Files
coder/site/src/modules/resources
Jake Howell bab9963a9a fix(site): defer external app API key generation to on-click (#27907)
> 🤖 This PR was written by Coder Agents on behalf of Jake Howell.

Resolves
[DEVEX-460](https://linear.app/codercom/issue/DEVEX-460/defer-api-key-generation-in-useapplink-to-on-click-instead-of-page).

## Problem

`useAppLink` minted a session key on mount via a `useQuery`:

```ts
const { data: apiKeyResponse } = useQuery({
  ...apiKey(),
  enabled: isExternalApp(app) && needsSessionToken(app),
});
```

Whenever any page mounted `useAppLink` for an external app that embeds
`$SESSION_TOKEN` in its URL (JetBrains Gateway, Coder Desktop, etc.), it
fired `POST /api/v2/users/me/keys` on render, even if the user never
clicked the link. Each call minted a fresh session key and produced a
`created token` audit-log entry. Simply navigating the dashboard
generated a stream of `created token` entries with no real connection
activity.

This is the follow-up to #22318 (AIGOV-24), which only fixed the
built-in VS Code / VS Code Insiders buttons in `WorkspacesTable`.

## Change

Mirror the on-click minting pattern from #22318, applied to the shared
`useAppLink` hook:

- Replace the eager `useQuery(apiKey())` with a `useMutation(() =>
API.getApiKey())` that runs only when the user clicks a token-bearing
external app. `onClick` mints the key, builds the final URL, and
navigates via `location.href` (these are always custom-protocol,
non-HTTP external apps).
- The returned `href` no longer embeds a token; the hook owns opening
for token apps.
- Replace the `hasToken` field with `isLoading` (mint in-flight) and
update call sites so token apps are always clickable, with a loading
affordance while a key is being minted.
- `TaskApps` external-app menu items now render an anchor with the
hook's `onClick` (instead of a `RouterLink` that bypassed it), so the
deferred mint runs there too.

No API key is minted until the user actually opens an external app.

## Affected call sites

- `site/src/modules/apps/useAppLink.ts` (core change)
- `site/src/modules/resources/AppLink/AppLink.tsx`
- `site/src/pages/AgentsPage/components/WorkspacePill.tsx`
- `site/src/pages/TaskPage/TaskApps.tsx`

## Testing

Added Storybook interaction tests (`play` functions) in
`AppLink.stories.tsx` that assert the fix directly:

- `ExternalAppDefersSessionToken`: a token-bearing external app mints
**no** key on render, and mints exactly one on click.
- `ExternalAppWithoutSessionTokenNeverMints`: an external app without
`$SESSION_TOKEN` never mints a key, even on click.

Also verified:

- `tsc -p .` (frontend typecheck) passes
- `biome check` on changed files passes
- `vitest` for `AppLink` (incl. new stories), `apps`, `WorkspacePill`,
`TaskApps`, and `AppStatuses` stories/tests pass
- pre-commit hook (gen/fmt/lint/build) passes

## Manual verification checklist (recommended before merge)

- With an external app that uses `$SESSION_TOKEN` (e.g. JetBrains
Gateway), open DevTools → Network filtered on `users/me/keys`, reload
`/workspaces` and the workspace detail page, and confirm **no** `POST`
fires on render.
- Confirm a `POST` fires only when the app link is clicked, and the app
opens correctly.
2026-08-10 14:44:35 +10:00
..