Enabled Path Specification for Project Creation

cowork/api/v1/endpoints/projects.py

@@ -20,14 +20,17 @@ def list_projects(session: SessionDep):
 
 @router.post("/", status_code=status.HTTP_201_CREATED)
 def create_project(body: ProjectCreateRequest, session: SessionDep):
-    return ProjectService(session).create_project(body.name)
+    try:
+        return ProjectService(session).create_project(body.name, body.path, body.instructions)
+    except ValueError as e:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST, detail=str(e))
 
 
 @router.patch("/{project_id}")
 def update_project(project_id: UUID, body: ProjectUpdateRequest, session: SessionDep):
     try:
         return ProjectService(session).update_project(
-            project_id, name=body.name, is_active=body.is_active
+            project_id, name=body.name, is_active=body.is_active, instructions=body.instructions
         )
     except ValueError as e:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=status.HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST, detail=str(e))

cowork/db/alembic/versions/55a019954465_add_project_instructions.py

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+"""add project instructions
+
+Revision ID: 55a019954465
+Revises: c4e7a1b9d2f0
+Create Date: 2026-06-19 15:28:23.246712
+
+"""
+from typing import Sequence, Union
+
+from alembic import op
+import sqlalchemy as sa
+
+
+# revision identifiers, used by Alembic.
+revision: str = '55a019954465'
+down_revision: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = 'c4e7a1b9d2f0'
+branch_labels: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+depends_on: Union[str, Sequence[str], None] = None
+
+
+def upgrade() -> None:
+    """Upgrade schema."""
+    op.add_column("projects", sa.Column("instructions", sa.Text(), nullable=True))
+
+
+def downgrade() -> None:
+    """Downgrade schema."""
+    op.drop_column("projects", "instructions")

cowork/harnesses/anton_harness/harness.py

@@ -309,6 +309,8 @@ def _settings_path(value: object, fallback: Path) -> Path:
             f"Your scratchpad's working directory is {str(base)} — bare relative paths like `open('data.csv')` resolve from the project root."
             + attachment_context
         )
+        if conversation.project.instructions:
+            project_context += f"\n\nProject instructions: {conversation.project.instructions}"
         output_context = (
             # Artifacts now live in their own visible folder at the
             # project root (`<base>/artifacts/<slug>/...`), one folder

cowork/harnesses/hermes_harness/harness.py

@@ -185,8 +185,7 @@ def run_sync() -> dict:
                     str(conversation.id),
                     prompt,
                     history,
-                    project_name=conversation.project.name,
-                    project_path=project_path,
+                    project=conversation.project,
                     conversation_topic=conversation_topic,
                     stream_callback=stream_callback,
                     tool_start_callback=tool_start_callback,
@@ -227,8 +226,7 @@ def _run(
         prompt: str,
         history: list[dict],
         *,
-        project_name: str,
-        project_path: str,
+        project: Project,
         conversation_topic: str | None = None,
         stream_callback=None,
         tool_start_callback=None,
@@ -257,6 +255,9 @@ def _run(
         register_connector_tools()
         register_artifact_tools()
 
+        project_path = project.path
+        project_name = project.name
+
         # Same folder-per-artifact convention as the Anton harness, so
         # Hermes outputs surface in the (harness-agnostic) Artifacts UI.
         artifacts_root = Path(project_path) / ".anton" / "artifacts"
@@ -308,6 +309,8 @@ def _run(
             "The only other files that you are allowed to access are any items that are attached to the conversation."
             "Access to any files not attached to the conversation or located outside the project is strictly forbidden."
         )
+        if project.instructions:
+            project_context += f"\n\nProject instructions: {project.instructions}"
         datasource_context = _build_datasource_context(vault, disabled_keys)
         memory_context = HermesMemoryAdapter().build_prompt_context(Path(project_path))
         system_context = "\n\n".join(

cowork/models/project.py

@@ -12,4 +12,4 @@ class Project(BaseSQLModel, table=True):
         max_length=1024,
     )
     is_active: bool = Field(default=True, description="Whether the project is active")
-
+    instructions: str | None = Field(default=None, description="Instructions for the project")

cowork/schemas/projects.py

@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
-from pydantic import BaseModel
+from pathlib import Path
+from pydantic import field_validator
 
 from cowork.schemas.base import CamelRequest
 
 
 class ProjectCreateRequest(CamelRequest):
     name: str
+    path: Path | None = None
+    instructions: str | None = None
+
+    @field_validator("path")
+    @classmethod
+    def validate_path(cls, path: str | None) -> Path | None:
+        return Path(path) if path else None
 
 
 class ProjectUpdateRequest(CamelRequest):
     name: str | None = None
     is_active: bool | None = None
+    instructions: str | None = None

cowork/services/projects.py

@@ -35,12 +35,6 @@ def _root_dir(self) -> Path:
     def _project_path(self, name: str) -> Path:
         return self._root_dir() / name
 
-    # TODO: Move this. This should only be done when using Anton.
-    def _scaffold(self, target: Path) -> None:
-        anton_dir = target / ".anton"
-        anton_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        (anton_dir / "anton.md").touch()
-
     def _unique_name(self, base: str, *, exclude: str | None = None) -> str:
         existing = {
             p.name for p in self.session.exec(select(Project)).all()
@@ -86,13 +80,13 @@ def get_project_by_name(self, name: str) -> Project:
     def get_project_by_name_or_none(self, name: str) -> Project | None:
         return self.session.exec(select(Project).where(Project.name == name)).first()
 
-    def create_project(self, name: str) -> Project:
+    def create_project(self, name: str, path: Path | None = None, instructions: str | None = None) -> Project:
         sanitized = self._sanitize_name(name)
         final_name = self._unique_name(sanitized)
-        path = self._project_path(final_name)
-        path.mkdir(parents=True)
-        # self._scaffold(path)
-        project = Project(name=final_name, path=str(path), is_active=False)
+        path = path or self._project_path(final_name)
+        path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+        project = Project(name=final_name, path=str(path), is_active=False, instructions=instructions)
         self.session.add(project)
         self.session.commit()
         self.session.refresh(project)
@@ -103,6 +97,7 @@ def update_project(
         project_id: UUID,
         name: str | None = None,
         is_active: bool | None = None,
+        instructions: str | None = None,
     ) -> Project:
         project = self.session.get(Project, project_id)
         if project is None:
@@ -112,14 +107,8 @@ def update_project(
             if project.name == GENERAL_PROJECT:
                 raise ValueError("Cannot rename the General project")
             sanitized = self._sanitize_name(name)
-            final_name = self._unique_name(sanitized, exclude=project.name)
-            if final_name != project.name:
-                old_path = Path(project.path)
-                new_path = self._project_path(final_name)
-                if old_path.exists():
-                    old_path.rename(new_path)
-                project.name = final_name
-                project.path = str(new_path)
+            final_name = self._unique_name(sanitized)
+            project.name = final_name
 
         if is_active is not None:
             if is_active:
@@ -129,6 +118,9 @@ def update_project(
                         self.session.add(other)
             project.is_active = is_active
 
+        if instructions is not None:
+            project.instructions = instructions or None
+
         self.session.add(project)
         self.session.commit()
         self.session.refresh(project)