keepassgo/docs/desktop-automation.md

Desktop Automation Decision

Decision

KeePassGO will not implement KeePass-style auto-type as its primary desktop automation mechanism. The secure gRPC API is the replacement integration surface for trusted desktop automation, browser extensions, and local helper tools.

Why

• The gRPC API gives a narrower and more explicit trust boundary than synthetic key injection.
• Browser and local automation clients can request exactly the credential operation they need:
  • list entries
  • list groups
  • list templates
  • create and mutate entries
  • copy fields
  • manage attachments
  • generate passwords
• A typed authenticated API is easier to test and reason about than fake keystroke delivery to arbitrary windows.
• Synthetic typing is platform-specific, fragile, and substantially harder to make safe across Linux, Windows, and future Android support.
• The product requirement is integration capability comparable in purpose to KeePass auto-type, not literal keystroke emulation.

Product Consequences

• Trusted desktop automation should be implemented as clients of the gRPC service.
• Browser integrations should target the gRPC API rather than ad hoc local protocols.
• UI workflows may still provide copy-to-clipboard behavior for direct human use.
• If a future use case demonstrates that gRPC plus clipboard is insufficient, native desktop automation can be reconsidered as a secondary capability, not as the baseline integration model.

Exit-Criteria Impact

This document is the explicit resolution of the desktop automation requirement from AGENTS.md and TODO.md:

• desktop automation is resolved by design
• the secure gRPC interface is the superseding trusted integration surface