- In chat replies, file references must be repo-root relative only (example: `extensions/bluebubbles/src/channel.ts:80`); never absolute paths or `~/...`.
- GitHub comment footgun: never use `gh issue/pr comment -b "..."` when body contains backticks or shell chars. Always use single-quoted heredoc (`-F - <<'EOF'`) so no command substitution/escaping corruption.
- GitHub linking footgun: don’t wrap issue/PR refs like `#24643` in backticks when you want auto-linking. Use plain `#24643` (optionally add full URL).
- PR review conversations: if a bot leaves review conversations on your PR, address them and resolve those conversations yourself once fixed. Leave a conversation unresolved only when reviewer or maintainer judgment is still needed; do not leave bot-conversation cleanup to maintainers.
- GitHub searching footgun: don't limit yourself to the first 500 issues or PRs when wanting to search all. Unless you're supposed to look at the most recent, keep going until you've reached the last page in the search
- If an issue/PR matches one of the reasons below, apply the label and let `.github/workflows/auto-response.yml` handle comment/close/lock.
- Do not manually close + manually comment for these reasons.
- Why: keeps wording consistent, preserves automation behavior (`state_reason`, locking), and keeps triage/reporting searchable by label.
-`r:*` labels can be used on both issues and PRs.
-`r: skill`: close with guidance to publish skills on Clawhub.
-`r: support`: close with redirect to Discord support + stuck FAQ.
-`r: no-ci-pr`: close test-fix-only PRs for failing `main` CI and post the standard explanation.
-`r: too-many-prs`: close when author exceeds active PR limit.
-`r: testflight`: close requests asking for TestFlight access/builds. OpenClaw does not provide TestFlight distribution yet, so use the standard response (“Not available, build from source.”) instead of ad-hoc replies.
-`r: third-party-extension`: close with guidance to ship as third-party plugin.
-`r: moltbook`: close + lock as off-topic (not affiliated).
- Source code: `src/` (CLI wiring in `src/cli`, commands in `src/commands`, web provider in `src/provider-web.ts`, infra in `src/infra`, media pipeline in `src/media`).
- Plugins/extensions: live under `extensions/*` (workspace packages). Keep plugin-only deps in the extension `package.json`; do not add them to the root `package.json` unless core uses them.
- Plugins: install runs `npm install --omit=dev` in plugin dir; runtime deps must live in `dependencies`. Avoid `workspace:*` in `dependencies` (npm install breaks); put `openclaw` in `devDependencies` or `peerDependencies` instead (runtime resolves `openclaw/plugin-sdk` via jiti alias).
- Installers served from `https://openclaw.ai/*`: live in the sibling repo `../openclaw.ai` (`public/install.sh`, `public/install-cli.sh`, `public/install.ps1`).
- For docs, UI copy, and picker lists, order services/providers alphabetically unless the section is explicitly describing runtime behavior (for example auto-detection or execution order).
-`docs/zh-CN/**` is generated; do not edit unless the user explicitly asks.
- Pipeline: update English docs → adjust glossary (`docs/.i18n/glossary.zh-CN.json`) → run `scripts/docs-i18n` → apply targeted fixes only if instructed.
- If deps are missing (for example `node_modules` missing, `vitest not found`, or `command not found`), run the repo’s package-manager install command (prefer lockfile/README-defined PM), then rerun the exact requested command once. Apply this to test/build/lint/typecheck/dev commands; if retry still fails, report the command and first actionable error.
- Dynamic import guardrail: do not mix `await import("x")` and static `import ... from "x"` for the same module in production code paths. If you need lazy loading, create a dedicated `*.runtime.ts` boundary (that re-exports from `x`) and dynamically import that boundary from lazy callers only.
- Dynamic import verification: after refactors that touch lazy-loading/module boundaries, run `pnpm build` and check for `[INEFFECTIVE_DYNAMIC_IMPORT]` warnings before submitting.
- Never share class behavior via prototype mutation (`applyPrototypeMixins`, `Object.defineProperty` on `.prototype`, or exporting `Class.prototype` for merges). Use explicit inheritance/composition (`A extends B extends C`) or helper composition so TypeScript can typecheck.
- If this pattern is needed, stop and get explicit approval before shipping; default behavior is to split/refactor into an explicit class hierarchy and keep members strongly typed.
- In tests, prefer per-instance stubs over prototype mutation (`SomeClass.prototype.method = ...`) unless a test explicitly documents why prototype-level patching is required.
- Written English: use American spelling and grammar in code, comments, docs, and UI strings (e.g. "color" not "colour", "behavior" not "behaviour", "analyze" not "analyse").
- If local Vitest runs cause memory pressure (common on non-Mac-Studio hosts), use `OPENCLAW_TEST_PROFILE=low OPENCLAW_TEST_SERIAL_GATEWAY=1 pnpm test` for land/gate runs.
- Changelog placement: in the active version block, append new entries to the end of the target section (`### Changes` or `### Fixes`); do not insert new entries at the top of a section.
**Full maintainer PR workflow (optional):** If you want the repo's end-to-end maintainer workflow (triage order, quality bar, rebase rules, commit/changelog conventions, co-contributor policy, and the `review-pr` > `prepare-pr` > `merge-pr` pipeline), see `.agents/skills/PR_WORKFLOW.md`. Maintainers may use other workflows; when a maintainer specifies a workflow, follow that. If no workflow is specified, default to PR_WORKFLOW.
-`sync`: if working tree is dirty, commit all changes (pick a sensible Conventional Commit message), then `git pull --rebase`; if rebase conflicts and cannot resolve, stop; otherwise `git push`.
- Bulk PR close/reopen safety: if a close action would affect more than 5 PRs, first ask for explicit user confirmation with the exact PR count and target scope/query.
- Release flow: always read `docs/reference/RELEASING.md` and `docs/platforms/mac/release.md` before any release work; do not ask routine questions once those docs answer them.
- Gateway currently runs only as the menubar app; there is no separate LaunchAgent/helper label installed. Restart via the OpenClaw Mac app or `scripts/restart-mac.sh`; to verify/kill use `launchctl print gui/$UID | grep openclaw` rather than assuming a fixed label. **When debugging on macOS, start/stop the gateway via the app, not ad-hoc tmux sessions; kill any temporary tunnels before handoff.**
- macOS logs: use `./scripts/clawlog.sh` to query unified logs for the OpenClaw subsystem; it supports follow/tail/category filters and expects passwordless sudo for `/usr/bin/log`.
- SwiftUI state management (iOS/macOS): prefer the `Observation` framework (`@Observable`, `@Bindable`) over `ObservableObject`/`@StateObject`; don’t introduce new `ObservableObject` unless required for compatibility, and migrate existing usages when touching related code.
- Connection providers: when adding a new connection, update every UI surface and docs (macOS app, web UI, mobile if applicable, onboarding/overview docs) and add matching status + configuration forms so provider lists and settings stay in sync.
- iOS Team ID lookup: `security find-identity -p codesigning -v` → use Apple Development (…) TEAMID. Fallback: `defaults read com.apple.dt.Xcode IDEProvisioningTeamIdentifiers`.
- A2UI bundle hash: `src/canvas-host/a2ui/.bundle.hash` is auto-generated; ignore unexpected changes, and only regenerate via `pnpm canvas:a2ui:bundle` (or `scripts/bundle-a2ui.sh`) when needed. Commit the hash as a separate commit.
- Release signing/notary keys are managed outside the repo; follow internal release docs.
- Notary auth env vars (`APP_STORE_CONNECT_ISSUER_ID`, `APP_STORE_CONNECT_KEY_ID`, `APP_STORE_CONNECT_API_KEY_P8`) are expected in your environment (per internal release docs).
- **Multi-agent safety:** do **not** create/apply/drop `git stash` entries unless explicitly requested (this includes `git pull --rebase --autostash`). Assume other agents may be working; keep unrelated WIP untouched and avoid cross-cutting state changes.
- **Multi-agent safety:** when the user says "push", you may `git pull --rebase` to integrate latest changes (never discard other agents' work). When the user says "commit", scope to your changes only. When the user says "commit all", commit everything in grouped chunks.
- If staged+unstaged diffs are formatting-only, auto-resolve without asking.
- If commit/push already requested, auto-stage and include formatting-only follow-ups in the same commit (or a tiny follow-up commit if needed), no extra confirmation.
- Only ask when changes are semantic (logic/data/behavior).
- Lobster seam: use the shared CLI palette in `src/terminal/palette.ts` (no hardcoded colors); apply palette to onboarding/config prompts and other TTY UI output as needed.
- **Multi-agent safety:** focus reports on your edits; avoid guard-rail disclaimers unless truly blocked; when multiple agents touch the same file, continue if safe; end with a brief “other files present” note only if relevant.
- Tool schema guardrails (google-antigravity): avoid `Type.Union` in tool input schemas; no `anyOf`/`oneOf`/`allOf`. Use `stringEnum`/`optionalStringEnum` (Type.Unsafe enum) for string lists, and `Type.Optional(...)` instead of `... | null`. Keep top-level tool schema as `type: "object"` with `properties`.
- Tool schema guardrails: avoid raw `format` property names in tool schemas; some validators treat `format` as a reserved keyword and reject the schema.
- When asked to open a “session” file, open the Pi session logs under `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/sessions/*.jsonl` (use the `agent=<id>` value in the Runtime line of the system prompt; newest unless a specific ID is given), not the default `sessions.json`. If logs are needed from another machine, SSH via Tailscale and read the same path there.
- Never send streaming/partial replies to external messaging surfaces (WhatsApp, Telegram); only final replies should be delivered there. Streaming/tool events may still go to internal UIs/control channel.
- Command template should stay `openclaw-mac agent --message "${text}" --thinking low`; `VoiceWakeForwarder` already shell-escapes `${text}`. Don’t add extra quotes.
- launchd PATH is minimal; ensure the app’s launch agent PATH includes standard system paths plus your pnpm bin (typically `$HOME/Library/pnpm`) so `pnpm`/`openclaw` binaries resolve when invoked via `openclaw-mac`.
- For manual `openclaw message send` messages that include `!`, use the heredoc pattern noted below to avoid the Bash tool’s escaping.
- Release guardrails: do not change version numbers without operator’s explicit consent; always ask permission before running any npm publish/release step.
- Beta release guardrail: when using a beta Git tag (for example `vYYYY.M.D-beta.N`), publish npm with a matching beta version suffix (for example `YYYY.M.D-beta.N`) rather than a plain version on `--tag beta`; otherwise the plain version name gets consumed/blocked.
