## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source control plane people use to organize
and govern AI-agent companies
> - Company skills are durable resources that users browse, import,
assign, and maintain over time
> - A flat skill list plus tags does not provide a stable location or
hierarchy for personal, company, project-imported, and bundled skills
> - Folder paths need to be canonical, company-scoped, safe to move, and
preserved across re-imports without changing skill IDs
> - The `/skills` UI also needs traversal, breadcrumbs, move/create
flows, and a dedicated My Skills namespace that work on desktop and
mobile
> - This pull request adds the folder data model and APIs, reserved-root
lifecycle, project import behavior, and the folder-first skills
experience
> - The benefit is a predictable filesystem-like organization model
while tags remain available for cross-cutting classification
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #9619 — the reviewed folder foundation was intentionally closed and
folded into this combined feature PR.
Refs #9026 — earlier flat-folder attempt superseded by this integrated
implementation.
Refs #3281 — related skill organization proposal; this PR uses canonical
persisted folders rather than deriving groups from skill keys, and does
not add hidden-skill behavior.
**Feature request**
- **Problem:** Skills currently lack a canonical hierarchical location,
making personal skills, project imports, bundled skills, and
company-authored skills difficult to traverse and manage at scale.
- **Proposed behavior:** Add nested company-scoped folders with stable
paths, reserved My/Projects/Bundled roots, subtree queries, safe
move/create operations, and a folder-first `/skills` library UI.
- **Import behavior:** New project scans file skills under
`projects/<project-slug>`; later imports update content without
overriding a user-selected folder.
- **Alternatives considered:** Tags alone remain useful for
cross-cutting classification, but they do not provide canonical
location, nesting, reserved namespaces, or stable import placement.
- **Roadmap alignment:** Extends the completed Skills Manager and
Scheduled Routines capabilities without duplicating an active roadmap
item.
## What Changed
- Adds `folders` persistence for routine and skill folders, nested
canonical paths, parent/slug/system-key fields, migration backfills, and
reapply-safe migrations `0174`–`0175` after current master migrations.
- Adds company-scoped folder CRUD, cycle/depth/namespace validation,
reserved My/Projects/Bundled lifecycle, item moves, subtree filtering,
and folder paths on skill results.
- Preserves project-import placement: first import files into the
project folder, while re-import keeps user-owned placement and stable
skill IDs.
- Adds the `/skills` folder tree rail, tags facet, breadcrumbs,
subfolder browser, move/new-folder dialog, canonical detail location,
inline tag editing, and folder-aware Studio creation.
- Keeps bundled skills read-only even when their source metadata is
incomplete by detecting the reserved Bundled folder and hiding
selection/move actions.
- Extends routine folder UI and OpenAPI coverage, and adds regression
tests across migrations, services, routes, tree helpers, pages, and
Studio creation.
## Verification
- `pnpm exec vitest run
packages/db/src/nested-skill-folders-migration.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/folders-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/folders-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/company-skills-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/routines-service.test.ts
ui/src/components/folders/FolderControls.test.tsx
ui/src/components/folders/SkillFolderTree.test.tsx
ui/src/components/folders/skill-folder-tree.test.ts
ui/src/pages/CompanySkills.test.tsx ui/src/pages/Routines.test.tsx
ui/src/pages/SkillStudio.test.tsx
ui/src/lib/company-skill-routes.test.ts ui/src/lib/skill-create.test.ts`
— 13 files, 192 tests passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run ui/src/pages/CompanySkills.test.tsx
ui/src/components/folders/SkillFolderTree.test.tsx` — 2 files, 20 tests
passed after preserving the existing PR's bundled-skill fixes.
- `pnpm -r typecheck` — passed for all workspace packages.
- `pnpm test:run` — passed in an isolated CI-like environment with
inherited Paperclip runtime identity and static AWS credential variables
removed.
- `pnpm build` — production build passed for all workspace packages.
- Greptile iteration 2 — 5/5 confidence with zero unresolved threads on
commit `ff2d67aa71`.
- Latest-head GitHub checks — all success, neutral, or skipped; PR is
mergeable with a clean merge state.
- `pnpm check:token-gates` — reports nine existing `#9627` comment false
positives already present on `master`; this PR introduces no new token
violation.
## Risks
- **Migration/backfill:** `0174` creates the foundation and `0175` adds
nested/reserved semantics. Both are ordered after current master
migration `0173`, are covered by numbering/safety checks, and are
designed to be reapply-safe.
- **Reserved namespaces:** My, Projects, and Bundled roots are
service-managed. Regression coverage prevents namespace squatting,
cross-company folder use, bundled writes, cycles, and excessive depth.
- **Behavioral change:** Project scans choose a project folder only on
initial creation; existing skills deliberately retain their current
folder during refresh.
- **UI scope:** The folder rail applies to the Installed library;
Catalog retains the discovery-oriented category sidebar.
> 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 `gpt-5.5` in Codex CLI, medium reasoning mode; runtime did not
expose a context-window value. Used repository/file tools, terminal
execution, Git/GitHub operations, test execution, and code editing.
## 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>
## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The Skills Manager gives operators a reusable skill layer, but
iteration still required manual edits, ad hoc prompts, and indirect run
inspection.
> - Skill authors need a focused workflow for editing skill files,
saving representative test inputs, and running those inputs through an
agent without exposing harness tasks as normal company work.
> - The backend therefore needs durable test inputs, reusable run
templates, hidden harness issues, scoped run execution, retention
metadata, and read-containment rules around hidden work.
> - The frontend needs a three-pane Studio that keeps skill files, saved
inputs/templates, and run output/history visible together while
preserving the existing design system and token rules.
> - This pull request ships that Skill Studio surface end to end:
database migrations, shared contracts, server APIs/services, hidden
harness execution behavior, UI routes/components, and focused tests.
> - The benefit is faster and safer skill iteration, with inspectable
outputs and fewer ways for internal harness work to leak into normal
task lists, costs, or adjacent read APIs.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No public GitHub issue exists for this feature. Feature request summary:
- Problem: Skill authors need to edit and test company skills in one
place instead of switching between the skill detail page, task creation,
run output, and manual prompt history.
- Proposed solution: Add a Skill Studio workbench with saved inputs,
reusable templates, hidden sandboxed test runs, live run status, output
inspection, run history, rerun/delete controls, and frontmatter-aware
editing.
- Expected users: Paperclip operators and agent-company maintainers who
create, fork, import, and tune skills.
- Related public PRs: Supersedes #9205, which was replaced so the public
PR branch name follows contributor policy.
- Duplicate search: searched public GitHub issues and PRs for "Skill
Studio"; no other active public issue or PR directly covers this
feature.
## What Changed
- Added database migrations for Skill Studio test inputs, test runs,
test run retention, and reusable run templates.
- Added shared Skill Studio types, validators, route helpers,
frontmatter utilities, and status handling.
- Added server services and routes for saved inputs, test runs,
templates, reruns, terminal-run deletion, hidden harness issue
execution, and run-detail hydration.
- Strengthened hidden-issue read containment across issue-adjacent
routes and cost rollups used by skill test harness work.
- Added the Skill Studio UI with skill file editing, frontmatter
editing, saved inputs, templates, run creation/cancel/rerun/delete
flows, output rendering, history, route support, and responsive pane
behavior.
- Added focused backend, shared, and UI tests for the new APIs, routing
logic, editor/run behavior, hidden-issue containment, and migration
safety.
- Rebased onto current `master`, removed the generated lockfile diff
from the PR, and verified no workflow files are changed.
## Verification
- [x] `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/db check:migrations`
- [x] `pnpm check:token-gates`
- [x] `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/company-skills-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/company-skills-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/company-skill-test-runs-service.test.ts
ui/src/lib/skill-studio.test.ts ui/src/pages/SkillStudio.test.tsx` — 5
files, 132 tests passed
- [x] Greptile review on the latest PR head
- [x] GitHub PR checks on the latest PR head
## Risks
- Medium risk because this is a broad feature touching database schema,
server orchestration, issue visibility, and a large UI surface.
- Hidden harness issue containment is security-sensitive; this PR
includes regression coverage for adjacent read paths and cost rollups.
- The new migrations are additive and use idempotent guards where
applicable, but deployed databases that previously tested draft
migration numbers should still be checked carefully.
- The UI depends on a new resizable panels package in `ui/package.json`;
the lockfile is intentionally left to repository automation.
> 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 with shell, git, and GitHub CLI tool
use. Earlier feature commits include assistance from other Paperclip
coding agents; this PR preparation, rebase, cleanup commit, and PR body
were completed by OpenAI Codex in a Paperclip worktree.
## 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>
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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