Description

The edit tool sometimes returns a failure message ("Edit failed") even though the file was actually successfully modified. This has been observed multiple times (2026-03-12, 2026-03-14).

Steps to Reproduce

1. Use the edit tool to modify a file
2. The tool returns "⚠️ 📝 Edit: in (XX chars) failed"
3. However, grep verification shows the file was actually modified successfully

Expected Behavior

If the edit is successful, the tool should return a success message. If it fails, it should return a clear failure reason.

Actual Behavior

• Tool returns "failed" but file is modified
• This causes confusion about whether the operation succeeded
• Workaround: Use grep to verify if file was actually modified

Environment

• OpenClaw version: 2026.3.12
• macOS
• Channel: Discord (observed)

Logs

From gateway.err.log:

Note: This log entry shows a "failed" message, but grep confirms the file was modified successfully.

Additional Context

This is a false positive - the operation actually succeeds but the tool reports failure.