Dibs

A place to offer software ideas to projects and retain credit for them.

Your idea, your credit, their code.

The missing contributor layer for the AI-agent era.

Dibs is a two-sided marketplace that connects ideators — people who call dibs on ideas: great insight, but no time, tooling, or inclination to write code — with hive-managed repositories: projects that use Hive to run coding agents under maintainer-chosen rules.

Ideators post ideas — public or private — in plain language / markdown.
Repos opt in to receive ideas, declaring topics and appetite.
A language model (LLM) matches ideas to repos that want them; both the idea contributor and the receiving project must accept the match.
On mutual acceptance, Dibs hands the ideator a prefilled GitHub issue — they file it themselves, under their own GitHub account, so the issue is natively attributed to them (label ideated). The receiving project can then have its agents work on it under its own review rules. In this default flow Dibs is just the matchmaker: it never files the issue for you.

Ideators are first-class contributors

Open source has always had a quiet contributor class with no outlet: researchers, operators, designers, power users — people who know exactly what a project needs but will never open a pull request. Open source has also always known ideas are contributions — the all-contributors spec has a 💡 "ideas" emoji, and the academic CRediT taxonomy credits "Conceptualization" as a first-class role. Dibs makes that credit real, machine-readable, and public.

Creators get credit. Agents do the work. Projects take the bow.

Every implemented idea traces back to its ideator: the GitHub issue credits the idea's author, the resulting work carries that provenance, and the public credit wall (/api/credits, "Credit wall" in the UI) lists every ideator with a settled idea: a GitHub issue URL has been recorded. This credits the proposal, not proof that its implementation shipped or its issue was closed. Settled ideas appear regardless of their visibility setting: settling a private idea makes its credit facts (author, title/TLDR, target, issue URL, and time) public, but not its body or private detail endpoint.

Try Dibs in your browser

No local installation or Go toolchain is needed. Open dibs.hivecommons.dev to browse the public surface; posting needs a Hive Hub sign-in and filing the issue needs a GitHub account.

Sign in and describe your idea in plain language. Choose public or private deliberately; unsettled private ideas are not included in the public wall.
Review suggested repositories and offer the idea to a suitable project. For Hive-managed targets, both sides accept before issue filing.
Open the prefilled GitHub issue, review it, and file it yourself.
Confirm the resulting issue URL in Dibs. This step is settlement: it records the handoff, not completion of the proposed work. Confirming also publishes the credit facts above, even for an idea marked private.

Non-Hive GitHub targets can skip the receiving-project acceptance step. For settlement and privacy details, see the consumer API. To submit from a coding agent instead, see MCP setup.

Maintainer and developer reference

The following sections cover running Dibs, its API, and local development, not prerequisites for using the hosted site.

Architecture

Single Go binary (cmd/dibs) serving both the JSON API and an embedded static UI, deployed at its own subdomain: dibs.hivecommons.dev. The base path is configurable (DIBS_BASE_PATH), so path-prefixed reverse-proxy deployments also work.

Package	Purpose
`pkg/server`	HTTP server, base-path routing, embedded UI
`pkg/auth`	Auth bridge — validates the hive hub session cookie against the hub
`pkg/store`	Idea model + JSON file store (atomic writes, no external DB), offer/settlement state machine
`pkg/fsutil`	Shared atomic JSON persistence helper (temp file + rename, mode 0600) used by the file stores
`pkg/api`	Idea CRUD + matching/offer/feed/decide/notification API (author-scoped, private ideas never leak)
`pkg/registry`	Hive-managed repo profiles + "accepting ideas" opt-in
`pkg/match`	LLM idea↔repo scoring via litellm gateway, cached TLDRs, "✨ Embellish" draft refinement, deterministic keyword fallback
`pkg/settle`	Settlement — prefilled GitHub new-issue URL the ideator files themselves (`ideated` label, 🐝 Dibs footer, URL-length budget) + issue-URL confirmation; legacy token mode. Ideas can target ANY GitHub repo: non-hive targets skip acceptance and their issues carry a "request a hive" growth CTA
`pkg/notify`	In-app notification feed (bell): matches, offers, decisions, issues
`pkg/mcpserver`	Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint exposing Dibs tools (see Submit ideas from your agent)
`pkg/intake`	Extracts idea text from uploaded documents or transcribed audio
`pkg/game`	Gamification layer — points, levels, badges — recomputed from stored idea state, never a mutable counter
`pkg/catalog`	Builds and searches a separate CNCF project catalog
`pkg/history`	Backfills public GitHub activity for hive-managed repos; persists daily counts for repo index charts
`pkg/indexformula`	Weighted composite behind the repo market index
`pkg/news`	Turns recent merged PRs into repo news cards
`pkg/deps`	Single place declaring the subsystem dependencies the HTTP server, JSON API, and MCP endpoint are wired with

Configuration

Env var	Default	Meaning
`DIBS_BASE_PATH`	`/`	Base path every route/asset is served under (set e.g. `/ideas` for path-prefixed proxying)
`DIBS_ADDR`	`:8080`	Listen address
`DIBS_METRICS_ADDR`	(unset)	Internal Prometheus `/metrics` listener (e.g. `:9090`); unset keeps it off. See `deploy/`
`HUB_URL`	`https://hive.hivecommons.dev`	Hive hub for session validation & repo sync
`DATA_DIR`	`/data`	JSON store directory
`REPOS_SEED_FILE`	(unset)	Static JSON seed of repo profiles for dev/demo
`DIBS_LLM_BASE_URL`	(unset)	OpenAI-compatible gateway (hive litellm), e.g. `http://litellm:4000/v1`. Unset → deterministic keyword matcher
`DIBS_LLM_API_KEY`	(unset)	Bearer token for the LLM gateway
`DIBS_LLM_MODEL`	`gpt-4o-mini`	Model name routed by the gateway
`DIBS_GITHUB_TOKEN`	(unset)	Legacy mode only for issue creation: when set, Dibs opens the credited issue server-side on accept. Unset (default), the ideator files a prefilled GitHub issue themselves — native attribution. Also used, when present, to authenticate the GitHub lookup that verifies a confirmed issue URL (anonymous otherwise)
`DIBS_ADMINS`	(unset)	Comma-separated, case-insensitive GitHub logins granted admin access (idea-moderation endpoints)
`DIBS_CLANKER_MARKERS`	`hive: agent=,kubestellar-hive[bot]`	Comma-separated, case-insensitive markers matched against PR branch/labels/body/author to classify agent activity
`DIBS_INTAKE_MAX_MB`	`25`	Max upload size (MB) accepted for idea-intake file uploads
`DIBS_STT_URL`	(unset)	Speech-to-text gateway URL; when set, enables voice/audio idea submission
`DIBS_STT_KEY`	(unset)	API key for the STT gateway
`DIBS_STT_MODEL`	(unset)	Model name routed by the STT gateway

Legacy IDEATE_* names (the pre-rename prefix) are still honored as fallbacks for every DIBS_* variable.

Roadmap

See ROADMAP.md for what is planned next. Delivery history:

Wave 1 (done): scaffold, hub auth bridge, idea CRUD, repo registry.
Wave 2 (done): LLM matching + TLDRs, swipe UX ("offer" / "pass"), issue settlement (credited GitHub issues), notifications.
Wave 3 (done): deployment (GHCR image + deploy/ manifests for dibs.hivecommons.dev), public landing page, public credit wall, ideator profile stats.
Wave 4 (done): matchmaker settlement — the ideator files a prefilled GitHub issue themselves (native attribution, ideated label) and confirms the issue URL; LLM-assisted idea refinement on posting and repo-tailored expansion on submission; token-based settlement demoted to legacy.
Later: cookie-domain/hub-OAuth session sharing, non-hive receptor repos, idea economics.

Deployment

Every push to main publishes ghcr.io/hivecommons/dibs (latest + commit sha) via .github/workflows/docker.yml; the image is distroless and runs as non-root. Plain Kubernetes manifests for dibs.hivecommons.dev (Deployment, Service, cert-manager TLS Ingress, PVC, ConfigMap/Secret) live in deploy/, including the required DNS record and hub-cookie prerequisites.

Public surface (no sign-in required)

Route	Purpose
`GET /`	Landing page (pitch + sign-in) — signed-in users get the full app
`GET /api/credits`	Credit wall data: settled ideas only (handle, title, TLDR, repo, issue URL)
`GET /api/leaderboard`	Aggregate ideator scores/levels/badges
`GET /api/ticker`	Public idea ticker tape for the logged-out landing page
`GET /api/board`	Live-markets board shown on the logged-out landing page
`GET /api/stats`	Aggregate, non-identifying counts
`GET /api/repos/{org}/{repo}/index`	Repo value-index chart series
`GET /api/repos/{org}/{repo}/news`	Repo news feed
`GET /api/repos/{org}/{repo}/qr.png`	Repo QR code
`GET /healthz`	Liveness check + embedded git version
`GET /readyz`	Readiness check — verifies the data store is accessible/writable

Everything else requires a hive hub session; signed-in ideators additionally get GET /api/me/stats (ideas posted / offered / accepted / settled).

For response schemas, eligibility/privacy rules, settlement actions, rewards, and stability levels, see the credit-wall consumer API.

Submit ideas from your agent

Dibs exposes a stateless Streamable HTTP MCP endpoint at https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp, so Claude Code, Copilot CLI, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Codex, and other MCP clients can submit ideas without leaving the agent.

Dibs is listed in the official MCP Registry as dev.hivecommons/dibs (registry entry). Search for that full name: a plain dibs search also returns unrelated servers with the same name, including the 1stDibs marketplace and other coding-agent tools called dibs. How the listing is published is covered in MCP Registry publishing.

Available tools:

Tool	Auth	Purpose
`submit_idea(title, description, tags?)`	Required	Creates a private draft idea owned by you and returns its id and API URL
`list_my_ideas()`	Required	Lists your ideas with lifecycle phase/status
`get_idea(id)`	Optional for public ideas; required for private ideas (author, or owner of a repo holding a pending or accepted offer)	Shows detail, matches, offers, and settlement state
`list_repos()`	Not required	Lists registered repo venues

Token

Use Authorization: Bearer <token>. Dibs first asks the Hive Hub /api/saas/whoami endpoint to verify the bearer token server-to-server; the hub already accepts GitHub bearer tokens for registered hub users. If that is not practical, copy the raw hive_hub_user cookie value from your browser after signing in at https://hive.hivecommons.dev; Dibs falls back to verifying that value through the same hub whoami cookie flow used by the web UI.

In Chrome/Edge: open DevTools → Application → Cookies → https://hive.hivecommons.dev (or https://dibs.hivecommons.dev) → copy the hive_hub_user value.

Claude Code

claude mcp add --transport http dibs https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <your-token-or-hive_hub_user-cookie-value>"

Claude Desktop and ChatGPT connectors

Both accept a remote MCP server over Streamable HTTP, so the same endpoint works without a local process.

Claude Desktop: Settings -> Connectors -> Add custom connector, with the URL https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp. Where the connector UI allows a custom header, set Authorization: Bearer <token>; the read-only tools work without one, and submit_idea needs it.

ChatGPT: Settings -> Connectors -> Add custom connector (available on plans where custom MCP connectors are enabled), using the same URL and header.

GitHub Copilot CLI and VS Code

Copilot CLI has a one-line command to add a remote MCP server:

copilot mcp add --transport http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <your-token-or-hive_hub_user-cookie-value>" \
  dibs https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp

This writes to ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json using the same mcpServers / type: "http" shape as the Generic MCP JSON block below.

VS Code reads ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json (shared with Copilot CLI) and workspace .mcp.json files. Both use the same mcpServers format. For more details, see the Copilot CLI documentation and VS Code MCP server documentation.

Cursor

Cursor reads MCP configuration from ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project-level). Use the mcpServers format with url and headers:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dibs": {
      "url": "https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:DIBS_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor supports ${env:NAME} interpolation in headers, so you can set DIBS_TOKEN as an environment variable rather than storing it in the file. For details, see the Cursor MCP documentation.

Gemini CLI

gemini mcp add --scope user --transport http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <your-token-or-hive_hub_user-cookie-value>" \
  dibs https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp

This adds the server to ~/.gemini/settings.json; drop --scope user to add it to the project's .gemini/settings.json instead. For details, see the Gemini CLI MCP documentation.

Codex

Codex (CLI and IDE extension) reads MCP servers from ~/.codex/config.toml. bearer_token_env_var keeps the token out of the file and sends it as Authorization: Bearer <token>:

[mcp_servers.dibs]
url = "https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp"
bearer_token_env_var = "DIBS_TOKEN"

Then export DIBS_TOKEN=<your-token-or-hive_hub_user-cookie-value> before starting Codex. For details, see the Codex MCP documentation.

Generic MCP JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "dibs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://dibs.hivecommons.dev/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <your-token-or-hive_hub_user-cookie-value>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Recall ideas you never acted on

Dibs ships an MCP prompt, recall_ideas, for the ideas that never made it to a form: the ones mentioned in passing and forgotten. Dibs cannot find those itself - only the assistant holding your history can - so the prompt asks it to.

It instructs the assistant to search its memory and your past conversations for product ideas, feature wishes, requirements and specs you described but never acted on, report each with enough context to act on, and then ask which ones to list. It submits only what you pick.

Argument	Purpose
`scope`	Optional focus - a project, a repo, a period like "the last year". Omit to search everything available.
`limit`	Maximum candidates to report. Defaults to 10, capped at 50.

In Claude Code and Claude Desktop the prompt appears as a slash command once the connector is added. Clients that do not surface prompts in their UI can still call prompts/get directly.

Operations and further reading

MCP Registry publishing: listing manifest and operator steps for DNS authentication, publication, and verification.
Runbooks: incident response, release rollback, data recovery, SLOs, and a postmortem template.
CONTRIBUTING.md: DCO sign-off, CI requirements, and code conventions.
Idea intake trust and abuse controls: a proposed design, not yet implemented.

Development

Requires Git and Go 1.27 or newer. Clone https://github.com/hivecommons/dibs.git, then run these commands from the checkout's top-level dibs folder. For authenticated local use, follow Running locally with sign-in; fakehub is for development only, not a production authentication service.

go test -race -count=1 ./...
go run ./cmd/dibs            # serves on :8080 at /
go build -o dibs ./cmd/dibs  # builds the binary (plain `go build ./...` writes none)
./dibs --version             # prints the embedded commit

Running locally with sign-in

Every route except the public surface needs a hive hub session. For local work, hack/fakehub is a dev-only stand-in for the hub: it accepts any non-empty hive_hub_user cookie as that user and serves a small static repo list. Run it in one terminal, then point Dibs at it in another:

go run ./hack/fakehub        # listens on :9999 (override with FAKEHUB_ADDR)
HUB_URL=http://127.0.0.1:9999 DATA_DIR=./data go run ./cmd/dibs
curl -H 'Cookie: hive_hub_user=dev' http://127.0.0.1:8080/api/me

To load richer repo profiles than fakehub's two entries, also set REPOS_SEED_FILE=hack/seed-repos.example.json.

Smoke-testing the container image

docker build only proves the image compiles. hack/smoke.sh runs it the way deploy/deployment.yaml does (uid 65532, read-only root filesystem, only /data writable, all capabilities dropped) and checks --version is stamped, /healthz and /readyz answer 200, the landing page serves with HUB_URL substituted and the security headers set, the auth wall answers 401/502 around the public API, /metrics exposes the dibs_* series the alerts query (labelled by the route groups just exercised), and SIGTERM drains to exit 0:

docker build --build-arg GIT_HASH="$(git rev-parse HEAD)" -t dibs:smoke .
hack/smoke.sh dibs:smoke "$(git rev-parse HEAD)"

Contributing & Community

Dibs is part of Hive Commons, a family of tools for working with AI agents.

Want to contribute? See CONTRIBUTING.md for DCO sign-off, the CI and coverage gates, and code conventions.
Found a bug? Open a bug report. Have an idea for Dibs itself? Open a feature request.
Reporting a security vulnerability? Follow SECURITY.md to report it privately, not through public issues.
Questions? Join the Hive Commons Discord.
Please follow the Hive Commons Code of Conduct.

License

Apache-2.0 — see LICENSE.

Handshake icon: Twemoji, CC-BY 4.0.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.github		.github
cmd/dibs		cmd/dibs
deploy		deploy
docs		docs
hack		hack
pkg		pkg
runbooks		runbooks
.gitignore		.gitignore
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
LICENSE		LICENSE
OWNERS		OWNERS
README.md		README.md
ROADMAP.md		ROADMAP.md
SECURITY.md		SECURITY.md
go.mod		go.mod
go.sum		go.sum
server.json		server.json

Navigation Menu

Repository navigation

About

Repository files navigation

Dibs

Ideators are first-class contributors

Try Dibs in your browser

Maintainer and developer reference

Architecture

Configuration

Roadmap

Deployment

Public surface (no sign-in required)

Submit ideas from your agent

Token

Claude Code

Claude Desktop and ChatGPT connectors

GitHub Copilot CLI and VS Code

Cursor

Gemini CLI

Codex

Generic MCP JSON

Recall ideas you never acted on

Operations and further reading

Development

Running locally with sign-in

Smoke-testing the container image

Contributing & Community

License

About

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages

Latest commit

History

Folders and files

Repository files navigation

Dibs

Ideators are first-class contributors

Try Dibs in your browser

Maintainer and developer reference

Architecture

Configuration

Roadmap

Deployment

Public surface (no sign-in required)

Submit ideas from your agent

Token

Claude Code

Claude Desktop and ChatGPT connectors

GitHub Copilot CLI and VS Code

Cursor

Gemini CLI

Codex

Generic MCP JSON

Recall ideas you never acted on

Operations and further reading

Development

Running locally with sign-in

Smoke-testing the container image

Contributing & Community

License

About

Topics

Resources

Code of conduct

Contributing

Security policy

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

Packages

Contributors

Languages