Add /btw side questions (#45444)

* feat(agent): add /btw side questions

* fix(agent): gate and log /btw reviews

* feat(btw): isolate side-question delivery

* test(reply): update route reply runtime mocks

* fix(btw): complete side-result delivery across clients

* fix(gateway): handle streamed btw side results

* fix(telegram): unblock btw side questions

* fix(reply): make external btw replies explicit

* fix(chat): keep btw side results ephemeral in internal history

* fix(btw): address remaining review feedback

* fix(chat): preserve btw history on mobile refresh

* fix(acp): keep btw replies out of prompt history

* refactor(btw): narrow side questions to live channels

* fix(btw): preserve channel typing indicators

* fix(btw): keep side questions isolated in chat

* fix(outbound): restore typed channel send deps

* fix(btw): avoid blocking replies on transcript persistence

* fix(btw): keep side questions fast

* docs(commands): document btw slash command

* docs(changelog): add btw side questions entry

* test(outbound): align session transcript mocks

src/auto-reply/commands-registry.data.ts

@@ -196,6 +196,14 @@ function buildChatCommands(): ChatCommandDefinition[] {
       acceptsArgs: true,
       category: "status",
     }),
+    defineChatCommand({
+      key: "btw",
+      nativeName: "btw",
+      description: "Ask a side question without changing future session context.",
+      textAlias: "/btw",
+      acceptsArgs: true,
+      category: "tools",
+    }),
     defineChatCommand({
       key: "export-session",
       nativeName: "export-session",

src/auto-reply/reply/btw-command.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { normalizeCommandBody, type CommandNormalizeOptions } from "../commands-registry.js";
+
+const BTW_COMMAND_RE = /^\/btw(?::|\s|$)/i;
+
+export function isBtwRequestText(text?: string, options?: CommandNormalizeOptions): boolean {
+  if (!text) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const normalized = normalizeCommandBody(text, options).trim();
+  return BTW_COMMAND_RE.test(normalized);
+}
+
+export function extractBtwQuestion(
+  text?: string,
+  options?: CommandNormalizeOptions,
+): string | null {
+  if (!text) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const normalized = normalizeCommandBody(text, options).trim();
+  const match = normalized.match(/^\/btw(?:\s+(.*))?$/i);
+  if (!match) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return match[1]?.trim() ?? "";
+}

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-btw.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import { buildCommandTestParams } from "./commands.test-harness.js";
+import { createMockTypingController } from "./test-helpers.js";
+
+const runBtwSideQuestionMock = vi.fn();
+
+vi.mock("../../agents/btw.js", () => ({
+  runBtwSideQuestion: (...args: unknown[]) => runBtwSideQuestionMock(...args),
+}));
+
+const { handleBtwCommand } = await import("./commands-btw.js");
+
+function buildParams(commandBody: string) {
+  const cfg = {
+    commands: { text: true },
+    channels: { whatsapp: { allowFrom: ["*"] } },
+  } as OpenClawConfig;
+  return buildCommandTestParams(commandBody, cfg, undefined, { workspaceDir: "/tmp/workspace" });
+}
+
+describe("handleBtwCommand", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    runBtwSideQuestionMock.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("returns usage when the side question is missing", async () => {
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(buildParams("/btw"), true);
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: "Usage: /btw <side question>" },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("ignores /btw when text commands are disabled", async () => {
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(buildParams("/btw what changed?"), false);
+
+    expect(result).toBeNull();
+    expect(runBtwSideQuestionMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("ignores /btw from unauthorized senders", async () => {
+    const params = buildParams("/btw what changed?");
+    params.command.isAuthorizedSender = false;
+
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(params, true);
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ shouldContinue: false });
+    expect(runBtwSideQuestionMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("requires an active session context", async () => {
+    const params = buildParams("/btw what changed?");
+    params.sessionEntry = undefined;
+
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(params, true);
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: "⚠️ /btw requires an active session with existing context." },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("still delegates while the session is actively running", async () => {
+    const params = buildParams("/btw what changed?");
+    params.agentDir = "/tmp/agent";
+    params.sessionEntry = {
+      sessionId: "session-1",
+      updatedAt: Date.now(),
+    };
+    runBtwSideQuestionMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "snapshot answer" });
+
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(params, true);
+
+    expect(runBtwSideQuestionMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        question: "what changed?",
+        sessionEntry: params.sessionEntry,
+        resolvedThinkLevel: "off",
+        resolvedReasoningLevel: "off",
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: "snapshot answer", btw: { question: "what changed?" } },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("starts the typing keepalive while the side question runs", async () => {
+    const params = buildParams("/btw what changed?");
+    const typing = createMockTypingController();
+    params.typing = typing;
+    params.agentDir = "/tmp/agent";
+    params.sessionEntry = {
+      sessionId: "session-1",
+      updatedAt: Date.now(),
+    };
+    runBtwSideQuestionMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "snapshot answer" });
+
+    await handleBtwCommand(params, true);
+
+    expect(typing.startTypingLoop).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("delegates to the side-question runner", async () => {
+    const params = buildParams("/btw what changed?");
+    params.agentDir = "/tmp/agent";
+    params.sessionEntry = {
+      sessionId: "session-1",
+      updatedAt: Date.now(),
+    };
+    runBtwSideQuestionMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "nothing important" });
+
+    const result = await handleBtwCommand(params, true);
+
+    expect(runBtwSideQuestionMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        question: "what changed?",
+        agentDir: "/tmp/agent",
+        sessionEntry: params.sessionEntry,
+        resolvedThinkLevel: "off",
+        resolvedReasoningLevel: "off",
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: "nothing important", btw: { question: "what changed?" } },
+    });
+  });
+});

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-btw.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { runBtwSideQuestion } from "../../agents/btw.js";
+import { extractBtwQuestion } from "./btw-command.js";
+import { rejectUnauthorizedCommand } from "./command-gates.js";
+import type { CommandHandler } from "./commands-types.js";
+
+const BTW_USAGE = "Usage: /btw <side question>";
+
+export const handleBtwCommand: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextCommands) => {
+  if (!allowTextCommands) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const question = extractBtwQuestion(params.command.commandBodyNormalized);
+  if (question === null) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const unauthorized = rejectUnauthorizedCommand(params, "/btw");
+  if (unauthorized) {
+    return unauthorized;
+  }
+
+  if (!question) {
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: BTW_USAGE },
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (!params.sessionEntry?.sessionId) {
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: { text: "⚠️ /btw requires an active session with existing context." },
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (!params.agentDir) {
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: {
+        text: "⚠️ /btw is unavailable because the active agent directory could not be resolved.",
+      },
+    };
+  }
+
+  try {
+    await params.typing?.startTypingLoop();
+    const reply = await runBtwSideQuestion({
+      cfg: params.cfg,
+      agentDir: params.agentDir,
+      provider: params.provider,
+      model: params.model,
+      question,
+      sessionEntry: params.sessionEntry,
+      sessionStore: params.sessionStore,
+      sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+      storePath: params.storePath,
+      // BTW is intentionally a quick side question, so do not inherit slower
+      // session-level think/reasoning settings from the main run.
+      resolvedThinkLevel: "off",
+      resolvedReasoningLevel: "off",
+      blockReplyChunking: params.blockReplyChunking,
+      resolvedBlockStreamingBreak: params.resolvedBlockStreamingBreak,
+      opts: params.opts,
+      isNewSession: false,
+    });
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: reply ? { ...reply, btw: { question } } : reply,
+    };
+  } catch (error) {
+    const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message.trim() : "";
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: {
+        text: `⚠️ /btw failed${message ? `: ${message}` : "."}`,
+        btw: { question },
+        isError: true,
+      },
+    };
+  }
+};

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-core.ts

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { resolveBoundAcpThreadSessionKey } from "./commands-acp/targets.js";
 import { handleAllowlistCommand } from "./commands-allowlist.js";
 import { handleApproveCommand } from "./commands-approve.js";
 import { handleBashCommand } from "./commands-bash.js";
+import { handleBtwCommand } from "./commands-btw.js";
 import { handleCompactCommand } from "./commands-compact.js";
 import { handleConfigCommand, handleDebugCommand } from "./commands-config.js";
 import {
@@ -174,6 +175,7 @@ export async function handleCommands(params: HandleCommandsParams): Promise<Comm
     HANDLERS = [
       // Plugin commands are processed first, before built-in commands
       handlePluginCommand,
+      handleBtwCommand,
       handleBashCommand,
       handleActivationCommand,
       handleSendPolicyCommand,

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-types.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
+import type { BlockReplyChunking } from "../../agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.js";
 import type { SkillCommandSpec } from "../../agents/skills.js";
 import type { ChannelId } from "../../channels/plugins/types.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import type { SessionEntry, SessionScope } from "../../config/sessions.js";
 import type { MsgContext } from "../templating.js";
 import type { ElevatedLevel, ReasoningLevel, ThinkLevel, VerboseLevel } from "../thinking.js";
-import type { ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
+import type { GetReplyOptions, ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
 import type { InlineDirectives } from "./directive-handling.js";
+import type { TypingController } from "./typing.js";
 
 export type CommandContext = {
   surface: string;
@@ -44,17 +46,21 @@ export type HandleCommandsParams = {
   storePath?: string;
   sessionScope?: SessionScope;
   workspaceDir: string;
+  opts?: GetReplyOptions;
   defaultGroupActivation: () => "always" | "mention";
   resolvedThinkLevel?: ThinkLevel;
   resolvedVerboseLevel: VerboseLevel;
   resolvedReasoningLevel: ReasoningLevel;
   resolvedElevatedLevel?: ElevatedLevel;
+  blockReplyChunking?: BlockReplyChunking;
+  resolvedBlockStreamingBreak?: "text_end" | "message_end";
   resolveDefaultThinkingLevel: () => Promise<ThinkLevel | undefined>;
   provider: string;
   model: string;
   contextTokens: number;
   isGroup: boolean;
   skillCommands?: SkillCommandSpec[];
+  typing?: TypingController;
 };
 
 export type CommandHandlerResult = {

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-inline-actions.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { collectTextContentBlocks } from "../../agents/content-blocks.js";
 import { createOpenClawTools } from "../../agents/openclaw-tools.js";
+import type { BlockReplyChunking } from "../../agents/pi-embedded-block-chunker.js";
 import type { SkillCommandSpec } from "../../agents/skills.js";
 import { applyOwnerOnlyToolPolicy } from "../../agents/tool-policy.js";
 import { getChannelDock } from "../../channels/dock.js";
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ function getBuiltinSlashCommands(): Set<string> {
     return builtinSlashCommands;
   }
   builtinSlashCommands = listReservedChatSlashCommandNames([
+    "btw",
     "think",
     "verbose",
     "reasoning",
@@ -113,6 +115,8 @@ export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
   resolvedVerboseLevel: VerboseLevel | undefined;
   resolvedReasoningLevel: ReasoningLevel;
   resolvedElevatedLevel: ElevatedLevel;
+  blockReplyChunking?: BlockReplyChunking;
+  resolvedBlockStreamingBreak?: "text_end" | "message_end";
   resolveDefaultThinkingLevel: Awaited<
     ReturnType<typeof createModelSelectionState>
   >["resolveDefaultThinkingLevel"];
@@ -152,6 +156,8 @@ export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
     resolvedVerboseLevel,
     resolvedReasoningLevel,
     resolvedElevatedLevel,
+    blockReplyChunking,
+    resolvedBlockStreamingBreak,
     resolveDefaultThinkingLevel,
     provider,
     model,
@@ -357,17 +363,21 @@ export async function handleInlineActions(params: {
       storePath,
       sessionScope,
       workspaceDir,
+      opts,
       defaultGroupActivation: defaultActivation,
       resolvedThinkLevel,
       resolvedVerboseLevel: resolvedVerboseLevel ?? "off",
       resolvedReasoningLevel,
       resolvedElevatedLevel,
+      blockReplyChunking,
+      resolvedBlockStreamingBreak,
       resolveDefaultThinkingLevel,
       provider,
       model,
       contextTokens,
       isGroup,
       skillCommands,
+      typing,
     });
 
   if (inlineCommand) {

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply.ts

@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ export async function getReplyFromConfig(
     resolvedVerboseLevel,
     resolvedReasoningLevel,
     resolvedElevatedLevel,
+    blockReplyChunking,
+    resolvedBlockStreamingBreak,
     resolveDefaultThinkingLevel: modelState.resolveDefaultThinkingLevel,
     provider,
     model,

src/auto-reply/reply/reply-payloads.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ import type { ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
 import { extractReplyToTag } from "./reply-tags.js";
 import { createReplyToModeFilterForChannel } from "./reply-threading.js";
 
+export function formatBtwTextForExternalDelivery(payload: ReplyPayload): string | undefined {
+  const text = payload.text?.trim();
+  if (!text) {
+    return payload.text;
+  }
+  const question = payload.btw?.question?.trim();
+  if (!question) {
+    return payload.text;
+  }
+  const formatted = `BTW\nQuestion: ${question}\n\n${text}`;
+  return text === formatted || text.startsWith("BTW\nQuestion:") ? text : formatted;
+}
+
 function resolveReplyThreadingForPayload(params: {
   payload: ReplyPayload;
   implicitReplyToId?: string;

src/auto-reply/reply/route-reply.test.ts

@@ -44,25 +44,33 @@ vi.mock("../../../extensions/slack/src/send.js", () => ({
 vi.mock("../../../extensions/telegram/src/send.js", () => ({
   sendMessageTelegram: mocks.sendMessageTelegram,
 }));
+vi.mock("../../../extensions/telegram/src/send.js", () => ({
+  sendMessageTelegram: mocks.sendMessageTelegram,
+}));
 vi.mock("../../../extensions/whatsapp/src/send.js", () => ({
   sendMessageWhatsApp: mocks.sendMessageWhatsApp,
   sendPollWhatsApp: mocks.sendMessageWhatsApp,
 }));
+vi.mock("../../../extensions/discord/src/send.js", () => ({
+  sendMessageDiscord: mocks.sendMessageDiscord,
+  sendPollDiscord: mocks.sendMessageDiscord,
+  sendWebhookMessageDiscord: vi.fn(),
+}));
 vi.mock("../../../extensions/mattermost/src/mattermost/send.js", () => ({
   sendMessageMattermost: mocks.sendMessageMattermost,
 }));
-vi.mock("../../infra/outbound/deliver.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../../infra/outbound/deliver.js")>(
-    "../../infra/outbound/deliver.js",
+vi.mock("../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js")>(
+    "../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js",
   );
   return {
     ...actual,
     deliverOutboundPayloads: mocks.deliverOutboundPayloads,
   };
 });
-const actualDeliver = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../../infra/outbound/deliver.js")>(
-  "../../infra/outbound/deliver.js",
-);
+const actualDeliver = await vi.importActual<
+  typeof import("../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js")
+>("../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js");
 
 const { routeReply } = await import("./route-reply.js");
 
@@ -294,6 +302,36 @@ describe("routeReply", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("formats BTW replies prominently on routed sends", async () => {
+    mocks.sendMessageSlack.mockClear();
+    await routeReply({
+      payload: { text: "323", btw: { question: "what is 17 * 19?" } },
+      channel: "slack",
+      to: "channel:C123",
+      cfg: {} as never,
+    });
+    expect(mocks.sendMessageSlack).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "channel:C123",
+      "BTW\nQuestion: what is 17 * 19?\n\n323",
+      expect.any(Object),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("formats BTW replies prominently on routed discord sends", async () => {
+    mocks.sendMessageDiscord.mockClear();
+    await routeReply({
+      payload: { text: "323", btw: { question: "what is 17 * 19?" } },
+      channel: "discord",
+      to: "channel:123456",
+      cfg: {} as never,
+    });
+    expect(mocks.sendMessageDiscord).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "channel:123456",
+      "BTW\nQuestion: what is 17 * 19?\n\n323",
+      expect.any(Object),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("passes replyToId to Telegram sends", async () => {
     mocks.sendMessageTelegram.mockClear();
     await routeReply({

src/auto-reply/reply/route-reply.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ import { INTERNAL_MESSAGE_CHANNEL, normalizeMessageChannel } from "../../utils/m
 import type { OriginatingChannelType } from "../templating.js";
 import type { ReplyPayload } from "../types.js";
 import { normalizeReplyPayload } from "./normalize-reply.js";
-import { shouldSuppressReasoningPayload } from "./reply-payloads.js";
+import {
+  formatBtwTextForExternalDelivery,
+  shouldSuppressReasoningPayload,
+} from "./reply-payloads.js";
 
 let deliverRuntimePromise: Promise<
   typeof import("../../infra/outbound/deliver-runtime.js")
@@ -102,24 +105,28 @@ export async function routeReply(params: RouteReplyParams): Promise<RouteReplyRe
   if (!normalized) {
     return { ok: true };
   }
+  const externalPayload: ReplyPayload = {
+    ...normalized,
+    text: formatBtwTextForExternalDelivery(normalized),
+  };
 
-  let text = normalized.text ?? "";
-  let mediaUrls = (normalized.mediaUrls?.filter(Boolean) ?? []).length
-    ? (normalized.mediaUrls?.filter(Boolean) as string[])
-    : normalized.mediaUrl
-      ? [normalized.mediaUrl]
+  let text = externalPayload.text ?? "";
+  let mediaUrls = (externalPayload.mediaUrls?.filter(Boolean) ?? []).length
+    ? (externalPayload.mediaUrls?.filter(Boolean) as string[])
+    : externalPayload.mediaUrl
+      ? [externalPayload.mediaUrl]
       : [];
-  const replyToId = normalized.replyToId;
+  const replyToId = externalPayload.replyToId;
   let hasSlackBlocks = false;
   if (
     channel === "slack" &&
-    normalized.channelData?.slack &&
-    typeof normalized.channelData.slack === "object" &&
-    !Array.isArray(normalized.channelData.slack)
+    externalPayload.channelData?.slack &&
+    typeof externalPayload.channelData.slack === "object" &&
+    !Array.isArray(externalPayload.channelData.slack)
   ) {
     try {
       hasSlackBlocks = Boolean(
-        parseSlackBlocksInput((normalized.channelData.slack as { blocks?: unknown }).blocks)
+        parseSlackBlocksInput((externalPayload.channelData.slack as { blocks?: unknown }).blocks)
           ?.length,
       );
     } catch {
@@ -168,7 +175,7 @@ export async function routeReply(params: RouteReplyParams): Promise<RouteReplyRe
       channel: channelId,
       to,
       accountId: accountId ?? undefined,
-      payloads: [normalized],
+      payloads: [externalPayload],
       replyToId: resolvedReplyToId ?? null,
       threadId: resolvedThreadId,
       session: outboundSession,

src/auto-reply/types.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ export type ReplyPayload = {
   text?: string;
   mediaUrl?: string;
   mediaUrls?: string[];
+  btw?: {
+    question: string;
+  };
   replyToId?: string;
   replyToTag?: boolean;
   /** True when [[reply_to_current]] was present but not yet mapped to a message id. */