[aidan] feat/workflows: generate title, description, step labels at convert time

backend/apps/workflows/models.py

@@ -216,6 +216,20 @@ class WorkflowCreate(BaseModel):
     provider: Optional[str] = None
     cost_cap_usd_monthly: Optional[float] = None
     tested_signature: Optional[str] = None
+    # The FE already named + described + labeled this at preview time; skip the
+    # backend aux call so we don't double-spend or change the title under the user.
+    metadata_generated: bool = False
+
+
+class GenerateMetadataRequest(BaseModel):
+    steps: list[WorkflowStep] = Field(default_factory=list)
+    model: Optional[str] = None
+
+
+class GenerateMetadataResponse(BaseModel):
+    title: str = ""
+    description: str = ""
+    step_labels: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
 
 
 class WorkflowUpdate(BaseModel):

backend/apps/workflows/workflows.py

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ from backend.apps.workflows.models import (
     WorkflowStep,
     DraftCommitBody,
     MissedRunAction,
+    GenerateMetadataRequest,
+    GenerateMetadataResponse,
 )
 from backend.apps.workflows import storage, scheduler, executor, audit, escalation
 
@@ -265,27 +267,39 @@ async def create_workflow(body: WorkflowCreate):
     # leaving stale session names ("Inbox check") as titles. Step labels
     # are the 3-6 word at-a-glance headlines surfaced in StepList; without
     # them the UI falls back to truncated raw prompts.
-    try:
-        title, description, labels = await _generate_workflow_metadata(wf)
-        # Respect a user-supplied title (auto_named=False); only auto-fill the
-        # name + description while the workflow is still auto-named. Labels are
-        # always safe to fill since they don't override a user's title.
-        if wf.auto_named:
-            if title:
-                wf.title = title
-            if description:
-                wf.description = description
-        if labels and len(labels) == len(wf.steps):
-            for i, lab in enumerate(labels):
-                if lab:
-                    wf.steps[i].label = lab
-    except Exception:
-        pass
+    # When the FE already generated metadata at preview time it ships the title,
+    # description, and per-step labels on the body, so we skip the aux call here.
+    if not body.metadata_generated:
+        try:
+            title, description, labels = await _generate_workflow_metadata(wf)
+            # Respect a user-supplied title (auto_named=False); only auto-fill the
+            # name + description while the workflow is still auto-named. Labels are
+            # always safe to fill since they don't override a user's title.
+            if wf.auto_named:
+                if title:
+                    wf.title = title
+                if description:
+                    wf.description = description
+            if labels and len(labels) == len(wf.steps):
+                for i, lab in enumerate(labels):
+                    if lab:
+                        wf.steps[i].label = lab
+        except Exception:
+            pass
     storage.save_workflow(wf)
     scheduler.kick()
     return _enriched(wf)
 
 
+@workflows.router.post("/generate-metadata")
+async def generate_workflow_metadata(body: GenerateMetadataRequest) -> GenerateMetadataResponse:
+    # Preview-time naming for the convert-to-workflow draft. Generates without
+    # persisting so the card can show a real title before the user saves.
+    wf = Workflow(steps=body.steps, model=body.model or "sonnet")
+    title, description, labels = await _generate_workflow_metadata(wf)
+    return GenerateMetadataResponse(title=title, description=description, step_labels=labels)
+
+
 async def _generate_workflow_metadata(wf: Workflow) -> tuple[str, str, list[str]]:
     """Single aux-model call returning (title, description, step_labels).
 

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

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ import { useDashboardActive } from '@/shared/hooks/useDashboardActive';
 import { useOverlayScrollPassthrough } from '../hooks/interaction/useOverlayScrollPassthrough';
 import { useStreamingMessage } from '@/shared/state/streamingSlice';
 import { isCanvasInteractionActive, onCanvasInteractionEnd } from '@/shared/canvasInteractionState';
-import { openWorkflowCard, setCardSidecar, type Workflow } from '@/shared/state/workflowsSlice';
+import { openWorkflowCard, updateWorkflowCard, generateWorkflowMetadata, applyGeneratedMetadata, setCardSidecar, type Workflow } from '@/shared/state/workflowsSlice';
 import { addWorkflowCard, setWorkflowCardPosition, setWorkflowCardSize } from '@/shared/state/dashboardLayoutSlice';
 import AutoAwesomeOutlinedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/AutoAwesomeOutlined';
 import { getAgentWorkTime, fmtSeconds } from '@/shared/agentWorkTime';
@@ -330,8 +330,11 @@ const AgentCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
       workflowId: draftId,
       sourceSessionId: session.id,
       view: 'preview',
+      metaLoading: true,
       draft: {
-        title: session.name || 'New workflow',
+        // Empty so the header shows its calm "New workflow" placeholder while
+        // naming runs, instead of flashing the stale chat name.
+        title: '',
         description: '',
         steps,
         source_session_id: session.id,
@@ -340,6 +343,15 @@ const AgentCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
         mode: defaultMode || session.mode,
       } as Partial<Workflow>,
     }));
+    const genModel = defaultModel || session.model;
+    dispatch(generateWorkflowMetadata({ steps: steps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text })), model: genModel }))
+      .then((r) => {
+        if (generateWorkflowMetadata.fulfilled.match(r)) {
+          dispatch(applyGeneratedMetadata({ workflowId: draftId, meta: r.payload }));
+        } else {
+          dispatch(updateWorkflowCard({ workflowId: draftId, patch: { metaLoading: false } }));
+        }
+      });
   }, [converting, session, dispatch, expandedSessionIds, cardX, cardY, cardWidth, cardHeight, defaultModel, defaultMode]);
   // Curated picker label with a tidy fallback for unknowns.
   const friendlyModelLabel = useMemo(() => {

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/WorkflowCard.tsx

@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ const WorkflowCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
       const result = await dispatch(createWorkflow({
         title: (d.title as string) || 'New workflow',
         description: (d.description as string) || '',
-        steps: draftSteps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text })),
+        steps: draftSteps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text, label: s.label })),
+        metadata_generated: card?.metaGenerated === true,
         source_session_id: (d.source_session_id as string | undefined) || card?.sourceSessionId || null,
         use_synced_prompt: true,
         model: defaultModel || (d.model as string),
@@ -558,12 +559,14 @@ const WorkflowCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
             data-no-drag
             onPointerDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
             value={(card?.draft?.title as string) || ''}
-            placeholder="New workflow"
+            placeholder={card?.metaLoading ? 'Naming workflow' : 'New workflow'}
             onChange={(e) => dispatch(updateWorkflowCard({ workflowId, patch: { draft: { ...(card?.draft || {}), title: e.target.value } } }))}
             sx={{
               flex: 1, fontWeight: 600, fontSize: '0.95rem', color: c.text.primary,
               letterSpacing: '-0.005em',
               '& input::placeholder': { color: c.text.muted, opacity: 1 },
+              animation: card?.metaLoading ? 'wfTitlePulse 1.2s ease-in-out infinite' : 'none',
+              '@keyframes wfTitlePulse': { '0%, 100%': { opacity: 0.55 }, '50%': { opacity: 1 } },
             }}
           />
         ) : (

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/WorkflowCardSubviews.tsx

@@ -169,7 +169,8 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
     const result = await dispatch(createWorkflow({
       title,
       description,
-      steps: steps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text })),
+      steps: steps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text, label: s.label })),
+      metadata_generated: card?.metaGenerated === true,
       source_session_id: sourceSessionId,
       use_synced_prompt: true,
       // The user's configured default wins over whatever model the source chat
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
     const wf = result.payload as Workflow;
     if (wf?.id) return wf;
     return null;
-  }, [canSave, dispatch, title, description, steps, sourceSessionId, liveDraft, defaultModel, defaultMode]);
+  }, [canSave, dispatch, title, description, steps, sourceSessionId, liveDraft, defaultModel, defaultMode, card]);
 
   const onIgnore = useCallback(async () => {
     if (busy) return;

frontend/src/shared/state/workflowsSlice.ts

@@ -159,6 +159,12 @@ export interface OpenCard {
   /** Pre-seed message for the Fix-with-Agent flow so the EditAgent composer
    *  knows which failure context to lead with. Cleared once consumed. */
   fixSeed?: { runId: string; stepIdx: number; stepLabel: string; error: string } | null;
+  /** True while the preview-time aux naming call is in flight; drives the
+   *  header's subtle pulse on a just-converted draft. */
+  metaLoading?: boolean;
+  /** True once preview-time naming filled a real title, so save trusts the
+   *  draft's metadata instead of regenerating it server-side. */
+  metaGenerated?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface RunningToast {
@@ -260,7 +266,7 @@ export const fetchWorkflows = createAsyncThunk(
 
 export const createWorkflow = createAsyncThunk(
   'workflows/create',
-  async (body: Partial<Workflow>) => {
+  async (body: Partial<Workflow> & { metadata_generated?: boolean }) => {
     const res = await fetch(`${API}/create`, {
       method: 'POST',
       headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
@@ -271,6 +277,54 @@ export const createWorkflow = createAsyncThunk(
   },
 );
 
+export interface GeneratedMetadata {
+  title: string;
+  description: string;
+  step_labels: string[];
+}
+
+export const generateWorkflowMetadata = createAsyncThunk(
+  'workflows/generateMetadata',
+  async (arg: { steps: Array<{ id: string; text: string }>; model?: string }) => {
+    const res = await fetch(`${API}/generate-metadata`, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+      body: JSON.stringify(arg),
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`metadata failed ${res.status}`);
+    return (await res.json()) as GeneratedMetadata;
+  },
+);
+
+// Merge preview-time generated metadata into a draft card, filling only the
+// fields the user hasn't typed into so a rename mid-flight survives.
+export const applyGeneratedMetadata = createAsyncThunk(
+  'workflows/applyGeneratedMetadata',
+  async (arg: { workflowId: string; meta: GeneratedMetadata }, { getState, dispatch }) => {
+    const state = getState() as { workflows: State };
+    const card = state.workflows.openCards[arg.workflowId];
+    if (!card) return;
+    const draft = (card.draft || {}) as Partial<Workflow>;
+    const { meta } = arg;
+    const steps = draft.steps || [];
+    const nextDraft: Partial<Workflow> = { ...draft };
+    let changed = false;
+    if (meta.step_labels && meta.step_labels.length === steps.length) {
+      nextDraft.steps = steps.map((s, i) => (meta.step_labels[i] ? { ...s, label: meta.step_labels[i] } : s));
+      changed = true;
+    }
+    const hasTitle = Boolean(meta.title && meta.title.trim());
+    if (hasTitle && !(draft.title || '').trim()) { nextDraft.title = meta.title; changed = true; }
+    if (meta.description && meta.description.trim() && !(draft.description || '').trim()) {
+      nextDraft.description = meta.description;
+      changed = true;
+    }
+    const patch: Partial<OpenCard> = { metaLoading: false, metaGenerated: hasTitle };
+    if (changed) patch.draft = nextDraft;
+    dispatch(updateWorkflowCard({ workflowId: arg.workflowId, patch }));
+  },
+);
+
 // Optimistic concurrency via If-Match: server 409s on stale writes; rejectWithValue lets FE distinguish.
 export const updateWorkflow = createAsyncThunk<
   Workflow,