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summary, title, sidebarTitle, read_when
| summary | title | sidebarTitle | read_when | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step-by-step guide to building a messaging channel plugin for OpenClaw | Building channel plugins | Channel Plugins |
|
This guide walks through building a channel plugin that connects OpenClaw to a messaging platform. By the end you will have a working channel with DM security, pairing, reply threading, and outbound messaging.
If you have not built any OpenClaw plugin before, read [Getting Started](/plugins/building-plugins) first for the basic package structure and manifest setup.How channel plugins work
Channel plugins do not need their own send/edit/react tools. OpenClaw keeps one
shared message tool in core. Your plugin owns:
- Config — account resolution and setup wizard
- Security — DM policy and allowlists
- Pairing — DM approval flow
- Session grammar — how provider-specific conversation ids map to base chats, thread ids, and parent fallbacks
- Outbound — sending text, media, and polls to the platform
- Threading — how replies are threaded
- Heartbeat typing — optional typing/busy signals for heartbeat delivery targets
Core owns the shared message tool, prompt wiring, the outer session-key shape,
generic :thread: bookkeeping, and dispatch.
If your channel supports typing indicators outside inbound replies, expose
heartbeat.sendTyping(...) on the channel plugin. Core calls it with the
resolved heartbeat delivery target before the heartbeat model run starts and
uses the shared typing keepalive/cleanup lifecycle. Add heartbeat.clearTyping(...)
when the platform needs an explicit stop signal.
If your channel adds message-tool params that carry media sources, expose those
param names through describeMessageTool(...).mediaSourceParams. Core uses
that explicit list for sandbox path normalization and outbound media-access
policy, so plugins do not need shared-core special cases for provider-specific
avatar, attachment, or cover-image params.
Prefer returning an action-keyed map such as
{ "set-profile": ["avatarUrl", "avatarPath"] } so unrelated actions do not
inherit another action's media args. A flat array still works for params that
are intentionally shared across every exposed action.
If your platform stores extra scope inside conversation ids, keep that parsing
in the plugin with messaging.resolveSessionConversation(...). That is the
canonical hook for mapping rawId to the base conversation id, optional thread
id, explicit baseConversationId, and any parentConversationCandidates.
When you return parentConversationCandidates, keep them ordered from the
narrowest parent to the broadest/base conversation.
Bundled plugins that need the same parsing before the channel registry boots
can also expose a top-level session-key-api.ts file with a matching
resolveSessionConversation(...) export. Core uses that bootstrap-safe surface
only when the runtime plugin registry is not available yet.
messaging.resolveParentConversationCandidates(...) remains available as a
legacy compatibility fallback when a plugin only needs parent fallbacks on top
of the generic/raw id. If both hooks exist, core uses
resolveSessionConversation(...).parentConversationCandidates first and only
falls back to resolveParentConversationCandidates(...) when the canonical hook
omits them.
Approvals and channel capabilities
Most channel plugins do not need approval-specific code.
- Core owns same-chat
/approve, shared approval button payloads, and generic fallback delivery. - Prefer one
approvalCapabilityobject on the channel plugin when the channel needs approval-specific behavior. ChannelPlugin.approvalsis removed. Put approval delivery/native/render/auth facts onapprovalCapability.plugin.authis login/logout only; core no longer reads approval auth hooks from that object.approvalCapability.authorizeActorActionandapprovalCapability.getActionAvailabilityStateare the canonical approval-auth seam.- Use
approvalCapability.getActionAvailabilityStatefor same-chat approval auth availability. - If your channel exposes native exec approvals, use
approvalCapability.getExecInitiatingSurfaceStatefor the initiating-surface/native-client state when it differs from same-chat approval auth. Core uses that exec-specific hook to distinguishenabledvsdisabled, decide whether the initiating channel supports native exec approvals, and include the channel in native-client fallback guidance.createApproverRestrictedNativeApprovalCapability(...)fills this in for the common case. - Use
outbound.shouldSuppressLocalPayloadPromptoroutbound.beforeDeliverPayloadfor channel-specific payload lifecycle behavior such as hiding duplicate local approval prompts or sending typing indicators before delivery. - Use
approvalCapability.deliveryonly for native approval routing or fallback suppression. - Use
approvalCapability.nativeRuntimefor channel-owned native approval facts. Keep it lazy on hot channel entrypoints withcreateLazyChannelApprovalNativeRuntimeAdapter(...), which can import your runtime module on demand while still letting core assemble the approval lifecycle. - Use
approvalCapability.renderonly when a channel truly needs custom approval payloads instead of the shared renderer. - Use
approvalCapability.describeExecApprovalSetupwhen the channel wants the disabled-path reply to explain the exact config knobs needed to enable native exec approvals. The hook receives{ channel, channelLabel, accountId }; named-account channels should render account-scoped paths such aschannels.<channel>.accounts.<id>.execApprovals.*instead of top-level defaults. - If a channel can infer stable owner-like DM identities from existing config, use
createResolvedApproverActionAuthAdapterfromopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-runtimeto restrict same-chat/approvewithout adding approval-specific core logic. - If a channel needs native approval delivery, keep channel code focused on target normalization plus transport/presentation facts. Use
createChannelExecApprovalProfile,createChannelNativeOriginTargetResolver,createChannelApproverDmTargetResolver, andcreateApproverRestrictedNativeApprovalCapabilityfromopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-runtime. Put the channel-specific facts behindapprovalCapability.nativeRuntime, ideally viacreateChannelApprovalNativeRuntimeAdapter(...)orcreateLazyChannelApprovalNativeRuntimeAdapter(...), so core can assemble the handler and own request filtering, routing, dedupe, expiry, gateway subscription, and routed-elsewhere notices.nativeRuntimeis split into a few smaller seams: availability— whether the account is configured and whether a request should be handledpresentation— map the shared approval view model into pending/resolved/expired native payloads or final actionstransport— prepare targets plus send/update/delete native approval messagesinteractions— optional bind/unbind/clear-action hooks for native buttons or reactionsobserve— optional delivery diagnostics hooks- If the channel needs runtime-owned objects such as a client, token, Bolt app, or webhook receiver, register them through
openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-runtime-context. The generic runtime-context registry lets core bootstrap capability-driven handlers from channel startup state without adding approval-specific wrapper glue. - Reach for the lower-level
createChannelApprovalHandlerorcreateChannelNativeApprovalRuntimeonly when the capability-driven seam is not expressive enough yet. - Native approval channels must route both
accountIdandapprovalKindthrough those helpers.accountIdkeeps multi-account approval policy scoped to the right bot account, andapprovalKindkeeps exec vs plugin approval behavior available to the channel without hardcoded branches in core. - Core now owns approval reroute notices too. Channel plugins should not send their own "approval went to DMs / another channel" follow-up messages from
createChannelNativeApprovalRuntime; instead, expose accurate origin + approver-DM routing through the shared approval capability helpers and let core aggregate actual deliveries before posting any notice back to the initiating chat. - Preserve the delivered approval id kind end-to-end. Native clients should not guess or rewrite exec vs plugin approval routing from channel-local state.
- Different approval kinds can intentionally expose different native surfaces.
Current bundled examples:
- Slack keeps native approval routing available for both exec and plugin ids.
- Matrix keeps the same native DM/channel routing and reaction UX for exec and plugin approvals, while still letting auth differ by approval kind.
createApproverRestrictedNativeApprovalAdapterstill exists as a compatibility wrapper, but new code should prefer the capability builder and exposeapprovalCapabilityon the plugin.
For hot channel entrypoints, prefer the narrower runtime subpaths when you only need one part of that family:
openclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-auth-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-client-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-delivery-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-gateway-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-handler-adapter-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-handler-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-native-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/approval-reply-runtimeopenclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-runtime-context
Likewise, prefer openclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-runtime,
openclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-adapter-runtime,
openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-runtime,
openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-dispatch-runtime,
openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-reference, and
openclaw/plugin-sdk/reply-chunking when you do not need the broader umbrella
surface.
For setup specifically:
openclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-runtimecovers the runtime-safe setup helpers: import-safe setup patch adapters (createPatchedAccountSetupAdapter,createEnvPatchedAccountSetupAdapter,createSetupInputPresenceValidator), lookup-note output,promptResolvedAllowFrom,splitSetupEntries, and the delegated setup-proxy buildersopenclaw/plugin-sdk/setup-adapter-runtimeis the narrow env-aware adapter seam forcreateEnvPatchedAccountSetupAdapteropenclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-setupcovers the optional-install setup builders plus a few setup-safe primitives:createOptionalChannelSetupSurface,createOptionalChannelSetupAdapter,
If your channel supports env-driven setup or auth and generic startup/config
flows should know those env names before runtime loads, declare them in the
plugin manifest with channelEnvVars. Keep channel runtime envVars or local
constants for operator-facing copy only.
If your channel can appear in status, channels list, channels status, or
SecretRef scans before the plugin runtime starts, add openclaw.setupEntry in
package.json. That entrypoint should be safe to import in read-only command
paths and should return the channel metadata, setup-safe config adapter, status
adapter, and channel secret target metadata needed for those summaries. Do not
start clients, listeners, or transport runtimes from the setup entry.
Keep the main channel entry import path narrow too. Discovery can evaluate the
entry and the channel plugin module to register capabilities without activating
the channel. Files such as channel-plugin-api.ts should export the channel
plugin object without importing setup wizards, transport clients, socket
listeners, subprocess launchers, or service startup modules. Put those runtime
pieces in modules loaded from registerFull(...), runtime setters, or lazy
capability adapters.
createOptionalChannelSetupWizard, DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID,
createTopLevelChannelDmPolicy, setSetupChannelEnabled, and
splitSetupEntries
- use the broader
openclaw/plugin-sdk/setupseam only when you also need the heavier shared setup/config helpers such asmoveSingleAccountChannelSectionToDefaultAccount(...)
If your channel only wants to advertise "install this plugin first" in setup
surfaces, prefer createOptionalChannelSetupSurface(...). The generated
adapter/wizard fail closed on config writes and finalization, and they reuse
the same install-required message across validation, finalize, and docs-link
copy.
For other hot channel paths, prefer the narrow helpers over broader legacy surfaces:
openclaw/plugin-sdk/account-core,openclaw/plugin-sdk/account-id,openclaw/plugin-sdk/account-resolution, andopenclaw/plugin-sdk/account-helpersfor multi-account config and default-account fallbackopenclaw/plugin-sdk/inbound-envelopeandopenclaw/plugin-sdk/inbound-reply-dispatchfor inbound route/envelope and record-and-dispatch wiringopenclaw/plugin-sdk/messaging-targetsfor target parsing/matchingopenclaw/plugin-sdk/outbound-mediaandopenclaw/plugin-sdk/outbound-runtimefor media loading plus outbound identity/send delegates and payload planningbuildThreadAwareOutboundSessionRoute(...)fromopenclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-corewhen an outbound route should preserve an explicitreplyToId/threadIdor recover the current:thread:session after the base session key still matches. Provider plugins can override precedence, suffix behavior, and thread id normalization when their platform has native thread delivery semantics.openclaw/plugin-sdk/thread-bindings-runtimefor thread-binding lifecycle and adapter registrationopenclaw/plugin-sdk/agent-media-payloadonly when a legacy agent/media payload field layout is still requiredopenclaw/plugin-sdk/telegram-command-configfor Telegram custom-command normalization, duplicate/conflict validation, and a fallback-stable command config contract
Auth-only channels can usually stop at the default path: core handles approvals and the plugin just exposes outbound/auth capabilities. Native approval channels such as Matrix, Slack, Telegram, and custom chat transports should use the shared native helpers instead of rolling their own approval lifecycle.
Inbound mention policy
Keep inbound mention handling split in two layers:
- plugin-owned evidence gathering
- shared policy evaluation
Use openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-mention-gating for mention-policy decisions.
Use openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-inbound only when you need the broader inbound
helper barrel.
Good fit for plugin-local logic:
- reply-to-bot detection
- quoted-bot detection
- thread-participation checks
- service/system-message exclusions
- platform-native caches needed to prove bot participation
Good fit for the shared helper:
requireMention- explicit mention result
- implicit mention allowlist
- command bypass
- final skip decision
Preferred flow:
- Compute local mention facts.
- Pass those facts into
resolveInboundMentionDecision({ facts, policy }). - Use
decision.effectiveWasMentioned,decision.shouldBypassMention, anddecision.shouldSkipin your inbound gate.
import {
implicitMentionKindWhen,
matchesMentionWithExplicit,
resolveInboundMentionDecision,
} from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-inbound";
const mentionMatch = matchesMentionWithExplicit(text, {
mentionRegexes,
mentionPatterns,
});
const facts = {
canDetectMention: true,
wasMentioned: mentionMatch.matched,
hasAnyMention: mentionMatch.hasExplicitMention,
implicitMentionKinds: [
...implicitMentionKindWhen("reply_to_bot", isReplyToBot),
...implicitMentionKindWhen("quoted_bot", isQuoteOfBot),
],
};
const decision = resolveInboundMentionDecision({
facts,
policy: {
isGroup,
requireMention,
allowedImplicitMentionKinds: requireExplicitMention ? [] : ["reply_to_bot", "quoted_bot"],
allowTextCommands,
hasControlCommand,
commandAuthorized,
},
});
if (decision.shouldSkip) return;
api.runtime.channel.mentions exposes the same shared mention helpers for
bundled channel plugins that already depend on runtime injection:
buildMentionRegexesmatchesMentionPatternsmatchesMentionWithExplicitimplicitMentionKindWhenresolveInboundMentionDecision
If you only need implicitMentionKindWhen and
resolveInboundMentionDecision, import from
openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-mention-gating to avoid loading unrelated inbound
runtime helpers.
The older resolveMentionGating* helpers remain on
openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-inbound as compatibility exports only. New code
should use resolveInboundMentionDecision({ facts, policy }).
Walkthrough
Create the standard plugin files. The `channel` field in `package.json` is what makes this a channel plugin. For the full package-metadata surface, see [Plugin Setup and Config](/plugins/sdk-setup#openclaw-channel):<CodeGroup>
```json package.json
{
"name": "@myorg/openclaw-acme-chat",
"version": "1.0.0",
"type": "module",
"openclaw": {
"extensions": ["./index.ts"],
"setupEntry": "./setup-entry.ts",
"channel": {
"id": "acme-chat",
"label": "Acme Chat",
"blurb": "Connect OpenClaw to Acme Chat."
}
}
}
```
```json openclaw.plugin.json
{
"id": "acme-chat",
"kind": "channel",
"channels": ["acme-chat"],
"name": "Acme Chat",
"description": "Acme Chat channel plugin",
"configSchema": {
"type": "object",
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {}
},
"channelConfigs": {
"acme-chat": {
"schema": {
"type": "object",
"additionalProperties": false,
"properties": {
"token": { "type": "string" },
"allowFrom": {
"type": "array",
"items": { "type": "string" }
}
}
},
"uiHints": {
"token": {
"label": "Bot token",
"sensitive": true
}
}
}
}
}
```
</CodeGroup>
`configSchema` validates `plugins.entries.acme-chat.config`. Use it for
plugin-owned settings that are not the channel account config. `channelConfigs`
validates `channels.acme-chat` and is the cold-path source used by config
schema, setup, and UI surfaces before the plugin runtime loads.
The `ChannelPlugin` interface has many optional adapter surfaces. Start with
the minimum — `id` and `setup` — and add adapters as you need them.
Create `src/channel.ts`:
```typescript src/channel.ts
import {
createChatChannelPlugin,
createChannelPluginBase,
} from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";
import type { OpenClawConfig } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";
import { acmeChatApi } from "./client.js"; // your platform API client
type ResolvedAccount = {
accountId: string | null;
token: string;
allowFrom: string[];
dmPolicy: string | undefined;
};
function resolveAccount(
cfg: OpenClawConfig,
accountId?: string | null,
): ResolvedAccount {
const section = (cfg.channels as Record<string, any>)?.["acme-chat"];
const token = section?.token;
if (!token) throw new Error("acme-chat: token is required");
return {
accountId: accountId ?? null,
token,
allowFrom: section?.allowFrom ?? [],
dmPolicy: section?.dmSecurity,
};
}
export const acmeChatPlugin = createChatChannelPlugin<ResolvedAccount>({
base: createChannelPluginBase({
id: "acme-chat",
setup: {
resolveAccount,
inspectAccount(cfg, accountId) {
const section =
(cfg.channels as Record<string, any>)?.["acme-chat"];
return {
enabled: Boolean(section?.token),
configured: Boolean(section?.token),
tokenStatus: section?.token ? "available" : "missing",
};
},
},
}),
// DM security: who can message the bot
security: {
dm: {
channelKey: "acme-chat",
resolvePolicy: (account) => account.dmPolicy,
resolveAllowFrom: (account) => account.allowFrom,
defaultPolicy: "allowlist",
},
},
// Pairing: approval flow for new DM contacts
pairing: {
text: {
idLabel: "Acme Chat username",
message: "Send this code to verify your identity:",
notify: async ({ target, code }) => {
await acmeChatApi.sendDm(target, `Pairing code: ${code}`);
},
},
},
// Threading: how replies are delivered
threading: { topLevelReplyToMode: "reply" },
// Outbound: send messages to the platform
outbound: {
attachedResults: {
sendText: async (params) => {
const result = await acmeChatApi.sendMessage(
params.to,
params.text,
);
return { messageId: result.id };
},
},
base: {
sendMedia: async (params) => {
await acmeChatApi.sendFile(params.to, params.filePath);
},
},
},
});
```
<Accordion title="What createChatChannelPlugin does for you">
Instead of implementing low-level adapter interfaces manually, you pass
declarative options and the builder composes them:
| Option | What it wires |
| --- | --- |
| `security.dm` | Scoped DM security resolver from config fields |
| `pairing.text` | Text-based DM pairing flow with code exchange |
| `threading` | Reply-to-mode resolver (fixed, account-scoped, or custom) |
| `outbound.attachedResults` | Send functions that return result metadata (message IDs) |
You can also pass raw adapter objects instead of the declarative options
if you need full control.
Raw outbound adapters may define a `chunker(text, limit, ctx)` function.
The optional `ctx.formatting` carries delivery-time formatting decisions
such as `maxLinesPerMessage`; apply it before sending so reply threading
and chunk boundaries are resolved once by shared outbound delivery.
Send contexts also include `replyToIdSource` (`implicit` or `explicit`)
when a native reply target was resolved, so payload helpers can preserve
explicit reply tags without consuming an implicit single-use reply slot.
</Accordion>
Create `index.ts`:
```typescript index.ts
import { defineChannelPluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";
import { acmeChatPlugin } from "./src/channel.js";
export default defineChannelPluginEntry({
id: "acme-chat",
name: "Acme Chat",
description: "Acme Chat channel plugin",
plugin: acmeChatPlugin,
registerCliMetadata(api) {
api.registerCli(
({ program }) => {
program
.command("acme-chat")
.description("Acme Chat management");
},
{
descriptors: [
{
name: "acme-chat",
description: "Acme Chat management",
hasSubcommands: false,
},
],
},
);
},
registerFull(api) {
api.registerGatewayMethod(/* ... */);
},
});
```
Put channel-owned CLI descriptors in `registerCliMetadata(...)` so OpenClaw
can show them in root help without activating the full channel runtime,
while normal full loads still pick up the same descriptors for real command
registration. Keep `registerFull(...)` for runtime-only work.
If `registerFull(...)` registers gateway RPC methods, use a
plugin-specific prefix. Core admin namespaces (`config.*`,
`exec.approvals.*`, `wizard.*`, `update.*`) stay reserved and always
resolve to `operator.admin`.
`defineChannelPluginEntry` handles the registration-mode split automatically. See
[Entry Points](/plugins/sdk-entrypoints#definechannelpluginentry) for all
options.
Create `setup-entry.ts` for lightweight loading during onboarding:
```typescript setup-entry.ts
import { defineSetupPluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";
import { acmeChatPlugin } from "./src/channel.js";
export default defineSetupPluginEntry(acmeChatPlugin);
```
OpenClaw loads this instead of the full entry when the channel is disabled
or unconfigured. It avoids pulling in heavy runtime code during setup flows.
See [Setup and Config](/plugins/sdk-setup#setup-entry) for details.
Bundled workspace channels that split setup-safe exports into sidecar
modules can use `defineBundledChannelSetupEntry(...)` from
`openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract` when they also need an
explicit setup-time runtime setter.
Your plugin needs to receive messages from the platform and forward them to
OpenClaw. The typical pattern is a webhook that verifies the request and
dispatches it through your channel's inbound handler:
```typescript
registerFull(api) {
api.registerHttpRoute({
path: "/acme-chat/webhook",
auth: "plugin", // plugin-managed auth (verify signatures yourself)
handler: async (req, res) => {
const event = parseWebhookPayload(req);
// Your inbound handler dispatches the message to OpenClaw.
// The exact wiring depends on your platform SDK —
// see a real example in the bundled Microsoft Teams or Google Chat plugin package.
await handleAcmeChatInbound(api, event);
res.statusCode = 200;
res.end("ok");
return true;
},
});
}
```
<Note>
Inbound message handling is channel-specific. Each channel plugin owns
its own inbound pipeline. Look at bundled channel plugins
(for example the Microsoft Teams or Google Chat plugin package) for real patterns.
</Note>
Write colocated tests in src/channel.test.ts:
```typescript src/channel.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
import { acmeChatPlugin } from "./channel.js";
describe("acme-chat plugin", () => {
it("resolves account from config", () => {
const cfg = {
channels: {
"acme-chat": { token: "test-token", allowFrom: ["user1"] },
},
} as any;
const account = acmeChatPlugin.setup!.resolveAccount(cfg, undefined);
expect(account.token).toBe("test-token");
});
it("inspects account without materializing secrets", () => {
const cfg = {
channels: { "acme-chat": { token: "test-token" } },
} as any;
const result = acmeChatPlugin.setup!.inspectAccount!(cfg, undefined);
expect(result.configured).toBe(true);
expect(result.tokenStatus).toBe("available");
});
it("reports missing config", () => {
const cfg = { channels: {} } as any;
const result = acmeChatPlugin.setup!.inspectAccount!(cfg, undefined);
expect(result.configured).toBe(false);
});
});
```
```bash
pnpm test -- <bundled-plugin-root>/acme-chat/
```
For shared test helpers, see [Testing](/plugins/sdk-testing).
File structure
<bundled-plugin-root>/acme-chat/
├── package.json # openclaw.channel metadata
├── openclaw.plugin.json # Manifest with config schema
├── index.ts # defineChannelPluginEntry
├── setup-entry.ts # defineSetupPluginEntry
├── api.ts # Public exports (optional)
├── runtime-api.ts # Internal runtime exports (optional)
└── src/
├── channel.ts # ChannelPlugin via createChatChannelPlugin
├── channel.test.ts # Tests
├── client.ts # Platform API client
└── runtime.ts # Runtime store (if needed)
Advanced topics
Fixed, account-scoped, or custom reply modes describeMessageTool and action discovery inferTargetChatType, looksLikeId, resolveTarget TTS, STT, media, subagent via api.runtime Some bundled helper seams still exist for bundled-plugin maintenance and compatibility. They are not the recommended pattern for new channel plugins; prefer the generic channel/setup/reply/runtime subpaths from the common SDK surface unless you are maintaining that bundled plugin family directly.Next steps
- Provider Plugins — if your plugin also provides models
- SDK Overview — full subpath import reference
- SDK Testing — test utilities and contract tests
- Plugin Manifest — full manifest schema