Files
Ben Taylor 3341007c19 fix(core): execute frontend tools when backend returns placeholder result (#5440)
## Summary

Fixes the remote-agent HITL case where a frontend tool is skipped
because the backend returns the placeholder result `Forwarded to
client`.

The recovery is now marker-based. `processAgentResult` only removes an
existing tool result when the content normalizes to that exact
placeholder and there is an executable frontend handler on the current
path. Every other backend result stays authoritative and blocks frontend
re-execution.

## Implementation

- `packages/core/src/core/run-handler.ts` keeps the current
`executeFrontendTools` and follow-up flow, then replaces the old
existence-only check with exact placeholder detection at
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/core/run-handler.ts#L484-L599
- the placeholder is removed from both `newMessages` and
`agent.messages` before the existing specific or wildcard execution path
inserts the real result
- `.changeset/fix-frontend-tool-placeholder.md` is dropped because
current `main` no longer carries a `.changeset` tree

## Regression coverage

- exact placeholder replacement for a named frontend tool:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L22-L51
- placeholder passthrough when the tool has no handler:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L53-L82
- genuine backend-result preservation for a named frontend tool:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L85-L109
- existing edge-case guard for a non-placeholder result:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-edge-cases.test.ts#L23-L54
- existing wildcard execution still works with no pre-existing result:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L111-L154
- wildcard placeholder replacement also stays on the exact marker path:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L156-L187
- the recursive follow-up starts with the assistant tool call intact and
exactly one real tool message for the same `toolCallId`:
https://github.com/CopilotKit/CopilotKit/blob/7449f6d790dbe80ab8e0950f66b04a9bf4acde2c/packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts#L189-L250

Closes #3442.

## Validation

- [x] `pnpm exec oxfmt --check packages/core/src/core/run-handler.ts
packages/core/src/__tests__/core-edge-cases.test.ts
packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts`
- [x] `pnpm exec oxlint packages/core/src/core/run-handler.ts
packages/core/src/__tests__/core-edge-cases.test.ts
packages/core/src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts`
- [x] `pnpm -C packages/shared exec tsdown`
- [x] `pnpm -C packages/core exec tsdown`
- [x] `pnpm -C packages/core exec vitest run
src/__tests__/core-frontend-tool-placeholder.test.ts
src/__tests__/core-edge-cases.test.ts` 17/17
- [x] `pnpm -C packages/core exec vitest run` 54 files, 590 tests
- [ ] CI green on the rebased head
2026-07-25 10:00:37 -05:00
..
2026-04-10 23:38:59 +00:00
2026-07-23 16:15:51 +00:00