openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: Telegram group topics auto-replies not delivered to group (DM works)

Bug type

Regression

Summary

Telegram group topic auto-replies stopped being delivered to the group after upgrading from 2026.2.10 to 2026.5.7. DM auto-replies continue to work. Affected group topics receive messages (ingestBatch logged), agent generates responses, but no reply is posted to the group.

Steps to reproduce

1. Start OpenClaw 2026.5.7 with Telegram channel configured (groupPolicy: allowlist, groupAllowFrom: [user_id], requireMention: false on topics).
2. Send a message in any Telegram forum topic within an allowed group.
3. Observe gateway log shows ingestBatch and agent processing, but no sendMessage delivery to the group.
4. Compare: sending the same message via DM produces both ingestBatch AND sendMessage ok delivery.

Expected behavior

In 2026.2.10, the agent posted replies in the same Telegram forum topic under the same configuration and workflow.

Actual behavior

No reply is posted in the group topic. Gateway log shows:

• ingestBatch messages=1 (message reaches the agent)
• assemble completes successfully
• afterTurn completes with ingestedMessages=1
• sendMessage log entries only appear for DM (chat=156391225), zero for group chat ID
• DM works correctly under identical config

OpenClaw version

2026.5.7 (eeef486)

Operating system

Linux 6.8.0-1047-oracle (Ubuntu)

Install method

npm global

Model

minimax-portal/MiniMax-M2.7

Provider / routing chain

openclaw -> minimax-portal (anthropic-messages API)

Relevant config

```json { "channels": { "telegram": { "enabled": true, "contextVisibility": "allowlist_quote", "dmPolicy": "allowlist", "botToken": "**", "groups": { "-1003822442833": { "requireMention": false, "topics": { "": { "requireMention": false } } } }, "allowFrom": ["156391225"], "groupAllowFrom": ["156391225"], "groupPolicy": "allowlist" } } } ```

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Gateway log evidence (topic 1, after restart at 23:07:52):

• ingestBatch: session queue acquired ... messages=1 — message received by agent
• assemble: done ... contextItems=N estimatedTokens=XXXX — agent assembled context
• afterTurn: done ... newMessages=1 dedupedMessages=1 ingestedMessages=1 — turn processed
• sendMessage ok chat=156391225 message=3484 — only DM delivery appears, zero group deliveries
• No sendMessage log entry with group chat ID (-1003822442833) after restart

Previous working session (before restart) DID show: telegram sendMessage ok chat=-1003822442833 message=N for the same topic.

Impact and severity

• Affected: All Telegram group forum topics on 2026.5.7
• Severity: High (blocks group topic workflows)
• Frequency: 100% — zero successful group topic deliveries observed
• Consequence: Users cannot use the agent in Telegram group topics; forced to use DM only
• Temporary workaround: Use DM instead of group topics

Additional information

• Last known good: 2026.2.10
• First known bad: 2026.5.7 (regression introduced somewhere between these versions)
• Confirmed by issue #81034 (same symptom: Telegram forum topic messages ignored)
• Confirmed by issue #81181 (Telegram group auto-reply regression)
• Identical config works for DM, fails for all group topics