Files
PaperClipAI/maps
DottaandPaperclip df4ee06e2f feat(skills): select and validate tracked GitHub branches (#16288)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Skills can track a branch in an authorized GitHub repository.
> - Sources previously offered only a default-branch repair action.
> - People need to select a listed branch or enter a branch that GitHub
has not listed.
> - The server must validate the selected ref with the caller's
authorized connection.
> - This pull request connects the approved branch picker to production
APIs.
> - Installed skills remain usable while the source changes its tracked
ref.

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

**Subsystem affected**

Skills UI, shared API contracts, GitHub source services, and agent API
discovery.

**Problem or motivation**

The default-branch repair action does not let people choose another
branch. The settings service also validates the old ref when a caller
supplies a new ref other than HEAD. A missing tracked branch can prevent
connection repair even when the selected account has repository access.

**Proposed solution**

Load a bounded branch list with the authorized connection. Mark the
default branch. Search listed branches or accept a typed ref. Validate
the selected ref before saving. Keep the chosen value after a load
error, invalid ref, or concurrent update. Save the selected connection
and branch together during connection repair.

**Alternatives considered**

A default-branch button does not support a named branch. A text field
alone does not help people find the repository default or available
branches.

**Roadmap alignment**

This improves the existing Skills source manager. It does not add a new
skill import system.

**Additional context**

Refs #16066 and #16256. This is the production implementation of the
approved branch-selection Storybook journeys.

## What Changed

- Add an authorized branch-list endpoint and shared response/query
types. Register it in agent API discovery.
- Validate the requested ref, including the returned commit SHA.
Preserve source leases, revision checks, project ownership, skill
identities, selections, and installed versions.
- Add the searchable branch picker to Sources and connection repair.
Allow typed refs during branch discovery and after discovery fails.
- Keep save errors in the dialog. Retain the selected branch through a
concurrent source update.
- Use the production components and API client in Storybook. Add
keyboard, touch, loading, retry, invalid-ref, connection-repair, and
concurrent-update browser journeys.
- Update product documentation and the feature/access maps.

## Verification

- Red/green: two new database regressions fail against the previous
service and pass against the implementation.
- Linux database/service suite: 85 tests passed. This includes source
visibility, human/agent authorization, selected connections, immutable
versions, and invalid refs.
- Rebased branch and review fixes: 94 focused UI, route,
branch-validation, and fixture tests passed. Two conflict-message
regressions and the stale-retry fixture regression fail before the fix
and pass after it.
- Storybook build passed. All 26 focused browser journeys passed.
- Repository typecheck and build passed. Final UI typecheck passed after
the review fixes.
- The full local Vitest run was interrupted when the checkout and its
dependencies disappeared. It reported missing working-directory/Postgres
files and worker startup errors. Its two timed-out tests pass after the
checkout was restored. The complete CI suite passed on the final head,
`cf5d4c8f0a`: [CI
run](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/actions/runs/38571068332).
One unchanged workspace timestamp test required a single rerun. Its
release-minus-one-millisecond value can equal the original confirmation
time. The rerun passed.
- Live acceptance passed on implementation head `5dd935bf14` in an
isolated macOS arm64 instance with Node 24.21.0 and an authorized
private GitHub repository. The UI loaded the actual default branch,
saved branch and selected connection together, and preserved the
installed skill/version IDs after reload. An invalid typed ref retained
the draft and showed the provider error. A valid typed HEAD ref then
saved successfully. The owned runtime and database were stopped after
the test. Focused unit, Linux database, and browser suites passed again
after the error-handling review fixes.
- Greptile reviewed final head `cf5d4c8f0a` at 5/5. Both review threads
are resolved; the fresh review has no remaining findings.
- Token gates and map/catalog checks passed.
- Review entry points: `Skills / Project repository skills / 03 Branch
selection components` and `04 Branch selection journeys`. Run `pnpm
storybook` to inspect them.
- Browser command: `pnpm exec playwright test --config
tests/storybook-visual/playwright.config.ts
tests/storybook-visual/skill-source-branch-selection.spec.ts
tests/storybook-visual/project-repository-skills.spec.ts`.
- Manual check: open an independent GitHub source, choose a new branch,
select the default or type a ref, save, and reload. Try an invalid ref
and confirm the selection remains in the dialog. For a project-bound
source, change its ref in project settings.

## Risks

- GitHub discovery is bounded to 100 listed branches. The default branch
is always included. Typed refs remain available.
- A source can change while the dialog is open. The API rejects a stale
revision and the UI keeps the draft for retry.
- A ref change schedules the existing refresh pipeline. Installed
versions remain available until a successful refresh imports new
content.
- No database migration or credential storage change is required.
Existing HEAD requests remain supported.

## Model Used

OpenAI Codex, GPT-6 family. The serving model's exact identifier and
context-window size are not exposed in this session. Used reasoning,
repository tools, code execution, and browser tools.

## 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>
2026-10-14 09:55:43 -05:00
..

Paperclip maps

The maps describe the same capabilities from two perspectives:

  • Feature map: what a person can do, where to reach it, and how to verify the user journey. Preserve its Poteto format.
  • Agent access map: the APIs and agent entry points for those capabilities, their permission boundaries, and access verification.

These are sibling directories under maps/. Each feature file has a same-named agent access companion. Reuse the product map's sub-feature IDs, so tasks/create identifies the same capability in both maps. Product behavior remains governed by the implementation spec; a map cannot grant authority or redefine a permission denial as success.

Access contract

Every business operation needs both an API and a usable agent entry point for an actor authorized to perform it. A dedicated tool is optional when REST, the CLI, an assigned MCP client, or native search_api / call_api already provides the operation. Record which agent surfaces actually have that path; an installed CLI or optional MCP package cannot be assumed available to every native/remote run.

Track these independently:

Dimension Values and meaning
API present, missing, not-applicable, or unreviewed. Use exact methods/paths; distinguish protocols from REST.
Agent access available, partial, missing, restricted, operator-only, not-applicable, or unreviewed. Name the supported surface and actual entry point.
Policy Actor, action/grant, company/resource/ownership scope, responsible-user intersection, run requirements, work modes, and gates relevant to the operation.
Evidence source-only, verified, failed, blocked, or not-run. Source presence and successful board calls are not agent verification.
Review depth baseline records representative operations and known gaps; operation-reviewed enumerates the capability's meaningful operations and their individual access contracts.

Broad capabilities such as task properties must be split into operations before they count as operation-reviewed: renaming, metadata edits, assignment, dependencies, and lifecycle changes can use different tools and permission rules. An available read path cannot certify a write path. List/get/create/update/delete, execution/control, credential handling, and resolution are separate where their authority or transport differs. Do not duplicate request schemas from OpenAPI.

Exceptions and restrictions

Presentation-only state, static developer fixtures, and pre-start/local operator work may use not-applicable for a domain API, with a concrete reason and the existing local path. When a capability combines shared data with presentation, split the operations: browser recents do not exempt resource lookup from API coverage. Promoting local state to a shared feature requires revisiting the entry.

A board-only endpoint is restricted for agent identity, not an automatic exception or a missing API. Cite the enforced policy and record whether the agent can request the authorized human's action and observe its result. An unresolved delegation question remains in Gaps. Company access, a job title, a personal assistant's OAuth grant, or an accepted interaction does not grant board identity. Keep budget, approval, secret and execution authority intact.

Check actual route/service authorization and production tool admission. OpenAPI actor labels and scenario/evaluation tool declarations are supporting metadata; record disagreements rather than using them as proof of access. Native API fallback restrictions, tool field/scope limits, and rollout settings are part of the agent path, even when a legacy agent can call the REST endpoint directly.

Companion file format

Each agent-access-map/<area>.md has an H1, a relative link to its product file, followed by one H2 backticked ID per product sub-feature. Each capability contains these fields:

  • Review: baseline or operation-reviewed.
  • API: presence state and exact operation IDs, or a reasoned exception.
  • Agent access: availability state and concrete entry points by surface.
  • Policy: relevant permission and runtime boundaries, with source references.
  • Evidence: evidence state, reviewed commit and sources or executed proof.
  • Verification: allowed/denied assertions and observable result; record what has actually run separately from the proposed recipe.
  • Gaps: missing APIs/paths, discovery drift, unreviewed operations or policy decisions; use none only for the enumerated scope that was reviewed.

For an operation-reviewed capability, use H3 backticked operation IDs and repeat API, Agent access, Policy, Evidence, Verification and Gaps for each operation. Use small operation names such as create, update, read, or run-now. The enclosing capability has Review: operation-reviewed only after its meaningful operations have been enumerated. The following excerpt shows one operation; include the others before using that review label:

## `definition`

Review: `operation-reviewed`.

### `create`

API: `present` — POST /api/companies/{companyId}/routines.
Agent access: `available` — agent REST, CLI routine create and native call_api
under the enabled rollout and active-run/mode gates.
Policy: same company; assigneeAgentId must be the calling agent; cite the
routine authorization and native API policy sources.
Evidence: `source-only` — reviewed commit and source links; no live proof.
Verification: `not-run` — create an owned routine; reject assignment to another
agent; inspect saved configuration, attribution and retry behavior.
Gaps: verify ownership and responsible-user resolution with a permitted agent
context; source presence alone does not qualify this operation.

Keeping the maps synchronized

When a change adds/removes a capability or changes its behavior, API, permission, tool binding, CLI support, or work mode, update the affected companion and product recipe as appropriate in the same change. Preserve IDs across renames where the capability is unchanged; update the affected cross-links together. Indexes discover recipes automatically. An API-only change may update the companion without rewriting unchanged user instructions.

maintain-verification-skill owns reconciliation of both maps. It follows changed source and authorization, checks real agent reachability, and records product gaps without implementing them during a maintenance pass. The creation skill uses this structure. verify-paperclip consumes the relevant recipes and reports evidence/drift; map editing belongs to maintenance.

Run the structural check after map changes:

node scripts/check-maps.mjs

It checks paired areas/IDs, navigation metadata, required fields, and local references. It does not certify endpoint authorization, production bindings, operation completeness, or live behavior. Source audits must check those against the existing API and tool contracts; avoid a second schema catalog or runtime.

For live access proof, use Paperclip's existing API/runner/MCP fixtures or an owned isolated instance. Use the actual agent identity, target and work mode. Assert the allowed result and relevant denial (another company/private resource, wrong owner, missing grant, invalid run, restricted mode or resolver). Mutations also need persisted state/attribution and retry behavior. Capture evidence using the existing artifact workflow; keep executed run results separate from generated maps/generated/coverage.json, which lists page references.

Local authorship and generated indexes

Change only the recipes, access contracts and stories whose behavior or intent changed. Feature recipes own navigation metadata; stories own small parameters.paperclip annotations. Do not register entries or refresh counts in shared READMEs, inventories, fingerprints or review journals.

node scripts/storybook-catalog.mjs validates and generates aggregate navigation, Storybook data, verification routes and the page inventory. All outputs live in ignored maps/generated/, ui/storybook/generated/, and the ignored Storybook preview.tsx wrapper. Start/build and UI typechecking generate their own inputs. A clean merged checkout therefore assembles both branches' changes automatically.

Git provides history and diffs. PRs, issues and CI artifacts retain review/run evidence for the named revision. Capability associations do not create whole-file review dependencies. Keep durable scenario limits in the affected recipe or story.