## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - Agents need source control access for repository work
> - A shared token cannot preserve the responsible person's identity or
an agent's dedicated identity
> - GitHub App tokens also need durable refresh, repository access
checks, and webhook delivery
> - Paperclip already has managed connections, encrypted grants, run
secret leases, and merge-confirmation behavior
> - This pull request extends those systems with GitHub identities
instead of adding a parallel credential system
> - The benefit is durable GitHub access with explicit identity,
repository, runtime, and webhook boundaries
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
No public GitHub issue describes this connection change. This
description follows the feature request template.
**Subsystem affected**
Connected Apps, connection grants, secret resolution, native Git runtime
setup, webhook processing, and the Apps UI.
**Problem or motivation**
Users need to connect GitHub once and let agents use the correct GitHub
identity. A run should use a dedicated agent account when one exists.
Otherwise, it should use the responsible person's account. The
connection must survive token expiry, repository access changes, and
temporary instance downtime.
**Proposed solution**
Add user-owned and agent-owned GitHub grants to the existing connection
model. Resolve one identity for MCP, Git, `gh`, health checks, and
webhook bindings. Store provider tokens in the existing encrypted secret
system. Refresh expiring token pairs under the existing lease and
compare-and-swap path. Register signed Cloud webhook bindings and
process normalized pull request and installation events through a
durable local inbox.
**Alternatives considered**
An organization-wide GitHub token would lose person and agent
attribution. Environment variables alone would bypass the managed
connection and grant model. A new GitHub-only credential store would
duplicate the existing secret and access systems. GitHub App
installation tokens and private-key custody remain outside this first
version.
**Roadmap alignment**
This change implements the Connected Apps direction. It also extends the
shipped MCP Tool Gateway, per-agent secret access, and
action-attribution systems. It does not add a repository catalog. The
open repository catalog work in
[#11234](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/pull/11234) is related
and complementary.
## What Changed
- Added agent-owned connection grants and a per-agent credential policy
with company and subject constraints.
- Added a managed GitHub App method while keeping the personal access
token method as an advanced fallback.
- Added durable access-token and refresh-token handling with proactive
rotation and one automatic recovery after a provider `401`.
- Added GitHub identity and installation summaries without storing
repository-name lists.
- Added signed Cloud webhook binding, event lease, acknowledgement,
local idempotency, pull request merge processing, and installation
access handling.
- Added one identity resolver for MCP, native Git, `gh`, checkout,
health checks, and webhook bindings.
- Added a class-3 run projection for `GH_TOKEN`, `GITHUB_TOKEN`, a
`github.com`-only credential helper, SSH-to-HTTPS rewrite, and GitHub
noreply commit attribution.
- Added personal and dedicated-agent setup choices plus identity,
repository, continuity, and webhook status in the Apps UI.
- Added schema migrations, tests, and connection documentation.
## Verification
- The current head is fully green in GitHub CI, including build,
typecheck, all serialized/general server shards, all browser shards,
policy, canary dry run, review, and security checks.
- Live staging proof completed with a non-expiring GitHub App user
token, selected-repository installation, repository add/remove refresh,
managed MCP, native `gh`, HTTPS clone/push/delete, GitHub noreply commit
attribution, signed merged-PR webhook acceptance, durable
Cloud-to-instance delivery, and installation-access event processing.
Temporary branches and temporary repository access were removed
afterward.
- `pnpm check:token-gates` passed.
- `pnpm -r typecheck` passed before and after the rebase onto
`origin/master`.
- `pnpm build` passed.
- The focused connector suite passed 285 tests after the rebase.
- The full stable suite passed 5,790 tests and failed 22 tests across 8
general server files. The failures reproduced as shared-runner
environment issues. They included `/tmp` versus `/private/tmp`, closed
database connections, and invalid high ephemeral ports. The focused
connection tests pass in isolation.
## Risks
- Migrations add agent grant subjects and a durable connection-event
inbox. Migration numbering and safety checks pass.
- A raw GitHub user token enters the agent process for Git and `gh`.
Per-tool Ask-first controls cannot limit those shell operations. The UI
warns users about this boundary.
- GitHub App user tokens can be non-expiring. Paperclip performs a
continuity check every 30 days, but provider revocation still requires a
reconnect.
- The webhook path accepts only signed and bounded payloads. It stores a
minimal normalized record and no raw provider payload.
- GitHub repository permissions remain authoritative. Removed access can
make a cached repository count temporarily stale, but runtime access
fails immediately.
> 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-5.6-sol`, extended reasoning, tool use, code
execution, browser control, and multi-file repository editing. The
context window size was not provided.
## 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
- [ ] 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>
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