Channel Plugins

One-line summary

The channel plugin system defines a modular adapter-based contract (ChannelPlugin) that 38 messaging extensions implement to connect platforms like Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and iMessage to OpenClaw.

Responsibilities

Define the ChannelPlugin interface with ~20 optional adapter slots
Manage plugin registration, loading, and lifecycle
Normalize inbound messages from diverse platform formats
Route outbound replies to the correct platform API
Handle platform-specific features (threading, reactions, inline buttons, pairing, onboarding)

Architecture diagram

Key source files

File	Lines	Role
`src/channels/plugins/types.plugin.ts`	85	Core contract: `ChannelPlugin` type with ~20 adapter slots
`src/channels/plugins/types.core.ts`	371	Core types: `ChannelMeta`, `ChannelCapabilities`, `ChannelAccountSnapshot`
`src/channels/plugins/types.adapters.ts`	310	Adapter interfaces: config, setup, security, outbound, status, threading, etc.
`src/channels/plugins/index.ts`	—	Plugin registry and loader
`src/channels/plugins/catalog.ts`	—	Built-in channel plugin catalog

ChannelPlugin adapter slots

Adapter	Purpose	Required
`config`	Account/channel configuration	Yes
`meta`	Channel metadata (name, icon)	Yes
`capabilities`	Feature flags (inline buttons, reactions)	Yes
`security`	Sender verification, message trust	No
`outbound`	Reply delivery to platform	No
`setup`	Initial channel setup flow	No
`pairing`	Account pairing flow	No
`onboarding`	CLI onboarding wizard	No
`groups`	Group chat management	No
`mentions`	Mention handling	No
`threading`	Thread support	No
`streaming`	Real-time streaming support	No
`messaging`	Cross-session messaging	No
`gateway`	Gateway HTTP/WS methods	No
`auth`	OAuth/token authentication	No
`elevated`	Elevated permission handling	No
`commands`	Platform-specific commands	No
`agentPrompt`	Custom agent prompt sections	No
`directory`	User/group directory	No
`heartbeat`	Heartbeat customization	No
`agentTools`	Custom tools for this channel	No

How it connects to other modules

Depends on: config/ (channel settings), plugin-sdk/ (stable API)
Depended by: auto-reply/ (inbound dispatch), gateway/ (webhook routing), routing/ (channel resolution)

Plugin loading order and conflict resolution
How configSchema enables UI-driven channel configuration
reload.configPrefixes — hot-reload behavior on config changes
agentTools — how channel-specific tools integrate with the tool policy pipeline

Change frequency

types.plugin.ts: Low — core contract is stable; new adapters are additive
types.adapters.ts: Medium — adapter interfaces evolve with platform features
Extension plugins: High — individual channels updated frequently

#Channel Plugins

#One-line summary

#Responsibilities

#Architecture diagram

#Key source files

#ChannelPlugin adapter slots

#How it connects to other modules

#My blind spots

#Change frequency