# Alchemist: Rescuing a Stuck Ticket

Fetch a stuck ticket's agent branch through the git proxy, fix it in Claude Code or Cursor, and land it into staging yourself.

---

Every ticket does its work on its own branch, `agent/<the ticket's job id>`, and only reaches `staging` once it lands. Most tickets land on their own. When one does not, a land step that could not complete, or a run you cancelled mid-way, the work is not lost. It sits on that branch. You can fetch it, finish it, and land it yourself.

> **Note:** This guide assumes you already have a git credential and a local clone. If you do not, start with [Clone Your App's Code and Develop Locally](/docs/guides/alchemist-local-development).

## 1. Find the branch name

Open the stuck ticket's detail page. A ticket that could not land names its own branch in two places: the question it is waiting on you to answer, and the failure reason underneath it. Both read something like:

```
Implementation on branch agent/9f0114b6-fe05-4d41-8bf2-04962bc2ee94 looks
complete, but it was never landed. Approve a land continuation, or land it
manually and reply once it's merged.
```

The branch is always `agent/<job id>`, the same job id shown in the ticket's own detail URL.

## 2. Fetch it through the git proxy

The same [git proxy](/docs/guides/alchemist-local-development) that clones and pushes `staging` reaches every branch in the repository, not just the default one. From your existing clone:

```bash
git fetch origin
git branch -r | grep agent/
```

```
origin/agent/9f0114b6-fe05-4d41-8bf2-04962bc2ee94
```

Check out the one you need:

```bash
git checkout -b recovery agent/9f0114b6-fe05-4d41-8bf2-04962bc2ee94
```

You are now on the exact state where the ticket stopped. `git log --oneline -5` shows the commits the agent made before it parked.

## 3. Fix it, in Claude Code, Cursor, or anything else

Work in the checked-out branch the way you normally would. The repo's own `CLAUDE.md` still applies, so an editor that reads project instructions picks up the same conventions the agent was following.

## 4. Land it into staging

Merge your branch into `staging` locally, then push through the proxy:

```bash
git fetch origin staging
git checkout staging
git merge origin/staging   # picks up anything that landed since you last fetched
git merge recovery         # brings in the fix
git push origin staging
```

Pushing to `staging` deploys through the normal pipeline, the same as an agent's own merge. If another merge is in progress, the proxy asks you to retry, safe to do immediately.

## 5. Close the ticket out

If the ticket is still waiting on a reply, answer it (from the ticket page, or `reply_to_ticket` over [MCP](/docs/guides/alchemist-mcp-server)) noting that you merged it yourself. That is the reply the question itself is asking for, and it is what moves the ticket out of "waiting."

## FAQ

**Do I need special access to fetch an agent branch?** No. The same project-scoped credential that clones and pushes `staging` reaches every branch, agent branches included.

**What if I check out the wrong branch by mistake?** Nothing happens until you push. Fetching and checking out is read-only.

**Does this only work for stuck tickets?** No, the proxy has no concept of "stuck." This is simply the most common reason to reach for a branch other than `staging`.

**Can two tickets be stuck on the same branch at once?** No. Each ticket gets its own `agent/<job id>` branch, so recovering one never touches another's work.

## Next steps

For how a ticket's branch and land step normally work, see [Alchemist Tickets](/docs/guides/alchemist-tickets). For the full local development setup this guide builds on, see [Clone Your App's Code and Develop Locally](/docs/guides/alchemist-local-development).