[aidan] fix/chat-history: stop retaining unopened histories

backend/apps/agents/agents.py

@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
-from backend.config.Apps import SubApp
-from backend.apps.agents.agent_manager import agent_manager
-from backend.apps.agents.core.ws_manager import ws_manager
-from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentConfig, ApprovalResponse
-from backend.apps.agents.manager.session.history_compaction import estimate_post_compact_input
-from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
-from fastapi import WebSocket, WebSocketDisconnect, HTTPException
-from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
 import asyncio
-import json
 import logging
 import time
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from typing import Any, Dict
+
+from fastapi import HTTPException
+from typeguard import typechecked
+
+from backend.apps.agents.agent_manager import agent_manager
+from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentConfig, AgentSession, ApprovalResponse
+from backend.apps.agents.manager.session.history_compaction import estimate_post_compact_input
+from backend.config.Apps import SubApp
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -39,10 +40,31 @@ async def agents_lifespan():
 agents = SubApp("agents", agents_lifespan)
 
 
+@typechecked
+def p_session_list_item(session: AgentSession) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Serialize dashboard metadata without retaining the full chat history."""
+    data = session.model_dump(mode="json", exclude={"messages"})
+    messages = session.messages
+    last_content = messages[-1].content if messages else ""
+    first_user_content = next(
+        (message.content for message in messages if message.role == "user"),
+        "",
+    )
+    data.update(
+        messages=[],
+        last_message_preview=last_content[:120] if isinstance(last_content, str) else "",
+        first_user_message=(
+            first_user_content[:200] if isinstance(first_user_content, str) else ""
+        ),
+        message_count=len(messages),
+    )
+    return data
+
+
 @agents.router.get("/sessions")
 async def list_sessions(dashboard_id: str = ""):
     sessions = agent_manager.get_all_sessions(dashboard_id=dashboard_id or None)
-    return {"sessions": [s.model_dump(mode="json") for s in sessions]}
+    return {"sessions": [p_session_list_item(s) for s in sessions]}
 
 @agents.router.get("/activity")
 async def agent_activity():

backend/tests/test_agent_session_list.py

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import asyncio
+
+from pytest import MonkeyPatch
+
+from backend.apps.agents import agents as agents_module
+from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentSession, Message
+
+
+def test_session_list_item_replaces_messages_with_compact_metadata(
+    monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    first_prompt = "p" * 250
+    last_reply = "r" * 150
+    session = AgentSession(
+        name="Test session",
+        messages=[
+            Message(role="system", content="system"),
+            Message(role="user", content=first_prompt),
+            Message(role="assistant", content=last_reply),
+        ],
+    )
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        agents_module.agent_manager,
+        "get_all_sessions",
+        lambda dashboard_id=None: [session],
+    )
+    item = asyncio.run(agents_module.list_sessions())["sessions"][0]
+
+    assert item["messages"] == []
+    assert item["message_count"] == 3
+    assert item["first_user_message"] == first_prompt[:200]
+    assert item["last_message_preview"] == last_reply[:120]
+
+
+def test_session_list_item_handles_empty_and_non_text_content(
+    monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    sessions = [
+        AgentSession(name="Empty"),
+        AgentSession(
+            name="Images",
+            messages=[Message(role="user", content=[{"type": "image"}])],
+        ),
+    ]
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        agents_module.agent_manager,
+        "get_all_sessions",
+        lambda dashboard_id=None: sessions,
+    )
+    empty, non_text = asyncio.run(agents_module.list_sessions())["sessions"]
+
+    assert empty["messages"] == []
+    assert empty["message_count"] == 0
+    assert empty["first_user_message"] == ""
+    assert empty["last_message_preview"] == ""
+    assert non_text["message_count"] == 1
+    assert non_text["first_user_message"] == ""
+    assert non_text["last_message_preview"] == ""

frontend/src/app/pages/AgentChat/shell/BrowserAgentInlineFeed.tsx

@@ -206,20 +206,24 @@ const BrowserAgentInlineFeed: React.FC<Props> = ({ parentSessionId, browserId })
     }
   }, [browserSessions.length, parentSessionId, dispatch]);
 
-  const sessionsWithEntries = useMemo(() => {
+  const sessionsWithHistoricalEntries = useMemo(() => {
     return browserSessions.map((session) => {
       const entries: FeedEntry[] = [];
       for (const msg of session.messages) {
         const entry = formatMessage(msg);
         if (entry) entries.push(entry);
       }
-      const stream: StreamingMessage | undefined = streamingBySession[session.id];
-      if (stream?.role === 'assistant' && stream.content) {
-        entries.push({ type: 'thought', text: stream.content });
-      }
       return { session, entries };
     });
-  }, [browserSessions, streamingBySession]);
+  }, [browserSessions]);
+
+  const sessionsWithEntries = sessionsWithHistoricalEntries.map(({ session, entries }) => {
+    const stream: StreamingMessage | undefined = streamingBySession[session.id];
+    if (stream?.role === 'assistant' && stream.content) {
+      return { session, entries: [...entries, { type: 'thought' as const, text: stream.content }] };
+    }
+    return { session, entries };
+  });
 
   const totalMessages = browserSessions.reduce(
     (n, s) => n + s.messages.length + (streamingBySession[s.id] ? 1 : 0),

frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/cards/AgentCard.tsx

@@ -339,15 +339,20 @@ const AgentCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
     return Boolean(sourceWorkflow);
   }, [workflowRunsMap, sourceWorkflow, session.id, session.workflow_test_state]);
   const hasUserPrompt = useMemo(
-    () => (session.messages || []).some((m) => m.role === 'user' && !m.hidden),
-    [session.messages],
+    () => session.messages.length > 0
+      ? session.messages.some((m) => m.role === 'user' && !m.hidden)
+      : !!session.first_user_message,
+    [session.messages, session.first_user_message],
   );
+  const messageCount = session.messages.length > 0
+    ? session.messages.length
+    : session.message_count ?? 0;
   const isConvertBlockedByTurn = session.status !== 'completed' && session.status !== 'stopped';
   const showConvertToWorkflow =
     !session.is_welcome_draft &&
     !isWorkflowRunnerSession &&
     hasUserPrompt &&
-    (session.messages.length >= 2 || isConvertBlockedByTurn || !!workflowSuggestion);
+    (messageCount >= 2 || isConvertBlockedByTurn || !!workflowSuggestion);
   const canConvertToWorkflow = showConvertToWorkflow && !isConvertBlockedByTurn;
   // Curated picker label with a tidy fallback for unknowns.
   const friendlyModelLabel = useMemo(() => {
@@ -653,7 +658,7 @@ const AgentCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
       ).slice(0, 120)
     : lastMessage && typeof lastMessage.content === 'string'
       ? lastMessage.content.slice(0, 120)
-      : '';
+      : session.last_message_preview ?? '';
   const hasPending = session.pending_approvals.length > 0;
   const pendingReq = session.pending_approvals[0];
 

frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/lifecycle/useDashboardLifecycle.ts

@@ -366,7 +366,10 @@ export function useDashboardLifecycle({
     if (!dash) return;
     if (!dash.auto_named && dash.name !== 'Untitled Dashboard') return;
     const hasUserMessage = Object.values(sessions).some(
-      (s) => s.dashboard_id === dashboardId && s.messages?.some((m) => m.role === 'user'),
+      (s) => s.dashboard_id === dashboardId && (
+        s.messages?.some((m) => m.role === 'user') ||
+        (s.messages.length === 0 && !!s.first_user_message)
+      ),
     );
     if (!hasUserMessage) return;
     namedOnFirstMessageRef.current = dashboardId;

frontend/src/shared/state/agentsSlice.ts

@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ export interface AgentSession {
   cost_usd: number;
   tokens: { input: number; output: number };
   messages: AgentMessage[];
+  /** Compact dashboard-list metadata; full messages are fetched when a chat opens. */
+  last_message_preview?: string;
+  first_user_message?: string;
+  message_count?: number;
   pending_approvals: ApprovalRequest[];
   branches: Record<string, MessageBranch>;
   active_branch_id: string;

frontend/src/shared/state/sessionDisplay.ts

@@ -36,8 +36,13 @@ export function displayChatTitle(session: AgentSession | null | undefined): stri
     return session.name;
   }
   const firstUserMsg = session.messages?.find((m) => m.role === 'user');
-  if (firstUserMsg && typeof firstUserMsg.content === 'string') {
-    const truncated = truncateForTitle(firstUserMsg.content);
+  const firstUserContent = firstUserMsg && typeof firstUserMsg.content === 'string'
+    ? firstUserMsg.content
+    : session.messages.length === 0
+      ? session.first_user_message
+      : undefined;
+  if (firstUserContent) {
+    const truncated = truncateForTitle(firstUserContent);
     if (truncated) return truncated;
   }
   return session.mode === 'view-builder' ? 'Untitled App' : SESSION_NAME_PLACEHOLDER;