## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The Apps UI manages app discovery and app connections.
> - The managed worktree runtime starts agent work in repository
worktrees.
> - The Apps routes do not match the main discovery flow, and the
connections view lacks a delete action.
> - Legacy managed worktrees can also start before their pending seed
operation runs.
> - This pull request makes app discovery the main Apps route and makes
connection management explicit.
> - It also seeds legacy managed worktrees before runtime startup and
makes the CLI read the repository-local config.
> - The benefit is a clearer Apps workflow and a safer managed-worktree
startup path.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
**What existing behavior does this improve?**
This improves the Apps navigation, app connection management, managed
git-worktree startup, and CLI worktree selection.
**Subsystem affected**
Cross-cutting. The change affects `ui/`, `server/`, `cli/`, and
development documentation.
**Current behavior**
The `/apps` route opens the connections list while discovery uses a
nested route. The connections list has no delete action. Some legacy
managed worktrees can start runtime work before their pending seed
operation runs. The CLI can also read an ambient Paperclip config
instead of the repository-local config.
**Proposed behavior**
The `/apps` route opens Browse, and `/apps/connections` opens the
connection list. Users can delete a connection after confirmation.
Runtime startup seeds legacy managed worktrees when required. The CLI
resolves the current worktree from the repository-local
`.paperclip/config.json` file.
**Reason and benefit**
Users can discover apps from the canonical Apps route and can manage
existing connections from a dedicated route. Legacy worktrees receive
their required repository content before agent runtime starts. CLI
worktree selection stays scoped to the current repository.
**Breaking changes**
The `/apps` and `/apps/browse` route behavior changes. Old Browse links
redirect to `/apps`. The change does not modify an API schema or
database schema.
## What Changed
- Make Browse the canonical `/apps` page and move the connection list to
`/apps/connections`.
- Align Apps navigation, redirects, attention links, empty states, and
connection actions with the new routes.
- Add connection deletion with confirmation and clear failure feedback.
- Seed legacy managed git worktrees before runtime startup when their
seed status is pending.
- Read the CLI worktree selection from the repository-local Paperclip
config.
- Update focused UI, server, CLI, and development documentation
coverage.
## Verification
- Ran 202 focused UI, server, and CLI tests. All tests passed.
- Ran `pnpm -r typecheck`. All projects passed.
- Ran `pnpm build`. All projects built successfully.
- Ran `pnpm test:run`. The server and UI stages passed 7,168 tests. The
CLI stage found one environment-sensitive secrets test because this
workspace injects static AWS credentials. The isolated CLI file passed
all 8 tests after those injected variables were unset.
- Ran `pnpm check:token-gates`. It reports 12 existing color-token
violations in the unchanged `PaperclipOrbit3D.tsx` file from the target
branch. This pull request does not modify that file.
- Ran focused regression coverage for repository-root CLI config
resolution and connection deletion state. All tests and affected package
typechecks passed.
- Collected all 27 tests in the six changed Playwright specifications
successfully.
- GitHub Actions passed every latest-head CI gate, including all three
e2e shards and the aggregate `e2e` and `verify` jobs.
- Greptile reviewed the final commit at 5/5 with zero unresolved
threads.
## Risks
- Existing bookmarks for `/apps/browse` redirect to `/apps`.
- Connection deletion changes visible connection state and requires user
confirmation.
- The legacy seed path runs only for managed git worktrees with pending
seed state. Tests cover the startup condition.
- The rebase preserves the target branch's direct OAuth policy for the
Notion connection flow.
> 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 with the GPT-5 model family assisted this change. The agent
used reasoning, repository tools, code execution, and test execution.
The runtime does not expose the exact model snapshot or context-window
size.
## 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
> - Governed MCP access spans contracts, runtime enforcement, adapters,
UI surfaces, and operator verification
> - The parity reference PR #9534 is too large for effective automated
or human review
> - The feature therefore needs a linear stack whose individual diffs
stay below the 100-file review limit
> - This pull request is split 8/8 and focuses on end-to-end coverage,
operator docs, evals, and release notes
> - The benefit is a standalone, testable review boundary while
preserving byte-for-byte parity at the top of the stack
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
- Related parity reference: #9534
- Problem: The complete stack needs discoverable browser scenarios,
operator guidance, threat modeling, eval coverage, and a parity proof
before merge.
- Proposed solution: Adds MCP user-story and Smoke Lab e2e suites,
docs/evals/release notes, the skill update, and the root e2e driver
script registration.
- Alternatives considered: keeping #9534 as one 403-file review, or
rewriting the feature to manufacture seams; both were rejected in favor
of path extraction plus compile-driven boundary moves.
- Roadmap alignment: this advances the existing governed MCP/tool-access
work already represented by #9534; it does not introduce a separate
roadmap initiative.
- Stack position: base branch is `pap10341-split/07-ui-apps-activation`.
- Merge policy: merge bottom-up, in order, only after the complete
eight-PR stack has been reviewed and the top-of-stack parity gate
remains empty.
- Requested review: QA for flag audit and e2e/browser acceptance;
Greptile on every PR.
## What Changed
- Adds MCP user-story and Smoke Lab e2e suites, docs/evals/release
notes, the skill update, and the root e2e driver script registration.
- Keeps this PR below 100 changed files and independently typecheckable.
- Preserves the final tree from #9534 when combined with the other seven
stack levels.
## Verification
- `pnpm typecheck`
- `node --check scripts/e2e-mcp-user-stories.mjs`
- `pnpm exec playwright test --config tests/e2e/playwright.config.ts
--list` — 43 tests discovered
- `git diff pap10341-split/08-e2e-docs
6b40e3876d9297105d4ec306e47e46d351c86172` — empty (0 bytes)
## Risks
- Browser suites depend on runtime services and environment setup; this
PR validates discovery locally while QA owns full flag-on/flag-off
execution.
- Stack risk: merging out of order can expose incomplete layers;
mitigate by following the documented bottom-up merge policy.
- Parity risk: later edits to an intermediate branch can drift from
#9534; mitigate by re-running the empty top-of-stack diff before merge.
> 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, exact model ID `gpt-5.4`; runtime-managed context
window; medium reasoning with repository, shell, Git, GitHub CLI, and
code-execution tools enabled.
## 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] Internal references are omitted except the execution-plan link
explicitly required for this coordinated split stack
- [x] My branch name describes the change 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
## Stack Coordination
- Internal execution plan:
[PAP-13874](/PAP/issues/PAP-13874#document-plan)
- Parity reference: #9534
- Stack: #9556 → #9557 → #9558 → #9559 → #9560 → #9561 → #9562 → #9563
- Merge bottom-up only after full-stack review and an empty parity diff
at #9563.
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Dotta