refactor(mcp-apps): remove show_ui — it can't suppress app rendering

show_ui promised "skip the form and execute directly", but it can't deliver:
the host renders an MCP App for any tool that carries _meta.ui.resourceUri, and
the 2026-01-26 MCP Apps spec has no per-call/per-result way to opt out of
rendering. show_ui only flipped the server's defer decision, so show_ui=false
created the PR/issue up-front yet the host still rendered the app — exactly the
contradiction this work set out to fix. And show_ui is only ever exposed to
clients that support UI, i.e. precisely the clients that always render the app.

Remove it entirely:
- Drop the show_ui schema property, the form-param allowlist entry, and the
  showUI term from the defer predicate in create_pull_request and issue_write.
  The gate is now FF && clientSupportsUI && !_ui_submitted && !hasNonFormParams.
- Delete the now-unused UI-only schema-property strip machinery in
  pkg/inventory (uiOnlySchemaProperties, stripUIOnlySchemaProperties,
  stripSchemaProperties) and the exported ConditionalSchemaPropertyDescriptions,
  which existed solely to surface show_ui to UI-capable clients. _meta.ui
  stripping is untouched.
- Drop the conditional-property annotation from the docs generator.
- Update toolsnaps, generated docs, and tests.

With the up-front-execution Views now rendering the result (success card), the
remaining contract is simple: when MCP Apps are enabled the form is the path,
and the form is only shown while the action is genuinely deferred.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: SamMorrowDrums

cmd/github-mcp-server/generate_docs.go

@@ -265,8 +265,6 @@ func writeToolDoc(buf *strings.Builder, tool inventory.ServerTool) {
 		}
 		sort.Strings(paramNames)
 
-		conditional := inventory.ConditionalSchemaPropertyDescriptions()
-
 		for i, propName := range paramNames {
 			prop := schema.Properties[propName]
 			required := slices.Contains(schema.Required, propName)
@@ -292,11 +290,7 @@ func writeToolDoc(buf *strings.Builder, tool inventory.ServerTool) {
 			// Indent any continuation lines in the description to maintain markdown formatting
 			description := indentMultilineDescription(prop.Description, "    ")
 
-			if cond, isConditional := conditional[propName]; isConditional {
-				fmt.Fprintf(buf, "  - `%s`: %s (%s, %s, conditional — %s)", propName, description, typeStr, requiredStr, cond)
-			} else {
-				fmt.Fprintf(buf, "  - `%s`: %s (%s, %s)", propName, description, typeStr, requiredStr)
-			}
+			fmt.Fprintf(buf, "  - `%s`: %s (%s, %s)", propName, description, typeStr, requiredStr)
 			if i < len(paramNames)-1 {
 				buf.WriteString("\n")
 			}

docs/feature-flags.md

@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ runtime behavior (such as output formatting) won't appear here.
   - `owner`: Repository owner (string, required)
   - `repo`: Repository name (string, required)
   - `reviewers`: GitHub usernames or ORG/team-slug team reviewers to request reviews from (string[], optional)
-  - `show_ui`: Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant. (boolean, optional, conditional — visible when remote_mcp_ui_apps is enabled unless the client explicitly indicates it does not support io.modelcontextprotocol/ui)
   - `title`: PR title (string, required)
 
 - **get_me** - Get my user profile
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ runtime behavior (such as output formatting) won't appear here.
   - `milestone`: Milestone number (number, optional)
   - `owner`: Repository owner (string, required)
   - `repo`: Repository name (string, required)
-  - `show_ui`: Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant. (boolean, optional, conditional — visible when remote_mcp_ui_apps is enabled unless the client explicitly indicates it does not support io.modelcontextprotocol/ui)
   - `state`: New state (string, optional)
   - `state_reason`: Reason for the state change. Ignored unless state is changed. (string, optional)
   - `title`: Issue title (string, optional)

docs/insiders-features.md

@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ The list below is generated from the Go source. It covers tool **inventory and s
   - `owner`: Repository owner (string, required)
   - `repo`: Repository name (string, required)
   - `reviewers`: GitHub usernames or ORG/team-slug team reviewers to request reviews from (string[], optional)
-  - `show_ui`: Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant. (boolean, optional, conditional — visible when remote_mcp_ui_apps is enabled unless the client explicitly indicates it does not support io.modelcontextprotocol/ui)
   - `title`: PR title (string, required)
 
 - **get_me** - Get my user profile
@@ -63,7 +62,6 @@ The list below is generated from the Go source. It covers tool **inventory and s
   - `milestone`: Milestone number (number, optional)
   - `owner`: Repository owner (string, required)
   - `repo`: Repository name (string, required)
-  - `show_ui`: Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant. (boolean, optional, conditional — visible when remote_mcp_ui_apps is enabled unless the client explicitly indicates it does not support io.modelcontextprotocol/ui)
   - `state`: New state (string, optional)
   - `state_reason`: Reason for the state change. Ignored unless state is changed. (string, optional)
   - `title`: Issue title (string, optional)

pkg/github/__toolsnaps__/create_pull_request.snap

@@ -49,10 +49,6 @@
         },
         "type": "array"
       },
-      "show_ui": {
-        "description": "Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant.",
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
       "title": {
         "description": "PR title",
         "type": "string"

pkg/github/__toolsnaps__/issue_write.snap

@@ -96,10 +96,6 @@
         "description": "Repository name",
         "type": "string"
       },
-      "show_ui": {
-        "description": "Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant.",
-        "type": "boolean"
-      },
       "state": {
         "description": "New state",
         "enum": [

pkg/github/issues.go

@@ -1742,7 +1742,6 @@ var issueWriteFormParams = map[string]struct{}{
 	"state":         {},
 	"state_reason":  {},
 	"duplicate_of":  {},
-	"show_ui":       {},
 	"_ui_submitted": {},
 }
 
@@ -1919,17 +1918,6 @@ Options are:
 							Required: []string{"field_name"},
 						},
 					},
-					// show_ui is hidden from clients that do not advertise MCP App
-					// UI support. The strip happens per-request in
-					// inventory.ToolsForRegistration; it is present in the static
-					// schema (and therefore in toolsnaps and the feature-flag /
-					// insiders docs) so the UI-capable surface is fully
-					// documented. It is intentionally not in the main README,
-					// which renders the stripped (non-UI) schema.
-					"show_ui": {
-						Type:        "boolean",
-						Description: "Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant.",
-					},
 				},
 				Required: []string{"method", "owner", "repo"},
 			},
@@ -1952,18 +1940,13 @@ Options are:
 
 			// When MCP Apps are enabled and the client supports UI, route the
 			// call to the interactive form unless:
-			//   - it is itself a form submission (the UI sends _ui_submitted=true),
-			//   - the caller explicitly asked to skip the UI (show_ui=false), or
+			//   - it is itself a form submission (the UI sends _ui_submitted=true), or
 			//   - it carries parameters the form cannot represent (e.g. labels,
 			//     assignees or issue_fields). Those must be applied directly so
 			//     their values aren't silently dropped.
 			uiSubmitted, _ := OptionalParam[bool](args, "_ui_submitted")
-			showUI, err := OptionalBoolParamWithDefault(args, "show_ui", true)
-			if err != nil {
-				return utils.NewToolResultError(err.Error()), nil, nil
-			}
 
-			if deps.IsFeatureEnabled(ctx, MCPAppsFeatureFlag) && clientSupportsUI(ctx, req) && !uiSubmitted && showUI && !issueWriteHasNonFormParams(args) {
+			if deps.IsFeatureEnabled(ctx, MCPAppsFeatureFlag) && clientSupportsUI(ctx, req) && !uiSubmitted && !issueWriteHasNonFormParams(args) {
 				issueNumber := 0
 				if method == "update" {
 					n, numErr := RequiredInt(args, "issue_number")

pkg/github/issues_test.go

@@ -1674,86 +1674,6 @@ func Test_IssueWrite_MCPAppsFeature_UIGate(t *testing.T) {
 			"labels should route through UI form")
 		assert.True(t, result.IsError, "form-routing stub should be marked IsError so agents don't claim success")
 	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=false skips form and executes directly", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui=false is the explicit, model-facing way to opt out of the
-		// form. It must bypass the form even when every other condition would
-		// route the call there (UI capability, MCP Apps flag on, no
-		// _ui_submitted, only form params present).
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"method":  "create",
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test",
-			"show_ui": false,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.NotContains(t, textContent.Text, "interactive form has been shown",
-			"show_ui=false should skip UI form")
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/1",
-			"show_ui=false call should execute directly and return issue URL")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=true returns form message", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui=true is the explicit, redundant-with-the-default way to ask
-		// for the form. It must still route through the form and must not be
-		// treated as a non-form parameter that would trigger the safety-net
-		// bypass.
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"method":  "create",
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test",
-			"show_ui": true,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "interactive form has been shown",
-			"show_ui=true should still route through the form")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=false and _ui_submitted=true executes directly", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// _ui_submitted and show_ui=false are two ways to say "execute
-		// directly". When both are set there must be no conflict — the call
-		// still executes directly.
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"method":        "create",
-			"owner":         "owner",
-			"repo":          "repo",
-			"title":         "Test",
-			"show_ui":       false,
-			"_ui_submitted": true,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/1",
-			"show_ui=false + _ui_submitted should execute directly")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("non-UI client with show_ui=false executes directly (no regression)", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui is irrelevant when the client does not support UI; the call
-		// must execute directly exactly as it does today.
-		request := createMCPRequest(map[string]any{
-			"method":  "create",
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test",
-			"show_ui": false,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/1",
-			"non-UI client should execute directly regardless of show_ui")
-	})
 }
 
 func Test_issueWriteHasNonFormParams(t *testing.T) {
@@ -1766,8 +1686,6 @@ func Test_issueWriteHasNonFormParams(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{name: "no params", args: map[string]any{}, want: false},
 		{name: "only form params", args: map[string]any{"method": "create", "owner": "o", "repo": "r", "title": "t", "body": "b", "issue_number": float64(1), "_ui_submitted": true}, want: false},
-		{name: "show_ui true is a form param", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "show_ui": true}, want: false},
-		{name: "show_ui false is a form param", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "show_ui": false}, want: false},
 		{name: "labels present", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "labels": []any{"bug"}}, want: false},
 		{name: "assignees present", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "assignees": []any{"octocat"}}, want: false},
 		{name: "milestone present", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "milestone": float64(2)}, want: false},

pkg/github/pullrequests.go

@@ -603,7 +603,6 @@ var pullRequestWriteFormParams = map[string]struct{}{
 	"draft":                 {},
 	"maintainer_can_modify": {},
 	"reviewers":             {},
-	"show_ui":               {},
 	"_ui_submitted":         {},
 }
 
@@ -708,17 +707,6 @@ func CreatePullRequest(t translations.TranslationHelperFunc) inventory.ServerToo
 							Type: "string",
 						},
 					},
-					// show_ui is hidden from clients that do not advertise MCP App
-					// UI support. The strip happens per-request in
-					// inventory.ToolsForRegistration; it is present in the static
-					// schema (and therefore in toolsnaps and the feature-flag /
-					// insiders docs) so the UI-capable surface is fully
-					// documented. It is intentionally not in the main README,
-					// which renders the stripped (non-UI) schema.
-					"show_ui": {
-						Type:        "boolean",
-						Description: "Whether to render the MCP App form instead of executing the request immediately. Defaults to true. Set to false to skip the form and execute directly — useful when the user has already confirmed the action and the form would be redundant.",
-					},
 				},
 				Required: []string{"owner", "repo", "title", "head", "base"},
 			},
@@ -736,17 +724,12 @@ func CreatePullRequest(t translations.TranslationHelperFunc) inventory.ServerToo
 
 			// When MCP Apps are enabled and the client supports UI, route the
 			// call to the interactive form unless:
-			//   - it is itself a form submission (the UI sends _ui_submitted=true),
-			//   - the caller explicitly asked to skip the UI (show_ui=false), or
+			//   - it is itself a form submission (the UI sends _ui_submitted=true), or
 			//   - it carries parameters the form cannot represent. Those must be
 			//     applied directly so their values aren't silently dropped.
 			uiSubmitted, _ := OptionalParam[bool](args, "_ui_submitted")
-			showUI, err := OptionalBoolParamWithDefault(args, "show_ui", true)
-			if err != nil {
-				return utils.NewToolResultError(err.Error()), nil, nil
-			}
 
-			if deps.IsFeatureEnabled(ctx, MCPAppsFeatureFlag) && clientSupportsUI(ctx, req) && !uiSubmitted && showUI && !pullRequestWriteHasNonFormParams(args) {
+			if deps.IsFeatureEnabled(ctx, MCPAppsFeatureFlag) && clientSupportsUI(ctx, req) && !uiSubmitted && !pullRequestWriteHasNonFormParams(args) {
 				return utils.NewToolResultAwaitingFormSubmission(fmt.Sprintf(
 					"An interactive form has been shown to the user for creating a new pull request in %s/%s. "+
 						"STOP — do not call any other tools, do not respond as if the pull request was created, "+

pkg/github/pullrequests_test.go

@@ -2686,89 +2686,6 @@ func Test_CreatePullRequest_MCPAppsFeature_UIGate(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/42",
 			"non-form param call should execute directly and return PR URL")
 	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=false skips form and executes directly", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui=false is the explicit, model-facing way to opt out of the
-		// form. It must bypass the form even when every other condition would
-		// route the call there (UI capability, MCP Apps flag on, no
-		// _ui_submitted, only form params present).
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test PR",
-			"head":    "feature",
-			"base":    "main",
-			"show_ui": false,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.NotContains(t, textContent.Text, "interactive form has been shown",
-			"show_ui=false should skip UI form")
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/42",
-			"show_ui=false call should execute directly and return PR URL")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=true returns form message", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui=true must still route through the form and must not be
-		// treated as a non-form parameter that would trigger the safety-net
-		// bypass.
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test PR",
-			"head":    "feature",
-			"base":    "main",
-			"show_ui": true,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "interactive form has been shown",
-			"show_ui=true should still route through the form")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("UI client with show_ui=false and _ui_submitted=true executes directly", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// _ui_submitted and show_ui=false are two ways to say "execute
-		// directly". When both are set there must be no conflict — the call
-		// still executes directly.
-		request := createMCPRequestWithSession(t, ClientNameVSCodeInsiders, true, map[string]any{
-			"owner":         "owner",
-			"repo":          "repo",
-			"title":         "Test PR",
-			"head":          "feature",
-			"base":          "main",
-			"show_ui":       false,
-			"_ui_submitted": true,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/42",
-			"show_ui=false + _ui_submitted should execute directly")
-	})
-
-	t.Run("non-UI client with show_ui=false executes directly (no regression)", func(t *testing.T) {
-		// show_ui is irrelevant when the client does not support UI; the call
-		// must execute directly exactly as it does today.
-		request := createMCPRequest(map[string]any{
-			"owner":   "owner",
-			"repo":    "repo",
-			"title":   "Test PR",
-			"head":    "feature",
-			"base":    "main",
-			"show_ui": false,
-		})
-		result, err := handler(ContextWithDeps(context.Background(), deps), &request)
-		require.NoError(t, err)
-
-		textContent := getTextResult(t, result)
-		assert.Contains(t, textContent.Text, "https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/42",
-			"non-UI client should execute directly regardless of show_ui")
-	})
 }
 
 // Test_UpdatePullRequest_MCPAppsFeature_UIGate verifies the form-routing
@@ -2876,9 +2793,7 @@ func Test_pullRequestWriteHasNonFormParams(t *testing.T) {
 		want bool
 	}{
 		{name: "no params", args: map[string]any{}, want: false},
-		{name: "only form params", args: map[string]any{"owner": "o", "repo": "r", "title": "t", "body": "b", "head": "h", "base": "b", "draft": true, "maintainer_can_modify": false, "reviewers": []any{"octocat"}, "show_ui": true, "_ui_submitted": true}, want: false},
-		{name: "show_ui true is a form param", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "show_ui": true}, want: false},
-		{name: "show_ui false is a form param", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "show_ui": false}, want: false},
+		{name: "only form params", args: map[string]any{"owner": "o", "repo": "r", "title": "t", "body": "b", "head": "h", "base": "b", "draft": true, "maintainer_can_modify": false, "reviewers": []any{"octocat"}, "_ui_submitted": true}, want: false},
 		{name: "unknown param present", args: map[string]any{"title": "t", "unknown_param": "value"}, want: true},
 		{name: "nil value is ignored", args: map[string]any{"reviewers": nil}, want: false},
 	}