## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The backend now turns agent requests into durable connection
intents.
> - Operators need a clear path to inspect, configure, and finish those
requests.
> - The experience must preserve identity, agent access, and interrupted
setup state.
> - This pull request adds the connection intent setup experience across
the app UI.
> - The benefit is one guided flow from agent request to governed
connection.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Refs #11965
This is stack 9 of 11. It depends on stack 8 and replaces another
reviewable part of #11965.
## What Changed
- Add connection intent cards and setup flow integration.
- Add browse, connection, app detail, and sidebar experience updates.
- Preserve exact draft identity and access choices across resume and
OAuth recovery.
- Add focused UI, architecture, policy, and end-to-end coverage.
- Keep transient retained-connection lookup failures retryable instead
of misclassifying them as missing targets.
- Align the dark-mode E2E contract with the intentionally hidden
Gateways and Profiles sidebar tabs.
## Verification
- `pnpm -r typecheck`
- Focused UI result: 372 tests passed across 20 files.
- AppsConnect regression suite: 80/80 passed, including failed
connection and application lookups during retained reconnect.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui exec vitest run
src/components/AppsSidebar.test.tsx` (1 passed)
- `pnpm check:token-gates`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/db check:migrations`
- `pnpm build`
## Risks
- An interrupted OAuth flow can leave a durable draft that needs resume.
- The UI resumes the exact draft and keeps its identity and agent access
settings.
- Retained reconnect retries refetch connections and applications
together to avoid mixing partial snapshots.
- Gateways and Profiles remain route-accessible but intentionally absent
from the sidebar until their existing ship gate is lifted.
- The change does not add a database migration.
> I checked `ROADMAP.md`. This stack continues the existing app
connection work from #11965 and does not duplicate another planned item.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, GPT-5. The runtime model ID and context window were not
exposed. The model used reasoning, tool use, and code execution.
## 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 linked the public source pull request with `Refs #`
- [x] I have not referenced internal or instance-local Paperclip issues
or links
- [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
- [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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