feat(cli): show session titles in status bars

cli.py

@@ -5271,6 +5271,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
             "model_name": model_name,
             "model_short": model_short,
             "duration": format_duration_compact(elapsed_seconds),
+            "session_title": self._get_status_bar_session_title(),
             "prompt_elapsed": self._format_prompt_elapsed(
                 getattr(self, "_prompt_start_time", None),
                 getattr(self, "_prompt_duration", 0.0),
@@ -5407,6 +5408,34 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
 
         return snapshot
 
+    def _get_status_bar_session_title(self) -> str:
+        """Return the current title without polling state.db on every repaint."""
+        pending = str(getattr(self, "_pending_title", None) or "").strip()
+        session_id = str(getattr(self, "session_id", "") or "")
+        if pending:
+            self._status_bar_title_session_id = session_id
+            self._status_bar_title_cache = pending
+            self._status_bar_title_checked_at = time.monotonic()
+            return pending
+
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        cached_session_id = getattr(self, "_status_bar_title_session_id", None)
+        checked_at = float(getattr(self, "_status_bar_title_checked_at", 0.0) or 0.0)
+        if cached_session_id == session_id and now - checked_at < 1.5:
+            return str(getattr(self, "_status_bar_title_cache", "") or "")
+
+        title = ""
+        db = getattr(self, "_session_db", None)
+        if db is not None and session_id:
+            try:
+                title = str(db.get_session_title(session_id) or "").strip()
+            except Exception:
+                title = ""
+        self._status_bar_title_session_id = session_id
+        self._status_bar_title_cache = title
+        self._status_bar_title_checked_at = now
+        return title
+
     @staticmethod
     def _status_bar_display_width(text: str) -> int:
         """Return terminal cell width for status-bar text.
@@ -5450,6 +5479,57 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
             width += ch_width
         return "".join(out).rstrip() + ellipsis
 
+    @classmethod
+    def _right_align_status_title(cls, text: str, title: str, width: int) -> str:
+        """Pin a bounded session-title badge to the far-right status-bar edge."""
+        title = str(title or "").strip()
+        if not title or width < 24:
+            return cls._trim_status_bar_text(text, width)
+
+        title_width = max(6, min(30, width // 3))
+        badge = f" {cls._trim_status_bar_text(title, title_width - 2)} "
+        suffix = f" ─{badge}"
+        left_width = max(0, width - cls._status_bar_display_width(suffix))
+        left = cls._trim_status_bar_text(text.rstrip(), left_width)
+        padding = " " * max(0, left_width - cls._status_bar_display_width(left))
+        return f"{left}{padding}{suffix}"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _right_align_status_title_fragments(cls, frags, title: str, width: int):
+        """Styled counterpart to :meth:`_right_align_status_title`."""
+        title = str(title or "").strip()
+        if not title or width < 24:
+            return frags
+
+        title_width = max(6, min(30, width // 3))
+        badge = f" {cls._trim_status_bar_text(title, title_width - 2)} "
+        suffix_width = cls._status_bar_display_width(" ─") + cls._status_bar_display_width(badge)
+        left_width = max(0, width - suffix_width)
+        trimmed = []
+        used = 0
+        for style, value in frags:
+            remaining = left_width - used
+            if remaining <= 0:
+                break
+            value_width = cls._status_bar_display_width(value)
+            if value_width <= remaining:
+                trimmed.append((style, value))
+                used += value_width
+                continue
+            clipped = cls._trim_status_bar_text(value, remaining)
+            if clipped:
+                trimmed.append((style, clipped))
+                used += cls._status_bar_display_width(clipped)
+            break
+
+        if used < left_width:
+            trimmed.append(("class:status-bar-dim", " " * (left_width - used)))
+        trimmed.extend([
+            ("class:status-bar-dim", " ─"),
+            ("class:status-bar-session-title", badge),
+        ])
+        return trimmed
+
     @staticmethod
     def _get_tui_terminal_width(default: tuple[int, int] = (80, 24)) -> int:
         """Return the live prompt_toolkit width, falling back to ``shutil``.
@@ -5934,6 +6014,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
             battery_label = snapshot.get("battery_label") or ""
             battery_prefix = f"{battery_label} │ " if battery_label else ""
             focus_label = snapshot.get("focus_label") or ""
+            session_title = snapshot.get("session_title") or ""
 
             yolo_active = self._is_session_yolo_active()
             goal_segment = self._status_bar_goal_segment(snapshot)
@@ -5945,7 +6026,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                     text += f" · {focus_label}"
                 if yolo_active:
                     text += " · ⚠ YOLO"
-                return self._trim_status_bar_text(text, width)
+                return self._right_align_status_title(text, session_title, width)
             if width < 76:
                 parts = [f"⚕ {snapshot['model_short']}", percent_label]
                 if battery_label:
@@ -5969,7 +6050,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                     parts.append(focus_label)
                 if yolo_active:
                     parts.append("⚠ YOLO")
-                return self._trim_status_bar_text(" · ".join(parts), width)
+                return self._right_align_status_title(" · ".join(parts), session_title, width)
 
             if snapshot["context_length"]:
                 ctx_total = _format_context_length(snapshot["context_length"])
@@ -6006,7 +6087,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                 parts.append(focus_label)
             if yolo_active:
                 parts.append("⚠ YOLO")
-            return self._trim_status_bar_text(" │ ".join(parts), width)
+            return self._right_align_status_title(" │ ".join(parts), session_title, width)
         except Exception:
             return f"⚕ {self.model if getattr(self, 'model', None) else 'Hermes'}"
 
@@ -6027,6 +6108,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
             battery_label = snapshot.get("battery_label") or ""
             battery_style = self._battery_status_style(snapshot.get("battery_category", "dim"))
             focus_label = snapshot.get("focus_label") or ""
+            session_title = snapshot.get("session_title") or ""
 
             if width < 52:
                 frags = [
@@ -6177,6 +6259,8 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                     ("class:status-bar-dim", " │"),
                 ]
 
+            frags = self._right_align_status_title_fragments(frags, session_title, width)
+
             total_width = sum(self._status_bar_display_width(text) for _, text in frags)
             if total_width > width:
                 plain_text = "".join(text for _, text in frags)
@@ -8297,6 +8381,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                         try:
                             self._session_db.set_session_title(self.session_id, sanitized)
                             self._pending_title = None
+                            self._status_bar_title_checked_at = 0.0
                             title = sanitized
                         except ValueError as e:
                             _cprint(f"  {e} — session started untitled.")
@@ -10015,6 +10100,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
                             # Session exists in DB — set title directly
                             try:
                                 if self._session_db.set_session_title(self.session_id, new_title):
+                                    self._status_bar_title_checked_at = 0.0
                                     _cprint(f"  Session title set: {new_title}")
                                 else:
                                     _cprint("  Session not found in database.")
@@ -17224,6 +17310,7 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMixin, CLIBillingMixin):
             'status-bar-bad': 'bg:#1a1a2e #FF8C00 bold',
             'status-bar-critical': 'bg:#1a1a2e #FF6B6B bold',
             'status-bar-yolo': 'bg:#1a1a2e #FF4444 bold',
+            'status-bar-session-title': 'bg:#FFD700 #1a1a2e bold',
             # Bronze horizontal rules around the input area
             'input-rule': '#CD7F32',
             # Clipboard image attachment badges

tests/cli/test_cli_status_bar.py

@@ -54,6 +54,26 @@ def _attach_agent(
 
 
 class TestCLIStatusBar:
+    def test_session_title_is_right_aligned_after_it_is_queued(self):
+        cli_obj = _make_cli()
+        cli_obj._pending_title = "weekly-digest"
+
+        text = cli_obj._build_status_bar_text(width=80)
+
+        assert text.endswith(" weekly-digest ")
+        assert cli_obj._status_bar_display_width(text) == 80
+
+    def test_snapshot_refreshes_persisted_session_title(self):
+        cli_obj = _make_cli()
+        cli_obj.session_id = "session-1"
+        cli_obj._session_db = SimpleNamespace(  # type: ignore[assignment]
+            get_session_title=lambda sid: "user-profiles" if sid == "session-1" else None
+        )
+
+        snapshot = cli_obj._get_status_bar_snapshot()
+
+        assert snapshot["session_title"] == "user-profiles"
+
     def test_context_style_thresholds(self):
         cli_obj = _make_cli()
 
@@ -262,6 +282,19 @@ class TestStatusBarWidthSource:
                 f"({total_text!r})"
             )
 
+    def test_fragments_put_session_title_at_far_right(self):
+        cli_obj = self._make_wide_cli()
+        cli_obj._pending_title = "weekly-digest"
+        mock_app = MagicMock()
+        mock_app.output.get_size.return_value = MagicMock(columns=100)
+
+        with patch("prompt_toolkit.application.get_app", return_value=mock_app):
+            frags = cli_obj._get_status_bar_fragments()
+
+        text = "".join(value for _, value in frags)
+        assert text.endswith(" weekly-digest ")
+        assert cli_obj._status_bar_display_width(text) == 100
+
     def test_fragments_use_pt_width_over_shutil(self):
         """When prompt_toolkit reports a width, shutil.get_terminal_size must not be used."""
         from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch

ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeBlockedTimers.test.tsx

@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ const layoutProps: AppLayoutProps = {
     goodVibesTick: 0,
     lastTurnEndedAt: T0 - 5_000,
     sessionStartedAt: T0 - 60_000,
+    sessionTitle: '',
     showStickyPrompt: false,
     statusColor: DEFAULT_THEME.color.ok,
     stickyPrompt: '',

ui-tui/src/__tests__/appChromeStatusRule.test.tsx

@@ -104,6 +104,22 @@ const baseProps = {
   voiceLabel: ''
 }
 
+describe('StatusRule session title', () => {
+  it('pins the named session at the far-right edge instead of the cwd label', () => {
+    const element = StatusRule({
+      ...baseProps,
+      sessionTitle: 'weekly-digest'
+    })
+
+    const rendered = textContent(element)
+    const title = findElementWithText(element, 'weekly-digest')
+
+    expect(rendered).toContain('weekly-digest')
+    expect(rendered).not.toContain('~/repo')
+    expect(title?.props.backgroundColor).toBe(DEFAULT_THEME.color.accent)
+  })
+})
+
 describe('StatusRule background-subagent indicator', () => {
   it('renders ⛓ N on a wide terminal when subagents are running', () => {
     const element = StatusRule({

ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts

@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ export interface AppLayoutStatusProps {
   goodVibesTick: number
   lastTurnEndedAt: null | number
   sessionStartedAt: null | number
+  sessionTitle: string
   showStickyPrompt: boolean
   statusColor: string
   stickyPrompt: string

ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/core.ts

@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ export const coreCommands: SlashCommand[] = [
           ctx.guarded<SessionTitleResponse>(r => {
             const next = (r?.title ?? title).trim()
             const suffix = r?.pending ? ' (queued while session initializes)' : ''
+            patchUiState({ sessionTitle: next })
             ctx.transcript.sys(`session title set: ${next}${suffix}`)
           })
         )

ui-tui/src/app/useMainApp.ts

@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!ui.sid) {
-      patchUiState({ liveSessionCount: 0 })
+      patchUiState({ liveSessionCount: 0, sessionTitle: '' })
 
       return
     }
@@ -1171,6 +1171,7 @@ export function useMainApp(gw: GatewayClient) {
       goodVibesTick,
       lastTurnEndedAt: ui.sid ? lastTurnEndedAt : null,
       sessionStartedAt: ui.sid ? sessionStartedAt : null,
+      sessionTitle: ui.sid ? ui.sessionTitle : '',
       showStickyPrompt: !!stickyPrompt,
       statusColor: statusColorOf(ui.status, ui.theme.color),
       stickyPrompt,

ui-tui/src/app/useSessionLifecycle.ts

@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ export function useSessionLifecycle(opts: UseSessionLifecycleOptions) {
 
             const nextTitle = (result.title ?? requestedTitle).trim()
             const suffix = result.pending ? ' (queued while session initializes)' : ''
+            patchUiState({ sessionTitle: nextTitle })
             sys(`session title set: ${nextTitle}${suffix}`)
           })
           .catch((err: unknown) => {

ui-tui/src/components/appChrome.tsx

@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ export function StatusRule({
   bgCount,
   lastTurnEndedAt,
   liveSessionCount,
+  sessionTitle,
   sessionStartedAt,
   turnStartedAt,
   voiceLabel,
@@ -540,7 +541,8 @@ export function StatusRule({
     stringWidth(modelText) +
     (ctxLabel ? stringWidth(' │ ') + stringWidth(ctxLabel) : 0)
 
-  const { leftWidth, rightWidth, separatorWidth } = statusRuleWidths(cols, cwdLabel, essentialWidth)
+  const rightLabel = sessionTitle ? ` ${sessionTitle} ` : cwdLabel
+  const { leftWidth, rightWidth, separatorWidth } = statusRuleWidths(cols, rightLabel, essentialWidth)
 
   // Whole-segment progressive disclosure for the tail: a segment renders only
   // if it fits in the space left after the pinned essentials, evaluated in
@@ -748,8 +750,13 @@ export function StatusRule({
         <>
           <Text color={t.color.border}>{separatorWidth >= 3 ? ' ─ ' : ' '}</Text>
           <Box flexShrink={0} width={rightWidth}>
-            <Text color={t.color.label} wrap="truncate-end">
-              {cwdLabel}
+            <Text
+              backgroundColor={sessionTitle ? t.color.accent : undefined}
+              bold={!!sessionTitle}
+              color={sessionTitle ? t.color.statusFg : t.color.label}
+              wrap="truncate-end"
+            >
+              {rightLabel}
             </Text>
           </Box>
         </>
@@ -868,6 +875,7 @@ interface StatusRuleProps {
   indicatorStyle?: IndicatorStyle
   notice?: Notice | null
   sessionStartedAt?: null | number
+  sessionTitle?: string
   status: string
   statusColor: string
   t: Theme

ui-tui/src/components/appLayout.tsx

@@ -502,6 +502,7 @@ const StatusRulePane = memo(function StatusRulePane({
         notice={ui.notice}
         onSessionCountClick={() => patchOverlayState({ sessions: true })}
         sessionStartedAt={status.sessionStartedAt}
+        sessionTitle={status.sessionTitle}
         status={ui.status}
         statusColor={status.statusColor}
         t={ui.theme}

website/docs/user-guide/cli.md

@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ A persistent status bar sits above the input area, updating in real time:
 | 🗜️ N | **Context compression count** — how many times the running session has been auto-compressed. Appears once the first compression fires. |
 | ▶ N | **Active background tasks** — how many `/background` prompts are still running in the current session. Appears whenever at least one task is in flight. |
 | Duration | Elapsed session time |
+| Session title | Once the session has a title, it appears as a gold badge pinned to the far-right edge. Long titles truncate before displacing the essential model and context fields. |
 | ⚠ YOLO | **YOLO mode warning** — shown whenever `HERMES_YOLO_MODE` is on (either `hermes --yolo` at launch or `/yolo` toggled mid-session). Mirrors the banner-line warning so you can't forget you're in auto-approve mode. |
 
 The bar adapts to terminal width — full layout at ≥ 76 columns, compact at 52–75, minimal (model + duration, plus the YOLO badge when active) below 52.

website/docs/user-guide/tui.md

@@ -199,6 +199,8 @@ Unset the variable or pass `--resume <id>` explicitly to override on a per-launc
 
 The TUI's status line tracks agent state in real time:
 
+After a session is named, its title appears as an accent-colored badge at the far-right edge of the status line. The title takes the workspace label's place and truncates on narrow terminals.
+
 | Status | Meaning |
 |--------|---------|
 | `starting agent…` | Session ID is live; tools and skills still coming online. You can type — messages queue and send when ready. |