Files
Moltbot/docs/tools/slash-commands.md
Tyler Yust b8f66c260d Agents: add nested subagent orchestration controls and reduce subagent token waste (#14447)
* Agents: add subagent orchestration controls

* Agents: add subagent orchestration controls (WIP uncommitted changes)

* feat(subagents): add depth-based spawn gating for sub-sub-agents

* feat(subagents): tool policy, registry, and announce chain for nested agents

* feat(subagents): system prompt, docs, changelog for nested sub-agents

* fix(subagents): prevent model fallback override, show model during active runs, and block context overflow fallback

Bug 1: When a session has an explicit model override (e.g., gpt/openai-codex),
the fallback candidate logic in resolveFallbackCandidates silently appended the
global primary model (opus) as a backstop. On reinjection/steer with a transient
error, the session could fall back to opus which has a smaller context window
and crash. Fix: when storedModelOverride is set, pass fallbacksOverride ?? []
instead of undefined, preventing the implicit primary backstop.

Bug 2: Active subagents showed 'model n/a' in /subagents list because
resolveModelDisplay only read entry.model/modelProvider (populated after run
completes). Fix: fall back to modelOverride/providerOverride fields which are
populated at spawn time via sessions.patch.

Bug 3: Context overflow errors (prompt too long, context_length_exceeded) could
theoretically escape runEmbeddedPiAgent and be treated as failover candidates
in runWithModelFallback, causing a switch to a model with a smaller context
window. Fix: in runWithModelFallback, detect context overflow errors via
isLikelyContextOverflowError and rethrow them immediately instead of trying the
next model candidate.

* fix(subagents): track spawn depth in session store and fix announce routing for nested agents

* Fix compaction status tracking and dedupe overflow compaction triggers

* fix(subagents): enforce depth block via session store and implement cascade kill

* fix: inject group chat context into system prompt

* fix(subagents): always write model to session store at spawn time

* Preserve spawnDepth when agent handler rewrites session entry

* fix(subagents): suppress announce on steer-restart

* fix(subagents): fallback spawned session model to runtime default

* fix(subagents): enforce spawn depth when caller key resolves by sessionId

* feat(subagents): implement active-first ordering for numeric targets and enhance task display

- Added a test to verify that subagents with numeric targets follow an active-first list ordering.
- Updated `resolveSubagentTarget` to sort subagent runs based on active status and recent activity.
- Enhanced task display in command responses to prevent truncation of long task descriptions.
- Introduced new utility functions for compacting task text and managing subagent run states.

* fix(subagents): show model for active runs via run record fallback

When the spawned model matches the agent's default model, the session
store's override fields are intentionally cleared (isDefault: true).
The model/modelProvider fields are only populated after the run
completes. This left active subagents showing 'model n/a'.

Fix: store the resolved model on SubagentRunRecord at registration
time, and use it as a fallback in both display paths (subagents tool
and /subagents command) when the session store entry has no model info.

Changes:
- SubagentRunRecord: add optional model field
- registerSubagentRun: accept and persist model param
- sessions-spawn-tool: pass resolvedModel to registerSubagentRun
- subagents-tool: pass run record model as fallback to resolveModelDisplay
- commands-subagents: pass run record model as fallback to resolveModelDisplay

* feat(chat): implement session key resolution and reset on sidebar navigation

- Added functions to resolve the main session key and reset chat state when switching sessions from the sidebar.
- Updated the `renderTab` function to handle session key changes when navigating to the chat tab.
- Introduced a test to verify that the session resets to "main" when opening chat from the sidebar navigation.

* fix: subagent timeout=0 passthrough and fallback prompt duplication

Bug 1: runTimeoutSeconds=0 now means 'no timeout' instead of applying 600s default
- sessions-spawn-tool: default to undefined (not 0) when neither timeout param
  is provided; use != null check so explicit 0 passes through to gateway
- agent.ts: accept 0 as valid timeout (resolveAgentTimeoutMs already handles
  0 → MAX_SAFE_TIMEOUT_MS)

Bug 2: model fallback no longer re-injects the original prompt as a duplicate
- agent.ts: track fallback attempt index; on retries use a short continuation
  message instead of the full original prompt since the session file already
  contains it from the first attempt
- Also skip re-sending images on fallback retries (already in session)

* feat(subagents): truncate long task descriptions in subagents command output

- Introduced a new utility function to format task previews, limiting their length to improve readability.
- Updated the command handler to use the new formatting function, ensuring task descriptions are truncated appropriately.
- Adjusted related tests to verify that long task descriptions are now truncated in the output.

* refactor(subagents): update subagent registry path resolution and improve command output formatting

- Replaced direct import of STATE_DIR with a utility function to resolve the state directory dynamically.
- Enhanced the formatting of command output for active and recent subagents, adding separators for better readability.
- Updated related tests to reflect changes in command output structure.

* fix(subagent): default sessions_spawn to no timeout when runTimeoutSeconds omitted

The previous fix (75a791106) correctly handled the case where
runTimeoutSeconds was explicitly set to 0 ("no timeout"). However,
when models omit the parameter entirely (which is common since the
schema marks it as optional), runTimeoutSeconds resolved to undefined.

undefined flowed through the chain as:
  sessions_spawn → timeout: undefined (since undefined != null is false)
  → gateway agent handler → agentCommand opts.timeout: undefined
  → resolveAgentTimeoutMs({ overrideSeconds: undefined })
  → DEFAULT_AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (600s = 10 minutes)

This caused subagents to be killed at exactly 10 minutes even though
the user's intent (via TOOLS.md) was for subagents to run without a
timeout.

Fix: default runTimeoutSeconds to 0 (no timeout) when neither
runTimeoutSeconds nor timeoutSeconds is provided by the caller.
Subagent spawns are long-running by design and should not inherit the
600s agent-command default timeout.

* fix(subagent): accept timeout=0 in agent-via-gateway path (second 600s default)

* fix: thread timeout override through getReplyFromConfig dispatch path

getReplyFromConfig called resolveAgentTimeoutMs({ cfg }) with no override,
always falling back to the config default (600s). Add timeoutOverrideSeconds
to GetReplyOptions and pass it through as overrideSeconds so callers of the
dispatch chain can specify a custom timeout (0 = no timeout).

This complements the existing timeout threading in agentCommand and the
cron isolated-agent runner, which already pass overrideSeconds correctly.

* feat(model-fallback): normalize OpenAI Codex model references and enhance fallback handling

- Added normalization for OpenAI Codex model references, specifically converting "gpt-5.3-codex" to "openai-codex" before execution.
- Updated the `resolveFallbackCandidates` function to utilize the new normalization logic.
- Enhanced tests to verify the correct behavior of model normalization and fallback mechanisms.
- Introduced a new test case to ensure that the normalization process works as expected for various input formats.

* feat(tests): add unit tests for steer failure behavior in openclaw-tools

- Introduced a new test file to validate the behavior of subagents when steer replacement dispatch fails.
- Implemented tests to ensure that the announce behavior is restored correctly and that the suppression reason is cleared as expected.
- Enhanced the subagent registry with a new function to clear steer restart suppression.
- Updated related components to support the new test scenarios.

* fix(subagents): replace stop command with kill in slash commands and documentation

- Updated the `/subagents` command to replace `stop` with `kill` for consistency in controlling sub-agent runs.
- Modified related documentation to reflect the change in command usage.
- Removed legacy timeoutSeconds references from the sessions-spawn-tool schema and tests to streamline timeout handling.
- Enhanced tests to ensure correct behavior of the updated commands and their interactions.

* feat(tests): add unit tests for readLatestAssistantReply function

- Introduced a new test file for the `readLatestAssistantReply` function to validate its behavior with various message scenarios.
- Implemented tests to ensure the function correctly retrieves the latest assistant message and handles cases where the latest message has no text.
- Mocked the gateway call to simulate different message histories for comprehensive testing.

* feat(tests): enhance subagent kill-all cascade tests and announce formatting

- Added a new test to verify that the `kill-all` command cascades through ended parents to active descendants in subagents.
- Updated the subagent announce formatting tests to reflect changes in message structure, including the replacement of "Findings:" with "Result:" and the addition of new expectations for message content.
- Improved the handling of long findings and stats in the announce formatting logic to ensure concise output.
- Refactored related functions to enhance clarity and maintainability in the subagent registry and tools.

* refactor(subagent): update announce formatting and remove unused constants

- Modified the subagent announce formatting to replace "Findings:" with "Result:" and adjusted related expectations in tests.
- Removed constants for maximum announce findings characters and summary words, simplifying the announcement logic.
- Updated the handling of findings to retain full content instead of truncating, ensuring more informative outputs.
- Cleaned up unused imports in the commands-subagents file to enhance code clarity.

* feat(tests): enhance billing error handling in user-facing text

- Added tests to ensure that normal text mentioning billing plans is not rewritten, preserving user context.
- Updated the `isBillingErrorMessage` and `sanitizeUserFacingText` functions to improve handling of billing-related messages.
- Introduced new test cases for various scenarios involving billing messages to ensure accurate processing and output.
- Enhanced the subagent announce flow to correctly manage active descendant runs, preventing premature announcements.

* feat(subagent): enhance workflow guidance and auto-announcement clarity

- Added a new guideline in the subagent system prompt to emphasize trust in push-based completion, discouraging busy polling for status updates.
- Updated documentation to clarify that sub-agents will automatically announce their results, improving user understanding of the workflow.
- Enhanced tests to verify the new guidance on avoiding polling loops and to ensure the accuracy of the updated prompts.

* fix(cron): avoid announcing interim subagent spawn acks

* chore: clean post-rebase imports

* fix(cron): fall back to child replies when parent stays interim

* fix(subagents): make active-run guidance advisory

* fix(subagents): update announce flow to handle active descendants and enhance test coverage

- Modified the announce flow to defer announcements when active descendant runs are present, ensuring accurate status reporting.
- Updated tests to verify the new behavior, including scenarios where no fallback requester is available and ensuring proper handling of finished subagents.
- Enhanced the announce formatting to include an `expectFinal` flag for better clarity in the announcement process.

* fix(subagents): enhance announce flow and formatting for user updates

- Updated the announce flow to provide clearer instructions for user updates based on active subagent runs and requester context.
- Refactored the announcement logic to improve clarity and ensure internal context remains private.
- Enhanced tests to verify the new message expectations and formatting, including updated prompts for user-facing updates.
- Introduced a new function to build reply instructions based on session context, improving the overall announcement process.

* fix: resolve prep blockers and changelog placement (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: restore cron delivery-plan import after rebase (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: resolve test failures from rebase conflicts (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: apply formatting after rebase (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)
2026-02-14 22:03:45 -08:00

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Markdown

---
summary: "Slash commands: text vs native, config, and supported commands"
read_when:
- Using or configuring chat commands
- Debugging command routing or permissions
title: "Slash Commands"
---
# Slash commands
Commands are handled by the Gateway. Most commands must be sent as a **standalone** message that starts with `/`.
The host-only bash chat command uses `! <cmd>` (with `/bash <cmd>` as an alias).
There are two related systems:
- **Commands**: standalone `/...` messages.
- **Directives**: `/think`, `/verbose`, `/reasoning`, `/elevated`, `/exec`, `/model`, `/queue`.
- Directives are stripped from the message before the model sees it.
- In normal chat messages (not directive-only), they are treated as “inline hints” and do **not** persist session settings.
- In directive-only messages (the message contains only directives), they persist to the session and reply with an acknowledgement.
- Directives are only applied for **authorized senders**. If `commands.allowFrom` is set, it is the only
allowlist used; otherwise authorization comes from channel allowlists/pairing plus `commands.useAccessGroups`.
Unauthorized senders see directives treated as plain text.
There are also a few **inline shortcuts** (allowlisted/authorized senders only): `/help`, `/commands`, `/status`, `/whoami` (`/id`).
They run immediately, are stripped before the model sees the message, and the remaining text continues through the normal flow.
## Config
```json5
{
commands: {
native: "auto",
nativeSkills: "auto",
text: true,
bash: false,
bashForegroundMs: 2000,
config: false,
debug: false,
restart: false,
allowFrom: {
"*": ["user1"],
discord: ["user:123"],
},
useAccessGroups: true,
},
}
```
- `commands.text` (default `true`) enables parsing `/...` in chat messages.
- On surfaces without native commands (WhatsApp/WebChat/Signal/iMessage/Google Chat/MS Teams), text commands still work even if you set this to `false`.
- `commands.native` (default `"auto"`) registers native commands.
- Auto: on for Discord/Telegram; off for Slack (until you add slash commands); ignored for providers without native support.
- Set `channels.discord.commands.native`, `channels.telegram.commands.native`, or `channels.slack.commands.native` to override per provider (bool or `"auto"`).
- `false` clears previously registered commands on Discord/Telegram at startup. Slack commands are managed in the Slack app and are not removed automatically.
- `commands.nativeSkills` (default `"auto"`) registers **skill** commands natively when supported.
- Auto: on for Discord/Telegram; off for Slack (Slack requires creating a slash command per skill).
- Set `channels.discord.commands.nativeSkills`, `channels.telegram.commands.nativeSkills`, or `channels.slack.commands.nativeSkills` to override per provider (bool or `"auto"`).
- `commands.bash` (default `false`) enables `! <cmd>` to run host shell commands (`/bash <cmd>` is an alias; requires `tools.elevated` allowlists).
- `commands.bashForegroundMs` (default `2000`) controls how long bash waits before switching to background mode (`0` backgrounds immediately).
- `commands.config` (default `false`) enables `/config` (reads/writes `openclaw.json`).
- `commands.debug` (default `false`) enables `/debug` (runtime-only overrides).
- `commands.allowFrom` (optional) sets a per-provider allowlist for command authorization. When configured, it is the
only authorization source for commands and directives (channel allowlists/pairing and `commands.useAccessGroups`
are ignored). Use `"*"` for a global default; provider-specific keys override it.
- `commands.useAccessGroups` (default `true`) enforces allowlists/policies for commands when `commands.allowFrom` is not set.
## Command list
Text + native (when enabled):
- `/help`
- `/commands`
- `/skill <name> [input]` (run a skill by name)
- `/status` (show current status; includes provider usage/quota for the current model provider when available)
- `/allowlist` (list/add/remove allowlist entries)
- `/approve <id> allow-once|allow-always|deny` (resolve exec approval prompts)
- `/context [list|detail|json]` (explain “context”; `detail` shows per-file + per-tool + per-skill + system prompt size)
- `/whoami` (show your sender id; alias: `/id`)
- `/subagents list|kill|log|info|send|steer` (inspect, kill, log, or steer sub-agent runs for the current session)
- `/kill <id|#|all>` (immediately abort one or all running sub-agents for this session; no confirmation message)
- `/steer <id|#> <message>` (steer a running sub-agent immediately: in-run when possible, otherwise abort current work and restart on the steer message)
- `/tell <id|#> <message>` (alias for `/steer`)
- `/config show|get|set|unset` (persist config to disk, owner-only; requires `commands.config: true`)
- `/debug show|set|unset|reset` (runtime overrides, owner-only; requires `commands.debug: true`)
- `/usage off|tokens|full|cost` (per-response usage footer or local cost summary)
- `/tts off|always|inbound|tagged|status|provider|limit|summary|audio` (control TTS; see [/tts](/tts))
- Discord: native command is `/voice` (Discord reserves `/tts`); text `/tts` still works.
- `/stop`
- `/restart`
- `/dock-telegram` (alias: `/dock_telegram`) (switch replies to Telegram)
- `/dock-discord` (alias: `/dock_discord`) (switch replies to Discord)
- `/dock-slack` (alias: `/dock_slack`) (switch replies to Slack)
- `/activation mention|always` (groups only)
- `/send on|off|inherit` (owner-only)
- `/reset` or `/new [model]` (optional model hint; remainder is passed through)
- `/think <off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh>` (dynamic choices by model/provider; aliases: `/thinking`, `/t`)
- `/verbose on|full|off` (alias: `/v`)
- `/reasoning on|off|stream` (alias: `/reason`; when on, sends a separate message prefixed `Reasoning:`; `stream` = Telegram draft only)
- `/elevated on|off|ask|full` (alias: `/elev`; `full` skips exec approvals)
- `/exec host=<sandbox|gateway|node> security=<deny|allowlist|full> ask=<off|on-miss|always> node=<id>` (send `/exec` to show current)
- `/model <name>` (alias: `/models`; or `/<alias>` from `agents.defaults.models.*.alias`)
- `/queue <mode>` (plus options like `debounce:2s cap:25 drop:summarize`; send `/queue` to see current settings)
- `/bash <command>` (host-only; alias for `! <command>`; requires `commands.bash: true` + `tools.elevated` allowlists)
Text-only:
- `/compact [instructions]` (see [/concepts/compaction](/concepts/compaction))
- `! <command>` (host-only; one at a time; use `!poll` + `!stop` for long-running jobs)
- `!poll` (check output / status; accepts optional `sessionId`; `/bash poll` also works)
- `!stop` (stop the running bash job; accepts optional `sessionId`; `/bash stop` also works)
Notes:
- Commands accept an optional `:` between the command and args (e.g. `/think: high`, `/send: on`, `/help:`).
- `/new <model>` accepts a model alias, `provider/model`, or a provider name (fuzzy match); if no match, the text is treated as the message body.
- For full provider usage breakdown, use `openclaw status --usage`.
- `/allowlist add|remove` requires `commands.config=true` and honors channel `configWrites`.
- `/usage` controls the per-response usage footer; `/usage cost` prints a local cost summary from OpenClaw session logs.
- `/restart` is disabled by default; set `commands.restart: true` to enable it.
- `/verbose` is meant for debugging and extra visibility; keep it **off** in normal use.
- `/reasoning` (and `/verbose`) are risky in group settings: they may reveal internal reasoning or tool output you did not intend to expose. Prefer leaving them off, especially in group chats.
- **Fast path:** command-only messages from allowlisted senders are handled immediately (bypass queue + model).
- **Group mention gating:** command-only messages from allowlisted senders bypass mention requirements.
- **Inline shortcuts (allowlisted senders only):** certain commands also work when embedded in a normal message and are stripped before the model sees the remaining text.
- Example: `hey /status` triggers a status reply, and the remaining text continues through the normal flow.
- Currently: `/help`, `/commands`, `/status`, `/whoami` (`/id`).
- Unauthorized command-only messages are silently ignored, and inline `/...` tokens are treated as plain text.
- **Skill commands:** `user-invocable` skills are exposed as slash commands. Names are sanitized to `a-z0-9_` (max 32 chars); collisions get numeric suffixes (e.g. `_2`).
- `/skill <name> [input]` runs a skill by name (useful when native command limits prevent per-skill commands).
- By default, skill commands are forwarded to the model as a normal request.
- Skills may optionally declare `command-dispatch: tool` to route the command directly to a tool (deterministic, no model).
- Example: `/prose` (OpenProse plugin) — see [OpenProse](/prose).
- **Native command arguments:** Discord uses autocomplete for dynamic options (and button menus when you omit required args). Telegram and Slack show a button menu when a command supports choices and you omit the arg.
## Usage surfaces (what shows where)
- **Provider usage/quota** (example: “Claude 80% left”) shows up in `/status` for the current model provider when usage tracking is enabled.
- **Per-response tokens/cost** is controlled by `/usage off|tokens|full` (appended to normal replies).
- `/model status` is about **models/auth/endpoints**, not usage.
## Model selection (`/model`)
`/model` is implemented as a directive.
Examples:
```
/model
/model list
/model 3
/model openai/gpt-5.2
/model opus@anthropic:default
/model status
```
Notes:
- `/model` and `/model list` show a compact, numbered picker (model family + available providers).
- `/model <#>` selects from that picker (and prefers the current provider when possible).
- `/model status` shows the detailed view, including configured provider endpoint (`baseUrl`) and API mode (`api`) when available.
## Debug overrides
`/debug` lets you set **runtime-only** config overrides (memory, not disk). Owner-only. Disabled by default; enable with `commands.debug: true`.
Examples:
```
/debug show
/debug set messages.responsePrefix="[openclaw]"
/debug set channels.whatsapp.allowFrom=["+1555","+4477"]
/debug unset messages.responsePrefix
/debug reset
```
Notes:
- Overrides apply immediately to new config reads, but do **not** write to `openclaw.json`.
- Use `/debug reset` to clear all overrides and return to the on-disk config.
## Config updates
`/config` writes to your on-disk config (`openclaw.json`). Owner-only. Disabled by default; enable with `commands.config: true`.
Examples:
```
/config show
/config show messages.responsePrefix
/config get messages.responsePrefix
/config set messages.responsePrefix="[openclaw]"
/config unset messages.responsePrefix
```
Notes:
- Config is validated before write; invalid changes are rejected.
- `/config` updates persist across restarts.
## Surface notes
- **Text commands** run in the normal chat session (DMs share `main`, groups have their own session).
- **Native commands** use isolated sessions:
- Discord: `agent:<agentId>:discord:slash:<userId>`
- Slack: `agent:<agentId>:slack:slash:<userId>` (prefix configurable via `channels.slack.slashCommand.sessionPrefix`)
- Telegram: `telegram:slash:<userId>` (targets the chat session via `CommandTargetSessionKey`)
- **`/stop`** targets the active chat session so it can abort the current run.
- **Slack:** `channels.slack.slashCommand` is still supported for a single `/openclaw`-style command. If you enable `commands.native`, you must create one Slack slash command per built-in command (same names as `/help`). Command argument menus for Slack are delivered as ephemeral Block Kit buttons.