Renders the durable file attachments introduced in #24280 in the chat
interface. Without this, attachments were stored and served correctly
but the UI showed raw file parts with no previews or download UX.
Every attachment gets a download affordance, split into three rendering
tiers:
- **Images** — thumbnail with a hover/focus overlay containing a
download link. `onFocusCapture`/`onBlurCapture` with
`contains(relatedTarget)` keeps the overlay open while tabbing between
the image and its download link.
- **Text-like files** (`text/*`, `application/json`) — expandable
preview button with loading + error-with-retry states and the same
download overlay. Preview fetches throw a typed
`FetchTextAttachmentError` with a `.status` field instead of a
stringly-typed error.
- **Everything else** — compact `FileCard` with extension badge,
filename, and download link.
User-side and assistant-side rendering now share `AttachmentBlocks.tsx`
(`AttachmentPreviewFrame`, `TextAttachmentButton`,
`ImageAttachmentButton`, `FileCard`, plus
`getAttachmentHref`/`getAttachmentName`) instead of two near-duplicate
implementations. The text-attachment overlay anchors to the preview
surface so the download button stays pinned even when a loading/error
status line widens the row below.
`ComputerRenderer` detects when a screenshot was stored as a durable
attachment (`attachment_file_id`) and suppresses the stale base64
rendering — the screenshot appears as a proper file part instead.
`ToolLabel` shows the attached filename for `attach_file` tool calls.
Storybook coverage in `ConversationTimeline.stories.tsx` was expanded to
cover every tier (single/multiple images, inline + file-id text, JSON,
download-only files, fetch-failure retry, mixed attachments + file
references) with play-function assertions.
<img width="811" height="150" alt="image"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/27c71081-3502-4e80-92a7-d8adf1ff9323"
/>
## Cleanup
Per Mathias' post-merge suggestion on #24280, this PR also relocates
`coderd/chatfiles` → `coderd/x/chatfiles` so the durable-attachment
helpers live beside the rest of the `chatd` experimental surface.
Closes CODAGT-91
Closes CODAGT-216
## Problem
`dbpurge` deletes `chat_files` rows after the deployment's configured
retention window, but `chat_messages.content` can still contain
`file_id` references to those files. On replay, that left the Anthropic
provider with an empty file payload and a `400 image cannot be empty`
error. In the UI, the same missing file showed up as a broken image.
## Fix
- Backend: when replay hits a `file_id` whose bytes are gone, replace it
with a short text placeholder instead of emitting an empty file part. We
could also drop the missing attachment entirely, but that would silently
remove context from the replay and make the conversation harder for the
model to interpret. The placeholder keeps the request valid while still
telling the model that a file used to be there and is no longer
available.
- Frontend: classify chat image failures instead of treating every
broken image the same.
- `404` file fetches render `Image expired`, with a tooltip explaining
that chat attachments are deleted after the retention window set for the
deployment.
- Other remote failures render `Image failed to load`, with a tooltip
that surfaces server/network detail when available.
- Invalid inline image data still renders `Image failed to load` without
a probe.
Unify the three subagent spawn tools (`spawn_agent`,
`spawn_explore_agent`, `spawn_computer_use_agent`) behind a single
`spawn_subagent` tool keyed by a `subagent_type` discriminant
(`general`, `explore`, `computer_use`). Mirrors the single-entry-point
pattern already used by `task` in mux while keeping `wait_agent`,
`message_agent`, and `close_agent` as separate lifecycle tools.
A new backend subagent definition catalog
(`coderd/x/chatd/subagent_catalog.go`) is the source of truth for tool
description, prompt guidance, availability rules (plan mode,
desktop/Anthropic gating), and child-chat option building.
`spawn_subagent` advertises only the types available in the current
context and validates `subagent_type` server-side; context inheritance
still flows through the existing `createChildSubagentChatWithOptions`
path. `wait_agent`, `message_agent`, and `close_agent` responses now
include a server-derived `subagent_type` so the UI stops inferring
lifecycle state from tool names.
The frontend gets a shared normalization helper
(`site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/ChatElements/tools/subagentDescriptor.ts`)
that maps either legacy tool names or new `spawn_subagent` args into a
common descriptor (action, variant, icon, fallback copy). Legacy
transcripts still render identically; `Tool.tsx`, `SubagentTool.tsx`,
`ToolLabel.tsx`, `ToolIcon.tsx`, and `messageParsing.ts` now key off the
descriptor instead of hard-coded names. Existing UI copy is preserved
(`Spawning Explore agent...`, `Using the computer...`, computer-use
monitor icon and Open Desktop affordance).
> This PR was opened by Mux working on Mike's behalf.
Agents can already see workspace files and take screenshots, but users could not download those artifacts from chat. This PR adds durable chat attachments to chatd. `attach_file`, explicit `computer` screenshot actions (not the automatic post-action screenshots), and `propose_plan` now fetch bytes over the agent connection, store them in `chat_files`, link them to the chat, and carry attachment metadata in tool responses so `buildAssistantPartsForPersist` can materialize ordinary `type:"file"` assistant parts that the chat file APIs serve.
The same storage helpers are reused for other artifact-producing paths. `wait_agent` recordings and thumbnails are stored as chat files and linked back to the parent chat, with best-effort relinking so parent chats retain those artifacts without leaving orphaned rows when chat-file caps reject links. `storeChatAttachment` wraps insert + link in one transaction, files are capped at 10 MB each and 20 per chat, and serving defaults to `Content-Disposition: attachment` with an explicit inline-safe allowlist.
This PR also consolidates chat-file media policy in `coderd/chatfiles`. Uploads and tool-generated attachments share byte-based MIME detection, SVG blocking, inline-safety rules, and compatible `text/plain` refinement for JSON, CSV, and Markdown. Prompt construction still only inlines synthetic pasted text for model consumption; assistant-created attachments are persisted for the user and intentionally not replayed into later LLM turns.
UI follow-up lives in #24281.
Relates to CODAGT-91
Add a `chat_client_type` enum (`ui` | `api`) and `client_type` column to
the `chats` table. The column defaults to `api` for new rows so API
callers don't need to set it explicitly. Existing rows are backfilled to
`ui`.
The field flows through `CreateChatRequest`, `chatd.CreateOptions`,
`InsertChat`, and is returned in the `Chat` response via `db2sdk`.
<details>
<summary>Implementation notes (Coder Agents generated)</summary>
### Changes
**Database migration (000469)**
- New enum `chat_client_type` with values `ui`, `api`.
- New `client_type` column, `NOT NULL DEFAULT 'api'`.
- Backfill: `UPDATE chats SET client_type = 'ui'`.
**SQL query** — `InsertChat` now includes `client_type`.
**SDK** — `ChatClientType` type added; `ClientType` field added to both
`CreateChatRequest` (optional, defaults server-side to `api`) and `Chat`
response.
**Handler** — `postChats` maps the request field (defaulting to `api`)
and passes it through `chatd.CreateOptions`.
**Sub-agent** — Child chats inherit their parent's `client_type`.
**db2sdk** — Maps the database value to the SDK type.
### Decision log
- Default is `api` (not `ui`) so existing API integrations get the
correct value without code changes.
- Backfill sets existing rows to `ui` per requirement.
- Child chats inherit `client_type` from parent rather than defaulting.
</details>
Fixes https://github.com/coder/internal/issues/1436
* Adds organization_id to chats with backfill (workspace org → user org membership → default org)
* No support yet for ACLs (follow-up issue)
- Cross-org workspace binding rejected (both in `CreateChatRequest` and in `create_workspace` tool
- Adds `OrganizationAutocomplete` to `AgentCreateForm`
- Docs updated with `organization_id` in chats-api.md
> 🤖 Written by a Coder Agent. Reviewed by many humans and many agents.
---------
Co-authored-by: Mathias Fredriksson <mafredri@gmail.com>
Adds an optional `CreatedAt` timestamp to `tool-call` and `tool-result`
`ChatMessagePart` variants so the frontend can compute tool execution
duration (`result.created_at - call.created_at`).
Timestamps are recorded at the correct moments in the chatloop:
- **Tool-call**: when the model stream emits the tool call
- **Tool-result**: when tool execution completes (or is interrupted)
These are passed through `PersistedStep.PartCreatedAt` so the
persistence layer can apply accurate timestamps to stored parts.
SSE-published parts also carry `CreatedAt` for real-time display.
Old persisted messages without `created_at` deserialize to `nil` — fully
backward compatible.
<details><summary>Implementation notes (Coder Agents
generated)</summary>
### Why not stamp in `PartFromContent`?
`PartFromContent` is called both for SSE publishing (correct timing) and
during persistence (wrong timing — both tool-call and tool-result would
get the same "persistence time" timestamp, yielding ~0 duration).
Instead, timestamps are captured in the chatloop at the right moments
and carried through `PersistedStep.PartCreatedAt` as a
`map[string]time.Time` keyed by `"call:<id>"` / `"result:<id>"`.
### Interrupted tool calls
`persistInterruptedStep` also stamps `CreatedAt` on synthetic error
results for cancelled/interrupted tool calls, so partial duration is
available.
### Files changed
| File | Change |
|------|--------|
| `codersdk/chats.go` | Add `CreatedAt *time.Time` field |
| `codersdk/chats_test.go` | JSON round-trip test |
| `coderd/database/dbtime/dbtime.go` | Add `TimePtr` helper |
| `coderd/x/chatd/chatloop/chatloop.go` | Track timestamps, pass through
`PersistedStep` |
| `coderd/x/chatd/chatd.go` | Apply timestamps during persistence |
| `coderd/x/chatd/chatprompt/chatprompt_test.go` | Verify
`PartFromContent` does NOT stamp |
| `site/src/api/typesGenerated.ts` | Auto-generated |
</details>
---------
Co-authored-by: Ethan <39577870+ethanndickson@users.noreply.github.com>
Previously, `CreateChat` inserted the `chats` row with the DB default
status (`waiting`), then updated it to `pending` in the same transaction
via `setChatPendingWithStore`. This wasted two extra queries per chat
creation (`GetChatByID` + `UpdateChatStatus`) and rewrote the same row
immediately after inserting it.
Now `CreateChat` passes the status directly to `InsertChat`, so the row
is written once in its final create-time state. The
`setChatPendingWithStore` helper is removed entirely. `InsertChat` now
requires an explicit `status` parameter at all callsites instead of
relying on a DB column default.
## Motivation
On an experimental branch we're trialing firing all chatd notifications
from plpgsql triggers. The old two-step insert made that awkward: in an
`AFTER INSERT` trigger, `NEW` only contained the insert-time row
(`waiting`), not the final committed state (`pending`). To emit the
correct event payload the trigger had to be deferred and re-read the row
from `chats` at commit time.
With this change, `NEW` already contains the correct row to publish — no
deferred trigger, no extra `SELECT`, simpler and cheaper trigger logic.
That said, this seems like a worthwhile change regardless of the trigger
experiment: writing the final row state once removes unnecessary DB work
on every chat creation and makes the create path easier to reason about.
We had a bug where computer use base64-encoded screenshots would not be
interpreted as screenshots anymore once saved to the db, loaded back
into memory, and sent to Anthropic. Instead, they would be interpreted
as regular text. Once a computer use agent made enough screenshots and
stopped, and you tried sending it another message, you'd get an out of
context error:
<img width="808" height="367" alt="Screenshot 2026-03-23 at 12 02 54"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/f0bf6be2-4863-47ca-a7a9-9e6d9dfceeed"
/>
This PR fixes that.
## Summary
Introduces a new `context-file` ChatMessagePart type for persisting
workspace instruction files (AGENTS.md) as durable, frontend-visible
message parts. This is the foundation for showing loaded context files
in the chat input's context indicator tooltip.
### Problem
Previously, instruction files were resolved transiently on every turn
via `resolveInstructions()` → `InsertSystem()` and injected into the
in-memory prompt without persistence. The frontend had no knowledge that
instruction files were loaded into context, and there was no way to
surface this information to users.
### Solution
Instruction files are now read **once** when a workspace is first
attached to a chat (matching how [openai/codex handles
it](https://developers.openai.com/codex/guides/agents-md)) and persisted
as `user`-role, `both`-visibility message parts with a new
`context-file` type. This ensures:
- **Durability**: survives page refresh (data is in the DB, returned by
`getChatMessages`)
- **Cache-friendly**: `user`-role avoids the system-message hoisting
that providers do, keeping the instruction content in a stable position
for prompt caching
- **Frontend-visible**: the frontend receives paths and truncation
status for future context indicator rendering
- **Extensible**: the same pattern works for Skills (future)
### Key changes
| Layer | Change |
|---|---|
| **SDK** (`codersdk/chats.go`) | Add `ChatMessagePartTypeContextFile`
with `context_file_path`, `context_file_content` (internal, stripped
from API), `context_file_truncated` fields |
| **Prompt expansion** (`chatprompt`) | Expand `context-file` parts to
`<workspace-context>` text blocks in `partsToMessageParts()` |
| **Chat engine** (`chatd.go`) | Add `persistInstructionFiles()`, called
on first turn with a workspace. Remove per-turn `resolveInstructions()`
+ `InsertSystem()` from `processChat()` and `ReloadMessages` |
| **Frontend** | Ignore `context-file` parts in `messageParsing.ts` and
`streamState.ts` (no rendering yet — follow-up will add tooltip display)
|
### How it works
1. On each turn, `processChat` checks if any loaded message contains
`context-file` parts
2. If not (first turn with a workspace), reads AGENTS.md files via the
workspace agent connection and persists them
3. For this first turn, also injects the instruction text into the
prompt (since messages were loaded before persistence)
4. On all subsequent turns, `ConvertMessagesWithFiles()` encounters the
persisted `context-file` parts and expands them into text automatically
— no extra resolution needed
## Summary
Large pasted text that the UI collapses into an attachment chip was
completely invisible to the LLM. Providers only accept specific MIME
types (images, PDFs) in file content blocks — a `text/plain` `FilePart`
is silently dropped, so the model received nothing for pasted content.
## Fix
Detect paste-originated text files by their
`pasted-text-{timestamp}.txt` filename pattern and convert them to
`fantasy.TextPart` with a bounded 128 KiB inline body and truncation
notice. Binary uploads and real uploaded text files keep their existing
`FilePart` semantics.
The detection uses the existing frontend naming convention
(`pasted-text-YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-SS.txt`) combined with a text-like MIME
check for defense-in-depth. A TODO marks this for migration to explicit
origin metadata.
<details>
<summary>Review notes: intentionally skipped findings</summary>
A 10-reviewer deep review was run on this change. The following findings
were raised and intentionally dropped after cross-check. Documenting
them here so future reviewers do not re-flag the same concerns:
**"Unresolved file IDs cause silent data loss" (Edge Case Analyst P1)**
— When a file ID is not in the resolver map, `name` stays empty and
paste detection fails. This is pre-existing behavior for ALL file types
(not introduced by this change). The resolver calls `GetChatFilesByIDs`
which returns whatever rows exist; missing IDs simply fall through to an
empty `FilePart`. The Contract Auditor independently traced this path
and confirmed the fallback is safe. If the file was deleted between
message construction and conversion, the model already saw nothing
before this patch — this change does not make it worse.
**"String builder pre-allocation overhead" (Performance Analyst P1)** —
Misidentified scope. `formatSyntheticPasteText` is only called when
`isSyntheticPaste` returns true (actual synthetic pastes), not for every
file part. The `Grow()` call is correct and efficient.
**"Constant naming violates Uber style" (Style Reviewer P1)** —
Over-severity. `syntheticPasteInlineBudget` is standard Go camelCase for
unexported constants, consistent with the Uber guide and surrounding
code.
**"`IsSyntheticPasteForTest` naming is misleading" (Style Reviewer P2)**
— This is the standard Go `export_test.go` pattern. The `ForTest` suffix
is conventional.
</details>
- Moves `coderd/chatd/`, `coderd/gitsync/`, `enterprise/coderd/chatd/`
under `x/` parent directories to signal instability
- Adds `Experimental:` glue code comments in `coderd/coderd.go`
> 🤖 This PR was created with the help of Coder Agents, and was
reviewed by my human. 🧑💻
Ethan