FEATURE: Store rewind dismiss state in database instead of localStorage (#36625)

ZogStriP · martin-brennan · web-flow · commit 7955a472bcb7 · 2025-12-12T15:16:22.000+10:00
Users were seeing repeated rewind notifications across different devices
and browsers because the dismiss state was stored in localStorage, which
is per-browser and easily cleared.

Move the dismiss state to a new `discourse_rewind_dismissed_at` column
in the `user_options` table. This allows the dismiss to sync across all
devices and persist through browser data clears.

The timestamp is compared using "rewind year" logic - dismissing in
January 2025 (for rewind 2024) won't block the notification for rewind
2025 in December 2025.

- Add `discourse_rewind_dismissed_at` datetime column to user_options
- Add POST /rewinds/dismiss endpoint
- Add `discourse_rewind_dismissed` to user_option serializers
- Extract `DiscourseRewind.rewind_year` helper for year calculation
- Update frontend service to read from server state instead of
localStorage

---------

Co-authored-by: Martin Brennan &lt;martin@discourse.org&gt;
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/app/controllers/discourse_rewind/rewinds_controller.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/app/controllers/discourse_rewind/rewinds_controller.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ class RewindsController < ::ApplicationController
 
     requires_login
 
+    def dismiss
+      DiscourseRewind::Dismiss.call(service_params) do
+        on_success { head :no_content }
+        on_failure { render(json: failed_json, status: :unprocessable_entity) }
+      end
+    end
+
     def index
       DiscourseRewind::FetchReports.call(service_params) do
         on_model_not_found(:year) do
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/app/services/discourse_rewind/dismiss.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/app/services/discourse_rewind/dismiss.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module DiscourseRewind
+  # Service responsible for dismissing Rewind for the user.
+  #
+  # @example
+  #  ::DiscourseRewind::Dismiss.call(guardian: guardian)
+  #
+  class Dismiss
+    include Service::Base
+
+    # @!method self.call(guardian:)
+    #   @param [Guardian] guardian
+    #   @return [Service::Base::Context]
+
+    step :dismiss
+
+    private
+
+    def dismiss(guardian:)
+      guardian.user.user_option.update!(discourse_rewind_dismissed_at: Time.zone.now)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/rewind.js b/plugins/discourse-rewind/assets/javascripts/discourse/services/rewind.js
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import { tracked } from "@glimmer/tracking";
 import Service, { service } from "@ember/service";
-import KeyValueStore from "discourse/lib/key-value-store";
+import { ajax } from "discourse/lib/ajax";
 
 export default class Rewind extends Service {
   @service currentUser;
 
-  @tracked dismissed = this.store.getObject("_dismissed") ?? false;
-
-  store = new KeyValueStore("discourse_rewind_" + this.fetchRewindYear);
+  @tracked
+  _isDismissed = this.currentUser?.user_option?.discourse_rewind_dismissed;
 
   @tracked
   _isDisabled = this.currentUser?.user_option?.discourse_rewind_disabled;
@@ -16,6 +15,10 @@ export default class Rewind extends Service {
     return this.currentUser?.is_rewind_active;
   }
 
+  get dismissed() {
+    return this._isDismissed ?? false;
+  }
+
   get disabled() {
     return this._isDisabled ?? false;
   }
@@ -24,9 +27,11 @@ export default class Rewind extends Service {
     this._isDisabled = value;
   }
 
-  // We want to show the previous year's rewind in January
-  // but the current year's rewind in any other month (in
-  // reality, only December).
+  /**
+   * We want to show the previous year's rewind in January
+   * but the current year's rewind in any other month (in
+   * reality, only December).
+   */
   get fetchRewindYear() {
     const currentDate = new Date();
     const currentMonth = currentDate.getMonth();
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ export default class Rewind extends Service {
   }
 
   dismiss() {
-    this.dismissed = true;
-    this.store.setObject({ key: "_dismissed", value: true });
+    this._isDismissed = true;
+    ajax("/rewinds/dismiss", { type: "POST" });
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/config/routes.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/config/routes.rb
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 DiscourseRewind::Engine.routes.draw do
   get "/rewinds" => "rewinds#index"
   get "/rewinds/:index" => "rewinds#show"
+  post "/rewinds/dismiss" => "rewinds#dismiss"
 end
 
 Discourse::Application.routes.draw { mount ::DiscourseRewind::Engine, at: "/" }
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/db/migrate/20251211081539_add_discourse_rewind_dismissed_at_to_user_options.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/db/migrate/20251211081539_add_discourse_rewind_dismissed_at_to_user_options.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddDiscourseRewindDismissedAtToUserOptions < ActiveRecord::Migration[7.2]
+  def change
+    add_column :user_options, :discourse_rewind_dismissed_at, :datetime, null: true
+  end
+end
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/plugin.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/plugin.rb
@@ -24,32 +24,19 @@ def self.public_asset_path(name)
     File.expand_path(File.join(__dir__, "public", name))
   end
 
+  def self.rewind_year(date = nil)
+    date ||= Time.zone.now
+    date.month == 1 ? date.year - 1 : date.year
+  end
+
   def self.year_date_range(date_override = nil)
-    if date_override.present?
-      current_date = date_override
-    else
-      current_date = Time.zone.now
-    end
+    current_date = date_override.presence || Time.zone.now
 
-    current_month = current_date.month
-    current_year = current_date.year
+    # Outside December/January, only available in development
+    is_rewind_period = current_date.month == 1 || current_date.month == 12
+    return false if !is_rewind_period && !Rails.env.development?
 
-    case current_month
-    when 1
-      current_year - 1
-    when 12
-      current_year
-    else
-      # Otherwise it's impossible to test in browser locally unless you're
-      # in December or January
-      if Rails.env.development?
-        current_year
-      else
-        false
-      end
-    end
-
-    Date.new(current_year).all_year
+    Date.new(current_date.year).all_year
   end
 end
 
@@ -58,10 +45,13 @@ def self.year_date_range(date_override = nil)
 after_initialize do
   UserUpdater::OPTION_ATTR.push(:discourse_rewind_disabled)
 
-  add_to_serializer(:user_option, :discourse_rewind_disabled) { object.discourse_rewind_disabled }
-
-  add_to_serializer(:current_user_option, :discourse_rewind_disabled) do
-    object.discourse_rewind_disabled
+  %i[user_option current_user_option].each do |serializer|
+    add_to_serializer(serializer, :discourse_rewind_disabled) { object.discourse_rewind_disabled }
+    add_to_serializer(serializer, :discourse_rewind_dismissed) do
+      dismissed_at = object.discourse_rewind_dismissed_at
+      dismissed_at.present? &&
+        DiscourseRewind.rewind_year(dismissed_at) >= DiscourseRewind.rewind_year
+    end
   end
 
   add_to_serializer(:current_user, :is_rewind_active) do
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/requests/rewinds_controller_spec.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/requests/rewinds_controller_spec.rb
@@ -3,10 +3,42 @@
 RSpec.describe DiscourseRewind::RewindsController do
   before { SiteSetting.discourse_rewind_enabled = true }
 
+  describe "#dismiss" do
+    it "requires login" do
+      post "/rewinds/dismiss.json"
+      expect(response.status).to eq(403)
+    end
+
+    context "when logged in" do
+      fab!(:user)
+      before { sign_in(user) }
+
+      it "sets dismissed_at on user_option" do
+        freeze_time DateTime.parse("2022-12-24 10:00:00")
+
+        post "/rewinds/dismiss.json"
+
+        expect(response.status).to eq(204)
+        expect(user.user_option.reload.discourse_rewind_dismissed_at).to eq_time(Time.current)
+      end
+
+      it "returns dismissed state via session/current endpoint" do
+        freeze_time DateTime.parse("2022-12-24")
+        user.user_option.update!(discourse_rewind_dismissed_at: Time.current)
+
+        get "/session/current.json"
+
+        expect(
+          response.parsed_body.dig("current_user", "user_option", "discourse_rewind_dismissed"),
+        ).to eq(true)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#index" do
-    fab!(:current_user, :user)
+    fab!(:user)
 
-    before { sign_in(current_user) }
+    before { sign_in(user) }
 
     context "when out of valid month" do
       before { freeze_time DateTime.parse("2022-11-24") }
@@ -51,9 +83,9 @@
   end
 
   describe "#show" do
-    fab!(:current_user, :user)
+    fab!(:user)
 
-    before { sign_in(current_user) }
+    before { sign_in(user) }
 
     context "when out of valid month" do
       before { freeze_time DateTime.parse("2022-11-24") }
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/serializers/user_option_serializer_spec.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/serializers/user_option_serializer_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+RSpec.describe UserOptionSerializer do
+  before { SiteSetting.discourse_rewind_enabled = true }
+
+  fab!(:user)
+
+  let(:serializer) do
+    UserOptionSerializer.new(user.user_option, scope: Guardian.new(user), root: false)
+  end
+
+  def set_dismissed_at(date_string)
+    user.user_option.update!(discourse_rewind_dismissed_at: DateTime.parse(date_string))
+  end
+
+  describe "#discourse_rewind_dismissed" do
+    it "returns false when dismissed_at is nil" do
+      expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(false)
+    end
+
+    context "when in December 2024 (showing rewind 2024)" do
+      before { freeze_time DateTime.parse("2024-12-15") }
+
+      it "returns true when dismissed in Dec 2024" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2024-12-01")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "returns false when dismissed in Jan 2024 (was for rewind 2023)" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2024-01-10")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(false)
+      end
+
+      it "returns false when dismissed in Dec 2023" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2023-12-01")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(false)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when in January 2025 (still showing rewind 2024)" do
+      before { freeze_time DateTime.parse("2025-01-15") }
+
+      it "returns true when dismissed in Dec 2024" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2024-12-20")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "returns true when dismissed in Jan 2025" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2025-01-05")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(true)
+      end
+
+      it "returns false when dismissed in Jan 2024 (was for rewind 2023)" do
+        set_dismissed_at("2024-01-20")
+        expect(serializer.as_json[:discourse_rewind_dismissed]).to eq(false)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/system/dismiss_spec.rb b/plugins/discourse-rewind/spec/system/dismiss_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+describe "DiscourseRewind | dismiss", type: :system do
+  fab!(:user)
+  let(:rewind_page) { PageObjects::Pages::Rewind.new }
+
+  before do
+    SiteSetting.discourse_rewind_enabled = true
+    sign_in(user)
+    freeze_time DateTime.parse("2022-12-05")
+  end
+
+  it "persists dismiss across page refreshes and saves to database" do
+    rewind_page.visit_my_activity
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_rewind_notification_active
+
+    rewind_page.open_user_menu
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_callout
+    rewind_page.click_callout
+
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_no_rewind_notification_active
+    expect(user.user_option.reload.discourse_rewind_dismissed_at).to be_present
+
+    visit("/")
+    rewind_page.visit_my_activity
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_no_rewind_notification_active
+  end
+
+  it "hides notification and callout when already dismissed" do
+    user.user_option.update!(discourse_rewind_dismissed_at: Time.current)
+
+    rewind_page.visit_my_activity
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_no_rewind_notification_active
+
+    rewind_page.open_user_menu
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_no_callout
+  end
+
+  it "shows notification for new year even if previous year was dismissed" do
+    user.user_option.update!(discourse_rewind_dismissed_at: DateTime.parse("2021-12-15"))
+
+    rewind_page.visit_my_activity
+    expect(rewind_page).to have_rewind_notification_active
+  end
+end
