fix(slack): prefer current thread session for inherited outbound replies by LiuwqGit · Pull Request #97168 · openclaw/openclaw

LiuwqGit · 2026-06-27T03:13:42Z

What Problem This Solves

Slack message-tool replies inside an existing thread could mirror each inherited child reply timestamp into a new :thread:<childTs> session instead of reusing the conversation's root thread session. Active Slack conversations accumulated near-empty delivery-mirror sessions and fragmented persisted history.

Why This Change Was Made

Slack already receives the canonical root threadId, the child replyToId, and the tri-state replyToIsExplicit signal in its resolveReplyTransport hook. The fix now uses that existing Slack-owned seam:

inherited reply (replyToIsExplicit === false): prefer the valid root thread timestamp;
explicit reply (true): preserve the requested child reply target;
unknown/omitted signal: preserve the shipped reply-first behavior;
reply mode off: preserve the existing reply suppression behavior.

Canonicalizing before outbound delivery keeps Slack's actual thread_ts and the delivery-mirror session route aligned. No public channel/session-route API was added.

User Impact

Threaded Slack replies now stay attached to the conversation's existing root session instead of creating one mirror-only session per child reply. Explicit reply targeting and existing callers that omit the new-origin signal keep their prior behavior.

Evidence

Source repro: current main passed inherited child replyToId before the root threadId in Slack's reply transport, then mirrored the resulting child timestamp through the default reply-first session route.
Focused tests after repair and after rebase:
- node scripts/run-vitest.mjs extensions/slack/src/channel.test.ts src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.threading.test.ts extensions/slack/src/thread-ts.test.ts
- 2 Vitest shards, 72 tests passed.
Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox:
- provider/id: blacksmith-testbox / tbx_01kwdcpeaf5b93cdw6vyk3jfxe
- Actions run: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/actions/runs/28481767274
- OPENCLAW_CHECK_CHANGED_REMOTE_CHILD=1 OPENCLAW_CHANGED_LANES_RAW_SYNC=1 corepack pnpm check:changed
- extension production/test typechecks, lint, guards, database-first checks, runtime sidecar checks, and import-cycle checks passed; exit 0.
Fresh branch autoreview: no accepted/actionable findings; patch correct at 0.94 confidence.
git diff --check passed.

Known proof gap: no credentialed live Slack workspace replay was run. The issue includes deployment evidence, and the repaired source path plus focused tri-state regression tests prove the routing decision directly.

clawsweeper · 2026-06-27T03:14:44Z

Codex review: needs real behavior proof before merge. Reviewed June 30, 2026, 7:30 PM ET / 23:30 UTC.

Summary
The PR changes Slack reply transport resolution so known inherited child replies prefer the root thread timestamp while preserving explicit and unknown reply targeting, with focused resolver tests.

PR surface: Source +3, Tests +27. Total +30 across 2 files.

Reproducibility: yes. at source level: inherited reply metadata can become replyTo, Slack auto-thread recovery can skip when that value is a valid Slack timestamp, and route selection can still use that child timestamp first. I did not run a credentialed Slack workspace replay.

Review metrics: none identified.

Root-cause cluster
Relationship: fixed_by_candidate
Canonical: #96535
Summary: This PR is a candidate fix for the canonical Slack outbound delivery-mirror session-sprawl issue, with one overlapping open candidate still unmerged.

Members:

canonical: Slack: each outbound reply persists a new single-message delivery-mirror session instead of reusing the conversation's thread session #96535 - The linked issue reports outbound Slack replies creating per-child delivery-mirror sessions instead of reusing the conversation thread session.
fixed_by_candidate: fix(slack): keep outbound replies in thread sessions #96650 - The sibling open PR targets the same linked issue with route-level replyToIsExplicit handling, but it is unmerged and not safe to treat as superseding.
partial_overlap: Slack: DM session fan-out when Agent/Assistant capability is enabled #87019 - This is another Slack session fan-out report, but it concerns Agent/Assistant DM assistant-thread routing rather than outbound channel-thread delivery mirrors.
adjacent_distinct: Slack DM delivery mirrors can split sessions by routing bare D... IM channel IDs as channel sessions #80091 - This closed issue involved Slack DM outbound mirror peer classification, not inherited child reply timestamps in channel threads.

Proposal only: this assessment does not dispatch repair, suppress jobs, mutate sibling items, close, or merge anything.

Merge readiness
Overall: 🧂 unranked krab
Proof: 🧂 unranked krab
Patch quality: 🧂 unranked krab
Result: blocked until real behavior proof from a real setup is added.

Overall follows the weaker of proof and patch quality, so missing proof can cap an otherwise strong patch.

Rank-up moves:

[P1] Add route-level regression coverage that exercises inherited Slack child replyToId, root/current thread recovery, and outbound mirror session-key selection.
[P1] Add redacted live Slack workspace or session-store proof showing outbound replies append to the existing thread session after the fix.

Proof guidance:

[P1] Needs real behavior proof before merge: The PR includes focused tests, Testbox/CI, diff-check, and source-review evidence, but no redacted real Slack workspace or session-store after-fix output. After adding proof, update the PR body; ClawSweeper should re-review automatically. If it does not, the PR author or someone with repository write access can comment @clawsweeper re-review.

Mantis proof suggestion
A real Slack/session-store smoke would materially prove the transport and mirror-session behavior that unit tests cannot show. A maintainer can ask Mantis to capture proof by posting this exact PR comment:

@openclaw-mantis slack desktop smoke: verify threaded Slack outbound replies mirror into the existing thread session and do not create sibling delivery-mirror sessions.

Risk before merge

[P1] Merging as written can leave the Slack outbound mirror session-sprawl bug unresolved because inherited Slack child timestamps can bypass resolveReplyTransport and still win route selection.
[P1] The PR has tests and CI/Testbox evidence, but no redacted live Slack workspace or session-store after-fix proof showing mirrors append to the existing thread session.
[P1] A second open candidate, fix(slack): keep outbound replies in thread sessions #96650, targets the same canonical issue, so maintainers still need one landing path.

Maintainer options:

Repair Route-Level Canonicalization (recommended)
Update Slack outbound route selection or auto-thread recovery so an inherited child reply with a current/root thread session cannot become the mirror session key.
Choose One Canonical Candidate
Compare this PR with fix(slack): keep outbound replies in thread sessions #96650 and keep one implementation path for the linked Slack delivery-mirror issue.
Pause For Real Transport Proof
If maintainers cannot obtain redacted Slack or session-store proof, hold the PR rather than merging a session-state fix whose user path is still unproven.

Next step before merge

[P1] Human follow-up is needed to choose the canonical candidate, repair the route-level gap, and obtain real Slack or session-store proof that automation cannot supply for the contributor.

Security
Cleared: No concrete security or supply-chain concern was found; the diff is limited to Slack TypeScript routing logic and tests with no dependency, workflow, lockfile, script, or secret-surface changes.

Review findings

[P1] Canonicalize the mirror route before reply transport can be skipped — extensions/slack/src/channel.ts:824-825

Review details

Best possible solution:

Land one canonical Slack route-level fix that makes inherited same-thread outbound mirrors use the root/current thread session, preserves explicit and unknown reply targeting, and is backed by real Slack or session-store proof.

Do we have a high-confidence way to reproduce the issue?

Yes, at source level: inherited reply metadata can become replyTo, Slack auto-thread recovery can skip when that value is a valid Slack timestamp, and route selection can still use that child timestamp first. I did not run a credentialed Slack workspace replay.

Is this the best way to solve the issue?

No as written. The current branch changes only Slack resolveReplyTransport, but the reported mirror-session route can bypass that hook when no root threadId is resolved.

Full review comments:

[P1] Canonicalize the mirror route before reply transport can be skipped — extensions/slack/src/channel.ts:824-825
This swaps replyToId and threadId only inside Slack resolveReplyTransport, but resolveAndApplyOutboundThreadId calls that hook only after a root resolvedThreadId exists. When an inherited Slack child timestamp is already in replyToId, Slack auto-thread recovery returns no root thread and the route helper still picks the child timestamp before currentSessionKey, so the linked mirror-session sprawl can remain.
Confidence: 0.9

Overall correctness: patch is incorrect
Overall confidence: 0.9

AGENTS.md: found and applied where relevant.

Codex review notes: model internal, reasoning high; reviewed against a841c2788202.

Label changes

Label changes:

remove merge-risk: 🚨 compatibility: Current PR review merge-risk labels are merge-risk: 🚨 session-state.

Label justifications:

P2: The PR targets a normal-priority Slack outbound delivery-mirror session bug with limited blast radius to Slack thread session state.
merge-risk: 🚨 session-state: The diff changes Slack reply/thread canonicalization and, if incomplete, can continue associating outbound mirror records with sibling thread sessions.
rating: 🧂 unranked krab: Overall readiness is 🧂 unranked krab; proof is 🧂 unranked krab and patch quality is 🧂 unranked krab.
status: 📣 needs proof: The PR needs real behavior proof before ClawSweeper can clear the contributor ask. Needs real behavior proof before merge: The PR includes focused tests, Testbox/CI, diff-check, and source-review evidence, but no redacted real Slack workspace or session-store after-fix output. After adding proof, update the PR body; ClawSweeper should re-review automatically. If it does not, the PR author or someone with repository write access can comment @clawsweeper re-review.

Evidence reviewed

PR surface:

Source +3, Tests +27. Total +30 across 2 files.

View PR surface stats

Area	Files	Added	Removed	Net
Source	1	8	5	+3
Tests	1	27	0	+27
Docs	0	0	0	0
Config	0	0	0	0
Generated	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0
Total	2	35	5	+30

What I checked:

Current outbound ordering: handleSendAction captures whether replyTo was explicit before inherited reply metadata is applied, then passes Slack threading hooks into outbound mirror preparation. (src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts:1053, a841c2788202)
Reply transport call site: resolveReplyTransport is only called when both replyToId and resolvedThreadId are present, so a missing root threadId lets the child replyToId continue to route selection. (src/infra/outbound/message-action-threading.ts:56, a841c2788202)
Slack auto-thread skip: Slack returns no auto thread when replyToId is already a valid Slack timestamp, which is the inherited child-reply shape from the linked report. (extensions/slack/src/channel.ts:813, a841c2788202)
Route precedence: The shared thread-aware route helper defaults to replyToId, then threadId, then currentSession, so the inherited child timestamp can still win the mirror session key. (src/plugin-sdk/core.ts:443, a841c2788202)
PR head scope: The latest PR head removed earlier route-level replyToIsExplicit plumbing and now changes only Slack resolveReplyTransport plus resolver tests. (extensions/slack/src/channel.ts:818, adb1979ca3a7)
Related candidate: The sibling open PR keeps the route-level approach for the same linked issue, but it is unmerged and also not a safe superseding target. (extensions/slack/src/channel.ts:374, c02103a8bcfe)

Likely related people:

sandieman2: Authored recent merged reply-routing work that touched Slack channel, plugin type, and outbound threading surfaces adjacent to this bug. (role: recent reply-routing contributor; confidence: high; commits: c67dc59b02b0; files: extensions/slack/src/channel.ts, src/channels/plugins/types.core.ts, src/infra/outbound/message-action-threading.ts)
steipete: Current history shows Slack channel messaging seam work and prior Slack DM mirror-route canonicalization on the same file family. (role: historical Slack/session-route contributor; confidence: high; commits: ad97c581e21f, 50c77f23c1c1; files: extensions/slack/src/channel.ts, src/channels/plugins/types.core.ts)
Alex Knight: Authored the merged Mattermost thread-reply fix, the closest sibling pattern for preserving root thread routing for message-tool replies. (role: adjacent one-root transport contributor; confidence: medium; commits: 2365a137d88c; files: src/infra/outbound/message-action-threading.ts, extensions/mattermost/src/channel.ts)

What the crustacean ranks mean

🦀 challenger crab: rare, exceptional readiness with strong proof, clean implementation, and convincing validation.
🦞 diamond lobster: very strong readiness with only minor maintainer review expected.
🐚 platinum hermit: good normal PR, likely mergeable with ordinary maintainer review.
🦐 gold shrimp: useful signal, but proof or patch confidence is still limited.
🦪 silver shellfish: thin signal; proof, validation, or implementation needs work.
🧂 unranked krab: not merge-ready because proof is missing/unusable or there are serious correctness or safety concerns.
🌊 off-meta tidepool: rating does not apply to this item.

Shiny media proof means a screenshot, video, or linked artifact directly shows the changed behavior. Runtime, network, CSP, and security claims still need visible diagnostics.

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LiuwqGit · 2026-06-27T03:30:54Z

@clawsweeper re-review

clawsweeper · 2026-06-27T03:30:57Z

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ClawSweeper re-review requested.

I asked ClawSweeper to review this item again.
Action: item re-review queued (workflow sweep.yml, event repository_dispatch).
Result: the existing ClawSweeper review comment will be edited in place when the review finishes.

steipete · 2026-06-30T23:15:29Z

@clawsweeper re-review

clawsweeper · 2026-06-30T23:15:31Z

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ClawSweeper re-review requested.

I asked ClawSweeper to review this item again.
Action: item re-review queued (workflow sweep.yml, event repository_dispatch).
Result: the existing ClawSweeper review comment will be edited in place when the review finishes.

steipete · 2026-06-30T23:18:51Z

Land-ready maintainer verification for 7f934f3da32cd548d9b8c2796f30136aa79b5d98:

Confirmed the source repro from Slack: each outbound reply persists a new single-message delivery-mirror session instead of reusing the conversation's thread session #96535: an inherited Slack child timestamp could remain ahead of the canonical root through reply transport, then the delivery mirror used that child as a new thread-session key.
Narrowed the patch from six files and a new public route parameter to the existing Slack-owned resolveReplyTransport seam. Known inherited replies now prefer the valid root timestamp; explicit and omitted/unknown callers keep reply-first behavior.
Focused proof after the final rebase: node scripts/run-vitest.mjs extensions/slack/src/channel.test.ts src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.threading.test.ts extensions/slack/src/thread-ts.test.ts — 2 shards, 72 tests passed.
Blacksmith Testbox through Crabbox: tbx_01kwdcpeaf5b93cdw6vyk3jfxe, OPENCLAW_CHECK_CHANGED_REMOTE_CHILD=1 OPENCLAW_CHANGED_LANES_RAW_SYNC=1 corepack pnpm check:changed, exit 0. Run: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/actions/runs/28481767274
Exact-head CI passed: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/actions/runs/28481741341
Fresh branch autoreview reported no accepted/actionable findings (patch is correct, confidence 0.94).
git diff --check passed; repo-native scripts/pr prepare-run 97168 passed hosted exact-head gates.

Known proof gap: no credentialed live Slack workspace replay was run. The reporter supplied deployment evidence, and the repaired owner path plus tri-state regression coverage directly proves the routing decision.

…ies to avoid delivery-mirror session sprawl

…ssion precedence

steipete · 2026-06-30T23:38:40Z

Merged via squash.

Prepared head SHA: adb1979ca3a77c91f38dc68ca6772cb178b2768d
Landed commit: 5e572dcf781a03376ddb587828a1d711c420e1f8

…ies (openclaw#97168) * fix(slack): prefer current thread session for inherited outbound replies to avoid delivery-mirror session sprawl * fix(slack): require explicit replyToIsExplicit===false for current-session precedence * fix(slack): canonicalize inherited thread replies --------- Co-authored-by: Peter Steinberger <[email protected]>

…ies (openclaw#97168) * fix(slack): prefer current thread session for inherited outbound replies to avoid delivery-mirror session sprawl * fix(slack): require explicit replyToIsExplicit===false for current-session precedence * fix(slack): canonicalize inherited thread replies --------- Co-authored-by: Peter Steinberger <[email protected]> (cherry picked from commit 5e572dc)

openclaw-barnacle Bot added channel: slack Channel integration: slack size: S labels Jun 27, 2026

clawsweeper Bot mentioned this pull request Jun 27, 2026

fix(slack): keep outbound replies in thread sessions #96650

Closed

steipete self-assigned this Jun 30, 2026

steipete force-pushed the feat/issue-96535-slack-outbound-reply-delivery-mirror branch from 4ae0243 to 7f934f3 Compare June 30, 2026 23:08

openclaw-barnacle Bot added size: XS and removed size: S labels Jun 30, 2026

LiuwqGit and others added 3 commits June 30, 2026 16:19

fix(slack): prefer current thread session for inherited outbound repl…

1eb4110

…ies to avoid delivery-mirror session sprawl

fix(slack): require explicit replyToIsExplicit===false for current-se…

d229a0e

…ssion precedence

fix(slack): canonicalize inherited thread replies

adb1979

steipete force-pushed the feat/issue-96535-slack-outbound-reply-delivery-mirror branch from 7f934f3 to adb1979 Compare June 30, 2026 23:19

clawsweeper Bot removed the merge-risk: 🚨 compatibility 🚨 May break existing users, config, migrations, defaults, or upgrade paths. label Jun 30, 2026

steipete merged commit 5e572dc into openclaw:main Jun 30, 2026
143 of 144 checks passed

clawsweeper Bot mentioned this pull request Jul 1, 2026

fix(infra): guard delivery queue inflate against corrupted entry_json #98354

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