## Thinking Path > - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for work. > - The Advanced tab lets operators edit agent settings as YAML. > - Its first format embedded company catalogs, profile definitions, history, and instruction text. > - This made one agent document grow with unrelated company data. > - Removing those fields from the display also needs safe save behavior. > - This pull request renders a compact document and resolves sparse edits against saved state. > - Operators can change settings without copying shared data or deleting hidden values. ## Linked Issues or Issue Description Refs #2219. Follow-up to #18036. **Current behavior** The Advanced document expands shared profiles, embeds instruction files, and lists read-only state and unused connections. It also emits empty command lists and unset fields. **Proposed behavior** Show the agent's own settings and profile/instruction references. Omitted settings stay unchanged. Explicit empty values clear supported settings. A named instruction file changes only when supplied; `null` deletes that file. **Reason and benefit** An agent's YAML should remain readable when its company adds profiles or its instruction files grow. Every setting remains available through YAML or its owning settings tab. ## What Changed - Remove the read-only `observed` export and unused connection inventory. - Render profile-key references and instruction locations. Keep file contents and legacy prompt text out of the default editor. - Omit unset nullable fields, empty maps/lists, zero budget, standard permissions, and empty commands. - Add a sparse input schema and saved-state resolution. Preserve omitted fields, binding definitions, file contents, permissions, and channel settings. - Keep explicit clears and map/list replacement. Patch named instruction files and use `null` for deletion. Preserve hidden legacy prompt text unless explicitly changed. - Check profile references, shared edits, and file restrictions before writes. Keep revision guards, native authorization, and partial-save recovery. - Update documentation, verification maps, and regression coverage. Remove operating-system clipboard dependence from browser tests. ## Verification - All 48 jobs pass in the [final CI run](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/40904124001) on `6dbb11d7a6`. Greptile is 5/5 on this exact commit. Both findings are resolved; there are no failed or pending checks. - Paperclip Review ended neutral because its agent finished without a complete assessment. It did not provide a code finding. Superagent Security Scan passed. - The focused suite passes 58 tests across YAML parsing, planning/saving, compact output, and the editor. - A large unit fixture with 30 profiles, 50 entries per profile, and a 1,000-line instruction file renders under 70 lines and is more than 95% smaller than the prior expanded representation. - All eight browser cases pass against real APIs and a dedicated PostgreSQL database. The compact-output case stays under 60 lines with large profiles and instruction text. It checks sparse saves and profile-key binding without changing shared definitions. The resource-save browser case also checks that unpinned skill shorthand does not trigger another sync during an unrelated save. - Browser coverage also checks resource saves/clears, secret redaction, key receipts through rename, stale drafts, lost responses, instruction relocation, and revision restore. The MCP fixture is a local target; no model run or external provider login is claimed. - Workspace build and typecheck pass. Map, Storybook catalog, and token gates pass. These checks and all eight browser cases passed after rebase onto current master, including its new Secrets regression. The merge conflict consisted of adjacent test additions; both were retained. The final skill no-op correction also passes a focused browser rerun. The mixed-resource channel regression failed before its fix and now passes, including revision restore with unpinned skills. UI typecheck passes after both corrections. - The first browser run hit a five-second test wait during an active multi-resource save. A focused rerun exposed shared clipboard interference. The helper now waits for save completion and uses scoped copy events plus keyboard input. The next full run passed. Earlier logs and screenshots remain outside the repository. Run the focused browser suite with: ```sh pnpm exec playwright test --config tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts tests/e2e/agent-configuration.spec.ts ``` ## Risks - Omitted fields now preserve saved values. Removing a line does not clear that setting. Supply its supported empty value instead. - Instruction file maps are patches. Old exports that removed a file by dropping its entry must now set that file to `null`. Entry files and read-only assets remain protected. - Explicit lists and adapter/runtime/metadata maps retain replacement behavior. Hidden legacy prompt text is preserved unless supplied explicitly; an empty string clears it. - Shared definition edits still require explicit consent. Saves still use sequential native APIs and can partially succeed. Existing unversioned resource race windows remain. - No database migration, new dependency, lockfile edit, or workflow change. ## Model Used OpenAI Codex, GPT-6 family. The exact serving model ID and context window are not exposed in this session. The work used reasoning, repository editing, code execution, and Playwright browser automation. ## 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>
22 KiB
Hiring, agent configuration, and organization — agent access
Product map: Hiring, agent configuration, and organization.
Feature ID: agents.
Review date: 2026-10-12. Source commit: 58e16dbddfc9c8d0cf60867f9d9847f0feda055b.
Native REST transport reconciled in this change; see the
shared transport contract.
This is a source-reviewed baseline of representative operations and known gaps. Each capability needs operation-level review before its entire scope can be qualified. No live agent execution is claimed. Follow the map contract for format, permission checks, evidence and maintenance.
Scoped runner-default source review: 2026-10-12 at
eee0534154eaf5d0d3f2bbc97c1e24d86f34a5a5, limited to creation/configuration,
approval activation, built-in provisioning and import preservation described
below. The original baseline commit above still governs unrelated entries; this
update does not claim operation-complete review or live agent verification.
hire
Capability ID: agents/hire.
Review: baseline.
API: present — representative operation IDs:
POST /api/companies/{companyId}/agent-hires.POST /api/companies/{companyId}/agents.
Agent access: partial — Native hire_agent; REST / CLI agent; runtime inheritance for
native hires.
Creation requests can use runner: auto | paperclip | legacy; the server resolves
and persists execution configuration. Claude Auto selects the native ACPX profile
on qualified macOS and GNU/Linux x64/ARM64 targets; unknown environment
qualification remains Legacy. Darwin SSH defaults to Legacy while preserving
explicit native assets and saved execution. Saved runner/model/provider overrides survive edits
and approval activation. This selection does not grant connection access or
bypass hiring authorization. Source: runner resolver.
Policy: Agent creation/configuration uses action grants, resource policies and change consent; some controls require a board actor.
The early wizard record (setupId on create) and completion of that record
(setupAgentId on hire) require a board actor and company-scoped creation
permission. Its creator can finish their own inactive setup with that permission;
changing another person's setup requires configuration permission.
Creation retries reuse only records owned by the caller. Returning a completed
record also requires the normal agent-read and configuration-read checks.
An unfinished record keeps compatibility status paused with a
setup hold and cannot receive API keys or authenticate with keys or JWTs.
Its standard grants apply at hire. Authorized completion retries recover the
same record and approval without changing the submitted configuration.
Normal agent-authored hiring keeps its existing approval policy.
An agent-owned plugin may prepare the draft and leave its lifecycle in
verifying while that setup hold remains. Only bounded Core-issued setup probes
can run there. The creator's company creation permission also covers configuring
and retrying their draft during preparation or stopping; other actors still require the
ordinary configuration permission. This is a board wizard path, not new agent
execution or probe authority. Lifecycle and component regressions cover these
transitions; no permitted-agent or live-provider journey is claimed here.
Companies requiring hire approval keep drafts paused and allocate no agent-owned
resource before approval. Selecting an account there is pending verification,
not approval or execution authority.
The creation boundary resolves the request-level runner before adapter validation
and credential normalization. Omitted/automatic new Codex selection uses the
qualified target's default; explicit Legacy is retained. Disabled adapters and
external overrides affect new selection, while missing credentials/runtime or
incompatible settings remain errors. Existing agents and reviewed pending hires
retain their recorded execution. Native hire_agent explicitly inherits its
caller's runtime and remains subject to permission and credential restrictions;
it is not an arbitrary host-configuration or login tool. REST/CLI creation and
hire runner options use the shared request contract.
Evidence: source-only — implementation at
the reviewed commit above.
Scoped Evidence: source-only — creation policy,
runner resolution,
native hire binding,
frozen approval activation
and same-harness import preservation
at the scoped commit. No permitted-agent journey was executed for this map update.
Verification: not-run — exercise a listed permitted operation with actual agent
credentials/run context; inspect its result and applicable persistence/attribution.
Assert the relevant denied actor, owner, company or mode from Policy. Review the
remaining operations before qualifying the whole capability.
For this scope, compare automatic and explicit Legacy creation, assert foreign company/environment and missing-grant denials, then compare pending approval configuration across restart and activation. An unrelated edit/import update must not change existing execution; a new package without a runner choice receives creation defaults. Do not count a board call or component test as agent evidence.
Gaps: Identity/persona hiring works. Operator account login and sensitive adapter/environment configuration are separate guarded actions.
The runner request does not grant new account, environment-probe or native API fallback authority; see validation access and environment administration. Full access qualification remains not run.
instructions
The operator's Advanced YAML editor uses the existing configuration GET/PATCH
operations plus the owning instructions, skills, tools, channels, permissions,
secrets, API key, and revision APIs. It does not add aggregate write authority;
each request retains its own company and actor checks. Resource reads fail closed.
The compact YAML editor omits inherited access/history, company catalogs, and
instruction contents. Profile-key references resolve only within the company.
Omitted settings are preserved; named file patches use explicit null for deletion.
The normal domain APIs still enforce every write. Multi-resource writes are
sequential, with preflight comparison and explicit partial-failure recovery;
Core configuration, managed files, and entry revisions enforce their existing
atomic revision/hash preconditions. External supporting files and other
unversioned resource writes retain a race window after preflight. Configuration reads include the complete redacted, revisioned fields
and configurationRevision; writes accept an optional
expectedConfigurationRevision, checked again under the write lock. A stale
write returns 409. Revision-guarded writes preserve unchanged redacted values
at their original paths. Configuration read/configure authority, company scope,
instruction-path restrictions, environment/account checks, revision history, and
activity attribution still apply. YAML does not expose a permission-grant or
lifecycle mutation shortcut. See the format.
Capability ID: agents/instructions.
Review: baseline.
API: present — representative operation IDs:
GET /api/agents/{id}/instructions-bundle/file.GET /api/agents/{id}/project-accessandPOST /api/agents/{id}/project-accessare board-only. The POST requiresagents:create, checks selected projects in the same company, and adds IDs under an agent row lock. It preserves existing containment, audits new grants and rejects pending-approval agents. Agent keys cannot use this route to grant themselves access; a read-only board viewer receivescanManage: false. Saving never creates a run or wakeup.PUT /api/agents/{id}/instructions-bundle/file.PATCH /api/agents/{id}with an explicitrunner: "paperclip"upgrade.POST /api/agents/{id}/qualify-runnerto qualify the saved effective sandbox before upgrading or testing an existing native runner.PATCH /api/agents/{id}withruntimeSettings: { harness, model?, aiConnection?, expected: { model, aiConnection } }for a narrow roster edit. Each request handles one agent; the UI batches at most four writes and collects per-agent outcomes.
Agent access: available — Native read/update/history/restore instruction tools; REST /
CLI.
Policy: Agent creation/configuration uses action grants, resource policies and change consent; some controls require a board actor.
The roster intent preserves unrelated settings, rejects stale model/connection previews and harness changes, and checks the full execution configuration under the lifecycle write lock. It uses the same configuration, company, credential, environment, and consent checks as other edits. It adds no agent permission or credential fallback. Pool and externally managed agents use their existing configuration surfaces. Board browser verification does not qualify agent access.
The existing-agent upgrade notice for Claude, Codex, and Grok Build uses this configuration PATCH. It does not
grant configuration, account, or environment access. The server resolves the
saved settings under normal company/configuration authorization. Grok migration preserves
the effective legacy search setting. Task model/effort overrides retain the
agent's account binding and tool policy without granting extra account access. Obsolete Claude
tuning fields are removed with configurationWarnings; security incompatibilities
remain errors. Unqualified sandbox upgrades first use the agent-scoped
POST /api/agents/{id}/qualify-runner under the same agent_config:update
authorization as saving the upgrade. The server resolves the saved computer;
expectedEnvironmentId rejects stale state and cannot select another computer.
Qualification checks company binding, returns only its receipt, and audits within
the agent's company. General instance environment probes still require instance
admin. An existing native agent's clean configuration Test uses the same
saved-computer qualification before its runtime test. A current proof is reused;
a missing or stale proof requires a real successful probe and verified cleanup.
Draft settings and target changes do not qualify another computer. No probe runs
merely on page load. Operator browser evidence does not
qualify the agent permission paths for this operation.
Evidence: source-only — implementation at
the reviewed commit above.
Verification: not-run — exercise a listed permitted operation with actual agent
credentials/run context; inspect its result and applicable persistence/attribution.
Assert the relevant denied actor, owner, company or mode from Policy. Review the
remaining operations before qualifying the whole capability.
Gaps: Canonical entry file, revision guard, company boundary, and protected-change policy apply.
organization
Capability ID: agents/organization.
Review: baseline.
API: present — representative operation IDs:
GET /api/companies/{companyId}/org.PATCH /api/agents/{id}.
Agent access: available — list_agents/get_agent; native call_api for permitted
configuration fields; REST / CLI.
Policy: Agent creation/configuration uses action grants, resource policies and change consent; some controls require a board actor.
Evidence: source-only — implementation at
the reviewed commit above.
Verification: not-run — exercise a listed permitted operation with actual agent
credentials/run context; inspect its result and applicable persistence/attribution.
Assert the relevant denied actor, owner, company or mode from Policy. Review the
remaining operations before qualifying the whole capability.
Gaps: Reporting-line changes need configuration authorization; a title alone gives no authority.
lifecycle
Capability ID: agents/lifecycle.
Review: baseline.
API: present — representative operation IDs:
POST /api/agents/{id}/pause.POST /api/agents/{id}/resume.POST /api/agents/{id}/terminate.DELETE /api/agents/{id}permanently purges an eligible terminated/rejected agent.POST /api/agents/{id}/lifecycle/retry.GET /api/agents/{id}returns the safe failed phase/step and action inlifecycleError.
Agent access: partial — REST / native call_api resume under agent_config:update
change-grant authorization; pause and termination remain board-only.
Policy: Agent creation/configuration uses action grants, resource policies and change
consent; some controls require a board actor.
Permanent deletion is board-only. Retained case handoff references return
409 agent_case_history_retained before dependency cleanup; keep the agent terminated.
Evidence: source-only — implementation at
the reviewed commit above.
Verification: not-run — exercise a listed permitted operation with actual agent
credentials/run context; inspect its result and applicable persistence/attribution.
Assert the relevant denied actor, owner, company or mode from Policy. Review the
remaining operations before qualifying the whole capability.
Gaps: Resume has a generic native REST path. Pause and termination remain enforced actor restrictions.
built-in
Capability ID: agents/built-in.
Review: baseline.
API: present — representative operation IDs:
POST /api/companies/{companyId}/built-in-agents/{key}/provision.
Agent access: partial — REST / native fallback for eligible provisioning; built-in
routine controls require board.
Policy: Agent creation/configuration uses action grants, resource policies and change consent; some controls require a board actor.
Evidence: source-only — implementation at
the reviewed commit above.
Verification: not-run — exercise a listed permitted operation with actual agent
credentials/run context; inspect its result and applicable persistence/attribution.
Assert the relevant denied actor, owner, company or mode from Policy. Review the
remaining operations before qualifying the whole capability.
Gaps: Provisioning checks agents:create. Enabling/running its built-in routine is not the same permission path.
Scoped source review: built-in provisioning recognizes the underlying Codex harness of a native company agent. New configured provisioning resolves the runner, while unrelated reconciliation and same-harness edits retain existing execution. Verify explicit runner changes preserve compatible saved settings; the general creation/access policy above still applies. This is source-only evidence at the scoped commit, not a live provisioning result.
primary-agent
Capability ID: agents/primary-agent.
Review: baseline.
API: present — GET and PUT /api/companies/{companyId}/primary-agent/me.
Agent access: restricted — this is the authenticated human's personal
preference. Agent keys and native call_api use agent identity and are denied by
the board gate; no dedicated agent selection tool is present.
Policy: Requires board user identity, company access and active membership, except implicit-local board or instance administrator. Viewers may choose their own primary. Selection requires a same-company readable, available agent and is scoped to actor user ID; the request cannot select another user's preference. Explicit null selection is rejected; leave/termination can clear an unavailable choice. Initialization stays recorded so clearing does not silently replace it.
Evidence: source-only — reviewed on 2026-10-13 at
60bc0d5fee9a6e48db08fc016521fee3d9f57d67:
routes,
service,
provider, and
route tests.
Verification: not-run — select and read the preference as two company users;
assert isolation, wrong-company/unreadable targets, pending/terminated agent
rejection and agent-key denial. Verify replacement confirmation and fallback
precedence in the UI; inspect the cleared state after permitted leave/termination.
Gaps: No agent mutation path for another person's preference. Live human/agent access is unverified; UI fixture callbacks do not establish persistence or task and Chat default resolution.
grok-bot
Capability ID: agents/grok-bot.
Review: baseline.
API: present — POST /api/companies/{companyId}/grok-invitations, operator-owned Grok invitations and agent-scoped /grok-binding setup, routine, verify, stop, recover and disconnect endpoints. Direct HTTPS /mcp/runner uses fixed named-agent OAuth. Grok tools expose durable assignment operations and task-bound upload/download grants.
Agent access: available — paperclip_grok_* through the dedicated agent grant. First-party Paperclip operations execute through the shared Rust Runner. The Bot retains its own apps; Paperclip workspace and third-party app tools are unavailable.
Policy: company/agent/client/resource/authorizer binding; current manage-agent permission for consent and subsequent calls; normal task ownership, controller lease, governance, pause, revocation and recorded budget checks. Execution and file transfers require current task-bound sessions. Secret credentials remain in encrypted secret storage and are redacted from HTTP logs.
Evidence: source-only — routes, shared authority, routine receipts and Runner broker. Temporary actual-client OAuth and an outbound routine wake are qualified separately; they do not prove this candidate’s acceptance.
Verification: not-run — deployed acceptance pending; focused protocol/authorization and actual Rust backend tests; run fresh/saved setup, assigned and proactive tasks, duplicate calls, stale sessions, restart, ambiguous delivery, stop and recovery through the real client on the serving managed candidate.
Gaps: deployed two-way work and unattended first-time onboarding remain unqualified; remote termination, provider transcript streaming and usage accounting are unavailable.
api-keys
Capability ID: agents/api-keys.
Review: baseline.
API: present — GET /api/agents/{id}/keys; POST /api/agents/{id}/keys; DELETE /api/agents/{id}/keys/{keyId}.
Agent access: restricted — key listing and mutations require board identity and agent-management authority. The CLI token agent commands use authorized board context. Ordinary agent REST/native call_api and public assistant capabilities do not grant key-management authority.
Policy: getAccessibleAgent checks company access and agents:create through the shared access evaluator for reads as well as mutations. Creation rejects pending_approval and terminated agents. Keys retain the creating person’s responsibleUserId; only a hash is stored and token plaintext is returned on creation. Revocation checks that the key belongs to the selected agent. Authentication separately applies agent state, revocation, scope, and responsible-user membership intersections.
Evidence: source-only — reviewed at 9ef434fe79c57d976b8b03b14c5242db270b8320. Keys tab, key routes, key service, authentication, and CLI token commands.
Verification: not-run — Create a disposable key as a permitted authenticated board person, prove one harmless agent read, revoke, and retry the same bearer. Assert metadata persistence, once-only token display, activity, missing management permission, agent identity denial, cross-company/cross-agent IDs, ineligible targets, and missing responsible-user binding.
Gaps: Local implicit key creation does not by itself prove a usable responsible-user binding. No ordinary-agent self-management or assistant delegation path is established; browser creation and actual bearer use need live evidence.
managed-agent-setup
Capability ID: agents/managed-agent-setup.
Review: baseline.
API: present — GET and POST /api/companies/{companyId}/managed-agent-profiles. Provisioning separately calls Anthropic /v1/environments, /v1/agents, and /v1/agents/{id}/versions with operator provider credentials; --probe does not resolve a Paperclip client context or call the profile API.
Agent access: operator-only — provider qualification/provisioning uses the explicit operator CLI. Persisted profile reads/writes require board/company identity; viewer writes are denied. This does not authorize a company agent to provision external provider resources.
Policy: A profile uses an active same-company, company-scoped secret reference. Qualification requires the source-supported pinned model/version, no tools/MCP/skills/multiagent capability, and a locked no-network/no-packages environment with retention acknowledgement. Qualified configuration revisions are immutable; changed qualified configuration requires a new profile key. Provider API credentials and Paperclip profile authority are separate checks.
Evidence: source-only — reviewed at 9ef434fe79c57d976b8b03b14c5242db270b8320. Managed-agent CLI, profile routes, profile service, and runtime validation.
Verification: not-run — Compare provider and Paperclip state before/after probe, then inspect a permitted create/adopt and repeated resource reuse. Reject missing acknowledgement, unsafe resources, invalid model/version/secret/company, and viewer/agent mutations. Separately run a bounded useful task with the saved qualified profile before claiming runtime readiness.
Gaps: This is a provider-specific setup path, not qualification of every managed service or deployed environment. Mocked setup and source validation do not prove live retention, remote execution, or provider availability.