feat(settings): auto-publish cloud runs toggle in advanced settings (#3217)

Author: k11kirky

packages/agent/src/server/agent-server.test.ts

@@ -2062,6 +2062,112 @@ describe("AgentServer HTTP Mode", () => {
       delete process.env.POSTHOG_CODE_INTERACTION_ORIGIN;
     });
 
+    it("returns auto-PR prompt for manual runs when the user opted into auto-publish", () => {
+      const s = createServer({ autoPublish: true });
+      const prompt = (s as unknown as TestableServer).buildCloudSystemPrompt();
+      expect(prompt).toContain("gh pr create --draft");
+      expect(prompt).not.toContain("stop with local changes ready for review");
+      // Manual runs keep the PostHog Code attribution.
+      expect(prompt).toContain(
+        "Created with [PostHog Code](https://posthog.com/code?ref=pr)",
+      );
+    });
+
+    it("keeps review-first prompt when auto-publish is on but createPr is false", () => {
+      const s = createServer({ autoPublish: true, createPr: false });
+      const prompt = (s as unknown as TestableServer).buildCloudSystemPrompt();
+      expect(prompt).toContain("stop with local changes ready for review");
+      expect(prompt).not.toContain("gh pr create --draft");
+    });
+
+    it("auto-publishes in no-repository mode when the user opted in", () => {
+      const s = createServer({ repositoryPath: undefined, autoPublish: true });
+      const prompt = (s as unknown as TestableServer).buildCloudSystemPrompt();
+      expect(prompt).toContain("Cloud Task Execution — No Repository Mode");
+      expect(prompt).toContain("without waiting to be asked");
+      expect(prompt).not.toContain("unless the user explicitly asks for that");
+    });
+
+    // Prewarmed runs boot before the user's choice exists; the upgrade is
+    // resolved from run state when the first message arrives.
+    type WarmTestable = {
+      prewarmedRun: boolean;
+      session: { payload: { task_id: string; run_id: string } } | null;
+      posthogAPI: { getTaskRun: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn> };
+      resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade(): Promise<string | null>;
+      buildCloudSystemPrompt(): string;
+    };
+    const makeWarmServer = (
+      state: Record<string, unknown> | Error,
+      overrides: Partial<ConstructorParameters<typeof AgentServer>[0]> = {},
+    ): WarmTestable => {
+      const t = createServer(overrides) as unknown as WarmTestable;
+      t.prewarmedRun = true;
+      t.session = {
+        payload: { task_id: "test-task-id", run_id: "test-run-id" },
+      };
+      t.posthogAPI = {
+        getTaskRun:
+          state instanceof Error
+            ? vi.fn(async () => {
+                throw state;
+              })
+            : vi.fn(async () => ({ state })),
+      };
+      return t;
+    };
+
+    it("upgrades a prewarmed run to auto-publish from run state on the first message", async () => {
+      const t = makeWarmServer({ prewarmed: true, auto_publish: true });
+
+      const override = await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade();
+      expect(override).toContain("OVERRIDE PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS");
+      expect(override).toContain("gh pr create --draft");
+      // The flip persists for the rest of the session...
+      expect(t.buildCloudSystemPrompt()).toContain("gh pr create --draft");
+      // ...and the override is injected only once.
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toBeNull();
+      expect(t.posthogAPI.getTaskRun).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it("keeps a prewarmed run review-first when run state has no auto_publish", async () => {
+      const t = makeWarmServer({ prewarmed: true });
+
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toBeNull();
+      expect(t.buildCloudSystemPrompt()).toContain(
+        "stop with local changes ready for review",
+      );
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toBeNull();
+      expect(t.posthogAPI.getTaskRun).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it("never upgrades a prewarmed run when createPr is false", async () => {
+      // PostHog AI warm runs launch with createPr=false; auto-publish must not
+      // override that even if auto_publish somehow lands in state.
+      const t = makeWarmServer(
+        { prewarmed: true, auto_publish: true },
+        { createPr: false },
+      );
+
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toBeNull();
+      expect(t.posthogAPI.getTaskRun).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(t.buildCloudSystemPrompt()).toContain(
+        "stop with local changes ready for review",
+      );
+    });
+
+    it("retries the state fetch on a later message when it fails", async () => {
+      const t = makeWarmServer(new Error("fetch failed"));
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toBeNull();
+
+      t.posthogAPI.getTaskRun = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        state: { prewarmed: true, auto_publish: true },
+      }));
+      expect(await t.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade()).toContain(
+        "gh pr create --draft",
+      );
+    });
+
     it.each([
       { label: "Slack", origin: "slack" },
       { label: "signal_report", origin: "signal_report" },

packages/agent/src/server/agent-server.ts

@@ -316,6 +316,11 @@ export class AgentServer {
   private lastReportedBranch: string | null = null;
   private resumeState: ResumeState | null = null;
   private nativeResume: { sessionId: string; warm: boolean } | null = null;
+  // Prewarmed runs boot before the user's first message exists, so the boot-time
+  // --autoPublish flag can't carry the user's choice; it is resolved from run
+  // state when the first message arrives (see resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade).
+  private prewarmedRun = false;
+  private warmAutoPublishResolved = false;
   private installedSkillBundles = new Set<string>();
   private installedSkillBundleInfo = new Map<string, InstalledSkillBundle>();
   private installingSkillBundles = new Map<string, Promise<void>>();
@@ -893,12 +898,19 @@ export class AgentServer {
 
         this.session.logWriter.resetTurnMessages(this.session.payload.run_id);
 
+        // Resolve before buildDetectedPrContext so a warm auto-publish upgrade
+        // also flips the detected-PR context to its push variant.
+        const autoPublishUpgrade = await this.resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade();
+        const hostContext = [
+          ...(autoPublishUpgrade ? [autoPublishUpgrade] : []),
+          ...(this.detectedPrUrl
+            ? [this.buildDetectedPrContext(this.detectedPrUrl)]
+            : []),
+        ];
         const promptMeta: Record<string, unknown> = {
           ...(builtPrompt.meta ?? {}),
-          ...(this.detectedPrUrl
-            ? {
-                prContext: this.buildDetectedPrContext(this.detectedPrUrl),
-              }
+          ...(hostContext.length > 0
+            ? { prContext: hostContext.join("\n\n") }
             : {}),
         };
 
@@ -1116,6 +1128,8 @@ export class AgentServer {
 
     this.resumeState = null;
     this.nativeResume = null;
+    this.prewarmedRun = false;
+    this.warmAutoPublishResolved = false;
 
     this.logger.debug("Initializing session", {
       runId: payload.run_id,
@@ -1147,6 +1161,10 @@ export class AgentServer {
       }),
     ]);
 
+    this.prewarmedRun =
+      (preTaskRun?.state as Record<string, unknown> | undefined)?.prewarmed ===
+      true;
+
     const gatewayEnv = this.configureEnvironment({
       isInternal: preTask?.internal === true,
       originProduct: preTask?.origin_product,
@@ -2586,12 +2604,66 @@ export class AgentServer {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Automated-origin cloud runs auto-publish by default. Every other origin is
-   * review-first unless the user explicitly asks, and createPr=false always
-   * disables publishing.
+   * Automated-origin cloud runs auto-publish by default, and manual runs
+   * auto-publish when the user opted in (Settings → Advanced, sent as
+   * autoPublish). Every other run is review-first unless the user explicitly
+   * asks, and createPr=false always disables publishing.
    */
   private shouldAutoPublishCloudChanges(): boolean {
-    return this.isAutomatedOrigin() && this.config.createPr !== false;
+    return (
+      (this.isAutomatedOrigin() || this.config.autoPublish === true) &&
+      this.config.createPr !== false
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A prewarmed run boots before the user's first message exists, so the
+   * --autoPublish flag can't carry the user's choice; the backend persists it
+   * into the run's state at warm activation instead. Nothing has been sent to
+   * the agent until that first message arrives, so resolving it here still
+   * governs the whole conversation: flip the config (so later consumers like
+   * buildDetectedPrContext see it) and return the auto-publish cloud
+   * instructions to inject into the first prompt as an override.
+   */
+  private async resolveWarmAutoPublishUpgrade(): Promise<string | null> {
+    if (!this.prewarmedRun || this.warmAutoPublishResolved || !this.session) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    if (
+      this.config.autoPublish === true ||
+      this.config.createPr === false ||
+      this.isAutomatedOrigin()
+    ) {
+      // The boot decision already publishes (or never may) — nothing to upgrade.
+      this.warmAutoPublishResolved = true;
+      return null;
+    }
+    let state: Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    try {
+      const run = await this.posthogAPI.getTaskRun(
+        this.session.payload.task_id,
+        this.session.payload.run_id,
+      );
+      state = run?.state as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    } catch (error) {
+      // Leave unresolved so the next message retries; stay review-first for now.
+      this.logger.debug("Failed to fetch run state for auto-publish upgrade", {
+        error,
+      });
+      return null;
+    }
+    this.warmAutoPublishResolved = true;
+    if (state?.auto_publish !== true) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    this.config.autoPublish = true;
+    this.logger.debug("Warm run upgraded to auto-publish from run state");
+    return [
+      "IMPORTANT — OVERRIDE PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT CREATING BRANCHES/PRs.",
+      "The user has auto-publish enabled for this run. The review-first cloud task instructions in your system prompt are replaced by the following:",
+      "",
+      this.buildCloudSystemPrompt(this.detectedPrUrl),
+    ].join("\n");
   }
 
   private buildDetectedPrContext(prUrl: string): string {
@@ -2760,7 +2832,18 @@ ${signedCommitInstructions}${prLinkInstructions}${shellEfficiencyInstructions}
 When the user asks for code changes:
 - You may clone a repository and make local edits in that clone
 - Do NOT create branches, commits, push changes, or open pull requests in this run`
-          : `
+          : shouldAutoCreatePr
+            ? `
+When the user asks to clone or work in a GitHub repository:
+- Clone the repository into /tmp/workspace/repos/<owner>/<repo> using \`gh repo clone <owner>/<repo> /tmp/workspace/repos/<owner>/<repo>\`
+- Work from inside that cloned repository for follow-up code changes
+- After completing code changes in a cloned repository, create a branch, stage your changes with \`git add\` and commit them with the \`git_signed_commit\` tool (do NOT use \`git commit\`/\`git push\` — they are blocked), and open a draft pull request from inside the clone without waiting to be asked. Before opening the PR, check the cloned repo for a PR template at \`.github/pull_request_template.md\` (or variants; fall back to the org's \`.github\` repo via \`gh api\`) and use it as the body structure, and search for matching open issues with \`gh issue list --search\` to include \`Closes #<n>\` / \`Refs #<n>\` links.
+- Keep the PR description brief overall. Summarize only the most important changes — do NOT enumerate every change you made. A few sentences or bullets is plenty.
+${whyContextInstruction.trimStart()}
+${publicRepoSafetyInstruction.trimStart()}
+- End the PR description with a horizontal rule followed by this footer line: ${prFooter}
+- Always create the PR as a draft. Do not ask for confirmation before publishing completed code changes`
+            : `
 When the user explicitly asks to clone or work in a GitHub repository:
 - Clone the repository into /tmp/workspace/repos/<owner>/<repo> using \`gh repo clone <owner>/<repo> /tmp/workspace/repos/<owner>/<repo>\`
 - Work from inside that cloned repository for follow-up code changes

packages/agent/src/server/bin.ts

@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ program
     "MCP servers config as JSON array (ACP McpServer[] format)",
   )
   .option("--createPr <boolean>", "Whether this run may publish changes")
+  .option(
+    "--autoPublish <boolean>",
+    "Whether this run should push and open a draft PR on completion without an explicit ask",
+  )
   .option("--baseBranch <branch>", "Base branch for PR creation")
   .option(
     "--claudeCodeConfig <json>",
@@ -130,6 +134,10 @@ program
 
     const mode = options.mode === "background" ? "background" : "interactive";
     const createPr = parseBooleanOption(options.createPr, "--createPr");
+    const autoPublish = parseBooleanOption(
+      options.autoPublish,
+      "--autoPublish",
+    );
 
     const mcpServers = parseJsonOption(
       options.mcpServers,
@@ -182,6 +190,7 @@ program
       taskId: options.taskId,
       runId: options.runId,
       createPr,
+      autoPublish,
       mcpServers,
       baseBranch: options.baseBranch,
       claudeCode,

packages/agent/src/server/types.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ export interface AgentServerConfig {
   taskId: string;
   runId: string;
   createPr?: boolean;
+  // User-opted auto-publish: push and open a draft PR on completion even for
+  // manual (non-automated-origin) cloud runs. createPr=false still wins.
+  autoPublish?: boolean;
   version?: string;
   mcpServers?: RemoteMcpServer[];
   baseBranch?: string;

packages/api-client/src/posthog-client.ts

@@ -479,6 +479,7 @@ interface CloudRunOptions {
   reasoningLevel?: string;
   sandboxEnvironmentId?: string;
   prAuthorshipMode?: PrAuthorshipMode;
+  autoPublish?: boolean;
   runSource?: CloudRunSource;
   signalReportId?: string;
   initialPermissionMode?: PermissionMode;
@@ -552,6 +553,9 @@ function buildCloudRunRequestBody(
   if (options?.prAuthorshipMode) {
     body.pr_authorship_mode = options.prAuthorshipMode;
   }
+  if (options?.autoPublish) {
+    body.auto_publish = options.autoPublish;
+  }
   if (options?.runSource) {
     body.run_source = options.runSource;
   }
@@ -2221,6 +2225,7 @@ export class PostHogAPIClient {
         channel?: string | null;
         pending_user_message?: string;
         pending_user_artifact_ids?: string[];
+        auto_publish?: boolean;
       },
   ) {
     const teamId = await this.getTeamId();

packages/core/src/sessions/sessionService.ts

@@ -2976,6 +2976,7 @@ export class SessionService {
           pendingUserArtifactIds:
             artifactIds.length > 0 ? artifactIds : undefined,
           prAuthorshipMode,
+          autoPublish: previousState.auto_publish === true || undefined,
           runSource: getCloudRunSource(previousState),
           signalReportId:
             typeof previousState.signal_report_id === "string"

packages/core/src/task-detail/taskCreationApiClient.ts

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export interface CreateTaskRunClientOptions {
   reasoningLevel?: string;
   sandboxEnvironmentId?: string;
   prAuthorshipMode?: PrAuthorshipMode;
+  autoPublish?: boolean;
   runSource?: CloudRunSource;
   signalReportId?: string;
   initialPermissionMode?: string;

packages/core/src/task-detail/taskCreationSaga.test.ts

@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ describe("TaskCreationSaga", () => {
       adapter: "codex",
       model: "gpt-5.4",
       reasoningLevel: "high",
+      cloudAutoPublish: true,
     });
 
     expect(result.success).toBe(true);
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ describe("TaskCreationSaga", () => {
       reasoningLevel: "high",
       sandboxEnvironmentId: undefined,
       prAuthorshipMode: "user",
+      autoPublish: true,
       runSource: "manual",
       signalReportId: undefined,
       initialPermissionMode: "auto",
@@ -555,6 +557,7 @@ describe("TaskCreationSaga", () => {
       repository: "posthog/posthog",
       workspaceMode: "cloud",
       branch: "main",
+      cloudAutoPublish: true,
     });
 
     expect(result.success).toBe(true);
@@ -578,6 +581,8 @@ describe("TaskCreationSaga", () => {
         branch: "main",
         pending_user_message: "/my-skill do it",
         pending_user_artifact_ids: ["skill-artifact-1"],
+        // Warm activation skips run creation, so the choice must ride along here.
+        auto_publish: true,
       }),
     );
     // Warm-activated at create time: no fresh run is created or started.

packages/core/src/task-detail/taskCreationSaga.ts

@@ -401,6 +401,7 @@ export class TaskCreationSaga extends Saga<
             reasoningLevel: input.reasoningLevel,
             sandboxEnvironmentId: input.sandboxEnvironmentId,
             prAuthorshipMode,
+            autoPublish: input.cloudAutoPublish,
             runSource: input.cloudRunSource ?? "manual",
             signalReportId: input.signalReportId,
             homeQuickAction: input.homeQuickActionLabel,
@@ -766,6 +767,12 @@ export class TaskCreationSaga extends Saga<
           channel: input.channelId ?? undefined,
           pending_user_message: warmPayload?.pendingUserMessage,
           pending_user_artifact_ids: warmPayload?.pendingUserArtifactIds,
+          // If creation activates a pre-warmed run, this is the only request
+          // that can carry the choice — the saga skips run creation entirely.
+          auto_publish:
+            input.workspaceMode === "cloud" && input.cloudAutoPublish
+              ? true
+              : undefined,
         });
         return result as unknown as Task;
       },