## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - Operators spend most of their time on the issue detail page. They
talk to the assigned agent there through comments.
> - The current page reads as a ticket form. The thread sits below
properties, the composer sits mid-page, and live agent activity renders
as dense transcript logs.
> - Talking to an agent is a conversation. A chat-first layout matches
that mental model better than a ticket form.
> - A layout change this large must not disrupt current users. It needs
a safe opt-in path and full parity with the existing thread features.
> - This pull request adds a chat-style task view behind a new
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment toggle. The flag is off by default and the
existing page is unchanged when it is off.
> - The benefit is a focused, readable conversation with the agent: live
tool activity folds into compact summaries, the composer stays at the
bottom, and properties, plan, and artifacts move into header tabs.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #49 (chat with agents is a much-wanted feature).
Related PRs found in the dedup search:
- #4489 — an earlier, closed attempt to promote the conversation to the
primary surface on issue detail. This PR is a fresh, flag-gated take on
the same goal.
- #8837 — an open PR that proposes a two-column task layout. It
restructures the same page but keeps the ticket paradigm; this PR is
orthogonal because it is opt-in and chat-first.
**Subsystem affected**
UI (issue detail page).
**Problem or motivation**
The issue detail page presents agent conversations as a ticket:
properties first, thread below, composer in the middle of the page, and
raw transcript noise during live runs. Users who mainly converse with
their agents must scroll past chrome to follow the conversation, and
live activity is hard to read.
**Proposed solution**
An opt-in chat-style view of the issue detail page, gated by a new
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment toggle in Settings → Experimental. With
the flag on, the thread fills the center pane, the composer docks to the
bottom of the viewport, Properties / Plan / Artifacts become header
tabs, live turns show a status pill with the current tool action and
elapsed time, and settled turns collapse to a "Worked · N tools" summary
that expands into per-tool rows. With the flag off, nothing changes.
**Alternatives considered**
Restyling the existing layout in place (rejected: too disruptive without
an opt-out), and a separate chat page beside the issue page (rejected:
splits the task's single source of truth). A per-request lab page
(`/task-chat-lab`, dev-only) was kept for design iteration instead.
**Roadmap alignment**
ROADMAP.md "CEO Chat" wants lighter conversations that still resolve to
real work objects. This PR keeps the core task-and-comments model — it
only changes presentation, opt-in — so it does not duplicate that
planned work.
## What Changed
- New `enableTaskChatRedesign` instance setting, exposed as a
"Chat-Style Tasks" experiment card in Settings → Experimental (shared
feature catalog, validators, server instance-settings service, and UI
settings page).
- New `ui/src/components/task-chat/` component family: chat thread with
turn grouping, agent reply bubbles, live status pill, collapsible turn
summaries with per-tool rows, plan tab with a sticky CTA action bar,
inline interaction cards, per-request mode chips, and a bottom-docked
composer.
- A shared tool taxonomy (`tool-taxonomy.ts`) maps tool names to verbs
and icons; the status pill, tool rows, and the classic transcript view
all use it.
- A transcript adapter converts stored run logs into chat turns; it
dedupes tool-call updates by `toolUseId` so tool counts match the
expanded rows, and it keeps a tool row's first real name when later
generic updates arrive.
- Composer: posts on Cmd/Ctrl+Enter, supports image paste with
object-URL thumbnail previews (revoked on clear/unmount), and uploads
through the issue attachments route.
- `IssueDetail.tsx`: with the flag on, pane tabs move to the header bar,
the header is not sticky, and the chat fills the center; with the flag
off, the previous layout renders unchanged.
- Motion tokens for the new animations live in `ui/src/index.css` with a
`motion-tokens.ts` catalog and a test that keeps the two in sync (the
catalog now also covers the shared enter/exit/swap tokens that the
decision/quicklook block declares).
- A dev-only `/task-chat-lab` page with fixtures and a tweak panel for
motion tuning.
## Verification
- `pnpm typecheck` — clean across the workspace.
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 CLEAN.
- `cd ui && pnpm vitest run` — 3,344 of 3,345 tests pass locally. The
one failure is `IssueProperties.test.tsx` monitor-row time formatting,
which is timezone-sensitive: it also fails on unmodified `origin/master`
in a non-UTC timezone and passes with `TZ=UTC`. It is not related to
this change.
- `cd server && pnpm vitest run
src/__tests__/instance-settings-service.test.ts` — 21/21 pass (covers
the new setting).
- Manual: start the dev server, open Settings → Experimental, enable
"Chat-Style Tasks", and open any issue. The thread fills the page, the
composer docks to the bottom, and Properties / Plan / Artifacts appear
as header tabs. Assign an agent and comment to watch a live run: the
status pill shows the current tool action with elapsed time, and the
finished turn folds into a "Worked · N tools" summary. Disable the
toggle and confirm the classic page is unchanged.
- Visual snapshot baselines are intentionally not updated: per
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`, "Per-change snapshot verification
demoted to dormant (Jul 13 2026)".
## Risks
- The flag-off path goes through the same `IssueDetail.tsx` file, so a
regression there would affect current users. Mitigation: the classic
markup renders through the same components as before behind explicit
flag conditionals, and the full UI suite passes.
- The transcript adapter interprets stored run-log formats, including
legacy entries without `toolUseId`. Malformed logs degrade to generic
tool rows rather than crashing.
- The new view changes no server behavior other than one additive
instance setting; it is additive and default-off. Overall risk with the
flag off is low.
## Model Used
- Claude (Anthropic), model id `claude-fable-5` (Claude Fable 5),
extended thinking enabled, agentic tool use (file editing, shell, test
execution) via Claude Code / Claude Agent SDK.
## 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
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Its UI is the operator's daily surface: task lists, boards, budgets,
agent status — all built on shadcn components and Tailwind
> - Visual values (colors, spacing, type sizes, radii) were hardcoded at
~1,600 call sites: the same "small gray label" was 9/10/11px depending
on the file, charts disagreed with chips about status colors, two
toggle-switch implementations coexisted in two greens, and there was no
visual regression coverage
> - This made the UI drift-prone and made any restyle a
hundreds-of-files project, which discourages design iteration
> - This pull request extracts visual values into a single token layer
in `ui/src/index.css`, adds a Storybook visual regression suite backed
by external immutable baseline archives, and then applies a deliberate
retune reviewed change-by-change on screenshot diffs
> - The benefit is that Paperclip's look becomes a config surface:
retheming is a token edit reviewed as a snapshot diff, drift is blocked
by a token gate, and future UI PRs can prove exactly what changed
visually without committing hundreds of PNGs
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No existing public issue covers this work (searched "design tokens",
"visual regression", "design system" across issues and PRs). Related in
spirit: Refs #8982 (theming a hardcoded panel — a one-off instance of
the same problem class this PR addresses systematically).
**Problem (feature-request form):** UI visual values are hardcoded per
call site with no source of truth and no regression coverage;
consistency depends on reviewer memory, and restyling requires mass file
edits.
**Proposed solution (this PR):** a single token layer + enforcement gate
+ externally stored visual snapshot suite, then an intentional restyle
on top of that foundation.
## What Changed
- **Token extraction (zero visual change, machine-verified during
development):** committed codemods (`scripts/codemod-*.mjs`) moved
~1,600 hardcoded color/type/spacing/radius/shadow/misc values into named
tokens in a non-inline `:root` block of `ui/src/index.css`.
- **Visual regression suite:** `pnpm test:storybook-visual` covers 255
stories × light/dark = 510 Playwright screenshots at `maxDiffPixels: 0`,
plus new primitive-coverage stories and deterministic-render fixes.
- **External visual baselines:** committed PNG snapshots were removed.
`tests/storybook-visual/baseline-manifest.json` pins an immutable
archive URL/hash/size/count, and `scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs`
handles `download`, `verify`, `pack`, and trusted maintainer `upload`
flows.
- **Opt-in visual CI artifacts:** added a `Storybook Visual` workflow
that runs on manual dispatch or PRs labeled `storybook-visual`,
downloads/verifies the baseline, runs Playwright, and uploads Playwright
report/test-result artifacts for review. Normal PR runs do not mutate
baseline objects.
- **Token gate:** `pnpm check:token-gates` — zero hex literals, zero
arbitrary bracket values, zero raw font-sizes in `ui/src/components/**`
and `ui/src/pages/**`, with a documented inline allowlist for legitimate
opt-outs.
- **Theme retune (intentional, snapshot-reviewed):** new base theme
values; radius ladder derived from a single `--radius` knob; micro-type
cluster collapsed to a named ladder (`--text-nano/micro/compact` +
Tailwind `text-xs`/`text-sm`); letter-spacing collapsed to named steps.
- **One status-color vocabulary:** charts, quota/budget bar fills,
RUNNING/live chips, and liveness indicators all use the canonical
`--status-*` hues. Light-mode legibility fixes for red alert surfaces
that used dark-tuned text classes.
- **One switch:** `ToggleSwitch` restyled to the registry capsule form,
second hand-rolled implementation removed, and all call sites unified.
- **Docs:** `DESIGN.md` is the design contract; `doc/design/` holds
audit reports, decision logs, and updated guidance for external baseline
review/update workflows.
- Dead code removed (`agentStatusBadge` duplicate map), byte-identical
contrast constants consolidated, semantic renames
(`--project-seed`/`--project-none`, `--liveness-blue`).
## Verification
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — 3/3 gates CLEAN during the design-system
run
- `pnpm typecheck` && `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui build` — green
during the design-system run
- `node --test scripts/__tests__/storybook-visual-baseline.test.mjs` —
pass after external-baseline rework
- `pnpm exec tsc --noEmit --pretty false --module NodeNext
--moduleResolution NodeNext --target ES2022 --types
node,@playwright/test tests/storybook-visual/playwright.config.ts
tests/storybook-visual/storybook-visual.spec.ts` — pass after
external-baseline rework
- `git diff --check origin/pr/9134..HEAD` — pass after external-baseline
rework
- `find tests/storybook-visual -type f -name '*.png' -print | wc -l` —
`0`
- `node scripts/storybook-visual-baseline.mjs verify` — intentionally
fails closed until the first trusted maintainer publishes the baseline
archive and updates `baseline-manifest.json`
## Risks
- **Large but shallow:** the PR still touches many UI files due to
mechanical token extraction and retune work, but committed PNG snapshot
churn has been removed from the branch.
- **Baseline publication required before the visual suite can pass in
clean clones:** the manifest currently has placeholder archive metadata.
A trusted maintainer must publish the first immutable archive, then
update `baseline-manifest.json`.
- **Rendering platform variance:** the external baseline should be
captured in the documented Linux/Chromium environment. Future CI runs
verify against the pinned archive and fail closed on checksum/count
mismatch.
- **Visual CI is opt-in while stabilizing:** add the `storybook-visual`
label or dispatch the workflow manually to produce downloadable
Playwright report/test-result artifacts.
- **Scheduled follow-ups, deliberately out of scope:** Tailwind palette
classes map to semantic tokens in a dedicated pass; card/pill component
consolidation; ESLint ratchet. Tracked in
`doc/design/DECISION-SHEET.md`.
## Model Used
Claude Fable 5 (Anthropic, `claude-fable-5`, Mythos-class tier) with
extended thinking, running in Claude Code with tool use; mechanical
phases delegated to Claude Sonnet subagents. Follow-up external-baseline
rework assisted by OpenAI Codex (`gpt-5` coding agent with repository,
terminal, and GitHub tool use). All bulk rewrites executed via
deterministic, idempotent scripts committed in `scripts/`; intentional
visual changes were human-reviewed on screenshot contact sheets.
## 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 targeted local verification and documented the
intentional baseline-publication failure above
- [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
- [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green *(pending new CI run after this
rework)*
- [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
*(pending review)*
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) and
OpenAI Codex
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Dotta <bippadotta@protonmail.com>
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents through visible, governable task
and routine workflows.
> - The routines UI includes the routine detail page, properties panel,
history tab, and shared sidebar components.
> - PR #5703 changed that workflow by widening the routine properties
panel and moving revision inspection/comparison into dialogs.
> - The product direction for that change is being paused for now, so
the safest path is a direct revert instead of partial edits.
> - This pull request reverts merge commit
`74cb560c41305ac3283067d1ec8d3060ffdc28cb` from #5703.
> - The benefit is restoring the prior routines UI behavior while
keeping the revert easy to review and re-apply later if needed.
## What Changed
- Reverted #5703: `fix(ui): improve routine properties panel and history
UX`.
- Restored the previous routine properties panel sizing, panel context
API, routine detail layout, and routine history rendering behavior.
- Removed the reverted sidebar pane test additions and restored the
previous focused routine history test expectations.
## Verification
- `git diff --check origin/master..HEAD`
- `pnpm vitest run ui/src/components/RoutineHistoryTab.test.tsx`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck`
### Screenshots
This is a direct revert of #5703. The visual state after this PR
corresponds to the "Before" screenshots from #5703, and the state being
removed corresponds to the "After" screenshots from #5703.
#### Trigger Panel Width
| Before this revert | After this revert |
| --- | --- |
| <img width="1742" height="1288" alt="triggers-before-this-revert"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9e818978-283c-49a3-9401-879be550c67b"
/> | <img width="1741" height="1289" alt="triggers-after-this-revert"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2a391769-c355-4219-8da3-d1ea18698430"
/> |
#### History Panel
| Before this revert | After this revert |
| --- | --- |
| <img width="1741" height="1290" alt="history-before-this-revert"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4c139238-8494-4438-89e1-4277d05bc3aa"
/> | <img width="1739" height="1289" alt="history-after-this-revert"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eaea4f3d-bb65-4af6-b67f-3ba3026fe0c9"
/> |
## Risks
- Low technical risk: this is a clean Git revert of a recently merged
UI-only PR.
- Product risk: the routine properties panel and revision history return
to the older, narrower workflow that #5703 was improving.
- Re-application risk: future work that wants the #5703 behavior back
should re-apply it deliberately rather than cherry-picking around this
revert.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex, GPT-5 coding agent, tool-enabled with local shell and
GitHub CLI access. Context window size was not exposed in this 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 run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies.
> - Routines are the recurring-work surface where operators configure
schedules, executions, activity, and revision history.
> - The routine detail view uses a contextual right properties panel for
triggers, runs, activity, and history.
> - That panel was too cramped for routine workflows: the routine header
could collapse at constrained widths, and revision previews/comparisons
were trying to live inside the same narrow panel.
> - This pull request makes the routine properties panel wider and
responsive without changing the default panel behavior for other pages.
> - It also moves routine revision viewing and comparison into focused
dialogs so history stays usable instead of rendering dense revision
content inside the right panel.
> - The benefit is a cleaner routine workflow: triggers remain
scannable, the main routine stays readable, and revisions can be
inspected, compared, and restored without fighting the sidebar width.
## What Changed
- Added optional per-panel layout options for storage key, default
width, min/max width, and compact viewport behavior.
- Set the routine properties panel to use its own 400px default width
and persistence key, while compacting to 320px on narrower viewports.
- Made the shared resizable sidebar support right-side panes, custom
width bounds, compact max width, and keyboard resizing.
- Fixed the routine detail header so title text and action controls
remain readable beside the properties panel at constrained widths.
- Reworked routine history so selecting a revision opens a read-only
snapshot dialog instead of trying to render the whole revision inside
the right panel.
- Added a side-by-side current-vs-selected revision comparison dialog
with clearer diff markers for structured fields, triggers, and
variables.
- Added focused tests for the resizable pane and routine history
behavior.
## Verification
- `pnpm vitest run ui/src/components/RoutineHistoryTab.test.tsx
ui/src/components/ResizableSidebarPane.test.tsx`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck`
- `pnpm -r typecheck`
- `git diff --check`
- Browser E2E in TestCo at `http://localhost:3100/TES/dashboard`:
- created and edited a routine
- added, edited, toggled, and deleted schedule triggers
- paused automation
- ran the routine and stopped the live run
- verified runs, activity, history, snapshot dialog, compare mode,
restore confirmation, routine list, recent runs, row actions, panel
close/reopen, and constrained-width layout
### Screenshots
#### Trigger Panel Width
| Before | After |
| --- | --- |
| <img width="1741" height="1289" alt="triggers-before"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2a391769-c355-4219-8da3-d1ea18698430"
/> | <img width="1742" height="1288" alt="triggers-after"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9e818978-283c-49a3-9401-879be550c67b"
/> |
#### History Panel
Before, selecting a revision attempted to show dense revision content
inside the already narrow right panel. After, history remains a compact
list and revision details open separately.
| Before | After |
| --- | --- |
| <img width="1739" height="1289" alt="history-before"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/eaea4f3d-bb65-4af6-b67f-3ba3026fe0c9"
/> | <img width="1741" height="1290" alt="history-after"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4c139238-8494-4438-89e1-4277d05bc3aa"
/> |
#### Revision Snapshot
The selected revision now opens in a dedicated read-only dialog instead
of crowding the properties panel.
<img width="1740" height="1289" alt="revision-single"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f930f50f-7016-434b-bd81-d8d97304c528"
/>
#### Revision Compare
Historical revisions can be compared side-by-side with the current
revision, including changed structured fields and trigger differences.
<img width="1740" height="1287" alt="revision-compare"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5640201e-de4f-446b-8941-1b0f140c56d7"
/>
## Risks
- Low to moderate UI risk: the shared resizable pane API gained optional
layout parameters, but existing callers keep the previous defaults.
- Routine history now uses dialogs for revision viewing and comparison,
so reviewers should confirm the new workflow feels right for restore and
compare.
- Routine panel width now persists under a routine-specific key, so
previous global properties panel width preferences do not carry into
routines.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
- OpenAI Codex, GPT-5 coding agent in Codex Desktop, tool-enabled with
local shell, git, and in-app browser automation. Context window size was
not exposed in this 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 run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
- Move toggle icon next to three-dots menu in a shared flex container
- Toggle icon fades in/out with opacity transition instead of hard mount/unmount
- Properties panel slides in/out with width + opacity transition (200ms ease-in-out)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Store the open/closed state of the properties panel in localStorage
so it persists across navigations, issues, and companies.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Add live ActiveAgentsPanel with real-time transcript feed, SidebarContext
for responsive sidebar state, agent config form with reasoning effort,
improved inbox with failed run alerts, enriched issue detail with project
picker, and various component refinements across pages.
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
scotttong
Dotta
Aron Prins
Dotta
Forgotten