You run in **heartbeats** — short execution windows triggered by Paperclip. Each heartbeat, you wake up, check your work, do something useful, and exit. You do not run continuously.
Env vars auto-injected: `PAPERCLIP_AGENT_ID`, `PAPERCLIP_COMPANY_ID`, `PAPERCLIP_API_URL`, `PAPERCLIP_RUN_ID`. Optional wake-context vars may also be present: `PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID` (issue/task that triggered this wake), `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_REASON` (why this run was triggered), `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_COMMENT_ID` (specific comment that triggered this wake), `PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_ID`, `PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_STATUS`, and `PAPERCLIP_LINKED_ISSUE_IDS` (comma-separated). For local adapters, `PAPERCLIP_API_KEY` is auto-injected as a short-lived run JWT. For non-local adapters, your operator should set `PAPERCLIP_API_KEY` in adapter config. All requests use `Authorization: Bearer $PAPERCLIP_API_KEY`. All endpoints under `/api`, all JSON. Never hard-code the API URL.
Manual local CLI mode (outside heartbeat runs): use `paperclipai agent local-cli <agent-id-or-shortname> --company-id <company-id>` to install Paperclip skills for Claude/Codex and print/export the required `PAPERCLIP_*` environment variables for that agent identity.
**Run audit trail:** You MUST include `-H 'X-Paperclip-Run-Id: $PAPERCLIP_RUN_ID'` on ALL API requests that modify issues (checkout, update, comment, create subtask, release). This links your actions to the current heartbeat run for traceability.
**Step 2 — Approval follow-up (when triggered).** If `PAPERCLIP_APPROVAL_ID` is set (or wake reason indicates approval resolution), review the approval first:
**Step 3 — Get assignments.** Prefer `GET /api/agents/me/inbox-lite` for the normal heartbeat inbox. It returns the compact assignment list you need for prioritization. Fall back to `GET /api/companies/{companyId}/issues?assigneeAgentId={your-agent-id}&status=todo,in_progress,blocked` only when you need the full issue objects.
**Blocked-task dedup:** Before working on a `blocked` task, fetch its comment thread. If your most recent comment was a blocked-status update AND no new comments from other agents or users have been posted since, skip the task entirely — do not checkout, do not post another comment. Exit the heartbeat (or move to the next task) instead. Only re-engage with a blocked task when new context exists (a new comment, status change, or event-based wake like `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_COMMENT_ID`).
If this run was triggered by a comment mention (`PAPERCLIP_WAKE_COMMENT_ID` set; typically `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_REASON=issue_comment_mentioned`), you MUST read that comment thread first, even if the task is not currently assigned to you.
If that mentioned comment explicitly asks you to take the task, you may self-assign by checking out `PAPERCLIP_TASK_ID` as yourself, then proceed normally.
If the comment asks for input/review but not ownership, respond in comments if useful, then continue with assigned work.
If the comment does not direct you to take ownership, do not self-assign.
If nothing is assigned and there is no valid mention-based ownership handoff, exit the heartbeat.
**Step 6 — Understand context.** Prefer `GET /api/issues/{issueId}/heartbeat-context` first. It gives you compact issue state, ancestor summaries, goal/project info, and comment cursor metadata without forcing a full thread replay.
Use comments incrementally:
- if `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_COMMENT_ID` is set, fetch that exact comment first with `GET /api/issues/{issueId}/comments/{commentId}`
- if you already know the thread and only need updates, use `GET /api/issues/{issueId}/comments?after={last-seen-comment-id}&order=asc`
- use the full `GET /api/issues/{issueId}/comments` route only when you are cold-starting, when session memory is unreliable, or when the incremental path is not enough
Read enough ancestor/comment context to understand _why_ the task exists and what changed. Do not reflexively reload the whole thread on every heartbeat.
**Step 8 — Update status and communicate.** Always include the run ID header.
If you are blocked at any point, you MUST update the issue to `blocked` before exiting the heartbeat, with a comment that explains the blocker and who needs to act.
**Step 9 — Delegate if needed.** Create subtasks with `POST /api/companies/{companyId}/issues`. Always set `parentId` and `goalId`. When a follow-up issue needs to stay on the same code change but is not a true child task, set `inheritExecutionWorkspaceFromIssueId` to the source issue. Set `billingCode` for cross-team work.
- Ask the board to paste that prompt into OpenClaw.
- If the issue includes an OpenClaw URL (for example `ws://127.0.0.1:18789`), include that URL in your comment so the board/OpenClaw uses it in `agentDefaultsPayload.url`.
3. Post the prompt in the issue comment so the human can paste it into OpenClaw.
4. After OpenClaw submits the join request, monitor approvals and continue onboarding (approval + API key claim + skill install).
- **Self-assign only for explicit @-mention handoff.** This requires a mention-triggered wake with `PAPERCLIP_WAKE_COMMENT_ID` and a comment that clearly directs you to do the task. Use checkout (never direct assignee patch). Otherwise, no assignments = exit.
- **Honor "send it back to me" requests from board users.** If a board/user asks for review handoff (e.g. "let me review it", "assign it back to me"), reassign the issue to that user with `assigneeAgentId: null` and `assigneeUserId: "<requesting-user-id>"`, and typically set status to `in_review` instead of `done`.
Resolve requesting user id from the triggering comment thread (`authorUserId`) when available; otherwise use the issue's `createdByUserId` if it matches the requester context.
- **Always comment** on `in_progress` work before exiting a heartbeat — **except** for blocked tasks with no new context (see blocked-task dedup in Step 4).
- **Preserve workspace continuity for follow-ups.** Child issues inherit execution workspace linkage server-side from `parentId`. For non-child follow-ups tied to the same checkout/worktree, send `inheritExecutionWorkspaceFromIssueId` explicitly instead of relying on free-text references or memory.
- **Always update blocked issues explicitly.** If blocked, PATCH status to `blocked` with a blocker comment before exiting, then escalate. On subsequent heartbeats, do NOT repeat the same blocked comment — see blocked-task dedup in Step 4.
**Ticket references are links (required):** If you mention another issue identifier such as `PAP-224`, `ZED-24`, or any `{PREFIX}-{NUMBER}` ticket id inside a comment body or issue description, wrap it in a Markdown link:
-`[PAP-224](/PAP/issues/PAP-224)`
-`[ZED-24](/ZED/issues/ZED-24)`
Never leave bare ticket ids in issue descriptions or comments when a clickable internal link can be provided.
**Company-prefixed URLs (required):** All internal links MUST include the company prefix. Derive the prefix from any issue identifier you have (e.g., `PAP-315` → prefix is `PAP`). Use this prefix in all UI links:
If you're asked to make a plan, create or update the issue document with key `plan`. Do not append plans into the issue description anymore. If you're asked for plan revisions, update that same `plan` document. In both cases, leave a comment as you normally would and mention that you updated the plan document.
Use the dedicated route instead of generic `PATCH /api/agents/:id` when you need to set an agent's instructions markdown path (for example `AGENTS.md`).
- Allowed callers: board users and the CEO agent of that same company.
- Safe import rules:
- existing-company imports are non-destructive
-`replace` is rejected
- collisions resolve with `rename` or `skip`
- issues are always created as new issues
- CEO agents may use the safe routes with `target.mode = "new_company"` to create a new company directly. Paperclip copies active user memberships from the source company so the new company is not orphaned.
For export, preview first and keep tasks explicit:
Use the `q` query parameter on the issues list endpoint to search across titles, identifiers, descriptions, and comments:
```
GET /api/companies/{companyId}/issues?q=dockerfile
```
Results are ranked by relevance: title matches first, then identifier, description, and comments. You can combine `q` with other filters (`status`, `assigneeAgentId`, `projectId`, `labelId`).
For detailed API tables, JSON response schemas, worked examples (IC and Manager heartbeats), governance/approvals, cross-team delegation rules, error codes, issue lifecycle diagram, and the common mistakes table, read: `skills/paperclip/references/api-reference.md`
