Files
paperclip/docs
Devin Foley f38b5693f6 fix: always enable keyboard shortcuts (#14643)
## Thinking Path

> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work
> - The web UI has keyboard shortcuts for the inbox, task lists, cases,
and task detail, plus global shortcuts such as `c`, `/`, `?`, `[`, and
`]`
> - Shortcut enablement was an instance-wide General setting until
#14141 moved it to a per-user preference that defaults to off
> - The move did not carry the old instance value over, so every
existing user lost shortcuts on upgrade and had to find a new toggle
under Profile settings
> - A toggle that only turns off a standard, input-safe feature costs a
setting, a database column, two API routes, and a React context for
little benefit
> - This pull request removes both the instance setting and the personal
preference and enables keyboard shortcuts for every signed-in user
> - The benefit is one less thing to configure, no silent loss of
shortcuts on upgrade, and less code to maintain

## Linked Issues or Issue Description

Refs #14141 (the change that introduced the personal preference).

**What existing behavior does this improve?**

Keyboard shortcuts in the web UI stay off unless each user turns them on
in Profile settings.

**Subsystem affected**

Web UI shortcuts, Profile settings, instance general settings, the
`/api/auth/preferences` routes, and the `user` table.

**Current behavior**

Shortcuts default to off per user. #14141 moved the toggle from Instance
settings → General to Profile settings and did not carry the old
instance value over. Users who had shortcuts on lost them after the
upgrade and had to find the new toggle.

**Proposed behavior**

Keyboard shortcuts are always enabled for every signed-in user. There is
no instance setting and no personal preference. Shortcuts already ignore
key presses inside text inputs and modal dialogs, so an opt-out is not
needed.

**Reason and benefit**

Fewer settings, no silent loss of shortcuts on upgrade, and removal of a
database column, two API routes, a query hook, and a React context that
existed only to gate this feature.

**Breaking changes**

`GET` and `PATCH /api/auth/preferences` are removed. `PATCH
/api/instance/settings/general` no longer accepts `keyboardShortcuts`;
that schema is strict, so the key now returns 400.
`instance.general.keyboardShortcuts` is no longer a valid
`PAPERCLIP_HIDDEN_SETTINGS` key; the parser ignores unknown keys with a
warning.

## What Changed

- Removed the Keyboard shortcuts section from Profile settings, the
`useUserPreferences` hook, `queryKeys.auth.preferences`, and
`authApi.getPreferences` / `authApi.updatePreferences`.
- Removed `GeneralSettingsContext`. The inbox, legacy inbox, task list,
legacy task list, cases, and task detail pages no longer gate their key
handlers.
- Removed the `enabled` option from `useKeyboardShortcuts`. The app
shell always registers the global shortcuts.
- Removed `GET` and `PATCH /api/auth/preferences`, their OpenAPI
entries, and the `currentUserPreferencesSchema` /
`updateCurrentUserPreferencesSchema` validators.
- Removed `keyboardShortcuts` from `InstanceGeneralSettings`, the
general settings zod schema, the settings service defaults, and
`HIDEABLE_GENERAL_SECTIONS`.
- Added migration `0289_drop_user_keyboard_shortcuts`, which drops
`user.keyboard_shortcuts`.
- Updated `AGENTS.md`, `doc/SPEC.md`, `doc/SPEC-implementation.md`, and
`docs/deploy/environment-variables.md`.
- Parsed the stored general settings row with
`instanceGeneralSettingsSchema.strip()` in the feedback vote path, so a
retired key left in the row cannot reset the sharing preference to
`prompt` and overwrite the stored choice.
- Kept every bare global shortcut (`c`, `?`, `[`, `]`, `/`) out of open
modal dialogs in `useKeyboardShortcuts`; only `/` had that guard before.
- Updated the affected tests and added a Profile settings test that
asserts the toggle is gone, a hook test for the modal dialog guard, and
a feedback service regression test for the retired-key case.

## Verification

- Typecheck passes for `@paperclipai/shared`, `@paperclipai/db`
(including the migration numbering and safety checks),
`@paperclipai/server`, and `ui`.
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/instance-settings-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/openapi-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/auth-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/sentry.test.ts` → 119 passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run ui/src/components/Layout.test.tsx
ui/src/pages/ProfileSettings.test.tsx ui/src/pages/IssueDetail.test.tsx
ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx ui/src/pages/Cases.test.tsx
ui/src/hooks/useKeyboardShortcuts.test.tsx ui/src/pages/Agents.test.tsx
ui/src/pages/InstanceGeneralSettings.test.tsx` → 286 passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run packages/shared/src/settings-visibility.test.ts`
→ 16 passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run ui/src/hooks/useKeyboardShortcuts.test.tsx` → 7
passed.
- `pnpm exec vitest run server/src/__tests__/feedback-service.test.ts`
(embedded Postgres) → the new retired-key test passes with the fix and
fails without it.
- Manual: sign in with no settings changed, open the inbox, press `j`
and `k` to move the selection, press `?` to open the cheatsheet. Open
Settings → Profile and confirm there is no Keyboard shortcuts section.

## Risks

- The migration drops a column. It uses `DROP COLUMN IF EXISTS`, and the
column has no readers after this change. If you roll back to a build
from before this PR after the migration has run, re-add the column
first: `ALTER TABLE "user" ADD COLUMN "keyboard_shortcuts" boolean
DEFAULT false NOT NULL;`. The older build's ORM selects that column when
it loads users.
- Any external client that still sends `keyboardShortcuts` to `PATCH
/api/instance/settings/general` receives a 400. No in-repo client does.
- Stored `instance_settings.general.keyboardShortcuts` values are
stripped on read and ignored.
- Users who never turned the toggle on now get shortcuts. The handlers
skip text inputs, contenteditable regions, and modal dialogs, so typing
is unaffected.

## Model Used

Claude Fable 5.1 (`claude-fable-5-1`) in Claude Code, with extended
thinking and tool use.

## 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 either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or
links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip`
URLs)
- [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`)
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
2026-09-29 21:28:06 -07:00
..