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openclaw/docs/concepts/typing-indicators.md

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---
summary: "When OpenClaw shows typing indicators and how to tune them"
read_when:
- Changing typing indicator behavior or defaults
title: "Typing indicators"
---
Typing indicators are sent to the chat channel while a run is active. Use
`agents.defaults.typingMode` to control **when** typing starts and `typingIntervalSeconds`
to control **how often** it refreshes.
## Defaults
When `agents.defaults.typingMode` is **unset**, OpenClaw keeps the legacy behavior:
- **Direct chats**: typing starts immediately once the model loop begins.
- **Group chats with a mention**: typing starts immediately.
- **Group chats without a mention**: typing starts only when message text begins streaming.
- **Heartbeat runs**: typing starts when the heartbeat run begins if the
resolved heartbeat target is a typing-capable chat and typing is not disabled.
## Modes
Set `agents.defaults.typingMode` to one of:
- `never` - no typing indicator, ever.
- `instant` - start typing **as soon as the model loop begins**, even if the run
later returns only the silent reply token.
- `thinking` - start typing on the **first reasoning delta** (requires
`reasoningLevel: "stream"` for the run).
- `message` - start typing on the **first non-silent text delta** (ignores
the `NO_REPLY` silent token).
Order of "how early it fires":
`never``message``thinking``instant`
## Configuration
Set the agent-level default:
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
typingMode: "thinking",
typingIntervalSeconds: 6,
},
},
}
```
Override mode or cadence per session:
```json5
{
session: {
typingMode: "message",
typingIntervalSeconds: 4,
},
}
```
## Notes
- `message` mode won't show typing for silent-only replies when the whole
payload is the exact silent token (for example `NO_REPLY` / `no_reply`,
matched case-insensitively).
- `thinking` only fires if the run streams reasoning (`reasoningLevel: "stream"`).
If the model doesn't emit reasoning deltas, typing won't start.
- Heartbeat typing is a liveness signal for the resolved delivery target. It
starts at heartbeat run start instead of following `message` or `thinking`
stream timing. Set `typingMode: "never"` to disable it.
- Heartbeats do not show typing when `target: "none"`, when the target cannot
be resolved, when chat delivery is disabled for the heartbeat, or when the
channel does not support typing.
- `typingIntervalSeconds` controls the **refresh cadence**, not the start time.
The default is 6 seconds.
## Related
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="Presence" href="/concepts/presence" icon="signal">
How the Gateway tracks connected clients and surfaces them in the macOS Instances tab.
</Card>
<Card title="Streaming and chunking" href="/concepts/streaming" icon="bars-staggered">
Outbound streaming behavior, chunk boundaries, and channel-specific delivery.
</Card>
</CardGroup>