A Running Task Column Is Not Proof of Execution

A task board needs a running column. It is useful for workflow: someone has picked up the card, or the team wants to see it in progress. But a board column is a claim about process, not evidence that a process is alive.

That distinction matters in agent systems. A task can remain in running after a runtime session ends. An agent can be active on a task thread while the card still says pending. A human can move a card manually for planning reasons. If a dashboard turns any of those cases into “work is definitely happening,” it reports confidence it has not earned.

APX separates these two questions. The task workflow records the column chosen for an open task. Its execution view asks a different question: what evidence exists now?

One label, several realities

Suppose a task called “Review the authentication flow” sits in running. There are at least four possible realities:

• An agent turn is currently working on the task thread.
• A linked coding-runtime session is still open.
• A linked session already finished or failed.
• Nothing linked is active; the column was moved earlier and never changed.

Only the first two support “working now.” The third supports “execution ended.” The fourth supports “not verified,” not “running successfully.”

This is why APX does not treat the status field as a liveness signal. Its task execution view combines specific evidence: a currently running agent turn, runtime sessions explicitly linked from task comments, and the latest activity such as a comment or session start/end. When no evidence is alive but the workflow column says running, the verdict is not_verified.

That phrase is deliberately less comforting than a green dot. It tells the owner what the system knows without pretending to know more.

Inspect the task before reporting progress

For an agent, the practical rule is simple: use get_task when a title or board column is not enough. The response includes an execution object with separate workflow and runtime information. A useful progress report can then distinguish these cases:

Workflow: running
Execution: working
Evidence: linked runtime session is open

Workflow: running
Execution: not verified
Evidence: no live task turn or linked open session

Workflow: in_review
Execution: ended
Evidence: latest linked session finished

These are not cosmetic wording changes. They lead to different next actions. “Working” may mean wait or inspect the live session. “Not verified” means check the task thread, ask the assignee, or move the card only after learning what happened. “Ended” means read the result and review it; it does not mean automatically close the task.

In particular, a successful process exit is not a business approval. A runtime can exit with code zero after producing a draft, a partial investigation, or a result that needs human review. APX keeps execution evidence separate from task closure so an agent cannot silently turn “command finished” into “work accepted.”

Why the link must be explicit

APX finds a task's relevant runtime sessions through task comments that carry the session identity and path. That is narrower than scanning every agent history. It prevents an unrelated session from making a task look active, and it keeps the evidence attached to the card where a reviewer expects to find it.

The same boundary explains APC's role. APC is the portable project context layer: AGENTS.md, agent definitions, skills, and durable rules travel with the project. APX is the daily-use runtime and tooling layer: it keeps local sessions, task activity, and execution evidence outside that portable contract.

A portable task instruction can say what success requires. Only the runtime can say whether a particular session is still alive.

A better board question

When you see a task in running, do not ask only, “Which column is it in?” Ask, “What evidence says it is running now?”

That small separation produces calmer automation. It avoids duplicate launches for live work, exposes stale cards before they become false reassurance, and leaves approval where it belongs: with a review of the actual result.

A board tracks workflow. Evidence tracks execution. Reliable agent operations need both.