Workshop
Open a project to see its Workshop. The summary counts belong to that project. It shows open requests, open cards, and completed cards. Cards in terminal columns count as completed, regardless of the column’s name. A disabled inbox shows an explanation instead of a zero count. The project owner can also see a readiness guide, which can take the place of these sections.
Needs you shows the six oldest open inbox items, oldest first. The list includes automatic items, which Loupe opens for a waiting card. The count includes all open items, including those outside this list. Select Open inbox to see the full inbox. Select a request to open its question, to-do, or review in the inbox. The row shows the item kind and whether it blocks an agent. When the inbox is disabled, Workshop says so instead of claiming that no requests need attention.
In motion shows the cards that have an open worker run: queued, resumed or running. A worker run and an interactive session both count, and the card can be in any column. A card with two open runs shows the most advanced one, so a running session comes before a queued worker. Running cards come first, then resumed cards, then queued cards. Inside each group, the run that has waited or run the longest comes first.
Each tile shows the card number, column, and title. It also shows the state of the run and the rule name, or Interactive for a session. The elapsed time counts from the start of a running run, or from the arrival of a queued or resumed run. The section updates without a page reload when a run or a card changes.
The section shows six tiles. When more cards are in motion, +N more opens the worker runs page with the Open runs filter. A run whose card was deleted shows no tile and does not count. When nothing is in motion, the section says so.
Select a tile to open the card drawer without leaving Workshop. Escape closes the drawer and returns focus to the tile. If a card fails to load, Retry loads it again. Close card returns to Workshop. Open board shows the full board, including the cards that are not in motion.
Recent activity shows the four latest recorded project events. An event links to its related card when that card remains available. Other events link to Activity, which shows the full event details and delivery state.
The connection links open the existing agent and bridge setup pages. Workshop does not infer running agents from open cards or bridge heartbeats.
The readiness guide
The readiness guide shows the project owner what the project needs before agents can work on it. Other members do not see it. The guide is a checklist named Ready for agents. It counts the rows that are done, for example “2 of 6”.
- Agent connected is done after an agent first calls the MCP server for this project. Connect opens the Connect page.
- Workflow is done when the project has a workflow. The row shows the name of the workflow template.
- Bridge running is done when a bridge that serves the project sends heartbeats. Start opens the Connect page.
- GitHub App is done when a repository connects to the project through the GitHub App. Install starts the install when the instance has a GitHub App.
- Agent GitHub account is done when the owner records the login of the agent account, and a running bridge of the project pushes as that login. The row says which part is missing. Set up opens the agent account page.
- Repository shows the latest discovery of the project. It is done when the owner reviewed the discovery report.
When Needs you is empty and nothing is in motion, the guide is the only content of the Workshop. Its heading names the project, for example “Get Acme ready for agents”. A Run discovery panel comes first and shows the status of the Repository row. The checklist and the Hide this guide control follow it. Open cards with no worker run, such as cards in Backlog or Next, do not change this layout. The worker run of the discovery card does not change it either, so the guide stays in front while discovery runs.
When an item needs you or a card is in motion, the Workshop shows its normal layout. The checklist then sits at the top of the right column. Its × control hides the guide.
A hidden guide stays hidden. To show it again, use the Agent readiness tab of Project settings.
An agent can also show it again with the readiness_guide_set MCP tool.
When an instance upgrades, a project that has a card outside Backlog starts with the guide hidden.
Run discovery
Discovery reads the repository and the workflow of the project, and writes a readiness report. The worker only reads. It changes no file and opens no pull request.
To start it, select Run discovery in the Repository row.
Loupe creates a new tooling card in the Backlog, named “Discover what Acme needs for agents”.
The card tracks the run, and Loupe moves it. Each run gets a new card.
The discovery rule then asks a bridge for the work.
An agent can start discovery with the discovery_start MCP tool, and read the checklist with readiness_get.
Discovery needs a running bridge that serves the project.
The project must also have a workflow, and Run the workflow of the board must be on, on the Automation tab.
Otherwise the workflow cannot ask a bridge for the work, so Loupe refuses the start.
The bridge must set appPrompts: true in its rules.yaml, and its CLI must support app prompts.
See Command-line bridge.
The Repository row shows the state of the latest run:
| Status | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Not run | Discovery never ran on this project | Run discovery |
| Discovery waits for a running bridge | Discovery never ran, and no bridge serves the project now | None. The Bridge running row links to the setup |
| Discovery waits for a workflow | Discovery never ran, and the project has no workflow | None. Choose a workflow for the project |
| Discovery waits for board automation | Discovery never ran, and the workflow of the board is off | None. Switch on Run the workflow of the board |
| Running on card #N | A run is open. A second start is refused until it ends | Open card |
| Discovery failed: reason | The run ended with no report. “No bridge took the work.” means that no bridge claimed the request in time. “The discovery card left Backlog before the work ended.” means that the work stopped because the card moved | Run again, when discovery can start |
| The report waits for your review | The worker reported. The run is in the Reported state | None |
| Reviewed | The owner approved the report. The run is in the Done state, and the row is done | None |
Review the report
The worker submits its report with the readiness_report_submit MCP tool.
Loupe writes the report as a document with the tag readiness-report, and links it to the discovery card.
The document lists the checks that are ready, the checks that are gaps, and one section for each card the worker proposes.
A proposal that has no open card gets a tick box in a Decision block at the end of the report. A proposal that names an open card shows “Card N covers this” and has no tick box. Tick the proposals you want, and approve the report.
When you approve the report, Loupe creates one card for each ticked proposal.
The cards go in the column of the next slot of the workflow.
When the project has no such column, they go in the Backlog.
Loupe then moves the discovery card to the first done column, and the run is Done.
Proposals you leave unticked create no card.
A second approval of the same report creates no second card. A verdict of changes requested creates no card, and the run stays Reported.