fix: guard empty board commands

Co-authored-by: Codex <noreply@openai.com>

README.md

@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ the private Field Notes artifact.
 The `Rank` command rescans the saved idea board, recalculates each seal against the current targets, selects the
 strongest page as the active idea, and drafts the next build step. The app then moves that page to the top of the Idea
 Board and refreshes the seal, wood map, plan, and PNG artifact around the chosen direction.
+If the board is empty, `Plan` and `Rank` do not create placeholder pages; they prompt the user to write an idea or press
+`Gap` first.
 
 ## Gap Exploration
 

hackathon_advisor/agent.py

@@ -245,9 +245,12 @@ class AdvisorEngine:
     ) -> TurnResult:
         idea = self._idea_for_optional_id(call, state)
         if idea is None:
-            title, pitch = idea_from_text(normalized)
-            idea, event = self.tools.save_idea(state, title, pitch)
-            tool_events.append(event)
+            tool_events.append(ToolEvent("make_plan", "No idea page was available to plan."))
+            response = (
+                "Write one project instinct first, or press Gap for a starting direction. "
+                "Then I can draft a build path."
+            )
+            return self._result(normalized, corrections, response, state, tool_events, [], [], None, [], {})
         score, event = self.tools.score_idea(idea)
         score = self._align_score_from_state(score, idea, state)
         idea.score = score.to_dict()
@@ -269,7 +272,10 @@ class AdvisorEngine:
         ranked = self._rank_ideas(state)
         if not ranked:
             tool_events.append(ToolEvent("compare_ideas", "No idea pages were available to rank."))
-            response = "There are no written pages on the board yet."
+            response = (
+                "No idea pages are on the board yet. Write one project instinct first, "
+                "or press Gap to seed a direction."
+            )
             return self._result(normalized, corrections, response, state, tool_events, [], [], None, [], {})
 
         ideas = [idea for idea, _score in ranked]

hackathon_advisor/model_runtime.py

@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ class RuleBasedPlanner:
         lower = text.lower()
         if not text:
             output = '<function name="list_projects">{"sort":"likes"}</function>'
-        elif any(term in lower for term in ("compare", "choose", "rank")) and state.get("ideas"):
+        elif any(term in lower for term in ("compare", "choose", "rank")):
             output = '<function name="compare_ideas">{}</function>'
-        elif any(term in lower for term in ("plan", "roadmap", "next step", "milestone")) and state.get("ideas"):
+        elif any(term in lower for term in ("plan", "roadmap", "next step", "milestone")):
             output = '<function name="make_plan">{}</function>'
         elif any(term in lower for term in ("whitespace", "original", "new", "bolder", "unwritten", "gap")):
             output = '<function name="find_whitespace">{}</function>'

tests/test_agent.py

@@ -83,6 +83,21 @@ def test_plan_command_uses_current_idea() -> None:
     assert planned.state["ideas"][0]["title"] == first.artifact["title"]
 
 
+def test_plan_and_rank_do_not_create_placeholder_ideas() -> None:
+    index = ProjectIndex.from_files(Path("data/projects.json"), Path("data/project_index.json"))
+    engine = AdvisorEngine(index)
+
+    planned = engine.turn("make a build plan", {})
+    ranked = engine.turn("compare ideas", planned.state)
+
+    assert planned.state["ideas"] == []
+    assert ranked.state["ideas"] == []
+    assert "Write one project instinct first" in planned.response
+    assert "No idea pages" in ranked.response
+    assert planned.tool_events[0].name == "make_plan"
+    assert ranked.tool_events[0].name == "compare_ideas"
+
+
 def test_plan_uses_profile_context() -> None:
     index = ProjectIndex.from_files(Path("data/projects.json"), Path("data/project_index.json"))
     engine = AdvisorEngine(index)

tests/test_model_runtime.py

@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ def test_rule_planner_uses_plan_when_idea_exists() -> None:
     assert resolution.call.name == "make_plan"
 
 
+def test_rule_planner_keeps_empty_board_commands_as_commands() -> None:
+    planner = RuleBasedPlanner()
+
+    plan = planner.plan("make a build plan", {})
+    rank = planner.plan("compare ideas", {})
+
+    assert plan.status == "valid"
+    assert plan.call.name == "make_plan"
+    assert rank.status == "valid"
+    assert rank.call.name == "compare_ideas"
+
+
 def test_rule_planner_defaults_blank_to_list_projects() -> None:
     planner = RuleBasedPlanner()