docs: add rpc cli smoke runbook

docs/README.md

@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ implementation plans are kept for context, not as active instructions.
 
 - [`wf_cli.md`](wf_cli.md): workflow platform CLI commands, output formats,
   lifecycle flow, and common diagnostics.
+- [`runbooks/rpc-cli-smoke.md`](runbooks/rpc-cli-smoke.md): bounded
+  end-to-end smoke test for `wf-rpc-server` plus remote `wf` CLI.
 
 ## MCP Platform
 

docs/current_roadmap.md

@@ -40,11 +40,13 @@ clear operator feedback before adding more architecture.
 - Completed: `wf draft delete <workspace_id> --confirm` exposes existing draft
   workspace deletion as a safe CLI command. Implementation:
   [`wf draft delete CLI/RPC`](historical/superpowers/plans/2026-06-09-wf-draft-delete-cli-rpc.md).
+- Completed: bounded RPC CLI smoke runbook with cleanup commands:
+  [`RPC CLI smoke runbook`](runbooks/rpc-cli-smoke.md).
 - Next docs/ergonomics cleanup: explain raw MCP content-block envelopes returned
   by `cap call`, and only add a text-unwrapping CLI option if the safe behavior
   is explicitly defined.
-- Future smoke automation: turn the manual RPC CLI smoke sequence into a small
+- Future smoke automation: turn the manual RPC CLI smoke runbook into a small
-  runbook or script once the cleanup commands exist.
+  script once the command sequence stabilizes.
 - Keep status read-only; do not mutate registry, auth, config, or stores.
 
 ## Priority 2: Durable Run/Resume Hardening

docs/runbooks/rpc-cli-smoke.md

@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+# RPC CLI Smoke Runbook
+
+Use this runbook to verify the product path:
+
+```text
+wf CLI -> wf_transport_rpc_http -> wf_server -> wf_api -> wf_core / stores / sources
+```
+
+This is a bounded smoke test, not a load test. Keep outputs compact and avoid
+dumping raw upstream MCP resource payloads into terminal logs or agent context.
+Some MCP servers can return huge base64 image/resource blocks.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Start the server in another terminal:
+
+```bash
+uv run wf-rpc-server --config wf.config.json --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8765
+```
+
+This runbook assumes `wf.config.json` has:
+
+```json
+{
+  "client": {
+    "target": {
+      "kind": "rpc_http",
+      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/rpc"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+You can also keep local config unchanged and pass
+`--url http://127.0.0.1:8765/rpc` on every `wf` command.
+
+## Output Safety Rules
+
+- Prefer `--format compact` or `--format ids` for list commands.
+- Do not call arbitrary resource-heavy MCP capabilities during smoke.
+- Do not inspect or print raw MCP resources unless the URI is known to be small.
+- Keep trace reads bounded with `--limit`.
+- If a command returns a huge `content`/`resource`/base64 field, stop and add a
+  safer CLI output mode before repeating it.
+
+## 1. Server Status
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json status
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- `target.mode` is `remote`.
+- Source/capability counts are nonzero for an MCP-backed server.
+- Errors, if any, are compact CLI errors unless `--verbose` is used.
+
+## 2. Bounded Discovery
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json source list --format compact
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json cap list --source wf.std --format ids
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json cap inspect wf.std.constant
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- `source list` includes `wf.std`.
+- `cap list --source wf.std --format ids` returns bounded identifiers.
+- `cap inspect wf.std.constant` shows the capability contract.
+
+## 3. Direct Capability Call
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json cap call wf.std.constant --input '{"value":"smoke"}'
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- `outcome` is `ok`.
+- Output is small and machine-readable.
+
+Avoid using arbitrary MCP tools here unless their output shape is known. MCP
+content-block envelopes can be large and should not be treated like compact
+workflow output.
+
+## 4. Draft -> Artifact -> Deployment -> Run
+
+Use unique ids so repeated runs do not collide:
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json draft create-from-capability smoke_ws wf.std.constant --name smoke_constant --title "Smoke Constant"
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json draft validate smoke_ws
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json draft save smoke_ws --artifact smoke_artifact --version 1 --title "Smoke Artifact" --outcome ok --binding wf.std=wf.std
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json deploy save smoke_deploy --artifact smoke_artifact --version 1 --binding wf.std=wf.std
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json deploy validate smoke_deploy
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json run start smoke_deploy --input '{"value":"from workflow"}'
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- Draft validation is `valid`.
+- Deployment validation is runnable.
+- Run result has `outcome: "ok"`.
+- Capture the returned `run_id` for the trace step.
+
+## 5. Inspect And Bounded Trace
+
+Replace `run_...` with the id returned by `run start`:
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json run inspect run_...
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json run trace run_... --from 0 --limit 10
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- Inspect returns the run summary and output.
+- Trace returns a bounded number of frames.
+
+## 6. Cleanup
+
+Delete in dependency order: deployment first, then artifact, then draft.
+
+```bash
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json deploy delete smoke_deploy
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json artifact delete smoke_artifact 1 --confirm
+uv run wf --config wf.config.json draft delete smoke_ws --confirm
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+- Deployment delete succeeds.
+- Artifact delete returns `deleted: true`.
+- Draft delete returns `deleted: true`.
+
+If artifact delete returns `deleted: false` with `blocked_by_deployments`, delete
+the listed deployments and retry.

docs/wf_cli.md

@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ wf --url http://127.0.0.1:8765/rpc cap list
 wf --url http://127.0.0.1:8765/rpc admin registry list
 ```
 
+For a bounded end-to-end product check, use the
+[`RPC CLI smoke runbook`](runbooks/rpc-cli-smoke.md). It keeps list/trace output
+small and avoids dumping arbitrary MCP resource payloads.
+
 `--mcp-config` owns the server's workflow stores, MCP connections, and source
 registry. `--store-root` is for the local/static server path and cannot be
 combined with `--mcp-config`.
@@ -176,6 +180,11 @@ target selection as the rest of the CLI and returns a normalized outcome,
 output, source id, and diagnostics. Use it to confirm payload shape and upstream
 source reachability before spending time on a draft workspace.
 
+Be careful with raw MCP capabilities: some tools/resources can return large
+content-block envelopes, including base64 payloads. Prefer known-small smoke
+capabilities such as `wf.std.constant` unless you explicitly need to test a
+specific upstream source.
+
 ## Draft Workspaces
 
 Create a draft from a capability: