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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Feature]: Add option to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI

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Add configuration option to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI by default

Root Cause

Add configuration option to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI by default

RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Summary

Add configuration option to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI by default

Problem to solve

Currently, tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI are displayed as collapsible cards that require manual clicking to expand. This creates extra friction when:

Debugging tool executions Reviewing tool input/output frequently Teaching/demonstrating tool execution flow Users must click each card individually to see the tool call details and outputs, which is time-consuming when working with multiple tools.

Proposed solution

Add a new configuration option ui.chat.expandToolsByDefault (boolean, default: false) in openclaw.json:

{ "ui": { "chat": { "expandToolsByDefault": true } } }

When set to true, tool call cards will be expanded by default. Users can still manually collapse them.

Alternative: Add a toggle in Control UI Settings UI for non-technical users.

Alternatives considered

No response

Impact

Low risk: Purely UI configuration change, no backend changes required Backward compatible: Default is false, existing behavior unchanged User benefit: Improves UX for power users who frequently inspect tool executions

Evidence/examples

No response

Additional information

No response

extent analysis

TL;DR

To address the issue, add a new configuration option ui.chat.expandToolsByDefault to openclaw.json and set it to true to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI by default.

Guidance

  • Add the configuration option ui.chat.expandToolsByDefault as a boolean value in the openclaw.json file, with a default value of false to maintain backward compatibility.
  • Set expandToolsByDefault to true to enable auto-expansion of tool call cards in Control UI.
  • Consider adding a toggle in Control UI Settings for non-technical users as an alternative solution.
  • Verify the fix by checking if tool call cards are expanded by default after setting expandToolsByDefault to true.

Example

{
  "ui": {
    "chat": {
      "expandToolsByDefault": true
    }
  }
}

Notes

The proposed solution is a low-risk, purely UI configuration change with no backend changes required, making it a straightforward fix.

Recommendation

Apply the workaround by adding the ui.chat.expandToolsByDefault configuration option and setting it to true, as it provides an improved user experience for power users who frequently inspect tool executions.

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Feature]: Add option to auto-expand tool calls and tool outputs in Control UI