fix(search): exclude retracted claims and archived pages

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ All notable changes to vouch are documented here. Format follows
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- **`kb.search` excludes retracted claims and archived pages** (#581):
+  `search_kb` now drops `ARCHIVED` / `SUPERSEDED` / `REDACTED` claims and
+  `ARCHIVED` pages the same way `kb.context` already does, so lifecycle
+  controls are not decorative on the detail-search surface. backends
+  over-fetch a candidate pool before that filter so retracted top-hits
+  cannot starve the requested result limit.
 - **bench grading saw highlight markup**: retrieval wraps query-matched
   terms in guillemets, which broke the bench's substring checks exactly
   on query-relevant claims — expected values read as missing (deflating

src/vouch/context.py

@@ -22,7 +22,13 @@
 from . import graph, hot_memory, index_db, retrieval_events
 from . import strategy as strategy_mod
 from .embeddings.fusion import rrf_fuse
-from .models import ClaimStatus, ContextItem, ContextPack, ContextQuality
+from .models import (
+    ClaimStatus,
+    ContextItem,
+    ContextPack,
+    ContextQuality,
+    PageStatus,
+)
 from .scoping import (
     ViewerContext,
     filter_hits,
@@ -51,6 +57,12 @@
 _STRATEGY_POOL_FACTOR = 5
 _STRATEGY_POOL_MIN = 50
 
+# same sizing for kb.search lifecycle filtering: backends cap before status
+# filtering, so without over-fetch a window full of retracted hits under-fills
+# the requested limit (#581 / coderabbit).
+_LIFECYCLE_POOL_FACTOR = _STRATEGY_POOL_FACTOR
+_LIFECYCLE_POOL_MIN = _STRATEGY_POOL_MIN
+
 _VALID_BACKENDS = ("auto", "hybrid", "embedding", "fts5", "substring")
 _RERANKER_CACHE: Any | None = None
 
@@ -469,6 +481,11 @@ def search_kb(
         agent=agent,
     )
     fetch_limit = scoped_fetch_limit(limit, viewer)
+    # over-fetch before lifecycle filtering so retracted/archived hits that
+    # consume the backend window can be replaced by later live candidates.
+    candidate_limit = max(
+        fetch_limit * _LIFECYCLE_POOL_FACTOR, _LIFECYCLE_POOL_MIN,
+    )
     hits: list[tuple[str, str, str, float]] = []
     used = backend_arg
 
@@ -481,42 +498,45 @@ def search_kb(
 
     if backend_arg in ("auto", "hybrid"):
         emb = index_db.search_semantic(
-            store.kb_dir, query, limit=fetch_limit * 2, min_score=min_score,
+            store.kb_dir, query, limit=candidate_limit * 2, min_score=min_score,
         )
         try:
-            fts = index_db.search(store.kb_dir, query, limit=fetch_limit * 2)
+            fts = index_db.search(store.kb_dir, query, limit=candidate_limit * 2)
         except sqlite3.Error:
             fts = []
-        hits = rrf_fuse(emb, fts, limit=fetch_limit)
+        hits = rrf_fuse(emb, fts, limit=candidate_limit)
         if emb and fts:
             used = "hybrid"
         elif emb:
             used = "embedding"
         elif fts:
             used = "fts5"
         if not hits and backend_arg == "auto":
-            hits = store.search_substring(query, limit=fetch_limit)
+            hits = store.search_substring(query, limit=candidate_limit)
             used = "substring"
     elif backend_arg == "embedding":
         hits = index_db.search_semantic(
-            store.kb_dir, query, limit=fetch_limit, min_score=min_score,
+            store.kb_dir, query, limit=candidate_limit, min_score=min_score,
         )
         used = "embedding"
     elif backend_arg == "fts5":
         try:
-            hits = index_db.search(store.kb_dir, query, limit=fetch_limit)
+            hits = index_db.search(store.kb_dir, query, limit=candidate_limit)
         except sqlite3.Error:
             hits = []
         used = "fts5"
     else:  # substring
-        hits = store.search_substring(query, limit=fetch_limit)
+        hits = store.search_substring(query, limit=candidate_limit)
         used = "substring"
 
     semantic_ok = index_db.semantic_search_available()
-    scoped = filter_hits(store, hits, viewer, limit=limit)
+    # scope first without a limit so status filtering can refill the window —
+    # otherwise a page of retracted hits would leave search under-filled.
+    scoped = filter_hits(store, hits, viewer, limit=None)
+    live = _filter_live_hits(store, scoped, limit=limit)
     hits_list = [
         {"kind": k, "id": i, "snippet": sn, "score": sc, "backend": used}
-        for k, i, sn, sc in scoped
+        for k, i, sn, sc in live
     ]
     result: dict[str, Any] = {
         "backend": used,
@@ -541,6 +561,40 @@ def search_kb(
     )
 
 
+def _filter_live_hits(
+    store: KBStore,
+    hits: list[tuple[str, str, str, float]],
+    *,
+    limit: int | None = None,
+) -> list[tuple[str, str, str, float]]:
+    """Drop retracted claims and archived pages from search hits.
+
+    ``kb.context`` already applies ``_RETRACTED_CLAIM_STATUSES``; ``kb.search``
+    must do the same or archive/supersede/redact become decorative on the
+    surface agents use for detail after recall (#581).
+    """
+    kept: list[tuple[str, str, str, float]] = []
+    for kind, artifact_id, summary, score in hits:
+        if kind == "claim":
+            try:
+                claim = store.get_claim(artifact_id)
+            except ArtifactNotFoundError:
+                continue
+            if claim.status in _RETRACTED_CLAIM_STATUSES:
+                continue
+        elif kind == "page":
+            try:
+                page = store.get_page(artifact_id)
+            except ArtifactNotFoundError:
+                continue
+            if page.status is PageStatus.ARCHIVED:
+                continue
+        kept.append((kind, artifact_id, summary, score))
+        if limit is not None and len(kept) >= limit:
+            break
+    return kept
+
+
 def _enrich_summary(store: KBStore, kind: str, artifact_id: str, summary: str) -> str:
     """Return a non-empty summary, falling back to the stored artifact text."""
     if summary:

tests/test_context.py

@@ -172,6 +172,111 @@ def test_context_pack_excludes_archived_claims(store: KBStore) -> None:
     assert not any(it["id"] == "c1" for it in pack["items"]), pack
 
 
+def test_search_kb_excludes_retracted_claims(store: KBStore) -> None:
+    """Regression for #581: search_kb must apply the same retracted-status
+    filter as build_context_pack — otherwise kb.search leaks archived /
+    superseded / redacted claims after lifecycle controls run."""
+    from vouch import lifecycle
+    from vouch.models import Page, PageStatus, PageType
+
+    src = store.put_source(b"e")
+    store.put_claim(Claim(
+        id="c1", text="mongodb is faster than postgres", evidence=[src.id],
+    ))
+    store.put_page(Page(
+        id="p-live", title="mongodb ops", body="live page about mongodb",
+        type=PageType.CONCEPT, sources=[src.id],
+    ))
+    store.put_page(Page(
+        id="p-arch", title="mongodb old", body="archived mongodb notes",
+        type=PageType.CONCEPT, status=PageStatus.ARCHIVED, sources=[src.id],
+    ))
+    health.rebuild_index(store)
+
+    before = context.search_kb(store, query="mongodb", backend="substring")
+    ids_before = {h["id"] for h in before["hits"]}
+    assert "c1" in ids_before, before
+    assert "p-live" in ids_before, before
+    assert "p-arch" not in ids_before, before
+
+    lifecycle.archive(store, claim_id="c1", actor="reviewer")
+    after = context.search_kb(store, query="mongodb", backend="substring")
+    ids_after = {h["id"] for h in after["hits"]}
+    assert "c1" not in ids_after, after
+    assert "p-live" in ids_after, after
+    assert "p-arch" not in ids_after, after
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["archived", "superseded", "redacted"])
+def test_search_kb_excludes_each_retracted_status(
+    store: KBStore, mode: str,
+) -> None:
+    """#581: each retracted claim status must disappear from kb.search."""
+    from vouch import lifecycle
+
+    src = store.put_source(b"e")
+    store.put_claim(Claim(
+        id="c1", text="mongodb is faster than postgres", evidence=[src.id],
+    ))
+    health.rebuild_index(store)
+    assert any(
+        h["id"] == "c1"
+        for h in context.search_kb(
+            store, query="mongodb", backend="substring",
+        )["hits"]
+    )
+
+    if mode == "archived":
+        lifecycle.archive(store, claim_id="c1", actor="reviewer")
+    elif mode == "superseded":
+        store.put_claim(Claim(
+            id="c2", text="mongodb is faster than postgres v2",
+            evidence=[src.id],
+        ))
+        lifecycle.supersede(
+            store, old_claim_id="c1", new_claim_id="c2", actor="reviewer",
+        )
+    else:
+        lifecycle.redact(store, claim_id="c1", actor="reviewer")
+
+    health.rebuild_index(store)
+    ids = {
+        h["id"]
+        for h in context.search_kb(
+            store, query="mongodb", backend="substring",
+        )["hits"]
+    }
+    assert "c1" not in ids, ids
+
+
+def test_search_kb_refills_limit_after_lifecycle_filter(store: KBStore) -> None:
+    """#581: over-fetch so archived top-hits do not starve live results."""
+    from vouch import lifecycle
+
+    src = store.put_source(b"e")
+    # high substring score (many query matches) but retracted — would fill a
+    # tight backend window and hide the live claim without candidate over-fetch.
+    for i in range(5):
+        cid = f"arch-{i}"
+        store.put_claim(Claim(
+            id=cid,
+            text="mongodb mongodb mongodb mongodb mongodb",
+            evidence=[src.id],
+        ))
+        lifecycle.archive(store, claim_id=cid, actor="reviewer")
+    store.put_claim(Claim(
+        id="live-mongo", text="mongodb tip", evidence=[src.id],
+    ))
+    health.rebuild_index(store)
+
+    result = context.search_kb(
+        store, query="mongodb", backend="substring", limit=1,
+    )
+    ids = [h["id"] for h in result["hits"]]
+    assert ids == ["live-mongo"], result
+    assert len(result["hits"]) == 1
+
+
 def test_context_pack_excludes_superseded_claims(store: KBStore) -> None:
     """Regression for #78: supersede(old, new) must keep `new` retrievable
     while removing `old` from kb.context."""