diff --git a/src/channels/chat-type.ts b/src/channels/chat-type.ts
index c9be141adf3..fced60739fb 100644
--- a/src/channels/chat-type.ts
+++ b/src/channels/chat-type.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export type ChatType = "direct" | "group" | "channel";
 
 export function normalizeChatType(raw?: string): ChatType | undefined {
-  const value = raw?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const value = normalizeOptionalString(raw)?.toLowerCase();
   if (!value) {
     return undefined;
   }
diff --git a/src/channels/ids.ts b/src/channels/ids.ts
index d45d3100e51..a43472b404c 100644
--- a/src/channels/ids.ts
+++ b/src/channels/ids.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { listChannelCatalogEntries } from "../plugins/channel-catalog-registry.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 export type ChatChannelId = string;
 
@@ -9,8 +10,7 @@ type BundledChatChannelEntry = {
 };
 
 function normalizeChannelKey(raw?: string | null): string | undefined {
-  const normalized = raw?.trim().toLowerCase();
-  return normalized || undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(raw)?.toLowerCase();
 }
 
 function listBundledChatChannelEntries(): BundledChatChannelEntry[] {
diff --git a/src/channels/inbound-debounce-policy.ts b/src/channels/inbound-debounce-policy.ts
index 7101ba6f131..fa0326baa7e 100644
--- a/src/channels/inbound-debounce-policy.ts
+++ b/src/channels/inbound-debounce-policy.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   type InboundDebounceCreateParams,
 } from "../auto-reply/inbound-debounce.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 export function shouldDebounceTextInbound(params: {
   text: string | null | undefined;
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ export function shouldDebounceTextInbound(params: {
   if (params.hasMedia) {
     return false;
   }
-  const text = params.text?.trim() ?? "";
+  const text = normalizeOptionalString(params.text) ?? "";
   if (!text) {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/src/channels/registry.ts b/src/channels/registry.ts
index afbb6f3f780..c592ead089a 100644
--- a/src/channels/registry.ts
+++ b/src/channels/registry.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { getActivePluginChannelRegistry, getActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { getChatChannelMeta, listChatChannels, type ChatChannelMeta } from "./chat-meta.js";
 import {
   CHANNEL_IDS,
@@ -31,14 +32,12 @@ function findRegisteredChannelPluginEntry(
   normalizedKey: string,
 ): RegisteredChannelPluginEntry | undefined {
   return listRegisteredChannelPluginEntries().find((entry) => {
-    const id = String(entry.plugin.id ?? "")
-      .trim()
-      .toLowerCase();
+    const id = normalizeOptionalString(String(entry.plugin.id ?? ""))?.toLowerCase() ?? "";
     if (id && id === normalizedKey) {
       return true;
     }
     return (entry.plugin.meta?.aliases ?? []).some(
-      (alias) => alias.trim().toLowerCase() === normalizedKey,
+      (alias) => normalizeOptionalString(alias)?.toLowerCase() === normalizedKey,
     );
   });
 }
@@ -56,8 +55,7 @@ function findRegisteredChannelPluginEntryById(
 }
 
 const normalizeChannelKey = (raw?: string | null): string | undefined => {
-  const normalized = raw?.trim().toLowerCase();
-  return normalized || undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(raw)?.toLowerCase();
 };
 export {
   CHAT_CHANNEL_ALIASES,
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ export function normalizeAnyChannelId(raw?: string | null): ChannelId | null {
 
 export function listRegisteredChannelPluginIds(): ChannelId[] {
   return listRegisteredChannelPluginEntries().flatMap((entry) => {
-    const id = entry.plugin.id?.trim();
+    const id = normalizeOptionalString(entry.plugin.id);
     return id ? [id as ChannelId] : [];
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/channels/sender-identity.ts b/src/channels/sender-identity.ts
index d3117f0a576..5652d578df1 100644
--- a/src/channels/sender-identity.ts
+++ b/src/channels/sender-identity.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { MsgContext } from "../auto-reply/templating.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { normalizeChatType } from "./chat-type.js";
 
 export function validateSenderIdentity(ctx: MsgContext): string[] {
@@ -7,10 +8,10 @@ export function validateSenderIdentity(ctx: MsgContext): string[] {
   const chatType = normalizeChatType(ctx.ChatType);
   const isDirect = chatType === "direct";
 
-  const senderId = ctx.SenderId?.trim() || "";
-  const senderName = ctx.SenderName?.trim() || "";
-  const senderUsername = ctx.SenderUsername?.trim() || "";
-  const senderE164 = ctx.SenderE164?.trim() || "";
+  const senderId = normalizeOptionalString(ctx.SenderId) || "";
+  const senderName = normalizeOptionalString(ctx.SenderName) || "";
+  const senderUsername = normalizeOptionalString(ctx.SenderUsername) || "";
+  const senderE164 = normalizeOptionalString(ctx.SenderE164) || "";
 
   if (!isDirect) {
     if (!senderId && !senderName && !senderUsername && !senderE164) {
diff --git a/src/channels/sender-label.ts b/src/channels/sender-label.ts
index e8d4132f0a5..4b15acd5320 100644
--- a/src/channels/sender-label.ts
+++ b/src/channels/sender-label.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export type SenderLabelParams = {
   name?: string;
   username?: string;
@@ -7,8 +9,7 @@ export type SenderLabelParams = {
 };
 
 function normalize(value?: string): string | undefined {
-  const trimmed = value?.trim();
-  return trimmed ? trimmed : undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value);
 }
 
 function normalizeSenderLabelParams(params: SenderLabelParams) {
diff --git a/src/channels/status-reactions.ts b/src/channels/status-reactions.ts
index f10f19e1b0a..c3203aac4b5 100644
--- a/src/channels/status-reactions.ts
+++ b/src/channels/status-reactions.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 /**
  * Channel-agnostic status reaction controller.
  * Provides a unified interface for displaying agent status via message reactions.
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ export function resolveToolEmoji(
   toolName: string | undefined,
   emojis: Required<StatusReactionEmojis>,
 ): string {
-  const normalized = toolName?.trim().toLowerCase() ?? "";
+  const normalized = normalizeOptionalString(toolName)?.toLowerCase() ?? "";
   if (!normalized) {
     return emojis.tool;
   }
diff --git a/src/channels/thread-binding-id.ts b/src/channels/thread-binding-id.ts
index c9db30e3637..071bf67a82b 100644
--- a/src/channels/thread-binding-id.ts
+++ b/src/channels/thread-binding-id.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export function resolveThreadBindingConversationIdFromBindingId(params: {
   accountId: string;
   bindingId?: string;
 }): string | undefined {
-  const bindingId = params.bindingId?.trim();
+  const bindingId = normalizeOptionalString(params.bindingId);
   if (!bindingId) {
     return undefined;
   }
@@ -10,6 +12,6 @@ export function resolveThreadBindingConversationIdFromBindingId(params: {
   if (!bindingId.startsWith(prefix)) {
     return undefined;
   }
-  const conversationId = bindingId.slice(prefix.length).trim();
+  const conversationId = normalizeOptionalString(bindingId.slice(prefix.length));
   return conversationId || undefined;
 }
diff --git a/src/channels/thread-bindings-messages.ts b/src/channels/thread-bindings-messages.ts
index fd3d4ccdeaa..a00b5bc5cdc 100644
--- a/src/channels/thread-bindings-messages.ts
+++ b/src/channels/thread-bindings-messages.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { prefixSystemMessage } from "../infra/system-message.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 const DEFAULT_THREAD_BINDING_FAREWELL_TEXT =
   "Session ended. Messages here will no longer be routed.";
@@ -32,8 +33,8 @@ export function resolveThreadBindingThreadName(params: {
   agentId?: string;
   label?: string;
 }): string {
-  const label = params.label?.trim();
-  const base = label || params.agentId?.trim() || "agent";
+  const label = normalizeOptionalString(params.label);
+  const base = label || normalizeOptionalString(params.agentId) || "agent";
   const raw = `🤖 ${base}`.replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
   return raw.slice(0, 100);
 }
@@ -46,12 +47,12 @@ export function resolveThreadBindingIntroText(params: {
   sessionCwd?: string;
   sessionDetails?: string[];
 }): string {
-  const label = params.label?.trim();
-  const base = label || params.agentId?.trim() || "agent";
+  const label = normalizeOptionalString(params.label);
+  const base = label || normalizeOptionalString(params.agentId) || "agent";
   const normalized = base.replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim().slice(0, 100) || "agent";
   const idleTimeoutMs = normalizeThreadBindingDurationMs(params.idleTimeoutMs);
   const maxAgeMs = normalizeThreadBindingDurationMs(params.maxAgeMs);
-  const cwd = params.sessionCwd?.trim();
+  const cwd = normalizeOptionalString(params.sessionCwd);
   const details = (params.sessionDetails ?? [])
     .map((entry) => entry.trim())
     .filter((entry) => entry.length > 0);
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ export function resolveThreadBindingFarewellText(params: {
   idleTimeoutMs: number;
   maxAgeMs: number;
 }): string {
-  const custom = params.farewellText?.trim();
+  const custom = normalizeOptionalString(params.farewellText);
   if (custom) {
     return prefixSystemMessage(custom);
   }
diff --git a/src/sessions/send-policy.ts b/src/sessions/send-policy.ts
index 3e36288628c..2c16a3b50c6 100644
--- a/src/sessions/send-policy.ts
+++ b/src/sessions/send-policy.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { normalizeChatType } from "../channels/chat-type.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import type { SessionChatType, SessionEntry } from "../config/sessions.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 export type SessionSendPolicyDecision = "allow" | "deny";
 
 export function normalizeSendPolicy(raw?: string | null): SessionSendPolicyDecision | undefined {
-  const value = raw?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const value = normalizeOptionalString(raw)?.toLowerCase();
   if (value === "allow") {
     return "allow";
   }
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ export function normalizeSendPolicy(raw?: string | null): SessionSendPolicyDecis
 }
 
 function normalizeMatchValue(raw?: string | null) {
-  const value = raw?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const value = normalizeOptionalString(raw)?.toLowerCase();
   return value ? value : undefined;
 }
 
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ function deriveChannelFromKey(key?: string) {
 }
 
 function deriveChatTypeFromKey(key?: string): SessionChatType | undefined {
-  const normalizedKey = stripAgentSessionKeyPrefix(key)?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const normalizedKey = normalizeOptionalString(stripAgentSessionKeyPrefix(key))?.toLowerCase();
   if (!normalizedKey) {
     return undefined;
   }
diff --git a/src/sessions/session-key-utils.ts b/src/sessions/session-key-utils.ts
index 00e4b173179..1486811f6a8 100644
--- a/src/sessions/session-key-utils.ts
+++ b/src/sessions/session-key-utils.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export type ParsedAgentSessionKey = {
   agentId: string;
   rest: string;
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ export type RawSessionConversationRef = {
 export function parseAgentSessionKey(
   sessionKey: string | undefined | null,
 ): ParsedAgentSessionKey | null {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey)?.toLowerCase();
   if (!raw) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ export function parseAgentSessionKey(
   if (parts[0] !== "agent") {
     return null;
   }
-  const agentId = parts[1]?.trim();
+  const agentId = normalizeOptionalString(parts[1]);
   const rest = parts.slice(2).join(":");
   if (!agentId || !rest) {
     return null;
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ export function isCronSessionKey(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): boolean
 }
 
 export function isSubagentSessionKey(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): boolean {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey);
   if (!raw) {
     return false;
   }
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ export function isSubagentSessionKey(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): boo
 }
 
 export function getSubagentDepth(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): number {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey)?.toLowerCase();
   if (!raw) {
     return 0;
   }
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ export function getSubagentDepth(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): number
 }
 
 export function isAcpSessionKey(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): boolean {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey);
   if (!raw) {
     return false;
   }
@@ -91,14 +93,13 @@ export function isAcpSessionKey(sessionKey: string | undefined | null): boolean
 }
 
 function normalizeSessionConversationChannel(value: string | undefined | null): string | undefined {
-  const trimmed = (value ?? "").trim().toLowerCase();
-  return trimmed || undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value)?.toLowerCase();
 }
 
 export function parseThreadSessionSuffix(
   sessionKey: string | undefined | null,
 ): ParsedThreadSessionSuffix {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey);
   if (!raw) {
     return { baseSessionKey: undefined, threadId: undefined };
   }
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ export function parseThreadSessionSuffix(
 
   const baseSessionKey = markerIndex === -1 ? raw : raw.slice(0, markerIndex);
   const threadIdRaw = markerIndex === -1 ? undefined : raw.slice(markerIndex + marker.length);
-  const threadId = threadIdRaw?.trim() || undefined;
+  const threadId = normalizeOptionalString(threadIdRaw);
 
   return { baseSessionKey, threadId };
 }
@@ -119,30 +120,27 @@ export function parseThreadSessionSuffix(
 export function parseRawSessionConversationRef(
   sessionKey: string | undefined | null,
 ): RawSessionConversationRef | null {
-  const raw = (sessionKey ?? "").trim();
+  const raw = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKey);
   if (!raw) {
     return null;
   }
 
   const rawParts = raw.split(":").filter(Boolean);
   const bodyStartIndex =
-    rawParts.length >= 3 && rawParts[0]?.trim().toLowerCase() === "agent" ? 2 : 0;
+    rawParts.length >= 3 && normalizeOptionalString(rawParts[0])?.toLowerCase() === "agent" ? 2 : 0;
   const parts = rawParts.slice(bodyStartIndex);
   if (parts.length < 3) {
     return null;
   }
 
   const channel = normalizeSessionConversationChannel(parts[0]);
-  const kind = parts[1]?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  const kind = normalizeOptionalString(parts[1])?.toLowerCase();
   if (!channel || (kind !== "group" && kind !== "channel")) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const rawId = parts.slice(2).join(":").trim();
-  const prefix = rawParts
-    .slice(0, bodyStartIndex + 2)
-    .join(":")
-    .trim();
+  const rawId = normalizeOptionalString(parts.slice(2).join(":"));
+  const prefix = normalizeOptionalString(rawParts.slice(0, bodyStartIndex + 2).join(":"));
   if (!rawId || !prefix) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -157,7 +155,7 @@ export function resolveThreadParentSessionKey(
   if (!threadId) {
     return null;
   }
-  const parent = baseSessionKey?.trim();
+  const parent = normalizeOptionalString(baseSessionKey);
   if (!parent) {
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/src/sessions/transcript-events.ts b/src/sessions/transcript-events.ts
index c870b9407f0..4c540d209ef 100644
--- a/src/sessions/transcript-events.ts
+++ b/src/sessions/transcript-events.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export type SessionTranscriptUpdate = {
   sessionFile: string;
   sessionKey?: string;
@@ -26,18 +28,18 @@ export function emitSessionTranscriptUpdate(update: string | SessionTranscriptUp
           message: update.message,
           messageId: update.messageId,
         };
-  const trimmed = normalized.sessionFile.trim();
+  const trimmed = normalizeOptionalString(normalized.sessionFile);
   if (!trimmed) {
     return;
   }
   const nextUpdate: SessionTranscriptUpdate = {
     sessionFile: trimmed,
-    ...(typeof normalized.sessionKey === "string" && normalized.sessionKey.trim()
-      ? { sessionKey: normalized.sessionKey.trim() }
+    ...(normalizeOptionalString(normalized.sessionKey)
+      ? { sessionKey: normalizeOptionalString(normalized.sessionKey) }
       : {}),
     ...(normalized.message !== undefined ? { message: normalized.message } : {}),
-    ...(typeof normalized.messageId === "string" && normalized.messageId.trim()
-      ? { messageId: normalized.messageId.trim() }
+    ...(normalizeOptionalString(normalized.messageId)
+      ? { messageId: normalizeOptionalString(normalized.messageId) }
       : {}),
   };
   for (const listener of SESSION_TRANSCRIPT_LISTENERS) {