Show workspace changes and stale notices in issue threads (paperclipai#5356)

## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip orchestrates AI agents for zero-human companies
> - The issue thread is the operator's durable audit trail for what
changed and why
> - Workspace changes and stale disposition notices need to be visible
in that same timeline without noisy or misleading rendering
> - The local branch already contained backend activity details,
timeline conversion, and UI rendering work for those events
> - This pull request isolates the issue-thread activity work into a
standalone branch against `origin/master`
> - The benefit is a focused audit-trail PR that can merge independently
of the sidebar/operator UI polish branch

## What Changed

- Adds readable workspace-change activity details to issue update
activity events.
- Surfaces workspace-change events in issue chat/timeline rendering.
- Makes the existing issue comment migration idempotent.
- Folds and renders stale disposition notices inline so they match
activity-log styling and spacing.
- Adds focused route, timeline, and issue-thread system notice coverage.

## Verification

- `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/issue-activity-events-routes.test.ts
ui/src/lib/issue-timeline-events.test.ts
ui/src/components/IssueChatThreadSystemNotice.test.tsx` — 3 files
passed, 22 tests passed.
- Confirmed the PR changes 9 files and does not include `pnpm-lock.yaml`
or `.github/workflows/*`.
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/issue-closed-workspace-routes.test.ts` — 1 file
passed, 4 tests passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/issue-activity-events-routes.test.ts
ui/src/lib/issue-timeline-events.test.ts
ui/src/components/IssueChatThreadSystemNotice.test.tsx
server/src/services/recovery/successful-run-handoff.test.ts
packages/shared/src/validators/issue.test.ts` — 5 files passed, 54 tests
passed.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/shared typecheck && pnpm --filter
@paperclipai/server typecheck && pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui
typecheck`.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui typecheck` after adding the Storybook
screenshot fixture.
- Captured Storybook screenshots for the new UI rendering paths:
- Collapsed stale notice + workspace-change row:
`docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-collapsed.png`
- Expanded stale notice details:
`docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-expanded.png`


### Screenshots

Collapsed stale notice with workspace-change row:

![Collapsed stale notice with workspace-change
row](docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-collapsed.png)

Expanded stale notice details:

![Expanded stale notice
details](docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-expanded.png)

## Risks

- Moderate risk: this touches issue activity serialization and
issue-thread rendering, both of which are central operator surfaces.
- Migration risk is low: the only migration change makes an existing
migration idempotent.
- No new migrations are introduced, so there is no cross-PR migration
ordering requirement.

> 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 coding agent, shell/tool-use enabled, used to
split the existing branch, verify the isolated PR branch, and create
this PR.

## 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 run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [x] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge

---------

Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>

Author: cryppadotta

docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-collapsed.png

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN "author_type" text;--> statement-breakpoint
-ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN "presentation" jsonb;--> statement-breakpoint
-ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN "metadata" jsonb;
+ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "author_type" text;--> statement-breakpoint
+ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "presentation" jsonb;--> statement-breakpoint
+ALTER TABLE "issue_comments" ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS "metadata" jsonb;

docs/pr-screenshots/pr-5356/issue-thread-notices-expanded.png

@@ -434,6 +434,7 @@ export interface IssueCommentMetadataSection {
 
 export interface IssueCommentMetadata {
   version: 1;
+  sourceRunId?: string | null;
   sections: IssueCommentMetadataSection[];
 }
 

packages/db/src/migrations/0078_white_darwin.sql

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ describe("issue validators", () => {
       },
       metadata: {
         version: 1,
+        sourceRunId: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
         sections: [
           {
             title: "Evidence",
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ describe("issue validators", () => {
     });
 
     expect(parsed.presentation?.detailsDefaultOpen).toBe(false);
+    expect(parsed.metadata?.sourceRunId).toBe("11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111");
     expect(parsed.metadata?.sections[0]?.rows).toHaveLength(3);
   });
 

packages/shared/src/types/issue.ts

@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ export const issueCommentMetadataSectionSchema = z.object({
 
 export const issueCommentMetadataSchema = z.object({
   version: z.literal(1),
+  sourceRunId: z.string().uuid().nullable().optional(),
   sections: z.array(issueCommentMetadataSectionSchema).min(1).max(20),
 }).strict();
 

packages/shared/src/validators/issue.test.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import express from "express";
 import request from "supertest";
+import { getTableName } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { normalizeIssueExecutionPolicy } from "../services/issue-execution-policy.ts";
 
@@ -266,6 +267,76 @@ describe("issue activity event routes", () => {
     });
   }, 15_000);
 
+  it("logs readable workspace change activity details for issue updates", async () => {
+    const previousProjectWorkspaceId = "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa";
+    const nextExecutionWorkspaceId = "bbbbbbbb-bbbb-4bbb-8bbb-bbbbbbbbbbbb";
+    const issue = {
+      ...makeIssue(),
+      projectId: "cccccccc-cccc-4ccc-8ccc-cccccccccccc",
+      projectWorkspaceId: previousProjectWorkspaceId,
+      executionWorkspaceId: null,
+      executionWorkspacePreference: "shared_workspace",
+      executionWorkspaceSettings: { mode: "shared_workspace" },
+    };
+    mockIssueService.getById.mockResolvedValue(issue);
+    mockIssueService.update.mockImplementation(async (_id: string, patch: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
+      ...issue,
+      ...patch,
+      updatedAt: new Date(),
+    }));
+
+    const dbMock = {
+      select: vi.fn(() => ({
+        from: (table: unknown) => ({
+          where: async () => {
+            const tableName = getTableName(table as Parameters<typeof getTableName>[0]);
+            if (tableName === "project_workspaces") {
+              return [{ id: previousProjectWorkspaceId, name: "Main workspace" }];
+            }
+            if (tableName === "execution_workspaces") {
+              return [{ id: nextExecutionWorkspaceId, name: "Feature workspace" }];
+            }
+            return [];
+          },
+        }),
+      })),
+    };
+
+    const res = await request(await createApp(dbMock))
+      .patch(`/api/issues/${issue.id}`)
+      .send({ executionWorkspaceId: nextExecutionWorkspaceId });
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(mockLogActivity).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.anything(),
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          action: "issue.updated",
+          details: expect.objectContaining({
+            executionWorkspaceId: nextExecutionWorkspaceId,
+            workspaceChange: {
+              from: {
+                label: "Main workspace",
+                projectWorkspaceId: previousProjectWorkspaceId,
+                executionWorkspaceId: null,
+                mode: "shared_workspace",
+              },
+              to: {
+                label: "Feature workspace",
+                projectWorkspaceId: previousProjectWorkspaceId,
+                executionWorkspaceId: nextExecutionWorkspaceId,
+                mode: "shared_workspace",
+              },
+            },
+            _previous: expect.objectContaining({
+              executionWorkspaceId: null,
+            }),
+          }),
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
   it("logs successful_run_handoff_resolved when an in_progress issue transitions to done with a pending required handoff", async () => {
     const issue = { ...makeIssue(), status: "in_progress" };
     mockIssueService.getById.mockResolvedValue(issue);

packages/shared/src/validators/issue.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import multer from "multer";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import { and, desc, eq, inArray } from "drizzle-orm";
 import type { Db } from "@paperclipai/db";
-import { activityLog, issueExecutionDecisions } from "@paperclipai/db";
+import { activityLog, executionWorkspaces, issueExecutionDecisions, projectWorkspaces } from "@paperclipai/db";
 import {
   addIssueCommentSchema,
   acceptIssueThreadInteractionSchema,
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ import {
   redactIssueMonitorExternalRef,
   setIssueExecutionPolicyMonitorScheduledBy,
 } from "../services/issue-execution-policy.js";
+import { parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings } from "../services/execution-workspace-policy.js";
 import type { PluginWorkerManager } from "../services/plugin-worker-manager.js";
 
 const MAX_ISSUE_COMMENT_LIMIT = 500;
@@ -142,10 +143,148 @@ const SUCCESSFUL_RUN_HANDOFF_ACTIONS = [
   "issue.successful_run_handoff_escalated",
 ] as const;
 
+const ISSUE_WORKSPACE_AUDIT_FIELDS = new Set([
+  "projectWorkspaceId",
+  "executionWorkspaceId",
+  "executionWorkspacePreference",
+  "executionWorkspaceSettings",
+]);
+
 function readNonEmptyString(value: unknown): string | null {
   return typeof value === "string" && value.trim().length > 0 ? value.trim() : null;
 }
 
+function hasIssueWorkspaceAuditChange(previous: Record<string, unknown>) {
+  return Object.keys(previous).some((key) => ISSUE_WORKSPACE_AUDIT_FIELDS.has(key));
+}
+
+function labelIssueWorkspaceMode(mode: string | null) {
+  switch (mode) {
+    case "shared_workspace":
+      return "Project default";
+    case "isolated_workspace":
+      return "New isolated workspace";
+    case "operator_branch":
+      return "Operator branch";
+    case "reuse_existing":
+      return "Reuse existing workspace";
+    case "agent_default":
+      return "Agent default";
+    case "inherit":
+      return "Inherited workspace";
+    default:
+      return "No workspace";
+  }
+}
+
+type IssueWorkspaceAuditInput = {
+  projectWorkspaceId?: string | null;
+  executionWorkspaceId?: string | null;
+  executionWorkspacePreference?: string | null;
+  executionWorkspaceSettings?: unknown;
+};
+
+type WorkspaceNameMaps = {
+  projectWorkspaceNames: Map<string, string>;
+  executionWorkspaceNames: Map<string, string>;
+};
+
+function emptyWorkspaceNameMaps(): WorkspaceNameMaps {
+  return {
+    projectWorkspaceNames: new Map(),
+    executionWorkspaceNames: new Map(),
+  };
+}
+
+function summarizeIssueWorkspaceForActivity(
+  issue: IssueWorkspaceAuditInput,
+  names: WorkspaceNameMaps,
+) {
+  const settings = parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(issue.executionWorkspaceSettings);
+  const mode = settings?.mode ?? issue.executionWorkspacePreference ?? null;
+  const executionWorkspaceId = issue.executionWorkspaceId ?? null;
+  const projectWorkspaceId = issue.projectWorkspaceId ?? null;
+
+  const label = (() => {
+    if (executionWorkspaceId) {
+      return names.executionWorkspaceNames.get(executionWorkspaceId) ?? `Workspace ${executionWorkspaceId.slice(0, 8)}`;
+    }
+    if (projectWorkspaceId) {
+      return names.projectWorkspaceNames.get(projectWorkspaceId) ?? `Workspace ${projectWorkspaceId.slice(0, 8)}`;
+    }
+    return labelIssueWorkspaceMode(mode);
+  })();
+
+  return {
+    label,
+    projectWorkspaceId,
+    executionWorkspaceId,
+    mode,
+  };
+}
+
+async function buildIssueWorkspaceChangeActivityDetails(
+  db: Db,
+  companyId: string,
+  previousIssue: IssueWorkspaceAuditInput,
+  nextIssue: IssueWorkspaceAuditInput,
+) {
+  const projectWorkspaceIds = [
+    previousIssue.projectWorkspaceId,
+    nextIssue.projectWorkspaceId,
+  ].filter((value): value is string => typeof value === "string" && value.length > 0);
+  const executionWorkspaceIds = [
+    previousIssue.executionWorkspaceId,
+    nextIssue.executionWorkspaceId,
+  ].filter((value): value is string => typeof value === "string" && value.length > 0);
+
+  const [projectRows, executionRows] = await Promise.all([
+    projectWorkspaceIds.length > 0
+      ? db
+          .select({ id: projectWorkspaces.id, name: projectWorkspaces.name })
+          .from(projectWorkspaces)
+          .where(and(eq(projectWorkspaces.companyId, companyId), inArray(projectWorkspaces.id, projectWorkspaceIds)))
+      : Promise.resolve([]),
+    executionWorkspaceIds.length > 0
+      ? db
+          .select({ id: executionWorkspaces.id, name: executionWorkspaces.name })
+          .from(executionWorkspaces)
+          .where(and(eq(executionWorkspaces.companyId, companyId), inArray(executionWorkspaces.id, executionWorkspaceIds)))
+      : Promise.resolve([]),
+  ]);
+
+  const names: WorkspaceNameMaps = {
+    projectWorkspaceNames: new Map(projectRows.map((row) => [row.id, row.name])),
+    executionWorkspaceNames: new Map(executionRows.map((row) => [row.id, row.name])),
+  };
+
+  return {
+    from: summarizeIssueWorkspaceForActivity(previousIssue, names),
+    to: summarizeIssueWorkspaceForActivity(nextIssue, names),
+  };
+}
+
+function hasExecutionParticipant(value: unknown) {
+  const state = parseIssueExecutionState(value);
+  if (!state || state.status !== "pending") return false;
+  const participant = state.currentParticipant;
+  if (!participant) return false;
+  if (participant.type === "agent") return Boolean(participant.agentId);
+  if (participant.type === "user") return Boolean(participant.userId);
+  return false;
+}
+
+function hasScheduledMonitor(input: {
+  existingMonitorNextCheckAt?: Date | null;
+  patchMonitorNextCheckAt?: unknown;
+  executionPolicy?: unknown;
+}) {
+  if (input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt instanceof Date && !Number.isNaN(input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt.getTime())) return true;
+  if (input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt === undefined && input.existingMonitorNextCheckAt) return true;
+  const policy = normalizeIssueExecutionPolicy(input.executionPolicy ?? null);
+  return Boolean(policy?.monitor?.nextCheckAt);
+}
+
 function successfulRunHandoffStateFromActivity(row: {
   action: string;
   agentId: string | null;
@@ -236,27 +375,6 @@ const INVALID_AGENT_IN_REVIEW_DISPOSITION_MESSAGE =
   "link or request a pending approval, assign a human reviewer with assigneeUserId, set a typed executionState.currentParticipant through an execution policy, " +
   "or schedule an issue monitor for an external review/check. After creating one of those review paths, retry the status update.";
 
-function hasExecutionParticipant(value: unknown) {
-  const state = parseIssueExecutionState(value);
-  if (!state || state.status !== "pending") return false;
-  const participant = state.currentParticipant;
-  if (!participant) return false;
-  if (participant.type === "agent") return Boolean(participant.agentId);
-  if (participant.type === "user") return Boolean(participant.userId);
-  return false;
-}
-
-function hasScheduledMonitor(input: {
-  existingMonitorNextCheckAt?: Date | null;
-  patchMonitorNextCheckAt?: unknown;
-  executionPolicy?: unknown;
-}) {
-  if (input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt instanceof Date && !Number.isNaN(input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt.getTime())) return true;
-  if (input.patchMonitorNextCheckAt === undefined && input.existingMonitorNextCheckAt) return true;
-  const policy = normalizeIssueExecutionPolicy(input.executionPolicy ?? null);
-  return Boolean(policy?.monitor?.nextCheckAt);
-}
-
 function executionPrincipalsEqual(
   left: ParsedExecutionState["currentParticipant"] | null,
   right: ParsedExecutionState["currentParticipant"] | null,
@@ -2673,6 +2791,19 @@ export function issueRoutes(
     }
 
     const hasFieldChanges = Object.keys(previous).length > 0;
+    let workspaceChange = null;
+    if (hasIssueWorkspaceAuditChange(previous)) {
+      try {
+        workspaceChange = await buildIssueWorkspaceChangeActivityDetails(db, issue.companyId, existing, issue);
+      } catch (err) {
+        logger.warn({ err, issueId: issue.id }, "failed to enrich issue workspace change activity details");
+        const fallbackNames = emptyWorkspaceNameMaps();
+        workspaceChange = {
+          from: summarizeIssueWorkspaceForActivity(existing, fallbackNames),
+          to: summarizeIssueWorkspaceForActivity(issue, fallbackNames),
+        };
+      }
+    }
     const reopened =
       commentBody &&
       effectiveMoveToTodoRequested &&
@@ -2697,6 +2828,7 @@ export function issueRoutes(
         ...(reopened ? { reopened: true, reopenedFrom: reopenFromStatus } : {}),
         ...(interruptedRunId ? { interruptedRunId } : {}),
         ...(cancelledStatusRunId ? { cancelledStatusRunId } : {}),
+        ...(workspaceChange ? { workspaceChange } : {}),
         _previous: hasFieldChanges ? previous : undefined,
         ...summarizeIssueReferenceActivityDetails(
           updateReferenceDiff

server/src/__tests__/issue-activity-events-routes.test.ts

@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ describe("successful run handoff decision", () => {
       title: "Missing issue disposition",
       detailsDefaultOpen: false,
     });
+    expect(notice.metadata.sourceRunId).toBe("22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222");
     expect(notice.metadata.sections).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([
       expect.objectContaining({
         title: "Required action",
@@ -267,6 +268,7 @@ describe("successful run handoff decision", () => {
       tone: "danger",
       detailsDefaultOpen: false,
     });
+    expect(notice.metadata.sourceRunId).toBe("22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222");
     expect(notice.metadata.sections).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([
       expect.objectContaining({
         title: "Recovery owner",

server/src/routes/issues.ts

@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ export function buildSuccessfulRunHandoffRequiredNotice(input: {
     }),
     metadata: {
       version: 1,
+      sourceRunId: input.run.id,
       sections: [
         {
           title: "Required action",
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ export function buildSuccessfulRunHandoffExhaustedNotice(input: {
     }),
     metadata: {
       version: 1,
+      sourceRunId: input.sourceRun?.id ?? null,
       sections: [
         {
           title: "Recovery owner",