Agents: add nested subagent orchestration controls and reduce subagent token waste (#14447)

* Agents: add subagent orchestration controls

* Agents: add subagent orchestration controls (WIP uncommitted changes)

* feat(subagents): add depth-based spawn gating for sub-sub-agents

* feat(subagents): tool policy, registry, and announce chain for nested agents

* feat(subagents): system prompt, docs, changelog for nested sub-agents

* fix(subagents): prevent model fallback override, show model during active runs, and block context overflow fallback

Bug 1: When a session has an explicit model override (e.g., gpt/openai-codex),
the fallback candidate logic in resolveFallbackCandidates silently appended the
global primary model (opus) as a backstop. On reinjection/steer with a transient
error, the session could fall back to opus which has a smaller context window
and crash. Fix: when storedModelOverride is set, pass fallbacksOverride ?? []
instead of undefined, preventing the implicit primary backstop.

Bug 2: Active subagents showed 'model n/a' in /subagents list because
resolveModelDisplay only read entry.model/modelProvider (populated after run
completes). Fix: fall back to modelOverride/providerOverride fields which are
populated at spawn time via sessions.patch.

Bug 3: Context overflow errors (prompt too long, context_length_exceeded) could
theoretically escape runEmbeddedPiAgent and be treated as failover candidates
in runWithModelFallback, causing a switch to a model with a smaller context
window. Fix: in runWithModelFallback, detect context overflow errors via
isLikelyContextOverflowError and rethrow them immediately instead of trying the
next model candidate.

* fix(subagents): track spawn depth in session store and fix announce routing for nested agents

* Fix compaction status tracking and dedupe overflow compaction triggers

* fix(subagents): enforce depth block via session store and implement cascade kill

* fix: inject group chat context into system prompt

* fix(subagents): always write model to session store at spawn time

* Preserve spawnDepth when agent handler rewrites session entry

* fix(subagents): suppress announce on steer-restart

* fix(subagents): fallback spawned session model to runtime default

* fix(subagents): enforce spawn depth when caller key resolves by sessionId

* feat(subagents): implement active-first ordering for numeric targets and enhance task display

- Added a test to verify that subagents with numeric targets follow an active-first list ordering.
- Updated `resolveSubagentTarget` to sort subagent runs based on active status and recent activity.
- Enhanced task display in command responses to prevent truncation of long task descriptions.
- Introduced new utility functions for compacting task text and managing subagent run states.

* fix(subagents): show model for active runs via run record fallback

When the spawned model matches the agent's default model, the session
store's override fields are intentionally cleared (isDefault: true).
The model/modelProvider fields are only populated after the run
completes. This left active subagents showing 'model n/a'.

Fix: store the resolved model on SubagentRunRecord at registration
time, and use it as a fallback in both display paths (subagents tool
and /subagents command) when the session store entry has no model info.

Changes:
- SubagentRunRecord: add optional model field
- registerSubagentRun: accept and persist model param
- sessions-spawn-tool: pass resolvedModel to registerSubagentRun
- subagents-tool: pass run record model as fallback to resolveModelDisplay
- commands-subagents: pass run record model as fallback to resolveModelDisplay

* feat(chat): implement session key resolution and reset on sidebar navigation

- Added functions to resolve the main session key and reset chat state when switching sessions from the sidebar.
- Updated the `renderTab` function to handle session key changes when navigating to the chat tab.
- Introduced a test to verify that the session resets to "main" when opening chat from the sidebar navigation.

* fix: subagent timeout=0 passthrough and fallback prompt duplication

Bug 1: runTimeoutSeconds=0 now means 'no timeout' instead of applying 600s default
- sessions-spawn-tool: default to undefined (not 0) when neither timeout param
  is provided; use != null check so explicit 0 passes through to gateway
- agent.ts: accept 0 as valid timeout (resolveAgentTimeoutMs already handles
  0 → MAX_SAFE_TIMEOUT_MS)

Bug 2: model fallback no longer re-injects the original prompt as a duplicate
- agent.ts: track fallback attempt index; on retries use a short continuation
  message instead of the full original prompt since the session file already
  contains it from the first attempt
- Also skip re-sending images on fallback retries (already in session)

* feat(subagents): truncate long task descriptions in subagents command output

- Introduced a new utility function to format task previews, limiting their length to improve readability.
- Updated the command handler to use the new formatting function, ensuring task descriptions are truncated appropriately.
- Adjusted related tests to verify that long task descriptions are now truncated in the output.

* refactor(subagents): update subagent registry path resolution and improve command output formatting

- Replaced direct import of STATE_DIR with a utility function to resolve the state directory dynamically.
- Enhanced the formatting of command output for active and recent subagents, adding separators for better readability.
- Updated related tests to reflect changes in command output structure.

* fix(subagent): default sessions_spawn to no timeout when runTimeoutSeconds omitted

The previous fix (75a791106) correctly handled the case where
runTimeoutSeconds was explicitly set to 0 ("no timeout"). However,
when models omit the parameter entirely (which is common since the
schema marks it as optional), runTimeoutSeconds resolved to undefined.

undefined flowed through the chain as:
  sessions_spawn → timeout: undefined (since undefined != null is false)
  → gateway agent handler → agentCommand opts.timeout: undefined
  → resolveAgentTimeoutMs({ overrideSeconds: undefined })
  → DEFAULT_AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (600s = 10 minutes)

This caused subagents to be killed at exactly 10 minutes even though
the user's intent (via TOOLS.md) was for subagents to run without a
timeout.

Fix: default runTimeoutSeconds to 0 (no timeout) when neither
runTimeoutSeconds nor timeoutSeconds is provided by the caller.
Subagent spawns are long-running by design and should not inherit the
600s agent-command default timeout.

* fix(subagent): accept timeout=0 in agent-via-gateway path (second 600s default)

* fix: thread timeout override through getReplyFromConfig dispatch path

getReplyFromConfig called resolveAgentTimeoutMs({ cfg }) with no override,
always falling back to the config default (600s). Add timeoutOverrideSeconds
to GetReplyOptions and pass it through as overrideSeconds so callers of the
dispatch chain can specify a custom timeout (0 = no timeout).

This complements the existing timeout threading in agentCommand and the
cron isolated-agent runner, which already pass overrideSeconds correctly.

* feat(model-fallback): normalize OpenAI Codex model references and enhance fallback handling

- Added normalization for OpenAI Codex model references, specifically converting "gpt-5.3-codex" to "openai-codex" before execution.
- Updated the `resolveFallbackCandidates` function to utilize the new normalization logic.
- Enhanced tests to verify the correct behavior of model normalization and fallback mechanisms.
- Introduced a new test case to ensure that the normalization process works as expected for various input formats.

* feat(tests): add unit tests for steer failure behavior in openclaw-tools

- Introduced a new test file to validate the behavior of subagents when steer replacement dispatch fails.
- Implemented tests to ensure that the announce behavior is restored correctly and that the suppression reason is cleared as expected.
- Enhanced the subagent registry with a new function to clear steer restart suppression.
- Updated related components to support the new test scenarios.

* fix(subagents): replace stop command with kill in slash commands and documentation

- Updated the `/subagents` command to replace `stop` with `kill` for consistency in controlling sub-agent runs.
- Modified related documentation to reflect the change in command usage.
- Removed legacy timeoutSeconds references from the sessions-spawn-tool schema and tests to streamline timeout handling.
- Enhanced tests to ensure correct behavior of the updated commands and their interactions.

* feat(tests): add unit tests for readLatestAssistantReply function

- Introduced a new test file for the `readLatestAssistantReply` function to validate its behavior with various message scenarios.
- Implemented tests to ensure the function correctly retrieves the latest assistant message and handles cases where the latest message has no text.
- Mocked the gateway call to simulate different message histories for comprehensive testing.

* feat(tests): enhance subagent kill-all cascade tests and announce formatting

- Added a new test to verify that the `kill-all` command cascades through ended parents to active descendants in subagents.
- Updated the subagent announce formatting tests to reflect changes in message structure, including the replacement of "Findings:" with "Result:" and the addition of new expectations for message content.
- Improved the handling of long findings and stats in the announce formatting logic to ensure concise output.
- Refactored related functions to enhance clarity and maintainability in the subagent registry and tools.

* refactor(subagent): update announce formatting and remove unused constants

- Modified the subagent announce formatting to replace "Findings:" with "Result:" and adjusted related expectations in tests.
- Removed constants for maximum announce findings characters and summary words, simplifying the announcement logic.
- Updated the handling of findings to retain full content instead of truncating, ensuring more informative outputs.
- Cleaned up unused imports in the commands-subagents file to enhance code clarity.

* feat(tests): enhance billing error handling in user-facing text

- Added tests to ensure that normal text mentioning billing plans is not rewritten, preserving user context.
- Updated the `isBillingErrorMessage` and `sanitizeUserFacingText` functions to improve handling of billing-related messages.
- Introduced new test cases for various scenarios involving billing messages to ensure accurate processing and output.
- Enhanced the subagent announce flow to correctly manage active descendant runs, preventing premature announcements.

* feat(subagent): enhance workflow guidance and auto-announcement clarity

- Added a new guideline in the subagent system prompt to emphasize trust in push-based completion, discouraging busy polling for status updates.
- Updated documentation to clarify that sub-agents will automatically announce their results, improving user understanding of the workflow.
- Enhanced tests to verify the new guidance on avoiding polling loops and to ensure the accuracy of the updated prompts.

* fix(cron): avoid announcing interim subagent spawn acks

* chore: clean post-rebase imports

* fix(cron): fall back to child replies when parent stays interim

* fix(subagents): make active-run guidance advisory

* fix(subagents): update announce flow to handle active descendants and enhance test coverage

- Modified the announce flow to defer announcements when active descendant runs are present, ensuring accurate status reporting.
- Updated tests to verify the new behavior, including scenarios where no fallback requester is available and ensuring proper handling of finished subagents.
- Enhanced the announce formatting to include an `expectFinal` flag for better clarity in the announcement process.

* fix(subagents): enhance announce flow and formatting for user updates

- Updated the announce flow to provide clearer instructions for user updates based on active subagent runs and requester context.
- Refactored the announcement logic to improve clarity and ensure internal context remains private.
- Enhanced tests to verify the new message expectations and formatting, including updated prompts for user-facing updates.
- Introduced a new function to build reply instructions based on session context, improving the overall announcement process.

* fix: resolve prep blockers and changelog placement (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: restore cron delivery-plan import after rebase (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: resolve test failures from rebase conflicts (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

* fix: apply formatting after rebase (#14447) (thanks @tyler6204)

src/auto-reply/reply/groups.ts

@@ -59,6 +59,51 @@ export function defaultGroupActivation(requireMention: boolean): "always" | "men
   return !requireMention ? "always" : "mention";
 }
 
+/**
+ * Resolve a human-readable provider label from the raw provider string.
+ */
+function resolveProviderLabel(rawProvider: string | undefined): string {
+  const providerKey = rawProvider?.trim().toLowerCase() ?? "";
+  if (!providerKey) {
+    return "chat";
+  }
+  if (isInternalMessageChannel(providerKey)) {
+    return "WebChat";
+  }
+  const providerId = normalizeChannelId(rawProvider?.trim());
+  if (providerId) {
+    return getChannelPlugin(providerId)?.meta.label ?? providerId;
+  }
+  return `${providerKey.at(0)?.toUpperCase() ?? ""}${providerKey.slice(1)}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a persistent group-chat context block that is always included in the
+ * system prompt for group-chat sessions (every turn, not just the first).
+ *
+ * Contains: group name, participants, and an explicit instruction to reply
+ * directly instead of using the message tool.
+ */
+export function buildGroupChatContext(params: { sessionCtx: TemplateContext }): string {
+  const subject = params.sessionCtx.GroupSubject?.trim();
+  const members = params.sessionCtx.GroupMembers?.trim();
+  const providerLabel = resolveProviderLabel(params.sessionCtx.Provider);
+
+  const lines: string[] = [];
+  if (subject) {
+    lines.push(`You are in the ${providerLabel} group chat "${subject}".`);
+  } else {
+    lines.push(`You are in a ${providerLabel} group chat.`);
+  }
+  if (members) {
+    lines.push(`Participants: ${members}.`);
+  }
+  lines.push(
+    "Your replies are automatically sent to this group chat. Do not use the message tool to send to this same group — just reply normally.",
+  );
+  return lines.join(" ");
+}
+
 export function buildGroupIntro(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   sessionCtx: TemplateContext;
@@ -69,23 +114,7 @@ export function buildGroupIntro(params: {
   const activation =
     normalizeGroupActivation(params.sessionEntry?.groupActivation) ?? params.defaultActivation;
   const rawProvider = params.sessionCtx.Provider?.trim();
-  const providerKey = rawProvider?.toLowerCase() ?? "";
   const providerId = normalizeChannelId(rawProvider);
-  const providerLabel = (() => {
-    if (!providerKey) {
-      return "chat";
-    }
-    if (isInternalMessageChannel(providerKey)) {
-      return "WebChat";
-    }
-    if (providerId) {
-      return getChannelPlugin(providerId)?.meta.label ?? providerId;
-    }
-    return `${providerKey.at(0)?.toUpperCase() ?? ""}${providerKey.slice(1)}`;
-  })();
-  // Do not embed attacker-controlled labels (group subject, members) in system prompts.
-  // These labels are provided as user-role "untrusted context" blocks instead.
-  const subjectLine = `You are replying inside a ${providerLabel} group chat.`;
   const activationLine =
     activation === "always"
       ? "Activation: always-on (you receive every group message)."
@@ -115,15 +144,7 @@ export function buildGroupIntro(params: {
     "Be a good group participant: mostly lurk and follow the conversation; reply only when directly addressed or you can add clear value. Emoji reactions are welcome when available.";
   const styleLine =
     "Write like a human. Avoid Markdown tables. Don't type literal \\n sequences; use real line breaks sparingly.";
-  return [
-    subjectLine,
-    activationLine,
-    providerIdsLine,
-    silenceLine,
-    cautionLine,
-    lurkLine,
-    styleLine,
-  ]
+  return [activationLine, providerIdsLine, silenceLine, cautionLine, lurkLine, styleLine]
     .filter(Boolean)
     .join(" ")
     .concat(" Address the specific sender noted in the message context.");