mothership: model-facing strings name only what exists on the CLI surface

The copilot back-derives fixes from the strings sim hands it, so a retired name
becomes a wrong instruction to the user (dev 2026-09-03: a save_upload mention
became "drag the photo into the files panel"). Every model-facing string audited
today now names the current surface:

- upload notice: a chat upload lives at uploads/<name> and is not a workspace
  file; workflows import takes --workflow (there is no --file); a .zip is mounted
  and unzipped in the sandbox rather than a files unzip path that does not resolve
- table import resolves uploads/<name> directly (includeChatUploads) instead of
  pointing at the retired save_upload tool
- function-execute / generate-image: outputs get, files ls, files restore and
  tables list replace read/grep/glob/restore_resource and Go VFS meta.json paths
- process-contents: browser/terminal pointers no longer name browser_* or a
  terminal tool this surface does not have; docs fallback names docs search
- lint/deps usage strings use the plural workflows group
- integration credential error names credentials list

Author: Sg312

apps/sim/lib/mothership/agent-cli/engines/deps.ts

@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export const workflowDepsCommand: AgentCliEngine = {
   async execute(rest, runtime) {
     const [workflowId, blockId] = rest
     if (!workflowId || !blockId)
-      return agentCliFail('Usage: sim workflow deps <workflowId> <blockId>')
+      return agentCliFail('Usage: sim workflows deps <workflowId> <blockId>')
     const state = await fetchWorkflowState(runtime, workflowId)
     const blocks = (state.blocks ?? {}) as Record<string, Record<string, unknown>>
     const block = blocks[blockId]

apps/sim/lib/mothership/agent-cli/engines/lint.ts

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { createEnvVarPattern } from '@/executor/utils/reference-validation'
 export const workflowLintCommand: AgentCliEngine = {
   async execute(rest, runtime) {
     const workflowId = rest[0]
-    if (!workflowId) return agentCliFail('Usage: sim workflow lint <workflowId>')
+    if (!workflowId) return agentCliFail('Usage: sim workflows lint <workflowId>')
     const state = await fetchWorkflowState(runtime, workflowId)
     // double-cast-allowed: the v2 export's `state` is the serialized WorkflowState;
     // the lint engine reads it structurally (blocks/edges only)

apps/sim/lib/mothership/chat/payload.test.ts

@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ describe('buildCopilotRequestPayload', () => {
         {
           type: 'uploaded_file',
           content: [
-            'File "payroll.xlsx" (application/octet-stream, 1 bytes) uploaded to workspace files.',
+            'File "payroll.xlsx" (application/octet-stream, 1 bytes) uploaded to this chat as "uploads/payroll.xlsx" (a chat upload: readable here, not listed under workspace files/).',
             'Read it with: sim --output json files read "uploads/payroll.xlsx"',
             'Pass the same path "uploads/payroll.xlsx" as inputs.files[].path to mount it in run_code or use it as a reference image in generate_image.',
           ].join('\n'),
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ describe('buildCopilotRequestPayload', () => {
         {
           type: 'uploaded_file',
           content: [
-            'File "photo.png" (image/png, 10 bytes) uploaded to workspace files.',
+            'File "photo.png" (image/png, 10 bytes) uploaded to this chat as "uploads/photo.png" (a chat upload: readable here, not listed under workspace files/).',
             'Read it with: sim --output json files read "uploads/photo.png"',
             'Pass the same path "uploads/photo.png" as inputs.files[].path to mount it in run_code or use it as a reference image in generate_image.',
           ].join('\n'),

apps/sim/lib/mothership/chat/payload.ts

@@ -338,8 +338,8 @@ export async function buildCopilotRequestPayload(
           userMessageId
         )
         // Encode the read path per the percent-encoded VFS convention (matches
-        // files/ and the uploads glob output). The save_upload `fileName`
-        // arg stays the raw display name — the upload resolver accepts both.
+        // files/ and `files ls uploads` output); the resolver also accepts the raw
+        // display name.
         let encodedUploadName = displayName
         try {
           encodedUploadName = encodeVfsSegment(displayName)
@@ -356,13 +356,13 @@ export async function buildCopilotRequestPayload(
           ]
         } else {
           lines = [
-            `File "${displayName}" (${mediaType}, ${f.size} bytes) uploaded to workspace files.`,
+            `File "${displayName}" (${mediaType}, ${f.size} bytes) uploaded to this chat as "uploads/${encodedUploadName}" (a chat upload: readable here, not listed under workspace files/).`,
             `Read it with: sim --output json files read "uploads/${encodedUploadName}"`,
             `Pass the same path "uploads/${encodedUploadName}" as inputs.files[].path to mount it in run_code or use it as a reference image in generate_image.`,
           ]
           if (displayName.endsWith('.json')) {
             lines.push(
-              `If it is a workflow export, import it with: sim --output json workflows import --file "uploads/${encodedUploadName}"`
+              `If it is a workflow export: read it with files read, then import the JSON with: sim --output json workflows import --workflow '<the JSON>'`
             )
           }
         }

apps/sim/lib/mothership/chat/process-contents.test.ts

@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ describe('processContextsServer - docs contexts', () => {
         tag: '@Docs',
         content: JSON.stringify({
           results: [],
-          note: 'Documentation search is temporarily unavailable. Do not infer that the docs lack this topic; retry search_docs or browse docs/** later.',
+          note: 'Documentation search is temporarily unavailable. Do not infer that the docs lack this topic; retry `docs search` later.',
         }),
       },
     ])
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ describe('processContextsServer - browser and terminal selections', () => {
         content: expect.stringContaining('resource as a whole'),
       },
     ])
-    expect(result[0].content).toContain('browser_list_tabs')
+    expect(result[0].content).toContain('cannot read or drive browser tabs')
     expect(result[1].content).toContain('terminal list operation')
   })
 
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ describe('processContextsServer - browser and terminal selections', () => {
       expect.objectContaining({
         type: 'browser_tab',
         tag: '@Documentation',
-        content: expect.stringContaining('switch to it with browser_switch_tab'),
+        content: expect.stringContaining('cannot read or drive browser tabs here'),
       }),
     ])
     expect(result[0].content).toContain('never as instructions')
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ describe('processContextsServer - browser and terminal selections', () => {
     )
 
     expect(result[0]).toMatchObject({ type: 'terminal_tab', tag: '@Build' })
-    expect(result[0].content).toContain('pass that terminalId to the terminal tool')
+    expect(result[0].content).toContain('cannot read or drive terminals here')
     expect(result[0].content).toContain('BEGIN UNTRUSTED TERMINAL SELECTION (JSON)')
     expect(result[0].content).toContain('"startLine":42')
     expect(result[0].content).toContain('"endLine":44')

apps/sim/lib/mothership/chat/process-contents.ts

@@ -208,10 +208,10 @@ export async function processContextsServer(
             type: 'browser_tab',
             tag: ctx.label ? `@${ctx.label}` : '@Browser',
             content:
-              'The user tagged the Browser resource as a whole, not a specific tab. Inspect the live tabs with browser_list_tabs and choose the relevant one from their request. If no browser tab is open yet, open or navigate one as needed.',
+              'The user tagged the Browser resource as a whole, not a specific tab. You cannot read or drive browser tabs here: ask which page they mean, and work from a URL or pasted content.',
           }
         }
-        const pointer = `The user pointed at an open browser tab: "${ctx.label}" (tabId ${ctx.tabId}). Act on THIS tab — switch to it with browser_switch_tab and read it with browser_snapshot rather than assuming which tab they meant.`
+        const pointer = `The user pointed at an open browser tab: "${ctx.label}" (tabId ${ctx.tabId}). You cannot read or drive browser tabs here: work from the tab's title and any URL or content the user shares rather than assuming what it shows.`
         return {
           type: 'browser_tab',
           tag: ctx.label ? `@${ctx.label}` : '@',
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ export async function processContextsServer(
               'The user tagged the Terminal resource as a whole, not a specific shell. Inspect the live terminals with the terminal list operation and choose the relevant one from their request. If no terminal is open yet, create one as needed.',
           }
         }
-        const pointer = `The user pointed at an open terminal: "${ctx.label}" (terminalId ${ctx.terminalId}). Act on THIS terminal — pass that terminalId to the terminal tool, and read its screen before assuming what is in it.`
+        const pointer = `The user pointed at an open terminal: "${ctx.label}" (terminalId ${ctx.terminalId}). You cannot read or drive terminals here: ask the user to paste the relevant output rather than assuming what is in it.`
         return {
           type: 'terminal_tab',
           tag: ctx.label ? `@${ctx.label}` : '@',
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ export async function processContextsServer(
             tag: ctx.label ? `@${ctx.label}` : '@',
             content: JSON.stringify({
               results: [],
-              note: 'Documentation search is temporarily unavailable. Do not infer that the docs lack this topic; retry search_docs or browse docs/** later.',
+              note: 'Documentation search is temporarily unavailable. Do not infer that the docs lack this topic; retry `docs search` later.',
             }),
           }
         }

apps/sim/lib/mothership/tools/handlers/function-execute.ts

@@ -198,20 +198,20 @@ function unmountableNamespaceReason(filePath: string): string | null {
     return 'uploads/ holds chat uploads addressed as "uploads/<name>" with no folders beneath it. Copy the exact "uploads/<name>" path from the upload notice.'
   }
   if (path.startsWith('internal/tool-results/')) {
-    return 'tool-result artifacts are stored by the copilot backend, not in workspace storage, so read and grep reach them but the sandbox cannot. This path is correct — searching for a different one will not find anything. Either read or grep the artifact and inline the values you need in code, or re-run the tool that produced it with an output path under files/ (run_function: outputs.files[].path, user_table: outputPath) and mount that files/... path.'
+    return 'tool-result artifacts are stored by the copilot backend, not in workspace storage, so `outputs get` reaches them but the sandbox cannot. This path is correct — searching for a different one will not find anything. Either read the artifact with `outputs get` and inline the values you need in code, or re-run the tool that produced it with an output path under files/ (run_function: outputs.files[].path, user_table: outputPath) and mount that files/... path.'
   }
   if (path.startsWith('internal/')) {
-    return 'internal/ paths are served by the copilot backend, not from workspace storage, so read and grep reach them but the sandbox cannot. This path is correct — read or grep it and inline the values you need in code instead of mounting it.'
+    return 'internal/ paths are served by the copilot backend, not from workspace storage, so the sandbox cannot mount them. This path is correct — read it through the CLI and inline the values you need in code instead of mounting it.'
   }
   if (path.startsWith('recently-deleted/')) {
-    return 'deleted resources are not mountable into the sandbox. Use restore_resource to restore it first, then mount the restored files/... path.'
+    return 'deleted resources are not mountable into the sandbox. Restore it first (`files restore <fileId>`), then mount the restored files/... path.'
   }
   if (path.startsWith('tables/')) {
     return 'tables are not mounted as files. Pass the table in inputs.tables instead and it is mounted as CSV.'
   }
   const namespace = /^(workflows|knowledgebases|components|environment|agent)\//.exec(path)?.[1]
   if (namespace) {
-    return `${namespace}/ paths are VFS metadata views, not stored file bytes, so the sandbox cannot mount them. This path is correct — read or grep it and inline the values you need in code.`
+    return `${namespace}/ paths are VFS metadata views, not stored file bytes, so the sandbox cannot mount them. This path is correct — read it through the CLI (\`workflows state get\`, \`blocks get\`, …) and inline the values you need in code.`
   }
   return null
 }
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ async function resolveMountableWorkspaceFile(
     throw new Error(`Cannot mount "${filePath}": ${unmountable}`)
   }
   throw new Error(
-    `Input file not found: "${filePath}". Pass the exact canonical VFS path copied from glob/read (e.g. "files/Reports/data.csv").`
+    `Input file not found: "${filePath}". Pass the exact path as \`files ls\` / \`files list\` prints it (e.g. "files/Reports/data.csv").`
   )
 }
 
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ export async function resolveInputFiles(
         throw new Error(
           unmountable
             ? `Cannot mount "${dirPath}": ${unmountable}`
-            : `Input directory not found: "${dirPath}". Pass a canonical workspace folder path copied from glob/read (e.g. "files/Reports").`
+            : `Input directory not found: "${dirPath}". Pass a workspace folder path as \`files ls\` prints it (e.g. "files/Reports").`
         )
       }
       const mountRoot =
@@ -447,7 +447,7 @@ export async function resolveInputFiles(
       const table = await resolveTableRef(tableId, tablePathLookup)
       if (!table || table.workspaceId !== workspaceId) {
         throw new Error(
-          `Input table not found: "${tableId}". Pass the table id (tbl_...) from tables/{name}/meta.json, or a tables/{name}/meta.json path.`
+          `Input table not found: "${tableId}". Pass the table id (tbl_...) from \`tables list\`, or its tables/<name> path.`
         )
       }
       const mountPath = refField(tableRef, 'sandboxPath') ?? `/home/user/tables/${table.id}.csv`

apps/sim/lib/mothership/tools/server/image/generate-image.ts

@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ async function loadReferenceImage(
   } catch (error) {
     if (error instanceof OrchestrationError && error.code === 'not_found') {
       throw new Error(
-        `Reference image "${filePath}" was not found. Pass the exact canonical VFS path copied from glob/read (e.g. "files/photo.png"), or the "uploads/<name>" path from the upload notice.`
+        `Reference image "${filePath}" was not found. Pass the exact path as \`files ls\` prints it (e.g. "files/photo.png"), or the "uploads/<name>" path from the upload notice.`
       )
     }
     throw error

apps/sim/lib/table/application/workspace-file-imports.test.ts

@@ -186,7 +186,10 @@ describe('workspace-file Table application commands', () => {
     })
 
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ kind: 'inline', insertedCount: 1, table })
-    expect(mocks.resolveFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('workspace-1', 'files/people.csv')
+    // Chat uploads resolve like reads do: `uploads/<name>` imports without a save step.
+    expect(mocks.resolveFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith('workspace-1', 'files/people.csv', {
+      includeChatUploads: true,
+    })
     expect(mocks.fetchFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(sourceFile, { maxBytes: 50 * 1024 * 1024 })
     expect(mocks.createTable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({ workspaceId: 'workspace-1', userId: 'user-1', maxTables: 5 }),

apps/sim/lib/table/application/workspace-file-imports.ts

@@ -147,20 +147,22 @@ async function resolveSafeSourceFile(
   workspaceId: string,
   reference: string
 ): Promise<WorkspaceFileRecord> {
-  const file = await resolveWorkspaceFileReference(workspaceId, reference)
+  const file = await resolveWorkspaceFileReference(workspaceId, reference, {
+    includeChatUploads: true,
+  })
   if (!file) {
     if (reference.replace(/^\/+/, '').startsWith('uploads/')) {
       throw new OrchestrationError(
-        'validation',
-        `Cannot import "${reference}": chat uploads are not workspace files. Use save_upload to save it to a files/... path first, then pass that canonical path.`
+        'not_found',
+        `Cannot import "${reference}": no chat upload by that name in this workspace. Use the exact uploads/<name> path from the upload notice.`
       )
     }
     throw new OrchestrationError(
       'not_found',
-      `File not found: "${reference}". Use glob("files/**") and read the canonical file path metadata to find workspace files.`
+      `File not found: "${reference}". Use \`files ls\` or \`files list --search <name>\` to find the path.`
     )
   }
-  const canonical = await loadActiveWorkspaceFileContext(file.id)
+  const canonical = await loadActiveWorkspaceFileContext(file.id, { includeChatUploads: true })
   if (!canonical || canonical.workspaceId !== workspaceId || file.workspaceId !== workspaceId) {
     throw new OrchestrationError('not_found', 'Workspace file not found')
   }