PR #84232: fix(messages): use best-effort for implicit tool-only source replies

• Repository: openclaw/openclaw
• Author: tianxiaochannel-oss88
• State: open | merged: False
• Link: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/84232

Description (problem / solution / changelog)

Summary

• Force implicit and explicit-current-source message_tool_only replies through best-effort delivery before target normalization.
• Preserve required durable delivery when the model supplies an explicit external message target with bestEffort: false.
• Add regression coverage for the Slack-style adapter path that lacks reconcileUnknownSend.

Root Cause

For Slack group/channel source replies with visible replies routed through the message tool, a source-channel reply could still carry bestEffort: false, including the case where the tool explicitly supplied the current source channel as target. That made the outbound runner request required durable delivery, which then failed preflight on Slack because required durable sends need reconcileUnknownSend.

Current-source replies are user-visible conversational replies, not explicit cross-channel durable sends, so they should use best-effort delivery even when the target equals the current source conversation. Explicit external targeted sends keep the existing required durable semantics.

Fixes #84078.

Real behavior proof

• Behavior or issue addressed: message_tool_only visible source replies that omit an explicit target, or explicitly target the current source Slack channel, no longer fail the durable-send preflight when Slack lacks reconcileUnknownSend; explicit external targeted sends still keep required durable fail-closed behavior.
• Real environment tested: Local patched OpenClaw checkout at aff69bbcc622, macOS arm64, Node.js v24.15.0, OpenClaw runtime loaded from this branch, real Slack channel adapter, real Slack Web API delivery into a dedicated test channel. Tokens, workspace URL, channel name, and full channel id are redacted.
• Exact proof route: runMessageAction -> core outbound -> real Slack adapter -> Slack Web API.
• Exact steps or command run after this patch: node --import tsx --input-type=module <real-slack-source-reply-proof> with the active plugin registry set to the real Slack channel plugin, sourceReplyDeliveryMode: "message_tool_only", toolContext.currentChannelProvider: "slack", and toolContext.currentChannelId set to the same redacted test channel for the two source-reply cases.
• Evidence after fix:

{
  "status": "PASS",
  "pr": 84232,
  "branch": "fix/slack-message-tool-durable-fallback",
  "head": "aff69bbcc622",
  "route": "runMessageAction -> core outbound -> real Slack adapter -> Slack Web API",
  "channel": {
    "id": "C0B5...B7T",
    "name": "[redacted-test-channel]"
  },
  "marker": "OC84232_1779243865565",
  "sends": [
    {
      "name": "omitted-target-source-reply",
      "kind": "send",
      "channel": "slack",
      "to": "[redacted-test-channel]",
      "handledBy": "core",
      "messageId": "1779243866.436879",
      "via": "direct"
    },
    {
      "name": "explicit-current-source-target",
      "kind": "send",
      "channel": "slack",
      "to": "[redacted-test-channel]",
      "handledBy": "core",
      "messageId": "1779243867.013869",
      "via": "direct"
    }
  ],
  "externalFailure": {
    "name": "external-required-durable",
    "failedClosed": true,
    "error": "Required durable message send is unsupported for slack: missing reconcileUnknownSend"
  },
  "observedCount": 2,
  "observed": [
    {
      "ts": "1779243866.436879",
      "text": "OC84232_1779243865565 omitted target source reply",
      "bot_id": "[present]",
      "user": "[present]"
    },
    {
      "ts": "1779243867.013869",
      "text": "OC84232_1779243865565 explicit current-source target reply",
      "bot_id": "[present]",
      "user": "[present]"
    }
  ]
}

• Observed result after fix: Both current-source message_tool_only sends completed through the core outbound path and posted to a real Slack test channel even when the input carried bestEffort: false: one omitted the target and one explicitly used the current Slack source channel as target. The explicit external targeted send with bestEffort: false failed before delivery with missing reconcileUnknownSend, preserving the required durable guard for non-source targets.
• What was not tested: This proof did not run a full live LLM/gateway Slack inbound turn. It specifically validates the patched message-tool send path with the real Slack adapter and real Slack delivery, replacing the earlier local Slack-shaped adapter proof.

Tests

• node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.infra.config.ts src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.core-send.test.ts src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.send-validation.test.ts src/infra/outbound/outbound-send-service.test.ts src/infra/outbound/message.test.ts
• node scripts/run-vitest.mjs run --config test/vitest/vitest.agents-tools.config.ts src/agents/tools/message-tool.test.ts
• node scripts/run-tsgo.mjs -p tsconfig.core.json --incremental --tsBuildInfoFile .artifacts/tsgo-cache/core.tsbuildinfo

Changed files

• src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.core-send.test.ts (modified, +104/-0)
• src/infra/outbound/message-action-runner.ts (modified, +70/-0)