Fix direct generate_later jobs, dashboard CSRF, model picker, builder errors and missing provider gems

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -42,6 +42,35 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - The engine's judge blocks take `ActiveAgent::Evals::Judge`'s `kind:`, so a
   scenario run's score, recommendation and verdict calls are metered apart.
 
+### Fixed
+
+- `Agent.prompt(...).generate_later` and `Agent.embed(...).embed_later` run
+  their job instead of raising `ArgumentError: unknown keywords` in the
+  worker (#346).
+- The agent builder and editor can reach every model a provider serves: the
+  OpenRouter catalog is no longer cut to its first 100 ids, and the model
+  field is a type-ahead over the catalog that also takes an unlisted id
+  (`actionagent`, #427).
+- A rejected Create Agent shows its validation errors on the builder — a
+  summary and a message under each field — instead of leaving the form
+  silently in place. `POST`/`PATCH /api/agents` 422s carry `field_errors`
+  beside `errors` (`actionagent`, #426).
+- An engine agent is refused a provider whose client gem the host has not
+  installed (`openai` for OpenAI, Ollama and OpenRouter; `anthropic` for
+  Anthropic) when the provider is chosen, with a validation error naming
+  the gem, instead of failing on its first run (`actionagent`, #416).
+
+### Security
+
+- The dashboard's JSON API verifies the CSRF token (`actionagent`, #461). It
+  authenticates with the host's session cookie but had opted out of forgery
+  protection. The dashboard now sends the page's token with every mutating
+  request from one fetch shim; the MCP facade and trace ingest, which
+  authenticate by bearer token, stay exempt. A rejected request answers
+  `422` with `code: "invalid_csrf_token"`. Hosts that re-enabled protection
+  themselves (`ActionAgent::Api::BaseController.protect_from_forgery`) can
+  drop that line.
+
 ## [1.6.4] - 2026-09-22
 
 Releases `activeagent` and `actionagent` 1.6.4 from one tag. A patch on 1.6.3

actionagent/app/controllers/action_agent/api/agents_controller.rb

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def create
         if @agent.save
           render json: { agent: agent_json(@agent, include_details: true) }, status: :created
         else
-          render json: { errors: @agent.errors.full_messages }, status: :unprocessable_entity
+          render json: agent_errors_json(@agent), status: :unprocessable_entity
         end
       end
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def update
         if @agent.update(agent_params)
           render json: { agent: agent_json(@agent, include_details: true) }
         else
-          render json: { errors: @agent.errors.full_messages }, status: :unprocessable_entity
+          render json: agent_errors_json(@agent), status: :unprocessable_entity
         end
       end
 
@@ -495,6 +495,12 @@ def set_agent
         @agent = owner_agents.find(params[:id])
       end
 
+      # +errors+ for a form-level summary; +field_errors+ (attribute => full
+      # messages) so the builder and editor can put each under its field.
+      def agent_errors_json(agent)
+        { errors: agent.errors.full_messages, field_errors: agent.errors.to_hash(true) }
+      end
+
       def agent_params
         permitted = params.require(:agent).permit(
           :name, :description, :provider, :model, :instructions,

actionagent/app/controllers/action_agent/api/base_controller.rb

@@ -12,18 +12,33 @@ module Api
     # install, a per-user install and a multi-tenant platform all read the
     # same controllers.
     #
-    # Note this is not the telemetry ingest endpoint — that authenticates
-    # with a bearer token and lives in Api::TracesController.
+    # Because it authenticates with the host's session cookie, it keeps the
+    # forgery protection ApplicationController turns on: the dashboard sends
+    # the page's CSRF token with every mutating request (frontend
+    # utils/apiFetch.mjs). Endpoints that authenticate with a bearer token
+    # instead — the telemetry ingest endpoint (Api::TracesController) and
+    # the MCP facade (Api::MCPController) — are exempt.
     class BaseController < ActionAgent::ApplicationController
-      skip_forgery_protection
-
+      # Rails 8.2 verifies forgery protection from the browser's Sec-Fetch-Site
+      # header, renamed the failure to InvalidCrossOriginRequest, and deprecated
+      # the old name. Rescue whichever names the running Rails defines, so a
+      # rejected request answers with the dashboard's JSON either way.
+      # const_defined? does not fire the deprecation the bare constant would.
+      rescue_from ActionController::InvalidCrossOriginRequest, with: :invalid_authenticity_token
+      if ActionController.const_defined?(:InvalidAuthenticityToken, false)
+        rescue_from ActionController::InvalidAuthenticityToken, with: :invalid_authenticity_token
+      end
       rescue_from ActiveRecord::RecordNotFound, with: :not_found
       rescue_from ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid, with: :unprocessable_entity
       rescue_from ActionController::ParameterMissing, with: :bad_request
       rescue_from ActiveRecord::Encryption::Errors::Configuration, with: :encryption_unconfigured
 
       private
 
+      def invalid_authenticity_token
+        render json: { error: "Refresh the dashboard and try again", code: "invalid_csrf_token" }, status: :unprocessable_entity
+      end
+
       # API keys and provider credentials are encrypted at rest, which needs
       # Active Record Encryption keys. The engine derives fallback keys when
       # the host set none (see Engine's action_agent.active_record_encryption

actionagent/app/controllers/action_agent/api/dashboard_assistant_controller.rb

@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 module ActionAgent
   module Api
     class DashboardAssistantController < BaseController
-      protect_from_forgery with: :exception
-
       before_action :require_assistant_enabled!
       before_action :require_owner!
       before_action :require_execution_enabled!, only: :create
@@ -13,15 +11,6 @@ class DashboardAssistantController < BaseController
       rescue_from DashboardAssistantService::InvalidInput, with: :invalid_input
       rescue_from DashboardAssistantService::ProcessingConsentRequired, with: :processing_consent_required
       rescue_from DashboardAssistantService::SetupRequired, with: :setup_required
-      # Rails 8.2 verifies forgery protection from the browser's Sec-Fetch-Site
-      # header, renamed the failure to InvalidCrossOriginRequest, and deprecated
-      # the old name. Rescue whichever names the running Rails defines, so a
-      # rejected request answers with the dashboard's JSON either way.
-      # const_defined? does not fire the deprecation the bare constant would.
-      rescue_from ActionController::InvalidCrossOriginRequest, with: :invalid_authenticity_token
-      if ActionController.const_defined?(:InvalidAuthenticityToken, false)
-        rescue_from ActionController::InvalidAuthenticityToken, with: :invalid_authenticity_token
-      end
 
       def show
         render json: DashboardAssistantService.new(owner: current_owner).configuration

actionagent/app/controllers/action_agent/api/mcp_controller.rb

@@ -24,8 +24,10 @@ module Api
     #   { "type": "http", "url": "https://activeagents.ai/mcp",
     #     "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer aa_..." } }
     class MCPController < BaseController
-      # Authenticated by API key rather than by the host app's sessions.
+      # Authenticated by API key rather than by the host app's sessions, so
+      # there is no session cookie for a cross-site request to ride on.
       allow_unauthenticated_access
+      skip_forgery_protection
       before_action :authenticate_api_key!, except: [ :unsupported ]
 
       PROTOCOL_VERSION = "2025-03-26"

actionagent/app/controllers/action_agent/api/provider_models_controller.rb

@@ -92,12 +92,15 @@ def live_anthropic_models
         nil
       end
 
+      # The whole catalog, never a prefix of it: OpenRouter serves several
+      # hundred models, and a cap after sorting left everything late in the
+      # alphabet (openai/*, qwen/*, ...) unselectable. The editor filters it.
       def live_openrouter_models
         data = Rails.cache.fetch("provider_models:openrouter", expires_in: 1.hour) do
           fetch_json(URI.parse("https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/models"))
         end
         ids = Array(data&.dig("data")).filter_map { |model| model["id"] }
-        [ ids.sort.first(100), "live" ] if ids.any?
+        [ ids.sort, "live" ] if ids.any?
       rescue StandardError => e
         Rails.logger.warn("[ProviderModels] openrouter lookup failed: #{e.message}")
         nil

actionagent/app/models/action_agent/agent.rb

@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ def self.polymorphic_name
     validates :provider, presence: true
     validates :model, presence: true
     validate :validate_action_prompts
+    validate :provider_client_installed, if: :will_save_change_to_provider?, unless: :observed?
 
     # Status enum
     # `observed` agents were discovered from reported telemetry rather than
@@ -491,6 +492,21 @@ def normalized_action(action)
       action && available_actions.include?(action) ? action : nil
     end
 
+    # Provider client gems are optional dependencies of activeagent (OpenAI,
+    # Ollama and OpenRouter need `openai`, Anthropic needs `anthropic`), so a
+    # provider can be picked here that the host never installed. Refuse it
+    # when it is chosen, naming the gem, rather than on the agent's first
+    # run. Only the providers the engine offers are checked; the host's
+    # config/active_agent.yml may point one at another service.
+    def provider_client_installed
+      return unless PROVIDERS.include?(provider)
+
+      service = ActiveAgent::Base.provider_config_load(provider)[:service] || provider.camelize
+      ActiveAgent::Base.provider_load(service)
+    rescue LoadError => e
+      errors.add(:provider, "#{provider} can't be used yet: #{e.message}")
+    end
+
     def validate_action_prompts
       return if action_prompts.blank?
 

actionagent/frontend/components/dashboard/AgentBuilder.jsx

@@ -2,13 +2,18 @@ import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import AgentAvatar, { AGENT_PRESETS, INSTRUCTIONS, TOOLS } from '../AgentAvatar';
 import { ICONS } from '../../utils/designTokens';
 import { FALLBACK_PROVIDER_MODELS, fetchProviderModels } from '../../utils/providerModels';
+import ModelPicker from './ModelPicker';
 
 const STEPS = [
   { id: 'basics', label: 'Basics', icon: '1' },
   { id: 'configure', label: 'Configure', icon: '2' },
   { id: 'review', label: 'Review', icon: '3' }
 ];
 
+// Fields on the Basics step; the slug is derived from the name, so its
+// errors are the name's to show.
+const BASICS_FIELDS = ['name', 'slug', 'description', 'provider', 'model'];
+
 export default function AgentBuilder({ meta, onSave, onCancel, isLoading, initialDraft = null }) {
   const [currentStep, setCurrentStep] = useState(0);
   const [providerModels, setProviderModels] = useState(FALLBACK_PROVIDER_MODELS);
@@ -50,6 +55,9 @@ export default function AgentBuilder({ meta, onSave, onCancel, isLoading, initia
     return () => { cancelled = true; };
   }, [formData.provider]);
 
+  // What the server rejected on the last Create Agent: { errors, fieldErrors }.
+  const [submitErrors, setSubmitErrors] = useState(null);
+
   const updateField = (field, value) => {
     setFormData(prev => ({ ...prev, [field]: value }));
   };
@@ -82,8 +90,15 @@ export default function AgentBuilder({ meta, onSave, onCancel, isLoading, initia
     }
   };
 
-  const handleSubmit = () => {
-    onSave(formData);
+  const handleSubmit = async () => {
+    setSubmitErrors(null);
+    const failure = await onSave(formData);
+    if (!failure) return;
+
+    setSubmitErrors(failure);
+    if (Object.keys(failure.fieldErrors || {}).some(field => BASICS_FIELDS.includes(field))) {
+      setCurrentStep(0);
+    }
   };
 
   return (
@@ -120,10 +135,24 @@ export default function AgentBuilder({ meta, onSave, onCancel, isLoading, initia
         </div>
       </div>
 
+      {submitErrors && (
+        <div role="alert" className="mb-4 p-4 rounded-lg border border-red-300 bg-red-50 text-sm text-red-800">
+          <p className="font-medium">The agent could not be created:</p>
+          <ul className="mt-1 list-disc list-inside">
+            {submitErrors.errors.map(message => <li key={message}>{message}</li>)}
+          </ul>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* Step Content */}
       <div className="bg-white rounded-xl border border-gray-200 p-8">
         {currentStep === 0 && (
-          <BasicsStep formData={formData} updateField={updateField} providerModels={providerModels} />
+          <BasicsStep
+            formData={formData}
+            updateField={updateField}
+            providerModels={providerModels}
+            fieldErrors={submitErrors?.fieldErrors || {}}
+          />
         )}
         {currentStep === 1 && (
           <ConfigureStep
@@ -164,8 +193,17 @@ export default function AgentBuilder({ meta, onSave, onCancel, isLoading, initia
   );
 }
 
+function FieldErrors({ messages }) {
+  if (!messages.length) return null;
+  return (
+    <p className="mt-1 text-sm text-red-600">{messages.join('. ')}</p>
+  );
+}
+
 // Step 1: Basics
-function BasicsStep({ formData, updateField, providerModels }) {
+function BasicsStep({ formData, updateField, providerModels, fieldErrors }) {
+  const errorsFor = (...fields) => fields.flatMap(field => fieldErrors[field] || []);
+
   return (
     <div className="space-y-6">
       <h2 className="text-xl font-semibold text-gray-900">Basic Information</h2>
@@ -181,6 +219,7 @@ function BasicsStep({ formData, updateField, providerModels }) {
             placeholder="My Awesome Agent"
             className="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-red-500 focus:border-transparent"
           />
+          <FieldErrors messages={errorsFor('name', 'slug')} />
         </div>
 
         <div>
@@ -192,6 +231,7 @@ function BasicsStep({ formData, updateField, providerModels }) {
             rows={3}
             className="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-red-500 focus:border-transparent"
           />
+          <FieldErrors messages={errorsFor('description')} />
         </div>
 
         <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
@@ -211,19 +251,18 @@ function BasicsStep({ formData, updateField, providerModels }) {
                 </option>
               ))}
             </select>
+            <FieldErrors messages={errorsFor('provider')} />
           </div>
 
           <div>
             <label className="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-700 mb-1">Model</label>
-            <select
+            <ModelPicker
               value={formData.model}
-              onChange={(e) => updateField('model', e.target.value)}
+              models={providerModels[formData.provider]}
+              onChange={(model) => updateField('model', model)}
               className="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-red-500"
-            >
-              {providerModels[formData.provider].map(model => (
-                <option key={model} value={model}>{model}</option>
-              ))}
-            </select>
+            />
+            <FieldErrors messages={errorsFor('model')} />
           </div>
         </div>
 

actionagent/frontend/components/dashboard/AgentEditor.jsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
 import AgentAvatar, { AGENT_PRESETS } from '../AgentAvatar';
 import { TYPOGRAPHY } from '../../utils/designTokens';
 import { FALLBACK_PROVIDER_MODELS, fetchProviderModels } from '../../utils/providerModels';
+import ModelPicker from './ModelPicker';
 import { useTheme } from '../../contexts/ThemeContext';
 import { paletteFor, ACCENT } from '../../utils/dashboardTheme';
 import TracesView from './TracesView';
@@ -503,19 +504,13 @@ function ConfigTab({ formData, updateField, providerModels, colors, darkMode, on
         </div>
         <div>
           <label style={labelStyle(colors)}>Model</label>
-          <select
+          <ModelPicker
             value={formData.model}
-            onChange={(e) => updateField('model', e.target.value)}
+            models={providerModels[formData.provider]}
+            onChange={(model) => updateField('model', model)}
             className="aa-field"
             style={{ ...fieldStyle(colors), fontFamily: TYPOGRAPHY.mono }}
-          >
-            {(providerModels[formData.provider]?.includes(formData.model)
-              ? providerModels[formData.provider]
-              : [formData.model, ...(providerModels[formData.provider] || [])]
-            ).filter(Boolean).map(m => (
-              <option key={m} value={m}>{m}</option>
-            ))}
-          </select>
+          />
         </div>
       </div>
 

actionagent/frontend/components/dashboard/DashboardAssistant.jsx

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export default function DashboardAssistant({ session, onSessionChange, onReviewD
     try {
       const response = await fetch('/api/dashboard_assistant', {
         method: 'POST', signal: controller.signal,
-        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'X-CSRF-Token': document.querySelector('meta[name="csrf-token"]')?.content || '' },
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
         body: JSON.stringify({ message, history, provider, model: model.trim(), allow_provider_processing: true }),
       });
       const data = await response.json();

actionagent/frontend/components/dashboard/EvaluationsView.jsx

@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@ import { criterionGroup, modelCount, plural, runLabel, runSpend, samplingFixItem
 // is what operating it costs, apart from the judge's, which is the
 // evaluation's own.
 
-const csrfToken = () => document.querySelector('meta[name="csrf-token"]')?.content;
-
 // Mean-score tone: a score is not a pass ratio, so it keeps the thresholds
 // the sampling evaluations have always used.
 const scoreTone = (value) => (value >= 0.85 ? 'success' : value >= 0.7 ? 'warning' : 'error');
@@ -251,7 +249,6 @@ export default function EvaluationsView({ embedded = false, agentId = null }) {
     try {
       const response = await fetch(`/api/evaluations/${evaluation.id}/run`, {
         method: 'POST',
-        headers: { 'X-CSRF-Token': csrfToken() },
       });
       const data = await response.json().catch(() => ({}));
       if (!response.ok) {
@@ -274,7 +271,6 @@ export default function EvaluationsView({ embedded = false, agentId = null }) {
     try {
       const response = await fetch(`/api/evaluations/${evaluation.id}`, {
         method: 'DELETE',
-        headers: { 'X-CSRF-Token': csrfToken() },
       });
       if (response.ok || response.status === 404) {
         setEvaluations((prev) => prev.filter((e) => e.id !== evaluation.id));