Search - Blank RHP opens on the right, request not sent to Concierge when app loading

[mitarachim]

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Version Number: v9.3.66-1
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: N/A - new feature, doesn't exist in prod
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #88727
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): applausetester+sdodsaf@applause.expensifail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: Mac 26.2 / Chrome
App Component: Search

Action Performed:

1. Go to staging.new.expensify.com
2. Go offline.
3. Go to Account > Troubleshoot > Clear cache and restart > Reset and refresh.
4. Open search router.
5. Type anything.
6. Click Ask anything.
7. Go to Inbox.
8. Go online.

Expected Result:

In Step 6, Ask anything option should be hidden when app is loading.

Actual Result:

In Step 6, Ask anything option is shown when app is loading.
In Step 7, blank RHP opens after clicking Ask anything.
In Step 8, the query in Step 5 is not sent to Concierge.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screenshots/Videos

Bug7144281_1777908212752.8.mp4

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[melvin-bot]

You have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you recently merged this PR: #88727

[melvin-bot]

💬 A slack conversation has been started in #expensify-open-source

[github-actions]

👋 Friendly reminder that deploy blockers are time-sensitive ⏱ issues! Check out the open `StagingDeployCash` deploy checklist to see the list of PRs included in this release, then work quickly to do one of the following:

1. Identify the pull request that introduced this issue and revert it.
2. Find someone who can quickly fix the issue.
3. Fix the issue yourself.

[OSBotify]

🔍 Investigation Summary

Classification: Frontend bug
Causing PR: #88727 - " "Ask Concierge" option in the search router" by @mhawryluk (High confidence)
Related Issues: None

Recommendation: REVERT

The causing PR introduced the "Ask Concierge" item into the search router without guarding its visibility against app loading state. Reverting this PR cleanly resolves all three reported symptoms.

Assigned: @mhawryluk (PR author), @linhvovan29546 @chuckdries (approving reviewers)
Labels: DeployBlockerCash kept (frontend fix needed in App repo). DeployBlocker should be removed — the fix does not require backend changes.

📋 Detailed Analysis

Evidence

• The bug is staging-only ("N/A - new feature, doesn't exist in prod"), which matches PR "Ask Concierge" option in the search router #88727 being in the current staging deploy checklist.
• The melvin-bot also independently identified PR "Ask Concierge" option in the search router #88727 as the source.
• The PR adds "Ask Concierge" as a new item in SearchRouter.tsx inside the searchQueryItems array. This item is always included whenever textInputValue is truthy — there is no guard checking whether the app has finished loading its Onyx data.
• When the app is loading from a cleared cache while offline, CONCIERGE_REPORT_ID is not yet populated in Onyx. The useAskConcierge hook's returned callback calls openConciergeAnywhere() and then early-returns because targetReport and targetReportID are both undefined. This causes a blank RHP to open (the side panel opens but no report is shown).
• After going online (step 8), the query is never sent to Concierge because the addComment call was skipped when the user pressed the item in the loading state.

Verification

• Affected files: src/components/Search/SearchRouter/SearchRouter.tsx, src/components/Search/SearchRouter/useAskConcierge.tsx, src/hooks/useOpenConciergeAnywhere/index.tsx
• PR "Ask Concierge" option in the search router #88727 directly modifies SearchRouter.tsx (confirmed via gh pr view 88727 --json files) and adds the useAskConcierge.tsx and useOpenConciergeAnywhere hook files.
• The searchQueryItems array in SearchRouter.tsx (lines 203–223 after the merge) adds the ASK_CONCIERGE item unconditionally alongside the search item whenever there is text input. No IS_LOADING_APP, IS_LOADING_REPORT_DATA, or conciergeReportID availability check is performed before including this item.

Root Cause

In SearchRouter.tsx, the searchQueryItems array always includes the "Ask Concierge" item when the user has typed text, regardless of whether the app has finished loading its data. When offline with a cleared cache, CONCIERGE_REPORT_ID in Onyx is undefined, so useAskConcierge's returned callback opens the side panel but immediately returns without sending the message. The fix requires either hiding the "Ask Concierge" option while the app is loading / conciergeReportID is unavailable, or reverting the PR entirely.