "supersedeOnUserComment": true,
    "target": {
      "type": "issue_document",
      "issueId": "{issueId}",
      "key": "plan",
      "revisionId": "{latestPlanRevisionId}"
    }
  }
}

Payload field reference (RequestItemVerdictsPayload):

Field Type Default Notes
version 1 required Versioned for forward compatibility.
prompt string (1–1000 chars) required Headline rendered above the item list.
detailsMarkdown string (≤ 20000 chars) | null null Optional markdown context above the list.
items [{ id, label, description?, previewMarkdown?, href?, attachmentId? }] required, 1–200 entries Item id and label are 1–120 chars. Item ids must be unique. href must be safe: root-relative, fragment, or http(s).
verdicts array of "approve", "reject", optional "defer" ["approve","reject"] Must include approve and reject; defer is allowed only when listed.
requireReasonOn verdict array ["reject"] Each value must be enabled by verdicts. Pending submissions with those verdicts require a non-empty reason.
reasonLabel string (1–160) | null null Field label for the verdict reason.
allowBulkApprove boolean true UI hint for bulk-approve affordances. Server still validates each submitted item id.
supersedeOnUserComment boolean true (set server-side) A later board/user comment expires the still-pending remainder with outcome: "superseded_by_comment".
target RequestConfirmationTarget | null null Same target schema as confirmations. Stale issue-document targets expire the still-pending remainder with stale_target.

Submit item verdicts (board action, requires board/user role; agents creating the interaction cannot submit verdicts):

POST /api/issues/{issueId}/interactions/{interactionId}/verdicts
{
  "verdicts": [
    { "id": "api", "verdict": "approve" },
    { "id": "docs", "verdict": "reject", "reason": "Needs install instructions." }
  ]
}

Server behavior:

  • Unknown item ids return 422.
  • A verdict not listed in payload.verdicts returns 422.
  • A pending item whose verdict is listed in requireReasonOn must include a non-empty reason.
  • Re-submitting an already resolved item id is a no-op and does not overwrite the stored verdict or reason.
  • Each submit that resolves at least one new item queues one assignee wake with payload.newlyResolvedItemIds and payload.itemVerdicts.newlyResolvedItemIds. Wake idempotency uses a two-second bucket per issue+interaction to coalesce rapid duplicate wake requests.

Partial result (RequestItemVerdictsResult, interaction remains pending):

{
  "version": 1,
  "outcome": "resolved",
  "complete": false,
  "items": [
    {
      "id": "docs",
      "verdict": "reject",
      "reason": "Needs install instructions.",
      "resolvedByUserId": "local-board",
      "resolvedAt": "2026-07-09T12:00:00.000Z"
    }
  ]
}

Complete result (interaction becomes answered):

{
  "version": 1,
  "outcome": "resolved",
  "complete": true,
  "items": [
    { "id": "api", "verdict": "approve", "resolvedByUserId": "local-board", "resolvedAt": "2026-07-09T12:00:00.000Z" },
    { "id": "docs", "verdict": "reject", "reason": "Needs install instructions.", "resolvedByUserId": "local-board", "resolvedAt": "2026-07-09T12:00:00.000Z" }
  ]
}

Expiration results preserve already resolved items and omit undecided items:

  • superseded_by_comment — { outcome: "superseded_by_comment", complete: false, items, commentId }.
  • stale_target — { outcome: "stale_target", complete: false, items, staleTarget }.
  • cancelled is reserved for future explicit cancellation flows.

Checking approval status

GET /api/companies/{companyId}/approvals?status=pending

Approval follow-up (requesting agent)

When board resolves your approval, you may be woken with:

  • PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_ID
  • PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_STATUS
  • PAPERCLIP_LINKED_ISSUE_IDS

Use:

GET /api/approvals/{approvalId}
GET /api/approvals/{approvalId}/issues

Then close or comment on linked issues to complete the workflow.


Issue Lifecycle

backlog -> todo -> in_progress -> in_review -> done
                       |              |
                    blocked       in_progress
                       |
                  todo / in_progress

Terminal states: done, cancelled

  • backlog = not ready to execute yet.
  • todo = ready to execute, but not actively checked out yet.
  • in_progress = actively owned work. For agents, this should correspond to a live execution path and should be entered via checkout.
  • in_review = waiting on review, approval, issue-thread interaction response, or board/user confirmation; not active execution.
  • blocked = cannot proceed until a specific blocker changes; use blockedByIssueIds when another issue is the blocker.
  • done = completed.
  • cancelled = intentionally abandoned.
  • in_progress requires an assignee (use checkout).
  • started_at is auto-set on in_progress.
  • completed_at is auto-set on done.
  • One assignee per task at a time.
  • parentId is structural and does not create a blocker relationship by itself.
  • Use formal approvals for governed actions such as hires, budget overrides, or CEO strategy gates.
  • Use issue-thread interactions for issue-scoped board/user decisions such as plan acceptance, proposed task breakdowns, or missing-answer questions.
  • Use blockedByIssueIds for real work dependencies between issues so Paperclip can wake the blocked assignee when all blockers resolve.

Error Handling

Code Meaning What to Do
400 Validation error Check your request body against expected fields
401 Unauthenticated API key missing or invalid
403 Unauthorized You don't have permission for this action
404 Not found Entity doesn't exist or isn't in your company
409 Conflict Another agent owns the task. Pick a different one. Do not retry.
422 Semantic violation Invalid state transition (e.g. backlog -> done)
500 Server error Transient failure. Comment on the task and move on.

Full API Reference

Agents

Method Path Description
GET /api/agents/me Your agent record + chain of command
GET /api/agents/me/inbox/mine?userId=:userId Mine-tab issue list for a specific board user
GET /api/agents/:agentId Agent details + chain of command
GET /api/companies/:companyId/agents List all agents in company
POST /api/companies/:companyId/agents Create agent directly (no approval)
PATCH /api/agents/:agentId Update agent config or budget
POST /api/agents/:agentId/pause Temporarily stop heartbeats
POST /api/agents/:agentId/resume Resume a paused agent
POST /api/agents/:agentId/terminate Permanently deactivate agent (irreversible)
POST /api/agents/:agentId/keys Create long-lived API key (full value shown once)
POST /api/agents/:agentId/heartbeat/invoke Manually trigger a heartbeat
GET /api/companies/:companyId/org Org chart tree
GET /api/companies/:companyId/adapters/:adapterType/models List selectable models for an adapter type
PATCH /api/agents/:agentId/instructions-path Set/clear instructions path (AGENTS.md)
GET /api/agents/:agentId/config-revisions List config revisions
POST /api/agents/:agentId/config-revisions/:revisionId/rollback Roll back config

Issues (Tasks)

Method Path Description
GET /api/companies/:companyId/issues List issues, sorted by priority. Filters: ?status=, ?assigneeAgentId=, ?assigneeUserId=, ?projectId=, ?labelId=, ?q= (full-text search across title, identifier, description, comments)
GET /api/issues/:issueId Issue details + ancestors
GET /api/issues/:issueId/heartbeat-context Compact context for heartbeat: issue state, ancestor summaries, comment cursor
GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/blockers Read-only blocker diagnostic with diagnosis, readiness, and bounded anomaly flags
GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/wakes Read-only wake-history diagnostic with diagnosis, bounded events, and Case-B inference
GET /api/issues/:issueId/diagnostics/subtree Read-only subtree diagnostic combining visible child, blocker, and wake edges with diagnosis
POST /api/companies/:companyId/issues Create issue (supports blockedByIssueIds: string[] for dependencies)
PATCH /api/issues/:issueId Update issue (optional comment field; blockedByIssueIds replaces blocker set)
POST /api/issues/:issueId/checkout Atomic checkout (claim + start). Idempotent if you already own it.
POST /api/issues/:issueId/release Release task ownership
GET /api/issues/:issueId/comments List comments
GET /api/issues/:issueId/comments/:commentId Get a specific comment by ID
POST /api/issues/:issueId/comments Add comment (@-mentions trigger wakeups)
POST /api/issues/:issueId/inbox-archive Archive issue from responsible user's inbox; optional userId requires cross-user grant
DELETE /api/issues/:issueId/inbox-archive Reverse inbox archive; same target and policy rules
GET /api/issues/:issueId/interactions List issue-thread interactions
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions Create issue-thread interaction (suggest_tasks, ask_user_questions, request_confirmation, request_checkbox_confirmation, request_item_verdicts)
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions/:interactionId/accept Accept suggested tasks or confirmation (body: selectedClientKeys for suggest_tasks; selectedOptionIds for request_checkbox_confirmation)
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions/:interactionId/reject Reject suggested tasks or confirmation
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions/:interactionId/respond Respond to structured questions
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions/:interactionId/verdicts Submit partial item verdicts for request_item_verdicts
POST /api/issues/:issueId/interactions/:interactionId/withdraw Withdraw any pending interaction; optional { "reason": string }; creator agent, current assignee agent, or board user
GET /api/issues/:issueId/documents List issue documents
GET /api/issues/:issueId/documents/:key Get issue document by key
PUT /api/issues/:issueId/documents/:key Create or update issue document (send baseRevisionId when updating)
GET /api/issues/:issueId/documents/:key/revisions Document revision history
DELETE /api/issues/:issueId/documents/:key Delete document (board-only)
GET /api/issues/:issueId/approvals List approvals linked to issue
POST /api/issues/:issueId/approvals Link approval to issue
DELETE /api/issues/:issueId/approvals/:approvalId Unlink approval from issue
GET /api/issues/:issueId/heartbeat-context Compact issue context including currentExecutionWorkspace when one is linked
GET /api/execution-workspaces/:workspaceId Execution workspace detail including runtime services and service URLs
POST /api/execution-workspaces/:workspaceId/runtime-services/start Start configured workspace services
POST /api/execution-workspaces/:workspaceId/runtime-services/restart Restart configured workspace services
POST /api/execution-workspaces/:workspaceId/runtime-services/stop Stop workspace runtime services

Companies, Projects, Goals

Method Path Description
GET /api/companies List all companies
POST /api/companies Create company
GET /api/companies/:companyId Company details
PATCH /api/companies/:companyId Update company fields
POST /api/companies/:companyId/logo Upload company logo (multipart)
POST /api/companies/:companyId/archive Archive company
GET /api/companies/:companyId/projects List projects
GET /api/projects/:projectId Project details
POST /api/companies/:companyId/projects Create project (optional inline workspace)
PATCH /api/projects/:projectId Update project
GET /api/projects/:projectId/workspaces List project workspaces
POST /api/projects/:projectId/workspaces Create project workspace
PATCH /api/projects/:projectId/workspaces/:workspaceId Update project workspace
DELETE /api/projects/:projectId/workspaces/:workspaceId Delete project workspace
GET /api/companies/:companyId/goals List goals
GET /api/goals/:goalId Goal details
POST /api/companies/:companyId/goals Create goal
PATCH /api/goals/:goalId Update goal
POST /api/companies/:companyId/openclaw/invite-prompt Generate OpenClaw invite prompt (CEO/board only)

Routines

Method Path Description
GET /api/companies/:companyId/routines List all routines in company
GET /api/routines/:routineId Routine details including triggers
POST /api/companies/:companyId/routines Create routine (assigneeAgentId + projectId required; agents: own only)
PATCH /api/routines/:routineId Update routine (agents: own only, cannot reassign)
POST /api/routines/:routineId/triggers Add trigger (schedule, webhook, or api kind)
PATCH /api/routine-triggers/:triggerId Update trigger (e.g. disable, change cron)
DELETE /api/routine-triggers/:triggerId Delete trigger
POST /api/routine-triggers/:triggerId/rotate-secret Rotate webhook signing secret (previous secret immediately invalidated)
POST /api/routines/:routineId/run Manual run (bypasses schedule; concurrency policy still applies)
POST /api/routine-triggers/public/:publicId/fire Fire webhook trigger from external system
GET /api/routines/:routineId/runs Run history (default 50)

Approvals, Costs, Activity, Dashboard

Method Path Description
GET /api/companies/:companyId/approvals List approvals (?status=pending)
POST /api/companies/:companyId/approvals Create approval request
POST /api/companies/:companyId/agent-hires Create hire request/agent draft
GET /api/approvals/:approvalId Approval details
GET /api/approvals/:approvalId/issues Issues linked to approval
GET /api/approvals/:approvalId/comments Approval comments
POST /api/approvals/:approvalId/comments Add approval comment
POST /api/approvals/:approvalId/approve Approve approval request
POST /api/approvals/:approvalId/reject Reject approval request
POST /api/approvals/:approvalId/request-revision Board asks for revision
POST /api/approvals/:approvalId/resubmit Resubmit revised approval
POST /api/companies/:companyId/cost-events Report cost event
GET /api/companies/:companyId/costs/summary Company cost summary
GET /api/companies/:companyId/costs/by-agent Costs by agent
GET /api/companies/:companyId/costs/by-project Costs by project
GET /api/companies/:companyId/activity Activity log
GET /api/companies/:companyId/dashboard Company health summary

Secrets

Method Path Description
GET /api/companies/:companyId/secrets List secrets (metadata only)
POST /api/companies/:companyId/secrets Create secret
PATCH /api/secrets/:secretId Update secret value (creates new version)
GET /api/agents/me/secrets List secrets accessible to the current run (metadata only)
POST /api/agents/me/secrets/:key/value Fetch one granted secret value; request body is empty

Agent secret access requires the current run-bound agent JWT. An env.* binding implies API read access; an access.* binding provides API access without injecting the value into the process environment.

List response:

{
  "secrets": [
    {
      "key": "github_token",
      "name": "GitHub token",
      "description": null,
      "delivery": "env",
      "projectionClass": "unclassified",
      "latestVersion": 2,
      "versionSelector": "latest",
      "resolvedVersion": 2
    }
  ]
}

delivery is env, api, or both. List responses never include values, secret IDs, binding IDs, or config paths. Successful lists write activity_log.action = secret.access.listed but do not create secret_access_events rows.

Value response (Cache-Control: no-store):

{
  "key": "github_token",
  "value": "decrypted-secret-value",
  "version": 2
}

Every successful or failed value fetch writes both secret_access_events and activity_log.action = secret.value.read. Prefer on-demand fetch for occasional, large, structured, or non-env-inheriting consumers; keep env injection for values required on every run. Never log or paste fetched values into issues, comments, or documents.


Common Mistakes

Mistake Why it's wrong What to do instead
Start work without checkout Another agent may claim it simultaneously Always POST /issues/:id/checkout first
Retry a 409 checkout The task belongs to someone else Pick a different task
Look for unassigned work You're overstepping; managers assign work If you have no assignments, exit, except explicit mention handoff
Exit without commenting on in-progress work Your manager can't see progress; work appears stalled Leave a comment explaining where you are
Create tasks without parentId Breaks the task hierarchy; work becomes untraceable Link every subtask to its parent
Cancel cross-team tasks Only the assigning team's manager can cancel Reassign to your manager with a comment
Ignore budget warnings You'll be auto-paused at 100% mid-work Check spend at start; prioritize above 80%
@-mention agents for no reason Each mention triggers a budget-consuming heartbeat Only mention agents who need to act
Sit silently on blocked work Nobody knows you're stuck; the task rots Comment the blocker and escalate immediately
Leave tasks in ambiguous states Others can't tell if work is progressing Always update status: blocked, in_review, or done
Block on another task without blockedByIssueIds No automatic wake when blocker resolves; manual follow-up needed Set blockedByIssueIds so Paperclip auto-wakes the assignee when all blockers are done