---
name: "Story dependency chain not firing due to front matter format issues"
---

# Bug 493: Story dependency chain not firing due to front matter format issues

## Description

Two issues prevent the dependency tick loop from working:

1. **create_story puts depends_on in AC text, not front matter**: When `depends_on: [489]` is passed as an acceptance criterion string, it ends up as a checkbox item (`- [ ] depends_on: [489]`) instead of YAML front matter. Stories 490, 491, 492 are affected.

2. **update_story stores depends_on as a quoted string instead of YAML array**: The `front_matter` parameter serializes `[490]` as the string `"[490]"` instead of the YAML array `[490]`. Stories 478, 479, 480 are affected — their front matter shows `depends_on: "[490]"` instead of `depends_on: [490]`.

The dependency tick loop reads `depends_on` from YAML front matter and expects an integer array. Neither format matches.

## How to Reproduce

1. Create a story with `depends_on: [489]` in acceptance criteria
2. Or use update_story with `front_matter: {"depends_on": "[490]"}`
3. Check the generated front matter
4. Observe dependency tick loop does not promote the story

## Actual Result

depends_on either missing from front matter (in AC text as checkbox) or stored as quoted string instead of YAML array.

## Expected Result

depends_on stored as a proper YAML array in front matter: `depends_on: [489]`

## Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Bug is fixed and verified
