Files
paperclip/docs/adapters/overview.md
2026-03-10 16:46:04 +00:00

62 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown

---
title: Adapters Overview
summary: What adapters are and how they connect agents to Paperclip
---
Adapters are the bridge between Paperclip's orchestration layer and agent runtimes. Each adapter knows how to invoke a specific type of AI agent and capture its results.
## How Adapters Work
When a heartbeat fires, Paperclip:
1. Looks up the agent's `adapterType` and `adapterConfig`
2. Calls the adapter's `execute()` function with the execution context
3. The adapter spawns or calls the agent runtime
4. The adapter captures stdout, parses usage/cost data, and returns a structured result
## Built-in Adapters
| Adapter | Type Key | Description |
|---------|----------|-------------|
| [Claude Local](/adapters/claude-local) | `claude_local` | Runs Claude Code CLI locally |
| [Codex Local](/adapters/codex-local) | `codex_local` | Runs OpenAI Codex CLI locally |
| [Gemini Local](/adapters/gemini-local) | `gemini_local` | Runs Gemini CLI locally |
| OpenCode Local | `opencode_local` | Runs OpenCode CLI locally (multi-provider `provider/model`) |
| OpenClaw | `openclaw` | Sends wake payloads to an OpenClaw webhook |
| [Process](/adapters/process) | `process` | Executes arbitrary shell commands |
| [HTTP](/adapters/http) | `http` | Sends webhooks to external agents |
## Adapter Architecture
Each adapter is a package with three modules:
```
packages/adapters/<name>/
src/
index.ts # Shared metadata (type, label, models)
server/
execute.ts # Core execution logic
parse.ts # Output parsing
test.ts # Environment diagnostics
ui/
parse-stdout.ts # Stdout -> transcript entries for run viewer
build-config.ts # Form values -> adapterConfig JSON
cli/
format-event.ts # Terminal output for `paperclipai run --watch`
```
Three registries consume these modules:
| Registry | What it does |
|----------|-------------|
| **Server** | Executes agents, captures results |
| **UI** | Renders run transcripts, provides config forms |
| **CLI** | Formats terminal output for live watching |
## Choosing an Adapter
- **Need a coding agent?** Use `claude_local`, `codex_local`, `gemini_local`, or `opencode_local`
- **Need to run a script or command?** Use `process`
- **Need to call an external service?** Use `http`
- **Need something custom?** [Create your own adapter](/adapters/creating-an-adapter)