---
name: output-router
description: Use after the Workflow, Decision Gate, or Discuss route is clear when choosing between native tools and Freeflow routed tools, retrieving repo/local/vault evidence, transforming bounded evidence, handling unknown-size or broad output, running likely-large/noisy commands, recovering vaulted output, tuning outputRouter/observedRouting/scriptTransform after setup, or handling optional native read/bash safety-net routing.
---

# Output Router

Choose how evidence moves into context.

Freeflow tools are the safe first choice for unknown-size, exploratory, repo-wide, generated/log-adjacent, structured, or likely noisy output, including broad `rg`/`find`/`git`/help/docs scans. Native tools stay direct for known-small, exact, intentionally raw, or mutating work. A post-hoc cap such as `head`, `sed -n`, `tail`, or `wc` does not make a broad producer known-small.

Output Router does not classify the task. Workflow, Decision Gate, or Discuss decides whether to answer, ask, explore, plan, or stop. Output Router starts after that route is clear.

## First Decision

Ask what kind of data you need:

- Existing repo, explicit local, or vault data: use `freeflow_search`.
- New command or script-produced output: use `freeflow_run`.
- Several independent Freeflow operations: use `freeflow_batch`.
- Config/status/vault/script-adapter facts: use `freeflow_status`.
- Enabled MCP/web/fetch/code-search output: call the host tool directly; Pi observed routing runs after the host result when configured.
- Known whole file, intentionally exact shell behavior, cmux/Pi control probes, explicit fallback after a routed-source limitation, or edits: use native `read`, `bash`, `edit`, or `write`.

When unsure how much output will return, use Freeflow first. Bound the producer before using native tools; do not rely on trimming the output after a broad command runs.

## `freeflow_search`: Existing Data

Use `freeflow_search` for repo files, explicit external local files, and vaulted output that already exists.

Actions:

- `locate`: find likely paths/output ids first. Use before reading when you only need candidates.
- `query`: return the best focused evidence packets for a search question.
- `get`: user gave exact-ish text/code/snippet or asks “where is this?” Find the best match and return source coordinates plus matched content.
- `retrieve`: you already know the path/outputId and line range. Return those exact lines. Do not use this as search.
- `expand`: widen a previous evidence packet.
- `explain`: explain a previous routed decision or vault output/recoverability.
- `transform`: compute facts or deterministic subsets from repo/local/vault/file/output data.

Use `source.kind="repo"` for the current checkout. Use `source.kind="local"` for external local docs/files with an explicit absolute `root` and optional relative `path`; do not put local roots in shared config. Use `source.kind="vault"` for previous Freeflow outputs.

Vault search patterns:

- Unknown output id: `source.kind="vault"` without `outputId`, plus `query` and optional `filters`.
- Known output id and unknown line: `action="query"` or `get` with `source.outputId`.
- Known output id and known line range: `action="retrieve"` with `lineRange`.
- Metadata-only result: use `action="explain"`; do not claim raw recovery.

Use `preserve="full"` only when exact fidelity matters. It still means exact-under-caps, not unlimited context injection.

## `freeflow_search action=transform`: Processing Existing Data

Use transform when raw data is too large/structured and you need computed facts.

Good transform cases:

- logs: status counts, error rates, slow examples,
- JSON/CSV: counts, groupings, top values, extracted fields,
- test/build/typecheck output already in the vault,
- MCP/web/fetch/code-search payloads already routed into the vault,
- deterministic regex filtering, match counts, grouping, dedupe, topN, URL/citation extraction, line/size stats.

Prefer deterministic operations when enough:

- `regexFilter`, `countMatches`, `jsonExtract`, `groupByRegex`, `dedupe`, `topN`, `extractUrls`, `extractCitations`, `lineStats`, `sizeStats`.

Use scripts only when deterministic operations cannot express the fact:

- `operation.kind="script"` runs a sandboxed transform over vault sources.
- `script` without `operation` runs the processing-engine script path over repo/local/vault sources.
- Sandboxed scripts require `scriptTransform.enabled=true` and a proof-backed adapter.
- Raw script code is not persisted; metadata stores hashes/labels/limits.
- No sandboxed script path may silently fall back to host shell execution.

Unsafe unsandboxed processing is local-only, explicit per call, and only through the processing script policy. It must say `unsafe/unsandboxed`. Never put that opt-in in shared config.

## `freeflow_run`: New Output

Use `freeflow_run` when the producer creates new output and routed evidence is enough.

Base producers are mutually exclusive:

- `command`: shell command through the host-approved runner.
- `script`: sandboxed code-as-producer with no repo/home/env/network/vault access.

Use `command` for:

- tests, builds, lint, typecheck, CI-like checks,
- broad shell search with unknown output size,
- commands likely to print logs, JSON, status, or diagnostics,
- commands whose exact raw output may need recovery.

Use `script` for:

- generating data with code when no repo/home/env/network access is needed,
- safe code-as-producer execution through the same sandbox engine as transforms,
- stdout/stderr capture that should route like command output.

Do not use `freeflow_run script` when the code needs repo files, environment variables, network, package imports, or host filesystem access. Use a host command intentionally, or transform an explicitly captured source.

Run modifiers:

- `goal`: tell the router why the run exists, e.g. `verification`, `diagnosis`, `build`, `log analysis`.
- `filters`: deterministic line filtering over captured stdout/stderr/combined.
- `scriptFilter`: sandboxed script over already captured stdout/stderr/combined. It never reruns the base producer.
- `preserve="full"`: request exact output under caps with vault recovery over cap.

Run storage:

- Default `hybrid-dedupe` stores exact output when exactness-sensitive and metadata-only for small non-sensitive successes.
- Failures, verification/test/build/typecheck/diagnosis output, `preserve="full"`, filters, script filters, reducers, script producers, and large/noisy output are exactness-sensitive.
- Exact duplicates may store current metadata pointing to a previous exact `outputId`.
- Plain metadata-only records get rerun guidance, not exact recovery claims.

## `freeflow_batch`: Independent Freeflow Work

Use `freeflow_batch` when several Freeflow-owned `run` or `search` steps can happen independently.

Good batch cases:

- run several bounded searches in parallel,
- run independent checks and ask `queries[]` to extract facts from child evidence,
- gather multiple repo/local/vault facts without injecting every child result.

Do not use batch for:

- sequenced workflows,
- arbitrary external tool orchestration,
- mutating work,
- steps where one child needs another child’s output.

Child outputs remain in `details.result.steps`; exact child run output remains recoverable by child `outputId`.

## Native Tools

Use native tools when direct behavior is the point:

- `read`: known whole file or exact direct file content is intended.
- `bash`: expected-small exact shell behavior, host access, cmux/Pi control probes, or bounded producer behavior is intentionally needed.
- `edit` / `write`: mutations.

Native `bash`/`read` remain valid for known-small exact checks, cmux/Pi control probes, exact file reads, or explicit fallback after a routed-source limitation; name the limitation and keep the fallback narrow.

Do not run broad native commands just to see what comes back. `head`, `sed -n`, `tail`, `wc`, or similar output caps bound visible text, not producer scope or relevance. Likely-large native commands include repo-wide `rg`, `grep -R`, `find`, package scans, generated-artifact scans, docs/help scans, logs, broad `git diff/log`, full tests/builds/lints/typechecks, and one-off scripts with unknown output size.

If native read/bash safety net is enabled, large/noisy native output may be replaced with labeled Freeflow-routed output. It must include an `outputId` and recovery instructions. If safety-net routing fails, native output passes through with a warning.

## Observed Routing

For enabled Pi MCP/web/fetch/code-search producers, call the host tool directly. Freeflow observes the completed result after host execution.

Observed routing:

- is off by default,
- is explicit per producer/server,
- does not grant permissions or block host tools,
- can persist exact output, metadata-only, or nothing depending on config,
- fails open with original host output if routing fails.

Mutating MCP/tool calls still require normal workflow/interview judgment before the host call. Observed routing is not permission approval.

## Hard Rules

- Do not pretend routed output is native output.
- Do not silently shorten native output.
- Capture raw output before transforming it.
- Keep raw source recovery separate from transformed/reduced output recovery.
- Treat `preserve="full"` as exact fidelity under caps, not unlimited context injection.
- Preserve exact failure and verification evidence lines.
- Keep `toolStatus`, `execution.status`, and `routing.status` separate.
- Metadata-only records must never claim exact raw recovery.
- Freeflow mode changes guidance strength only. It must not enable `postToolRouting`.
- Do not write removed `capture` or `providers` config.
- Do not offer `redacted`; it is future-only.

## Recovery Pattern

For routed run/native/observed/transform output, recover exact text with:

```json
{
  "action": "retrieve",
  "source": { "kind": "vault", "outputId": "ffout_...", "stream": "stdout|stderr|combined|raw" },
  "lineRange": { "start": 1, "end": 20 },
  "preserve": "full"
}
```

When line numbers are unknown, use `query` or `get` first. Use `expand` when a returned evidence packet is too narrow. Use `explain` when recoverability is unclear.

## Config

Use `freeflow_status` to inspect effective config, vault writability/index state, script adapters, observed routing, and migration recommendations.

Use Pi's `/output-router enable` or repository settings surface for initial enablement. Read [setup guidance](references/setup.md) before repairing capability config or changing optional routing features. After valid setup, Output Router owns explicit operational tuning requested through its capability surface.

Persist operational config only after an explicit tuning request or a previously accepted setup branch:

- `outputRouter`: `enabled`, `profile`, `postToolRouting`, `storagePolicy`, thresholds, vault root/retention, generated paths, noisy command hints.
- `outputRouter.observedRouting`: explicit MCP servers and web/fetch/codeSearch producer persistence.
- `outputRouter.scriptTransform`: enabled flag, languages, sandbox/network/limits/raw-script persistence.

Minimal setup stays only `defaultMode`. Missing optional sections mean built-in defaults.

Read [the safety policy](references/safety-policy.md) before changing routing policy, reviewing router behavior, or handling exactness-sensitive output.