Pipeline
Stib's pipeline automation lets cards traverse columns automatically, turning your Kanban board into an automated workflow engine. Instead of manually dragging cards from column to column, you can enable auto mode and let Stib handle the progression — spawning agents, collecting results, and advancing cards through your pipeline.
What is Auto Mode?
Auto mode is a per-card setting that enables automatic column progression. When enabled:
- Cards flow from column to column without manual dragging
- Each active column spawns an agent automatically
- Conversational columns pause for your approval by default
- The pipeline is fully configurable per card
INFO
Auto mode works with any column configuration. You can customize which columns are included in the pipeline for each card individually.
Enabling Auto Mode
You can toggle auto mode on or off at several points:
| Location | How |
|---|---|
| Card creation modal | Toggle the "Auto mode" switch before creating the card |
| Context menu | Right-click a card → Enable / Disable auto mode |
| Overlay panel | Click the auto mode toggle button in the panel header |
Auto mode can be enabled or disabled at any time.
How Auto-Advance Works
When auto mode is enabled, the card follows this progression:
- Card enters an active column → an agent spawns automatically
- Agent processes the card's prompt and completes with "success" status
- System checks for the next enabled column in the pipeline
- Card moves to the next enabled column
- A new agent spawns in the new column
- Process repeats until the card reaches Done or is paused
| Column Type | Auto-Advance Behavior |
|---|---|
| Active (dev, skill) | Agent spawns, runs to completion, then advances |
| Conversational | Agent runs in plan mode, then pauses for approval (unless Full auto is enabled) |
| Passive (backlog, done) | Card is placed without spawning an agent |
TIP
The auto-advance only triggers when the agent completes with a "success" status. If the agent encounters an error, the card stays in the current column until you manually intervene.
Conversational Pausing
By default, auto mode pauses at conversational columns. This gives you a chance to review the agent's output before the card advances further.
When a card pauses at a conversational column:
- The agent runs and produces its output (typically a plan)
- The card status changes to "success"
- The text "Pipeline paused — waiting for your approval" appears in the overlay panel
- The "Approve & Continue Pipeline" button becomes available
The approve button only appears when all three conditions are met:
- The card has auto mode enabled
- The current column is conversational
- The card status is "success"
Click "Approve & Continue Pipeline" to advance the card to the next enabled column.
WARNING
Review the agent's output carefully before approving. Once you approve, the card moves forward and a new agent spawns in the next column automatically.
Full Auto (Skip Conversational)
Full auto removes the pause at conversational columns entirely. When enabled, cards bypass conversational stops and advance through the entire pipeline without any manual intervention.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | Full auto |
| Description | Don't pause on conversational columns |
| Availability | Only visible when auto mode is enabled |
WARNING
With Full auto enabled, the pipeline runs end-to-end without stopping for your review. Use this for pipelines where you trust the automated output at every stage.
Per-Card Pipeline Configuration
Each card can have its own pipeline configuration, controlling which columns are included in the auto-advance flow.
Pipeline Chips
When creating a card with auto mode enabled, pipeline chips appear showing all available columns. Each chip represents a column and can be toggled on or off:
- Enabled columns — included in the auto-advance flow
- Disabled columns — skipped during auto-advance
- Done column — always enabled (cannot be disabled)
- Columns before start position — greyed out (not applicable)
Chips are color-coded by column type for quick identification.
INFO
When you first enable auto mode on a card, the pipeline configuration resets. You will need to manually configure which columns to include, or accept the default (all columns enabled).
Visual Indicators
Auto mode provides several visual cues so you can track pipeline status at a glance.
AUTO Badge
Cards with auto mode enabled display an AUTO badge in the board view. The badge uses the accent color to stand out.
Pipeline Progress Dots
Progress dots appear on the card when both conditions are met:
- The card has a custom pipeline (some columns disabled)
- Auto mode is enabled
| Dot Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accent | Current column |
| Gray | Enabled column (upcoming or completed) |
| Faded (20% opacity) | Disabled column (skipped) |
Overlay Panel Indicator
When a card is paused at a conversational column, the overlay panel displays:
- The "Pipeline paused — waiting for your approval" message
- The "Approve & Continue Pipeline" button
Edge Cases & Behaviors
| Scenario | Behavior |
|---|---|
| No next enabled column | Card moves to Done (fallback) |
| Agent completes with error | Auto-advance does not trigger. Card stays in current column with "error" status until manually relaunched or moved. |
| Card status is not "success" | Auto-advance does not trigger — manual intervention required |
| Toggle auto mode off mid-pipeline | Card stops advancing after the current agent completes |
| Column deleted during pipeline | Cards are moved to Backlog |
INFO
The Reset Context option is a column-level configuration set at column creation. When enabled, the agent starts with a fresh context instead of inheriting the previous session. See the Kanban Board guide for details.
Next Steps
TIP
Explore how agents work during pipeline execution in the Agents guide, or learn about board and column configuration in the Kanban Board guide.