Implement citation suppression in agent instructions and tests

Author: Ayaz-Microsoft

src/backend/agents/agent_factory.py

@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ class UnsupportedModelError(Exception):
 6. Do NOT re-ask anything already answered in the conversation history.
 """
 
+_KNOWLEDGE_BASE_NO_CITATIONS_PROMPT = """
+
+RESPONSE CITATION POLICY (CRITICAL):
+- Do not include any citation markers, source-reference tokens, attribution
+  markers, or footnotes in your response.
+"""
+
 
 class AgentFactory:
     """Create and manage teams of agents from JSON configuration.
@@ -158,6 +165,9 @@ async def create_agent_from_config(
         # Build agent instructions from system_message + optional interaction rules
         instructions = getattr(agent_obj, "system_message", "")
 
+        if kb_config:
+            instructions += _KNOWLEDGE_BASE_NO_CITATIONS_PROMPT
+
         # Universal user-interaction rules for agents that have
         # user_responses=true — tells them to call request_user_clarification.
         if user_responses:

src/backend/orchestration/plan_review_helpers.py

@@ -180,6 +180,8 @@ def get_magentic_prompt_kwargs(
   recommend, or guess any specific team, do NOT claim any action was performed, and
   do NOT attempt to answer the out-of-scope request itself.
 - Compile ONLY from messages agents actually produced. Quote verbatim where appropriate.
+- Do not include any citation markers, source-reference tokens, attribution
+  markers, or footnotes in your response.
 - Do NOT fabricate URLs, results, or content that no agent produced.
 - If a required agent step did not run, state it plainly — do not pretend it did.
 - If an agent produced an image (a markdown image ![alt](url) or an image URL such as one

src/tests/backend/agents/test_agent_factory.py

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 # --- agents sub-modules (short absolute imports in factory code)
 mock_agent_template_cls = Mock()
 mock_mcp_config_cls = Mock()
+mock_knowledge_base_config_cls = Mock()
 
 sys.modules.setdefault("agents", Mock())  # parent package stub
 _mock_agent_template_mod = Mock()
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@
 _mock_mcp_config_mod = Mock()
 _mock_mcp_config_mod.MCPConfig = mock_mcp_config_cls
 _mock_mcp_config_mod.VectorStoreConfig = mock_vector_store_config_cls
+_mock_mcp_config_mod.KnowledgeBaseConfig = mock_knowledge_base_config_cls
 sys.modules["config.mcp_config"] = _mock_mcp_config_mod
 
 # Now import the module under test (full backend.* path as per project convention)
@@ -76,6 +78,8 @@ def _agent_obj(**overrides) -> SimpleNamespace:
         coding_tools=False,
         use_toolbox=False,
         use_file_search=False,
+        use_knowledge_base=False,
+        knowledge_base_name=None,
         user_responses=False,
         vector_store_name=None,
     )
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ def setup_method(self):
         self.memory_store = Mock()
         mock_agent_template_cls.reset_mock()
         mock_mcp_config_cls.reset_mock()
+        mock_knowledge_base_config_cls.reset_mock()
         mock_vector_store_config_cls.reset_mock()
 
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
@@ -164,6 +169,31 @@ async def test_user_responses_false_no_mcp_config(self):
 
         mock_mcp_config_cls.from_env.assert_not_called()
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_knowledge_base_agent_appends_no_citations_prompt(self):
+        """KB-backed agents receive citation cleanup instructions."""
+        kb_instance = Mock()
+        mock_knowledge_base_config_cls.from_env.return_value = kb_instance
+        agent_instance = Mock()
+        agent_instance.open = AsyncMock()
+        mock_agent_template_cls.return_value = agent_instance
+
+        await self.factory.create_agent_from_config(
+            "user123",
+            _agent_obj(
+                use_knowledge_base=True,
+                knowledge_base_name="test-kb",
+                system_message="Use retrieved facts.",
+            ),
+            self.team_config,
+            self.memory_store,
+        )
+
+        mock_knowledge_base_config_cls.from_env.assert_called_once_with("test-kb")
+        instructions = mock_agent_template_cls.call_args[1]["agent_instructions"]
+        assert "RESPONSE CITATION POLICY" in instructions
+        assert "Do not include any citation markers" in instructions
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_use_toolbox_takes_priority_over_user_responses(self):
         """use_toolbox=True takes priority; MCPConfig uses the toolbox_filter, not 'user_responses'."""

src/tests/backend/orchestration/test_plan_review_helpers.py

@@ -237,6 +237,12 @@ def test_given_no_user_responses_when_called_then_final_has_answer_rules(self):
         # Assert
         assert "FINAL ANSWER RULES" in result["final_answer_prompt"]
 
+    def test_given_any_team_when_called_then_final_suppresses_citations(self):
+        result = get_magentic_prompt_kwargs(has_user_responses=False)
+
+        final_prompt = result["final_answer_prompt"]
+        assert "Do not include any citation markers" in final_prompt
+
     def test_given_default_when_called_then_user_responses_is_false(self):
         # Act
         result = get_magentic_prompt_kwargs()