fix(code): simplify Auto fallback copy (#5670)

Auto fallback prompts now explain that review is needed without exposing
internal denial and availability counters.

---

Threshold reasons and counters remain available at `DEBUG`. The
transcript and approval description use plain language while preserving
the Switch-to-Manual flow and shell allow-list guard.

Made by [Open
SWE](https://openswe.vercel.app/agents/434260c2-4bed-5449-a0b4-95de592be3ec)

Co-authored-by: open-swe[bot] <open-swe@users.noreply.github.com>

libs/code/deepagents_code/app.py

@@ -9213,7 +9213,7 @@ class DeepAgentsApp(App):
 
         is_auto_fallback = any(
             isinstance(request.get("description"), str)
-            and request["description"].startswith("Auto human fallback ")
+            and request["description"].startswith("Auto human fallback")
             for request in action_requests or []
         )
         if settings.shell_allow_list and action_requests and not is_auto_fallback:
@@ -20718,11 +20718,18 @@ class DeepAgentsApp(App):
                 text = f"Auto fell back to Manual: {reason}"
                 self.notify(text, severity="warning", timeout=10, markup=False)
             else:
+                if logger.isEnabledFor(logging.DEBUG):
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Auto human fallback reason=%s consecutive_denials=%s "
+                        "consecutive_unavailable=%s total_denials=%s",
+                        reason,
+                        event.get("consecutive_denials", 0),
+                        event.get("consecutive_unavailable", 0),
+                        event.get("total_denials", 0),
+                    )
                 text = (
-                    "Auto fallback: human approval required "
-                    f"(denials {event.get('consecutive_denials', 0)}, "
-                    f"unavailable {event.get('consecutive_unavailable', 0)}, "
-                    f"total {event.get('total_denials', 0)})."
+                    "Auto couldn't confidently approve this action, so it needs your "
+                    "review. Auto will continue afterward."
                 )
         else:
             text = f"Auto warning: {reason}"

libs/code/deepagents_code/auto_mode.py

@@ -2979,21 +2979,14 @@ class AutoModeHITLMiddleware(HumanInTheLoopMiddleware[AutoModeState, Any, Any]):
         runtime: object,
         *,
         fallback: bool,
-        counters: AutoModeCounters | None,
-        fallback_reason: str | None = None,
     ) -> tuple[ActionRequest, ReviewConfig]:
         config = self.interrupt_on[tool_call["name"]]
         action, review = self._create_action_and_config(
             tool_call, config, state, cast("Any", runtime)
         )
         if fallback:
-            counts = counters or _default_counters(ApprovalMode.AUTO)
-            reason = f"reason: {fallback_reason}; " if fallback_reason else ""
             action["description"] = (
-                "Auto human fallback "
-                f"({reason}consecutive denials: {counts['consecutive_denials']}, "
-                f"classifier unavailable: {counts['consecutive_unavailable']}, "
-                f"total denials: {counts['total_denials']}).\n\n"
+                "Auto human fallback: this action needs your review.\n\n"
                 f"{action.get('description', '')}"
             )
         return action, review
@@ -3023,8 +3016,6 @@ class AutoModeHITLMiddleware(HumanInTheLoopMiddleware[AutoModeState, Any, Any]):
                 state,
                 runtime,
                 fallback=fallback,
-                counters=counters,
-                fallback_reason=fallback_reason,
             )
             action_requests.append(action)
             review_configs.append(review)
@@ -3084,7 +3075,7 @@ class AutoModeHITLMiddleware(HumanInTheLoopMiddleware[AutoModeState, Any, Any]):
                 manual_reviews: list[ReviewConfig] = []
                 for call in manual_calls:
                     action, review = self._action_and_config(
-                        call, state, runtime, fallback=False, counters=counters
+                        call, state, runtime, fallback=False
                     )
                     manual_actions.append(action)
                     manual_reviews.append(review)

libs/code/deepagents_code/tui/widgets/approval.py

@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class ApprovalMenu(Container):
         self._tool_names = [r.get("name", "unknown") for r in self._action_requests]
         self._is_auto_fallback = any(
             isinstance(request.get("description"), str)
-            and request["description"].startswith("Auto human fallback ")
+            and request["description"].startswith("Auto human fallback")
             for request in self._action_requests
         )
         # Only offer the Auto option when it can actually be enabled. A live

libs/code/tests/unit_tests/test_app.py

@@ -17863,6 +17863,30 @@ class TestIsUserTyping:
 class TestRequestApprovalBranching:
     """_request_approval should show a placeholder when the user is typing."""
 
+    async def test_auto_fallback_skips_shell_allow_list(self) -> None:
+        from deepagents_code.config import settings
+
+        app = DeepAgentsApp(agent=MagicMock())
+        app._last_typed_at = None
+        action_requests = [
+            {
+                "name": "execute",
+                "args": {"command": "echo hello"},
+                "description": "Auto human fallback: this action needs your review.",
+            }
+        ]
+
+        with (
+            patch.object(settings, "shell_allow_list", ["echo"]),
+            patch.object(app, "_mount_approval_widget", new=AsyncMock()) as mount,
+            patch.object(app, "_reveal_pending_tool_calls"),
+            patch.object(app, "_pause_loading_spinner_for_approval"),
+        ):
+            result = await app._request_approval(action_requests, None)
+
+        assert not result.done()
+        mount.assert_awaited_once()
+
     async def test_placeholder_mounted_when_typing(self) -> None:
         """If the user is typing, a Static placeholder is mounted instead of menu."""
         app = DeepAgentsApp(agent=MagicMock())
@@ -30527,6 +30551,36 @@ class TestLiveApprovalModeWrites:
             warn.assert_called_once()
             assert "Could not open the Auto confirmation" in str(warn.call_args.args[0])
 
+    async def test_server_auto_fallback_hides_diagnostics(
+        self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture
+    ) -> None:
+        app = DeepAgentsApp()
+        event = {
+            "event": "fallback",
+            "reason": "consecutive_policy_denials",
+            "consecutive_denials": 4,
+            "consecutive_unavailable": 0,
+            "total_denials": 4,
+        }
+        caplog.set_level(logging.DEBUG, logger="deepagents_code.app")
+
+        with patch.object(app, "_mount_message", new=AsyncMock()) as mount:
+            await app._on_auto_mode_event(event)
+
+        await_args = mount.await_args
+        assert await_args is not None
+        mounted = await_args.args[0]
+        assert isinstance(mounted, AppMessage)
+        assert mounted._content == (
+            "Auto couldn't confidently approve this action, so it needs your review. "
+            "Auto will continue afterward."
+        )
+        assert (
+            "Auto human fallback reason=consecutive_policy_denials "
+            "consecutive_denials=4 consecutive_unavailable=0 total_denials=4"
+            in caplog.messages
+        )
+
     async def test_server_manual_fallback_updates_tui_mode_and_warns(self) -> None:
         from deepagents_code.approval_mode import ApprovalMode
 

libs/code/tests/unit_tests/test_auto_mode.py

@@ -1917,7 +1917,13 @@ async def test_unavailable_auto_control_state_surfaces_manual_fallback(
 
     hitl_request = review.call_args.args[0]
     description = hitl_request["action_requests"][0]["description"]
-    assert description.startswith("Auto human fallback ")
+    assert description.startswith(
+        "Auto human fallback: this action needs your review.\n\n"
+    )
+    assert "consecutive denials" not in description
+    assert "classifier unavailable" not in description
+    assert "total denials" not in description
+    assert "Auto control state was unavailable" not in description
     assert events == [
         {
             "type": "auto_mode",

libs/code/tests/unit_tests/tui/widgets/test_approval.py

@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ class TestOptionOrdering:
             {
                 "name": "delete",
                 "args": {"file_path": "old.py"},
-                "description": "Auto human fallback (consecutive denials: 3).",
+                "description": "Auto human fallback: this action needs your review.",
             }
         )
         menu.set_future(future)
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ class TestAutoOptionEligibility:
             {
                 "name": "delete",
                 "args": {"file_path": "old.py"},
-                "description": "Auto human fallback (consecutive denials: 3).",
+                "description": "Auto human fallback: this action needs your review.",
             },
             auto_mode_eligible=False,
         )