openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix feat(slack): Agents & AI Apps support — assistant_thread_started + assistant.threads.setStatus (typing indicator + New Conversation)

Problem

OpenClaw's bundled Slack extension predates Slack's Agents & AI Apps platform feature, so apps installed through OpenClaw can't expose the modern assistant UX:

• No typing indicator (assistant.threads.setStatus — "is thinking…")
• No New Conversation button in the DM sidebar
• No assistant_thread_started / assistant_thread_context_changed handling
• No assistant.threads.setSuggestedPrompts support

Comparing to a Bolt-SDK-based deployment (Hermes/Giles), assistant features are first-class there. OpenClaw users get a noticeably worse Slack DM experience even with assistant:write enabled on the app manifest, because the extension doesn't issue the corresponding API calls.

Verification

grep -ri \"assistant_thread_started\\|assistant.threads.setStatus\\|assistant_view\" \\
  /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/slack/
# zero matches

So even if a manifest enables Agents & AI Apps, nothing in OpenClaw drives the assistant lifecycle.

Proposed scope

Two layers:

Slack extension (this issue):

1. Subscribe to assistant_thread_started → start/route a fresh session for that thread.
2. Subscribe to assistant_thread_context_changed → update session context.
3. On inbound DM, call assistant.threads.setStatus({status: 'is thinking…'}) on entry; clear on outbound reply (or on error).
4. Surface assistant.threads.setSuggestedPrompts as an optional tool/hook so agents can publish dynamic prompts. (Tracked separately in #50481.)
5. Document required app-manifest changes (assistant_view block, assistant:write scope, assistant_thread_started + assistant_thread_context_changed events).

Per-app (operator):

• After extension support lands, update each Slack app manifest to declare the assistant feature, add assistant:write, reinstall.

Related issues

• #50481 — assistant.threads.setSuggestedPrompts
• #33413 — tool-level progress in assistant thread status

Why it matters

Every OpenClaw-managed Slack app currently looks "older" than Bolt-SDK competitors in the same workspace. With multiple agents (Mobybot, MaestroBot, Giles, Giles-Acdmy, etc.) routed through Slack, the missing typing indicator alone is a constant UX gap.