Sort chat recents by last activity (#6844)

* show chat by by last activity

* Update chat thread updated_at logic and enhance sidebar chat item handling

* [pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit.com hooks

for more information, see https://pre-commit.ci

---------

Co-authored-by: Lee Jackson <130007945+Imagineer99@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: pre-commit-ci[bot] <66853113+pre-commit-ci[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

studio/backend/routes/chat_history.py

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ class ChatThread(BaseModel):
     projectId: Optional[str] = None
     archived: bool = False
     createdAt: int
+    updatedAt: Optional[int] = None
     openaiCodeExecContainerId: Optional[str] = None
     anthropicCodeExecContainerId: Optional[str] = None
     forkedFromThreadId: Optional[str] = None
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ class ChatThreadPatch(BaseModel):
     projectId: Optional[str] = None
     archived: Optional[bool] = None
     createdAt: Optional[int] = None
+    updatedAt: Optional[int] = None
     openaiCodeExecContainerId: Optional[str] = None
     anthropicCodeExecContainerId: Optional[str] = None
 
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@ async def patch_thread(
     current_subject: str = Depends(get_current_subject),
 ):
     patch = payload.model_dump(exclude_unset = True)
-    for field in ("title", "modelType", "modelId", "archived", "createdAt"):
+    for field in ("title", "modelType", "modelId", "archived", "createdAt", "updatedAt"):
         if field in patch and patch[field] is None:
             raise HTTPException(status_code = 400, detail = f"{field} cannot be null")
     if patch.get("projectId") and get_chat_project(patch["projectId"]) is None:

studio/backend/storage/studio_db.py

@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ def _ensure_schema(conn: sqlite3.Connection) -> None:
             project_id TEXT,
             archived INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
             created_at INTEGER NOT NULL,
+            updated_at INTEGER,
             openai_code_exec_container_id TEXT,
             anthropic_code_exec_container_id TEXT,
             forked_from_thread_id TEXT,
@@ -261,6 +262,24 @@ def _ensure_schema(conn: sqlite3.Connection) -> None:
         conn.execute("ALTER TABLE chat_threads ADD COLUMN forked_from_thread_id TEXT")
     if "forked_from_message_id" not in chat_thread_cols:
         conn.execute("ALTER TABLE chat_threads ADD COLUMN forked_from_message_id TEXT")
+    if "updated_at" not in chat_thread_cols:
+        conn.execute("ALTER TABLE chat_threads ADD COLUMN updated_at INTEGER")
+        # Floor at created_at: forked threads copy older ancestor messages,
+        # so the fork's creation time must win over the branch message times.
+        conn.execute(
+            """
+            UPDATE chat_threads SET updated_at = MAX(
+                COALESCE(
+                    (
+                        SELECT MAX(m.created_at) FROM chat_messages m
+                        WHERE m.thread_id = chat_threads.id
+                    ),
+                    created_at
+                ),
+                created_at
+            )
+            """
+        )
     conn.execute(
         """
         CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS chat_messages (
@@ -992,6 +1011,9 @@ def _chat_thread_from_row(row: sqlite3.Row) -> dict:
         "projectId": data.get("project_id") or None,
         "archived": bool(data["archived"]),
         "createdAt": data["created_at"],
+        "updatedAt": data.get("updated_at")
+        if data.get("updated_at") is not None
+        else data["created_at"],
         "openaiCodeExecContainerId": data.get("openai_code_exec_container_id"),
         "anthropicCodeExecContainerId": data.get("anthropic_code_exec_container_id"),
         "forkedFromThreadId": data.get("forked_from_thread_id"),
@@ -1039,8 +1061,8 @@ def upsert_chat_thread(thread: dict) -> dict:
         conn.execute(
             """
             INSERT INTO chat_threads
-                (id, title, model_type, model_id, pair_id, project_id, archived, created_at, openai_code_exec_container_id, anthropic_code_exec_container_id, forked_from_thread_id, forked_from_message_id)
-            VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+                (id, title, model_type, model_id, pair_id, project_id, archived, created_at, updated_at, openai_code_exec_container_id, anthropic_code_exec_container_id, forked_from_thread_id, forked_from_message_id)
+            VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
             ON CONFLICT(id) DO UPDATE SET
                 title = excluded.title,
                 model_type = excluded.model_type,
@@ -1049,6 +1071,7 @@ def upsert_chat_thread(thread: dict) -> dict:
                 project_id = excluded.project_id,
                 archived = excluded.archived,
                 created_at = excluded.created_at,
+                updated_at = COALESCE(excluded.updated_at, chat_threads.updated_at),
                 openai_code_exec_container_id = excluded.openai_code_exec_container_id,
                 anthropic_code_exec_container_id = excluded.anthropic_code_exec_container_id,
                 forked_from_thread_id = excluded.forked_from_thread_id,
@@ -1063,6 +1086,7 @@ def upsert_chat_thread(thread: dict) -> dict:
                 thread.get("projectId"),
                 1 if thread.get("archived") else 0,
                 int(thread["createdAt"]),
+                int(thread["updatedAt"]) if thread.get("updatedAt") is not None else None,
                 thread.get("openaiCodeExecContainerId"),
                 thread.get("anthropicCodeExecContainerId"),
                 thread.get("forkedFromThreadId"),
@@ -1084,6 +1108,7 @@ def update_chat_thread(id: str, patch: dict) -> Optional[dict]:
         "projectId": ("project_id", patch.get("projectId")),
         "archived": ("archived", 1 if patch.get("archived") else 0),
         "createdAt": ("created_at", patch.get("createdAt")),
+        "updatedAt": ("updated_at", patch.get("updatedAt")),
         "openaiCodeExecContainerId": (
             "openai_code_exec_container_id",
             patch.get("openaiCodeExecContainerId"),
@@ -1155,7 +1180,8 @@ def list_chat_threads(
     conn = get_connection()
     try:
         rows = conn.execute(
-            f"SELECT * FROM chat_threads {where} ORDER BY created_at DESC",
+            f"SELECT * FROM chat_threads {where} "
+            "ORDER BY COALESCE(updated_at, created_at) DESC, created_at DESC",
             values,
         ).fetchall()
         return [_chat_thread_from_row(row) for row in rows]
@@ -1394,6 +1420,44 @@ def _raise_if_chat_message_thread_conflicts(
         )
 
 
+def _bump_chat_thread_updated_at(
+    conn: sqlite3.Connection, thread_id: str, message_created_at: int
+) -> None:
+    conn.execute(
+        """
+        UPDATE chat_threads
+        SET updated_at = MAX(COALESCE(updated_at, created_at), ?)
+        WHERE id = ?
+        """,
+        (message_created_at, thread_id),
+    )
+
+
+def _recompute_chat_thread_updated_at(conn: sqlite3.Connection, thread_id: str) -> None:
+    """Set updated_at from the remaining messages, floored at created_at.
+
+    Unlike the ratchet-only bump, this can lower updated_at -- needed after
+    pruning, which may delete the thread's newest message.
+    """
+    conn.execute(
+        """
+        UPDATE chat_threads
+        SET updated_at = MAX(
+            COALESCE(
+                (
+                    SELECT MAX(m.created_at) FROM chat_messages m
+                    WHERE m.thread_id = chat_threads.id
+                ),
+                created_at
+            ),
+            created_at
+        )
+        WHERE id = ?
+        """,
+        (thread_id,),
+    )
+
+
 def upsert_chat_message(message: dict) -> dict:
     conn = get_connection()
     try:
@@ -1432,6 +1496,7 @@ def upsert_chat_message(message: dict) -> dict:
                 int(message["createdAt"]),
             ),
         )
+        _bump_chat_thread_updated_at(conn, message["threadId"], int(message["createdAt"]))
         conn.commit()
         return message
     except Exception:
@@ -1484,6 +1549,12 @@ def sync_chat_messages(
                 for m in messages
             ],
         )
+        if prune_missing:
+            _recompute_chat_thread_updated_at(conn, thread_id)
+        elif messages:
+            _bump_chat_thread_updated_at(
+                conn, thread_id, max(int(m["createdAt"]) for m in messages)
+            )
         conn.commit()
         return list_chat_messages(thread_id)
     except ChatMessageConflictError:

studio/backend/tests/test_chat_history_storage.py

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import os
 import platform
 import shutil
+import sqlite3
 import threading
 import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 from storage import studio_db
+from utils.paths import studio_db_path
 
 
 def _reset_studio_db(
@@ -108,6 +110,138 @@ def test_sync_chat_messages_upserts_without_pruning(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     assert by_id["msg-2"]["content"] == [{"type": "text", "text": "updated text"}]
 
 
+def test_chat_thread_updated_at_bumps_on_message_writes(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+    thread = studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(_thread())
+    assert thread["updatedAt"] == thread["createdAt"]
+
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_message(_message("msg-1", 1_700_000_000_500, "hi"))
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_000_500
+
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_message(_message("msg-0", 1_600_000_000_000, "old"))
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_000_500
+
+    studio_db.sync_chat_messages(
+        "thread-1",
+        [_message("msg-2", 1_700_000_001_000, "newer")],
+    )
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_001_000
+
+
+def test_chat_thread_updated_at_recomputed_when_pruning(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+    thread = studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(_thread())
+    studio_db.sync_chat_messages(
+        "thread-1",
+        [
+            _message("msg-1", 1_700_000_000_500, "older"),
+            _message("msg-2", 1_700_000_001_000, "newest"),
+        ],
+        prune_missing = True,
+    )
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_001_000
+
+    # Pruning the newest message must lower updated_at to the remaining one.
+    studio_db.sync_chat_messages(
+        "thread-1",
+        [_message("msg-1", 1_700_000_000_500, "older")],
+        prune_missing = True,
+    )
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_000_500
+
+    # Pruning every message falls back to created_at.
+    studio_db.sync_chat_messages("thread-1", [], prune_missing = True)
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == thread["createdAt"]
+
+
+def test_chat_thread_updated_at_survives_thread_resave(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(_thread())
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_message(_message("msg-1", 1_700_000_000_500, "hi"))
+
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(_thread())
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-1")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_000_500
+
+
+def test_list_chat_threads_orders_by_last_activity(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+    older = _thread("thread-old")
+    older["createdAt"] = 1_700_000_000_000
+    newer = _thread("thread-new")
+    newer["createdAt"] = 1_700_000_100_000
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(older)
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_thread(newer)
+    assert [t["id"] for t in studio_db.list_chat_threads()] == ["thread-new", "thread-old"]
+
+    studio_db.upsert_chat_message(
+        _message("msg-1", 1_700_000_200_000, "hi", thread_id = "thread-old")
+    )
+    assert [t["id"] for t in studio_db.list_chat_threads()] == ["thread-old", "thread-new"]
+
+
+def test_chat_threads_updated_at_migration_backfills_from_messages(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
+    db_path = studio_db_path()
+    db_path.parent.mkdir(parents = True, exist_ok = True)
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(str(db_path))
+    try:
+        conn.execute(
+            """
+            CREATE TABLE chat_threads (
+                id TEXT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
+                title TEXT NOT NULL,
+                model_type TEXT NOT NULL,
+                model_id TEXT,
+                pair_id TEXT,
+                archived INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+                created_at INTEGER NOT NULL
+            )
+            """
+        )
+        conn.execute(
+            """
+            CREATE TABLE chat_messages (
+                id TEXT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY,
+                thread_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+                parent_id TEXT,
+                role TEXT NOT NULL,
+                content_json TEXT NOT NULL,
+                attachments_json TEXT,
+                metadata_json TEXT,
+                created_at INTEGER NOT NULL
+            )
+            """
+        )
+        conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO chat_threads (id, title, model_type, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            ("thread-with-msgs", "Old", "base", 1_700_000_000_000),
+        )
+        conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO chat_threads (id, title, model_type, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            ("thread-empty", "Empty", "base", 1_700_000_050_000),
+        )
+        # Fork-like thread: copied ancestor messages predate the thread itself.
+        conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO chat_threads (id, title, model_type, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            ("thread-fork", "Fork", "base", 1_700_000_100_000),
+        )
+        conn.executemany(
+            "INSERT INTO chat_messages (id, thread_id, role, content_json, created_at) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
+            [
+                ("m1", "thread-with-msgs", "user", "[]", 1_700_000_001_000),
+                ("m2", "thread-with-msgs", "assistant", "[]", 1_700_000_002_000),
+                ("m3", "thread-fork", "user", "[]", 1_700_000_001_000),
+            ],
+        )
+        conn.commit()
+    finally:
+        conn.close()
+
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-with-msgs")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_002_000
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-empty")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_050_000
+    assert studio_db.get_chat_thread("thread-fork")["updatedAt"] == 1_700_000_100_000
+
+
 def test_chat_projects_delete_cascades_threads_and_messages(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     _reset_studio_db(tmp_path, monkeypatch)
     project = studio_db.upsert_chat_project(_project())

studio/frontend/src/components/app-sidebar.tsx

@@ -359,7 +359,11 @@ export function AppSidebar() {
   const activeProjectId = isChatRoute
     ? ((search.project as string | undefined) ?? null)
     : null;
-  const { items: allChatItems } = useChatSidebarItems({
+  const {
+    items: allChatItems,
+    archivedItems: archivedChatItems,
+    loaded: chatItemsLoaded,
+  } = useChatSidebarItems({
     enabled: !isStudioRoute,
     requireMessages: false,
   });
@@ -1306,6 +1310,16 @@ export function AppSidebar() {
                       renderChatSidebarItem(item, "recent"),
                     )}
                   </SidebarMenu>
+                  {/* "No chats yet" only when there is truly no history:
+                      project-scoped and archived threads leave Recents empty
+                      but still count as existing chats. */}
+                  {chatItemsLoaded &&
+                    allChatItems.length === 0 &&
+                    archivedChatItems.length === 0 && (
+                      <p className="px-3 py-2 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+                        {t("shell.navigation.noChatsYet")}
+                      </p>
+                    )}
                 </SidebarGroupContent>
               </CollapsibleContent>
             </SidebarGroup>

studio/frontend/src/features/chat/hooks/use-chat-sidebar-items.ts

@@ -27,16 +27,21 @@ export interface SidebarItem {
   id: string;
   title: string;
   createdAt: number;
+  updatedAt: number;
   isFork?: boolean;
   projectId?: string | null;
 }
 
+function lastActivityAt(thread: ThreadRecord): number {
+  return thread.updatedAt ?? thread.createdAt;
+}
+
 export function groupThreads(
   threads: ThreadRecord[],
   archived = false,
 ): SidebarItem[] {
   const items: SidebarItem[] = [];
-  const seenPairs = new Set<string>();
+  const pairItems = new Map<string, SidebarItem>();
 
   for (const t of threads) {
     // Coerce archived to a boolean before comparing. Legacy threads (from the
@@ -48,30 +53,35 @@ export function groupThreads(
       continue;
     }
     if (t.pairId) {
-      if (seenPairs.has(t.pairId)) {
+      const existing = pairItems.get(t.pairId);
+      if (existing) {
+        existing.updatedAt = Math.max(existing.updatedAt, lastActivityAt(t));
         continue;
       }
-      seenPairs.add(t.pairId);
-      items.push({
+      const item: SidebarItem = {
         type: "compare",
         id: t.pairId,
         title: t.title,
         createdAt: t.createdAt,
+        updatedAt: lastActivityAt(t),
         projectId: t.projectId ?? null,
-      });
+      };
+      pairItems.set(t.pairId, item);
+      items.push(item);
     } else if (!t.pairId) {
       items.push({
         type: "single",
         id: t.id,
         title: t.title,
         createdAt: t.createdAt,
+        updatedAt: lastActivityAt(t),
         isFork: Boolean(t.forkedFromThreadId),
         projectId: t.projectId ?? null,
       });
     }
   }
 
-  return items.sort((a, b) => b.createdAt - a.createdAt);
+  return items.sort((a, b) => b.updatedAt - a.updatedAt);
 }
 
 // Streaming fires CHAT_HISTORY_UPDATED_EVENT per chunk. Debounce so each quiet
@@ -84,6 +94,7 @@ export function useChatSidebarItems(options?: {
   requireMessages?: boolean;
 }) {
   const [allThreads, setAllThreads] = useState<ThreadRecord[]>([]);
+  const [loaded, setLoaded] = useState(false);
   const enabled = options?.enabled ?? true;
   const requireMessages = options?.requireMessages ?? true;
 
@@ -111,6 +122,7 @@ export function useChatSidebarItems(options?: {
         // were in flight, or if the effect was torn down.
         if (cancelled || seq !== requestSeq) return;
         setAllThreads(threads);
+        setLoaded(true);
       } catch (error) {
         if (isExpectedBackgroundChatStorageError(error)) {
           return;
@@ -144,7 +156,7 @@ export function useChatSidebarItems(options?: {
   const archivedItems = groupThreads(allThreads ?? [], true);
   const canCompare = useChatRuntimeStore((s) => Boolean(s.params.checkpoint));
 
-  return { items, archivedItems, canCompare };
+  return { items, archivedItems, canCompare, loaded };
 }
 
 function cancelIfRunning(threadId: string): void {

studio/frontend/src/features/chat/types.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export interface ThreadRecord {
   projectId?: string | null;
   archived: boolean;
   createdAt: number;
+  updatedAt?: number;
   /**
    * OpenAI shell tool container id from a prior response. When set, the
    * next turn reuses it via `environment.type="container_reference"` so

studio/frontend/src/features/chat/utils/chat-history-storage.ts

@@ -590,7 +590,10 @@ export async function listStoredChatThreads(
   }
   return Array.from(byId.values())
     .filter((thread) => matchesThreadListArgs(thread, args))
-    .sort((a, b) => b.createdAt - a.createdAt);
+    .sort(
+      (a, b) =>
+        (b.updatedAt ?? b.createdAt) - (a.updatedAt ?? a.createdAt),
+    );
 }
 
 export async function listStoredChatThreadsWithMessages(

studio/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.ts

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const en = {
       recipes: "Recipes",
       export: "Export",
       recents: "Recents",
+      noChatsYet: "No chats yet",
       settings: "Settings",
       api: "API",
       lightMode: "Light Mode",

studio/frontend/src/i18n/locales/zh-CN.ts

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const zhCN = {
       recipes: "配方",
       export: "导出",
       recents: "最近",
+      noChatsYet: "暂无对话",
       settings: "设置",
       api: "API",
       lightMode: "浅色模式",