fix(commands): enrich search assets, surface variables for all command slots

- UI: command-template-configs now resolves slot variables against the
  active provider first (varsRef[provider_type][slot]) before falling back
  to shared entries, so provider-specific slots like /search, /status,
  /repos, /issues, /boards show the Variables button and autocomplete.
- Backend: /search, /find, /person, /place now normalize raw Immich API
  responses through build_asset_dict, extracting city/country from
  exifInfo and mapping isFavorite -> is_favorite so templates render
  location and favorite indicators.
- Telegram: extract build_telegram_asset_entry into a shared helper so
  the notification dispatcher and command media groups agree on video
  typing and /video/playback URLs; videos no longer render as still
  thumbnails in /latest /random /favorites media mode.
- Commands: send_media_group now reuses the same Telegram file_id caches
  as the notification dispatcher, avoiding re-upload churn for repeated
  commands.

packages/core/src/notify_bridge_core/notifications/dispatcher.py

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ from .receiver import (
 from .telegram.cache import TelegramFileCache
 from .telegram.client import TelegramClient
 from .telegram.media import (
+    build_telegram_asset_entry,
     extract_asset_id_from_url,
     is_asset_cache_key,
     is_asset_id,
@@ -266,23 +267,19 @@ class NotificationDispatcher:
         # Prefer internal URL for fetching (LAN speed vs public internet)
         internal_url = (target.provider_internal_url or "").rstrip("/")
         external_url = (target.provider_external_url or "").rstrip("/")
-        provider_urls = [u for u in (internal_url, external_url) if u]
         assets = []
         media_assets: list[Any] = []  # aligned with `assets` for preload
         for asset in event.added_assets[:max_media]:
             url = asset.preview_url or asset.thumbnail_url or asset.full_url
-            if url:
-                # Rewrite external URL to internal for faster LAN fetching
-                if internal_url and external_url and url.startswith(external_url):
-                    url = internal_url + url[len(external_url):]
-                asset_type = "video" if asset.type.value == "video" else "photo"
-                asset_headers = {}
-                if target.provider_api_key and any(url.startswith(u) for u in provider_urls):
-                    asset_headers["x-api-key"] = target.provider_api_key
-                asset_entry: dict[str, Any] = {"url": url, "type": asset_type, "headers": asset_headers}
-                # Pass explicit cache_key if set by provider (e.g. Google Photos)
-                if asset.extra.get("cache_key"):
-                    asset_entry["cache_key"] = asset.extra["cache_key"]
+            asset_entry = build_telegram_asset_entry(
+                url=url or "",
+                media_type=asset.type.value,
+                api_key=target.provider_api_key,
+                internal_url=internal_url,
+                external_url=external_url,
+                cache_key=asset.extra.get("cache_key"),
+            )
+            if asset_entry is not None:
                 assets.append(asset_entry)
                 media_assets.append(asset)
 

packages/core/src/notify_bridge_core/notifications/telegram/media.py

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import re
-from typing import Final
+from typing import Any, Final
 from urllib.parse import urlparse
 
 # Telegram constants
@@ -52,6 +52,65 @@ def extract_asset_id_from_url(url: str) -> str | None:
     return None
 
 
+def build_telegram_asset_entry(
+    *,
+    url: str,
+    media_type: str,
+    api_key: str | None = None,
+    internal_url: str = "",
+    external_url: str = "",
+    cache_key: str | None = None,
+) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+    """Build a ``TelegramClient.send_notification`` asset dict from raw fields.
+
+    Shared by the notification dispatcher and provider command handlers so
+    both paths agree on media typing, URL rewriting, and auth headers. In
+    particular: video assets MUST be typed ``"video"`` and point at a real
+    video endpoint (e.g. Immich ``/video/playback``) — if they are sent as
+    ``"photo"`` pointing at a thumbnail URL, Telegram delivers a still image
+    for every video in a media group and the user sees a dead poster frame
+    instead of a playable clip.
+
+    Args:
+        url: Source URL for the asset bytes. Prefer a transcoded/preview
+            URL for videos (``/video/playback``) and a preview-sized
+            thumbnail for photos.
+        media_type: Case-insensitive type token. Accepts ``"video"``/
+            ``"VIDEO"``/``MediaType.VIDEO`` or any photo-like string.
+        api_key: Optional API key. Attached as ``x-api-key`` iff the URL is
+            served by one of the provider hosts in ``internal_url`` /
+            ``external_url`` (prevents leaking the key to unrelated hosts).
+        internal_url: LAN-facing provider URL. Used to rewrite
+            ``external_url`` prefixes so Docker-host downloads stay on the
+            LAN instead of egressing to the public domain.
+        external_url: Public provider URL the notification URL was built
+            from. Only used for the LAN rewrite and the api-key scope check.
+        cache_key: Optional explicit cache key. Providers whose URLs don't
+            embed a stable asset id (Google Photos) pass one through so the
+            file_id cache still works.
+
+    Returns ``None`` iff ``url`` is empty.
+    """
+    if not url:
+        return None
+
+    if internal_url and external_url and url.startswith(external_url):
+        url = internal_url + url[len(external_url):]
+
+    normalized_type = str(media_type or "").lower()
+    entry_type = "video" if normalized_type == "video" else "photo"
+
+    headers: dict[str, str] = {}
+    provider_urls = [u for u in (internal_url, external_url) if u]
+    if api_key and (not provider_urls or any(url.startswith(u) for u in provider_urls)):
+        headers["x-api-key"] = api_key
+
+    entry: dict[str, Any] = {"url": url, "type": entry_type, "headers": headers}
+    if cache_key:
+        entry["cache_key"] = cache_key
+    return entry
+
+
 def split_media_by_upload_size(
     media_items: list[tuple], max_upload_size: int
 ) -> list[list[tuple]]:

packages/server/src/notify_bridge_server/commands/handler.py

@@ -393,30 +393,38 @@ async def send_media_group(
     reply_to_message_id: int | None = None,
     session: aiohttp.ClientSession | None = None,
 ) -> None:
-    """Send media items via TelegramClient.send_notification."""
+    """Send media items via TelegramClient.send_notification.
+
+    ``media_items`` must already be in TelegramClient asset format — each
+    entry contains ``type`` (``"photo"``/``"video"``/``"document"``),
+    ``url``, optional ``cache_key``, and optional ``headers``. Provider
+    command handlers build this format directly (via
+    ``build_telegram_asset_entry``) so videos keep their ``"video"`` type
+    and point at a real video URL instead of a still thumbnail.
+
+    Reuses the same Telegram file_id caches as the notification dispatcher
+    so repeated ``/latest`` / ``/random`` commands don't re-upload bytes
+    for assets Telegram has already seen. If the cache hasn't been
+    initialized (no data dir configured) we fall through to a plain
+    upload — identical behavior to the notification path.
+    """
     if not media_items:
         return
 
-    # Convert command handler media format to TelegramClient asset format
-    assets = []
-    for item in media_items:
-        assets.append({
-            "type": "photo",
-            "url": item.get("thumbnail_url", ""),
-            "cache_key": item.get("asset_id", ""),
-            "headers": {"x-api-key": item.get("api_key", "")},
-        })
-
-    # Build caption from first item
-    captions = [item.get("caption", "") for item in media_items if item.get("caption")]
-    caption = "\n".join(captions) if captions else None
-
     if session is None:
         from ..services.http_session import get_http_session
         session = await get_http_session()
-    client = TelegramClient(session, bot_token)
+
+    from ..services.watcher import _get_telegram_caches
+    url_cache, asset_cache = await _get_telegram_caches()
+
+    client = TelegramClient(
+        session, bot_token,
+        url_cache=url_cache,
+        asset_cache=asset_cache,
+    )
     result = await client.send_notification(
-        chat_id, assets=assets, caption=caption,
+        chat_id, assets=media_items,
         reply_to_message_id=reply_to_message_id,
         chat_action=None,
     )

packages/server/src/notify_bridge_server/commands/immich/common.py

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import asyncio
 import logging
 from typing import Any
 
+from notify_bridge_core.notifications.telegram.media import build_telegram_asset_entry
 from notify_bridge_core.providers.immich.asset_utils import get_public_url
 
 from ..handler import _render_cmd_template
@@ -74,13 +75,16 @@ def build_asset_dict(
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
     """Build a rich asset dict for command templates from an ImmichAssetInfo or raw dict."""
     if isinstance(asset, dict):
+        # Immich raw search responses nest geo under exifInfo — pull it out so
+        # templates can use flat asset.city / asset.country.
+        exif = asset.get("exifInfo") or {}
         d = {
             "id": asset.get("id", ""),
             "originalFileName": asset.get("originalFileName", asset.get("filename", "")),
             "type": asset.get("type", "IMAGE"),
             "createdAt": asset.get("createdAt", asset.get("created_at", asset.get("fileCreatedAt", ""))),
-            "city": asset.get("city", ""),
-            "country": asset.get("country", ""),
+            "city": asset.get("city") or exif.get("city") or "",
+            "country": asset.get("country") or exif.get("country") or "",
             "is_favorite": asset.get("is_favorite", asset.get("isFavorite", False)),
             "public_url": asset.get("public_url", public_url),
         }
@@ -123,16 +127,27 @@ def _format_assets(
     })
 
     if response_mode == "media":
+        # Reuse the same entry-building helper as the notification dispatcher
+        # so videos keep their "video" type and point at /video/playback —
+        # typing them as "photo" made Telegram render the still poster
+        # thumbnail in media groups instead of the real clip.
         media_items: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
         for asset in assets:
             asset_id = asset.get("id", "")
-            media_items.append({
-                "type": "photo",
-                "asset_id": asset_id,
-                "caption": "",
-                "thumbnail_url": f"{client.url}/api/assets/{asset_id}/thumbnail?size=preview",
-                "api_key": client.api_key,
-            })
+            is_video = (asset.get("type") or "").upper() == "VIDEO"
+            if is_video:
+                url = f"{client.url}/api/assets/{asset_id}/video/playback"
+            else:
+                url = f"{client.url}/api/assets/{asset_id}/thumbnail?size=preview"
+            entry = build_telegram_asset_entry(
+                url=url,
+                media_type="video" if is_video else "image",
+                api_key=client.api_key,
+                internal_url=client.url,
+                cache_key=asset_id,
+            )
+            if entry is not None:
+                media_items.append(entry)
         # Return text message + media items — text is sent first, media as reply
         return {"text": text, "media": media_items}
 

packages/server/src/notify_bridge_server/commands/immich/search.py

@@ -5,17 +5,14 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import Any
 
 from ..handler import _render_cmd_template
-from .common import _format_assets
+from .common import _format_assets, build_asset_dict
 
 
 def _enrich_assets(assets: list[dict[str, Any]], asset_public_urls: dict[str, str]) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
-    """Add public_url to assets from the pre-built map. Returns new list without mutating inputs."""
-    if not asset_public_urls:
-        return assets
+    """Normalize raw Immich assets and attach public_url from the pre-built map."""
+    pub = asset_public_urls or {}
     return [
-        {**asset, "public_url": asset_public_urls.get(asset.get("id", ""), "")}
-        if asset.get("id", "") in asset_public_urls and not asset.get("public_url")
-        else asset
+        build_asset_dict(asset, public_url=pub.get(asset.get("id", ""), ""))
         for asset in assets
     ]