---
summary: "Import map, registration API reference, and SDK architecture"
title: "Plugin SDK overview"
sidebarTitle: "Plugin SDK overview"
read_when:
  - You need to know which SDK subpath to import from
  - You want a reference for all registration methods on OpenClawPluginApi
  - You are looking up a specific SDK export
---

The plugin SDK is the typed contract between plugins and core. This page is the
reference for **what to import** and **what you can register**.

<Note>
  This page is for plugin authors using `openclaw/plugin-sdk/*` inside
  OpenClaw. For external apps, scripts, dashboards, CI jobs, and IDE extensions
  that want to run agents through the Gateway, use
  [Gateway integrations for external apps](/gateway/external-apps) instead.
</Note>

<Tip>
Looking for a how-to guide instead? Start with [Building plugins](/plugins/building-plugins). Use [Channel plugins](/plugins/sdk-channel-plugins) for channels, [Provider plugins](/plugins/sdk-provider-plugins) for model providers, [CLI backend plugins](/plugins/cli-backend-plugins) for local AI CLI backends, [Agent harness plugins](/plugins/sdk-agent-harness) for native agent executors, and [Plugin hooks](/plugins/hooks) for tool or lifecycle hooks.
</Tip>

## Import convention

Always import from a specific subpath:

```typescript
import { definePluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/plugin-entry";
import { defineChannelPluginEntry } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core";
```

Each subpath is a small, self-contained module. This keeps startup fast and
prevents circular dependency issues. For channel-specific entry/build helpers,
prefer `openclaw/plugin-sdk/channel-core`; keep `openclaw/plugin-sdk/core` for
the broader umbrella surface and shared helpers such as
`buildChannelConfigSchema`.

For channel config, publish the channel-owned JSON Schema through
`openclaw.plugin.json#channelConfigs`. The `plugin-sdk/channel-config-schema`
subpath is for shared schema primitives and the generic builder. OpenClaw's
bundled plugins use `plugin-sdk/bundled-channel-config-schema` for retained
bundled-channel schemas. That bundled schema subpath is not a pattern for new
plugins.

<Warning>
  Do not import provider- or channel-branded convenience seams (for example
  `openclaw/plugin-sdk/slack`, `.../discord`, `.../signal`, `.../whatsapp`).
  Bundled plugins compose generic SDK subpaths inside their own `api.ts` /
  `runtime-api.ts` barrels; core consumers should either use those plugin-local
  barrels or add a narrow generic SDK contract when a need is truly
  cross-channel.

A small set of bundled-plugin helper seams still appear in the generated export
map when they have tracked owner usage. They exist for bundled-plugin
maintenance only and are not recommended import paths for new third-party
plugins.

`openclaw/plugin-sdk/discord` and `openclaw/plugin-sdk/telegram-account` are
also kept as deprecated compatibility facades for tracked owner usage. Do not
copy those import paths into new plugins; use injected runtime helpers and
generic channel SDK subpaths instead.
</Warning>

## Subpath reference

The plugin SDK is exposed as a set of narrow subpaths grouped by area (plugin
entry, channel, provider, auth, runtime, capability, memory, and reserved
bundled-plugin helpers). For the full catalog — grouped and linked — see
[Plugin SDK subpaths](/plugins/sdk-subpaths).

The compiler entrypoint inventory lives in
`scripts/lib/plugin-sdk-entrypoints.json`; typed public exports exclude the
internal subpaths listed in
`scripts/lib/plugin-sdk-private-local-only-subpaths.json`. Production entries
on that list retain JavaScript-only host runtime exports for separately
published official plugins, while test-only entries remain unexported. Run
`pnpm plugin-sdk:surface` to audit the public export count. Deprecated public
subpaths that are old enough and unused by bundled extension production code are
tracked in `scripts/lib/plugin-sdk-deprecated-public-subpaths.json`; broad
deprecated re-export barrels are tracked in
`scripts/lib/plugin-sdk-deprecated-barrel-subpaths.json`.

## Registration API

The `register(api)` callback receives an `OpenClawPluginApi` object with these
methods:

Plugins that provide an external team-chat surface for a session can register
the single process-wide provider exported by
`openclaw/plugin-sdk/session-discussion`. Its `info({ sessionKey })` method
reports whether a discussion is unavailable, ready to open, or already open;
`open({ sessionKey })` creates or resolves the discussion and returns its embed
and external URLs. Registering another provider replaces the current provider.

### Capability registration

| Method                                           | What it registers                                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.registerProvider(...)`                      | Text inference (LLM)                                                                                                                      |
| `api.registerWorkerProvider(...)`                | Cloud-worker lifecycle leases                                                                                                             |
| `api.registerModelCatalogProvider(...)`          | Model catalog rows for text and media generation                                                                                          |
| `api.registerAgentHarness(...)`                  | [Experimental](/plugins/sdk-agent-harness) native agent executor (Codex, Copilot)                                                         |
| `api.registerCliBackend(...)`                    | Local CLI inference backend                                                                                                               |
| `api.registerChannel(...)`                       | Messaging channel                                                                                                                         |
| `api.registerEmbeddingProvider(...)`             | Reusable vector embedding provider                                                                                                        |
| `api.registerSpeechProvider(...)`                | Text-to-speech / STT synthesis                                                                                                            |
| `api.registerRealtimeTranscriptionProvider(...)` | Streaming realtime transcription                                                                                                          |
| `api.registerRealtimeVoiceProvider(...)`         | Duplex realtime voice sessions                                                                                                            |
| `api.registerMediaUnderstandingProvider(...)`    | Image/audio/video analysis                                                                                                                |
| `api.registerTranscriptSourceProvider(...)`      | Live or imported meeting transcript source; meeting plugins can use `createMeetingTranscriptSourceProvider` from `plugin-sdk/transcripts` |
| `api.registerImageGenerationProvider(...)`       | Image generation                                                                                                                          |
| `api.registerMusicGenerationProvider(...)`       | Music generation                                                                                                                          |
| `api.registerVideoGenerationProvider(...)`       | Video generation                                                                                                                          |
| `api.registerWebFetchProvider(...)`              | Web fetch / scrape provider                                                                                                               |
| `api.registerWebSearchProvider(...)`             | Web search                                                                                                                                |
| `api.registerCompactionProvider(...)`            | Pluggable transcript-compaction backend                                                                                                   |

Worker providers must also declare their id in `contracts.workerProviders`.
Core persists durable intent before `provision(profile, operationId)`. Providers validate settings before external allocation and throw `WorkerProviderError` for permanent profile rejection. `provision` must adopt the same lease when the operation id repeats.
Core persists the validated profile settings with the lease and supplies that snapshot to `destroy({ leaseId, profile })`, which must be idempotent, and `inspect({ leaseId, profile })`, which returns `active`, `destroyed`, or `unknown`. This lets providers route lifecycle calls after a gateway restart or named-profile removal. SSH endpoints use a `SecretRef` for `keyRef`, never inline key material, and include a `hostKey` from trusted provisioning output as exactly `algorithm base64`, without a hostname or comment. Core pins `hostKey` and never trusts a key from the first connection. A provider that mints a dynamic `keyRef` can implement `resolveSshIdentity({ leaseId, profile, keyRef })`; when present, that resolver is authoritative, while providers without it use the configured generic secret resolver.
Providers with renewable leases can also implement `renew(leaseId)`.
`inspect` must throw on transient or indeterminate failures; return `unknown` only for authoritative absence. Core marks an active local record orphaned, or treats the absence as teardown completion after a persisted destroy request.

Embedding providers registered with `api.registerEmbeddingProvider(...)` must
also be listed in `contracts.embeddingProviders` in the plugin manifest. This
is the generic embedding surface for reusable vector generation. Memory search
can consume this generic provider surface. The older
`api.registerMemoryEmbeddingProvider(...)` and
`contracts.memoryEmbeddingProviders` seam is deprecated compatibility while
existing memory-specific providers migrate.

Memory-specific providers that still expose a runtime `batchEmbed(...)` stay on
the existing per-file batching contract unless their runtime explicitly sets
`sourceWideBatchEmbed: true`. That opt-in lets the memory host submit chunks from
multiple dirty memory files and enabled sources in one `batchEmbed(...)` call up
to the host batch limits. Batch adapters that upload JSONL request files must
split provider jobs before their upload-size cap as well as their request-count
cap. The provider must return one embedding per input chunk in the same order as
`batch.chunks`; omit the flag when the provider expects file-local batches or
cannot preserve input ordering across a larger source-wide job.

### Tools and commands

Use [`defineToolPlugin`](/plugins/tool-plugins) for simple tool-only plugins
with fixed tool names. Use `api.registerTool(...)` directly for mixed plugins
or fully dynamic tool registration.

| Method                                 | What it registers                                                                                                                        |
| -------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.registerTool(tool, opts?)`        | Agent tool (required or `{ optional: true }`)                                                                                            |
| `api.registerCommand(def)`             | Custom command (bypasses the LLM)                                                                                                        |
| `api.registerNodeHostCommand(command)` | Command handled by `openclaw node run`; optional `agentTool` metadata can expose it as an agent-visible tool while the node is connected |

Plugin commands can set `agentPromptGuidance` when the agent needs a short,
command-owned routing hint. Keep that text about the command itself; do not add
provider- or plugin-specific policy to core prompt builders.

Guidance entries may be legacy strings, which apply to every prompt surface, or
structured entries:

```ts
agentPromptGuidance: [
  "Global command hint.",
  { text: "Only show this in the main OpenClaw prompt.", surfaces: ["openclaw_main"] },
];
```

Structured `surfaces` may include `openclaw_main`, `codex_app_server`,
`cli_backend`, `acp_backend`, or `subagent`. `pi_main` remains a deprecated alias
for `openclaw_main`. Omit `surfaces` for intentional all-surface guidance. Do
not pass an empty `surfaces` array; it is rejected so accidental scope loss does
not become global prompt text.

Native Codex app-server developer instructions are stricter than other prompt
surfaces: only guidance explicitly scoped to `codex_app_server` is promoted into
that higher-priority lane. Legacy string guidance and unscoped structured
guidance remain available to non-Codex prompt surfaces for compatibility.

Node-host commands run on the connected node host, not inside the Gateway
process. If `agentTool` is present, the node publishes a descriptor after a
successful Gateway connect; the Gateway exposes it to agent runs only while that
node is connected and only if the descriptor's `command` is in the node's
approved command surface. Set `agentTool.defaultPlatforms` to opt a
non-dangerous command into the default node command allowlist; otherwise require
explicit `gateway.nodes.commands.allow` or a node-invoke policy. `agentTool.name`
must be provider-safe: start with a letter, use only letters, digits,
underscores, or hyphens, and stay within 64 characters. MCP-backed node tools
can set `agentTool.mcp` metadata so catalog and tool-search surfaces can show
the remote MCP server/tool identity, but execution still goes through the
advertised node command.

### Infrastructure

| Method                                          | What it registers                                                      |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.registerHook(events, handler, opts?)`      | Event hook                                                             |
| `api.registerHttpRoute(params)`                 | Gateway HTTP endpoint                                                  |
| `api.registerGatewayMethod(name, handler)`      | Gateway RPC method                                                     |
| `api.registerGatewayDiscoveryService(service)`  | Local Gateway discovery advertiser                                     |
| `api.registerCli(registrar, opts?)`             | CLI subcommand                                                         |
| `api.registerNodeCliFeature(registrar, opts?)`  | Node feature CLI under `openclaw nodes`                                |
| `api.registerService(service)`                  | Background service                                                     |
| `api.registerInteractiveHandler(registration)`  | Interactive handler                                                    |
| `api.registerAgentToolResultMiddleware(...)`    | Runtime tool-result middleware                                         |
| `api.registerMemoryPromptSupplement(builder)`   | Additive memory-adjacent prompt section                                |
| `api.registerMemoryPromptPreparation(prepare)`  | Async preparation for a memory-adjacent prompt section                 |
| `api.registerMemoryCorpusSupplement(adapter)`   | Additive memory search/read corpus                                     |
| `api.registerHostedMediaResolver(resolver)`     | Resolver for browser-style hosted media URLs                           |
| `api.registerMcpServerConnectionResolver(...)`  | Per-requester MCP transport (`url`/`headers`) for a static server name |
| `api.registerTextTransforms(transforms)`        | Plugin-owned prompt/message compatibility text rewrites                |
| `api.registerConfigMigration(migrate)`          | Lightweight config migration run before plugin runtime loads           |
| `api.registerMigrationProvider(provider)`       | Importer for `openclaw migrate`                                        |
| `api.registerAutoEnableProbe(probe)`            | Config probe that can auto-enable this plugin                          |
| `api.registerReload(registration)`              | Restart/hot/noop config-prefix policy for reload handling              |
| `api.registerNodeHostCommand(command)`          | Command handler exposed to paired nodes                                |
| `api.registerNodeInvokePolicy(policy)`          | Allowlist/approval policy for node-invoked commands                    |
| `api.registerSecurityAuditCollector(collector)` | Findings collector for `openclaw security audit`                       |

#### Post-ack webhook work

Webhook routes that acknowledge a request before processing finishes must move
that detached work onto its own tracked admission root:

```typescript
import { runDetachedWebhookWork } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/webhook-request-guards";

void runDetachedWebhookWork(() => processWebhookEvent(event)).catch((error) => {
  runtime.error?.(`webhook dispatch failed: ${String(error)}`);
});
```

Call `runDetachedWebhookWork(...)` synchronously while the HTTP request is still
admitted. The helper reserves an independent root immediately, then starts the
callback in the next microtask so the request handler can write its
acknowledgement first. The returned promise adopts the callback result; callers
still own rejection handling. This keeps post-ack queue work accepted and makes
restart or suspension drains wait for it. Handlers that await all processing
before returning do not need this helper.

#### Requester-scoped MCP connections

Keep the MCP server **identity** static (name, tool filter) in `mcp.servers`, a
native plugin's `mcpServers` manifest field, or a bundle manifest. Optionally register a connection resolver so each trusted
message requester gets their own transport:

```ts
api.registerMcpServerConnectionResolver({
  serverName: "user-email",
  resolve: async (ctx) => {
    // ctx.requesterSenderId is host-trusted; never invent sender identity here.
    const token = await lookupUserToken(ctx.requesterSenderId);
    if (!token) {
      return null; // omit this server for the current run
    }
    return {
      url: "https://mcp.example.com/email",
      headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
    };
  },
});
```

Contract notes:

- Resolver context carries trusted host identity only (`requesterSenderId`,
  optional `agentAccountId` / `messageChannel`). Future trusted fields (for
  example cron/subagent user context) can be added additively.
- One plugin owns one server name: a duplicate
  `registerMcpServerConnectionResolver` for the same `serverName` from another
  plugin is rejected with an error diagnostic (first registration wins), so
  connection ownership never depends on plugin load order.
- Tool names are derived from the full declared server set so partial resolution
  never changes safe server names between requesters or turns. Core does not
  verify that different requester endpoints serve identical tool schemas; a
  resolver must point every requester at the same logical service, or tool
  schemas (and prompt-cache stability) diverge per requester.
- Runs without a trusted `requesterSenderId` (cron, subagent, heartbeat, public
  gateway) never materialize requester-scoped servers. There is no shared
  fallback connection.
- `resolve` is bounded at 10 seconds per server; a timeout or throw omits that
  server for the run without failing static MCP.
- Resolved connections are revalidated at most every 5 minutes per requester:
  rotation rebuilds the transport with fresh credentials, and a `null` result
  revokes it (the cached runtime is disposed even mid-session). A revoked or
  rotated credential can therefore stay in use for up to 5 minutes.
- Resolved `headers` are never logged or persisted; core keeps only an ephemeral
  in-memory keyed digest (process-local HMAC) to detect credential rotation, and
  registers resolved header/URL credential values with the log/debug-capture
  redaction registry.
- Requester-scoped servers do not mint MCP App views: a view outlives the
  requester-authenticated run and the gateway view boundary has no requester
  identity, so app previews stay fail-closed for these servers. Tool results
  are unaffected.
- Static servers without a resolver keep the existing session-scoped lifecycle.
- **Harness delivery rule:** requester-scoped servers never enter harness-native
  MCP client config (Codex thread `mcp_servers`, CLI `-c mcp_servers=…`, or any
  other session-shared MCP projection). Harnesses deliver them as run-scoped
  tools instead:
  - Embedded runner: session MCP runtime + bundle tools (static + scoped).
  - Codex app-server: dynamic tools via
    `materializeRequesterScopedMcpToolsForHarnessRun` (scoped-only; static
    servers stay on Codex's native MCP client).
- Scoped tool **specs** are session-stable after the first successful resolve in
  that session, so shared-thread harnesses (Codex) do not rotate threads when
  senders change. Before any requester resolves, no scoped specs are advertised.
- Unauthenticated requesters on a shared-thread harness still see the advertised
  scoped tools; calling one returns a clean not-connected tool error for that
  requester. OpenClaw never falls back to another requester's credentials.

Memory prompt supplement builders receive optional `agentId`,
`agentSessionKey`, and `sandboxed` context. Memory corpus supplement `search`
and `get` calls receive optional `agentId` and `sandboxed` context. Plugins with
agent-owned storage should resolve that storage for each call instead of
capturing one global path during registration. If an agent id is required but
missing in a multi-agent operation, fail closed rather than choosing an
arbitrary agent.

Use `registerMemoryPromptPreparation(...)` when prompt text depends on async
plugin state. The callback runs once before each full agent prompt and receives
the same tool, agent, session, and sandbox context as synchronous memory prompt
builders. Validate the current storage-owner instance before loading persisted
state, then return only lines for that run. OpenClaw freezes those lines and
hands the immutable result to synchronous prompt assembly. Keep persistence,
atomic replacement, and owner-removal deletion inside the owning plugin; do not
poll or read files from a prompt builder.

Telegram interactive handlers can return `{ submitText }` to route text through
Telegram's normal inbound agent path after the handler succeeds. OpenClaw keeps
the callback button when inbound policy skips the text or processing fails, so
the user can retry after the blocking condition changes. This result field is
Telegram-specific; other channels keep their own interactive result contracts.

### Host hooks for workflow plugins

Host hooks are the SDK seams for plugins that need to participate in the host
lifecycle rather than only adding a provider, channel, or tool. They are
generic contracts; Plan Mode can use them, but so can approval workflows,
workspace policy gates, background monitors, setup wizards, and UI companion
plugins.

| Method                                                                               | Contract it owns                                                                                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.session.state.registerSessionExtension(...)`                                    | Plugin-owned, JSON-compatible session state projected through Gateway sessions                                                                             |
| `api.session.workflow.enqueueNextTurnInjection(...)`                                 | Durable exactly-once context injected into the next agent turn for one session                                                                             |
| `api.registerTrustedToolPolicy(...)`                                                 | Manifest-gated trusted pre-plugin tool policy that can block or rewrite tool params                                                                        |
| `api.registerToolMetadata(...)`                                                      | Tool catalog display metadata without changing the tool implementation                                                                                     |
| `api.registerCommand(...)`                                                           | Scoped plugin commands; command results can set `continueAgent: true` or `suppressReply: true`; Discord native commands support `descriptionLocalizations` |
| `api.session.controls.registerControlUiDescriptor(...)`                              | Control UI contribution descriptors for session, tool, run, settings, or tab surfaces                                                                      |
| `api.lifecycle.registerRuntimeLifecycle(...)`                                        | Cleanup callbacks for plugin-owned runtime resources on reset/delete/reload paths                                                                          |
| `api.agent.events.registerAgentEventSubscription(...)`                               | Sanitized event subscriptions for workflow state and monitors                                                                                              |
| `api.runContext.setRunContext(...)` / `getRunContext(...)` / `clearRunContext(...)`  | Per-run plugin scratch state cleared on terminal run lifecycle                                                                                             |
| `api.session.workflow.registerSessionSchedulerJob(...)`                              | Cleanup metadata for plugin-owned scheduler jobs; does not schedule work or create task records                                                            |
| `api.session.workflow.sendSessionAttachment(...)`                                    | Bundled-only host-mediated file attachment delivery to the active direct-outbound session route                                                            |
| `api.session.workflow.scheduleSessionTurn(...)` / `unscheduleSessionTurnsByTag(...)` | Bundled-only Cron-backed scheduled session turns plus tag-based cleanup                                                                                    |
| `api.session.controls.registerSessionAction(...)`                                    | Typed session actions clients can dispatch through the Gateway                                                                                             |

A `surface: "tab"` descriptor adds a sidebar tab to the Control UI. Active
plugins' tab descriptors are advertised to dashboard clients in the gateway
hello (`controlUiTabs`), so the tab appears only while the plugin is enabled.
Bundled plugins may ship a first-class dashboard view for their tab; other
plugins can set `path` to a plugin HTTP route (see
`api.registerHttpRoute(...)`) that the dashboard renders in a sandboxed frame.
`icon` is a dashboard icon name hint, `group` picks the sidebar section
(`control` or `agent`), `order` sorts among plugin tabs, and `requiredScopes`
hides the tab from connections lacking those operator scopes:

For a gateway-protected external tab, register the descriptor `path` under a
same-plugin `auth: "gateway"` HTTP route. After authenticated bootstrap, the browser gets a
short-lived, HttpOnly grant scoped to that plugin and route root so the
sandboxed frame can load without copying the Gateway bearer token into its URL
or JavaScript. The authenticated parent renews the grant while the external tab
is active and before mounting it after navigation or browser resume. It also
probes the grant from the same opaque sandbox before mounting, so browser
privacy modes that block the cookie fail closed with an unavailable panel.
The frame grant accepts only `GET` and `HEAD` and always carries
`operator.read`; `requiredScopes` controls tab visibility but never widens the
cookie grant. Mutations remain on explicit Gateway-authenticated parent or
bearer surfaces. External tabs require HTTPS/Tailscale Serve or a
browser-trusted loopback origin; plain HTTP on a LAN host shows the
secure-context error instead of mounting a panel that cannot authenticate.
Full third-party-cookie blocking also makes gateway-protected tabs unavailable.
As with all native plugin surfaces, the frame remains inside the installed
plugin trust boundary; OpenClaw does not treat installed plugins as mutually
isolated browser security principals.
Cookie grants use the browser's hostname boundary, not its port boundary. Do
not cohost mutually untrusted services on the Gateway hostname, even on other
ports.
Tabs backed by plugin-managed auth keep their direct iframe behavior and do not
request or require this Gateway grant.

```typescript
api.session.controls.registerControlUiDescriptor({
  surface: "tab",
  id: "logbook",
  label: "Logbook",
  description: "Your day as a timeline, built from screen snapshots.",
  icon: "sun",
  group: "control",
  requiredScopes: ["operator.write"],
});
```

Use the grouped namespaces for new plugin code:

- `api.session.state.registerSessionExtension(...)`
- `api.session.workflow.enqueueNextTurnInjection(...)`
- `api.session.workflow.registerSessionSchedulerJob(...)`
- `api.session.workflow.sendSessionAttachment(...)`
- `api.session.workflow.scheduleSessionTurn(...)`
- `api.session.workflow.unscheduleSessionTurnsByTag(...)`
- `api.session.controls.registerSessionAction(...)`
- `api.session.controls.registerControlUiDescriptor(...)`
- `api.agent.events.registerAgentEventSubscription(...)`
- `api.agent.events.emitAgentEvent(...)`
- `api.runContext.setRunContext(...)` / `getRunContext(...)` / `clearRunContext(...)`
- `api.lifecycle.registerRuntimeLifecycle(...)`

The equivalent flat methods remain available as deprecated compatibility
aliases for existing plugins. Do not add new plugin code that calls
`api.registerSessionExtension`, `api.enqueueNextTurnInjection`,
`api.registerControlUiDescriptor`, `api.registerRuntimeLifecycle`,
`api.registerAgentEventSubscription`, `api.emitAgentEvent`,
`api.setRunContext`, `api.getRunContext`, `api.clearRunContext`,
`api.registerSessionSchedulerJob`, `api.registerSessionAction`,
`api.sendSessionAttachment`, `api.scheduleSessionTurn`, or
`api.unscheduleSessionTurnsByTag` directly.

`scheduleSessionTurn(...)` is a session-scoped convenience over the Gateway
Cron scheduler. Cron owns timing and creates the background task record when the
turn runs; the Plugin SDK only constrains the target session, plugin-owned
naming, and cleanup. Use `api.runtime.tasks.managedFlows` inside the scheduled
turn when the work itself needs durable multi-step Task Flow state.

The contracts intentionally split authority:

- External plugins can own session extensions, UI descriptors, commands, tool
  metadata, next-turn injections, and normal hooks.
- Trusted tool policies run before ordinary `before_tool_call` hooks and are
  host-trusted. Bundled policies run first; installed-plugin policies require
  explicit enablement plus their local ids in
  `contracts.trustedToolPolicies`, and run next in plugin-load order. Policy ids
  are scoped to the registering plugin.
- Reserved command ownership is bundled-only. External plugins should use their
  own command names or aliases.
- `allowPromptInjection=false` disables prompt-mutating hooks including
  `agent_turn_prepare`, `before_prompt_build`, `heartbeat_prompt_contribution`,
  and `enqueueNextTurnInjection`.

Examples of non-Plan consumers:

| Plugin archetype             | Hooks used                                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Approval workflow            | Session extension, command continuation, next-turn injection, UI descriptor                                                            |
| Budget/workspace policy gate | Trusted tool policy, tool metadata, session projection                                                                                 |
| Background lifecycle monitor | Runtime lifecycle cleanup, agent event subscription, session scheduler ownership/cleanup, heartbeat prompt contribution, UI descriptor |
| Setup or onboarding wizard   | Session extension, scoped commands, Control UI descriptor                                                                              |

<Note>
  Reserved core admin namespaces (`config.*`, `exec.approvals.*`, `wizard.*`,
  `update.*`) always stay `operator.admin`, even if a plugin tries to assign a
  narrower gateway method scope. Prefer plugin-specific prefixes for
  plugin-owned methods.
</Note>

<Accordion title="When to use tool-result middleware">
  Bundled plugins and explicitly enabled installed plugins with matching
  manifest contracts can use `api.registerAgentToolResultMiddleware(...)` when
  they need to rewrite a tool result after execution and before the runtime
  feeds that result back into the model. This is the trusted runtime-neutral
  seam for async output reducers such as tokenjuice.

Plugins must declare `contracts.agentToolResultMiddleware` for each targeted
runtime, for example `["openclaw", "codex"]`. Installed plugins without that
contract, or without explicit enablement, cannot register this middleware; keep
normal OpenClaw plugin hooks for work that does not need pre-model tool-result
timing. The old
embedded-runner-only extension factory registration path has been removed.
</Accordion>

### Gateway discovery registration

`api.registerGatewayDiscoveryService(...)` lets a plugin advertise the active
Gateway on a local discovery transport such as mDNS/Bonjour. OpenClaw calls the
service during Gateway startup when local discovery is enabled, passes the
current Gateway ports and non-secret TXT hint data, and calls the returned
`stop` handler during Gateway shutdown.

```typescript
api.registerGatewayDiscoveryService({
  id: "my-discovery",
  async advertise(ctx) {
    const handle = await startMyAdvertiser({
      gatewayPort: ctx.gatewayPort,
      tls: ctx.gatewayTlsEnabled,
      displayName: ctx.machineDisplayName,
    });
    return { stop: () => handle.stop() };
  },
});
```

Gateway discovery plugins must not treat advertised TXT values as secrets or
authentication. Discovery is a routing hint; Gateway auth and TLS pinning still
own trust.

### CLI registration metadata

`api.registerCli(registrar, opts?)` accepts two kinds of command metadata:

- `commands`: explicit command names owned by the registrar
- `descriptors`: parse-time command descriptors used for CLI help,
  routing, and lazy plugin CLI registration
- `parentPath`: optional parent command path for nested command groups, such as
  `["nodes"]`

For paired-node features, prefer
`api.registerNodeCliFeature(registrar, opts?)`. It is a small wrapper around
`api.registerCli(..., { parentPath: ["nodes"] })` and makes commands such as
`openclaw nodes canvas` explicit plugin-owned node features.

If you want a plugin command to stay lazy-loaded in the normal root CLI path,
provide `descriptors` that cover every top-level command root exposed by that
registrar.

```typescript
api.registerCli(
  async ({ program }) => {
    const { registerMatrixCli } = await import("./src/cli.js");
    registerMatrixCli({ program });
  },
  {
    descriptors: [
      {
        name: "matrix",
        description: "Manage Matrix accounts, verification, devices, and profile state",
        hasSubcommands: true,
      },
    ],
  },
);
```

A root descriptor can also declare `machineOutput({ argv, stdoutIsTTY })` when
the command reserves stdout for JSON, JSONL, or another machine-readable format
without relying exclusively on a literal `--json` flag. OpenClaw evaluates this
resolver before plugin activation so startup diagnostics can be routed to
stderr. The resolver must be synchronous, pure, and dependency-light: inspect
only the supplied raw argv and stdout TTY state. Reuse the same resolver in
lightweight CLI metadata and full registration so discovery and execution do
not disagree. Use `getRootOptionAwareCommandPath` from
`openclaw/plugin-sdk/cli-argv` when the resolver needs command-path tokens; it
accepts supported root options before or after the command root. `machineOutput`
is root metadata; nested descriptors cannot use it because their owning root
must already be active before they are visible.

Nested commands receive the resolved parent command as `program`:

```typescript
api.registerCli(
  async ({ program }) => {
    const { registerNodesCanvasCommands } = await import("./src/cli.js");
    registerNodesCanvasCommands(program);
  },
  {
    parentPath: ["nodes"],
    descriptors: [
      {
        name: "canvas",
        description: "Capture or render canvas content from a paired node",
        hasSubcommands: true,
      },
    ],
  },
);
```

Use `commands` by itself only when you do not need lazy root CLI registration.
That eager compatibility path remains supported, but it does not install
descriptor-backed placeholders for parse-time lazy loading.

### CLI backend registration

`api.registerCliBackend(...)` lets a plugin own the default config for a local
AI CLI backend such as `claude-cli` or `my-cli`.

- The backend `id` becomes the provider prefix in model refs like `my-cli/gpt-5`.
- The backend `config` is the authoritative command adapter: argv, environment,
  parser, session, image, and reliability behavior live in plugin code.
- Users select the backend through model refs or model-scoped `agentRuntime.id`;
  `openclaw.json` does not rewrite the adapter.
- Use `normalizeConfig` when registered static fields need a runtime-aware
  normalization pass.
- Use `resolveExecutionArgs` for request-scoped argv rewrites that belong to
  the CLI dialect, such as mapping OpenClaw thinking levels to a native effort
  flag. The hook receives `ctx.executionMode`; use `"side-question"` to add
  backend-native isolation flags for ephemeral `/btw` calls. If those flags
  reliably disable native tools for an otherwise always-on CLI, declare
  `sideQuestionToolMode: "disabled"` too.
- Use `prepareExecution` for backend-owned launch environment or temporary
  auth/config bridges. Its `ctx.contextTokenBudget` is the effective token
  limit selected for the run, so native-compaction backends can align their
  own threshold without provider-specific core branches. It also receives the
  core-prepared `ctx.env` when backend staging must extend bundled MCP settings.
- Backends that can disable all native tools for a specific run may declare
  `nativeToolMode: "selectable"`. Restricted calls pass an exact
  `ctx.toolAvailability.native` list plus canonical
  `ctx.toolAvailability.openClaw` names. Declare
  `toolAvailabilityEnforcement: "execution-args"` and enforce the contract in
  final fresh/resume argv, or declare `"prepare-execution"`, enforce it in
  staged policy, and return `toolAvailabilityEnforced: true`. OpenClaw disables
  native tools for runtime caps such as cron `toolsAllow` and fails closed when
  the declared enforcement path is incomplete.

For an end-to-end authoring guide, see
[CLI backend plugins](/plugins/cli-backend-plugins).

### Exclusive slots

| Method                                     | What it registers                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.registerContextEngine(id, factory)`   | Context engine (one active at a time). Declare accepted host-added lifecycle fields with `info.acceptedHostParams`; undeclared engines receive the legacy field set through 2026-08-12, then receive all current host fields. |
| `api.registerMemoryCapability(capability)` | Unified memory capability                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

To participate in durable admitted turns, context engines must declare
`currentTurnFence: "before-current-turn-entry-v1"` and
`turnAdvancementIdempotency: "atomic-idempotent-v1"` under
`info.transcriptSemantics`, then implement `commitTurn(...)` as an atomic,
idempotent write keyed by `advancementKey`. Without the full contract, OpenClaw
uses the legacy context path for the whole logical turn and its retries, leaves
the configured engine unchanged, and tries that engine again on the next
logical turn.

### Deprecated memory embedding adapters

| Method                                         | What it registers                              |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `api.registerMemoryEmbeddingProvider(adapter)` | Memory embedding adapter for the active plugin |

- `registerMemoryCapability` is the exclusive memory-plugin API.
- `registerMemoryCapability` may also expose `publicArtifacts.listArtifacts(...)`
  for host-managed exports. Companion plugins that enumerate those declared
  artifacts still use `listActiveMemoryPublicArtifacts(...)` from the retained
  `openclaw/plugin-sdk/memory-host-core` facade until a focused public consumer
  API exists; they must not reach into another plugin's private layout.
- A memory runtime that can return session-transcript hits should implement
  `runtime.authorizeSearchHits(...)`. The host calls this hook before raw search
  hits reach caller-visible surfaces and supplies the requesting agent, session
  key, and sandbox state. Return only hits the requester may observe. If the hook
  is absent, OpenClaw fails closed by withholding session-source hits while
  retaining ordinary memory hits. Keep transcript identity and visibility
  policy in the owning memory plugin; callers must not infer authorization from
  paths or duplicate plugin-specific rules.
- `MemoryFlushPlan.model` can pin the flush turn to an exact `provider/model`
  reference, such as `ollama/qwen3:8b`, without inheriting the active fallback
  chain.
- `registerMemoryEmbeddingProvider` is deprecated. New embedding providers
  should use `api.registerEmbeddingProvider(...)` and
  `contracts.embeddingProviders`.
- Existing memory-specific providers continue to work during the migration
  window, but plugin inspection reports this as compatibility debt for
  non-bundled plugins.

### Events and lifecycle

| Method                                       | What it does                  |
| -------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| `api.on(hookName, handler, opts?)`           | Typed lifecycle hook          |
| `api.onConversationBindingResolved(handler)` | Conversation binding callback |

See [Plugin hooks](/plugins/hooks) for examples, common hook names, and guard
semantics.

### Hook decision semantics

`before_install` is a plugin-runtime lifecycle hook, not the operator install
policy surface. Use `security.installPolicy` when an allow/block decision must
cover CLI and Gateway-backed install or update paths.

- `before_tool_call`: returning `{ block: true }` is terminal. Once any handler sets it, lower-priority handlers are skipped.
- `before_tool_call`: returning `{ block: false }` is treated as no decision (same as omitting `block`), not as an override.
- `before_install`: returning `{ block: true }` is terminal. Once any handler sets it, lower-priority handlers are skipped.
- `before_install`: returning `{ block: false }` is treated as no decision (same as omitting `block`), not as an override.
- `reply_dispatch`: returning `{ handled: true, ... }` is terminal. Once any handler claims dispatch, lower-priority handlers and the default model dispatch path are skipped.
- `message_sending`: returning `{ cancel: true }` is terminal. Once any handler sets it, lower-priority handlers are skipped.
- `message_sending`: returning `{ cancel: false }` is treated as no decision (same as omitting `cancel`), not as an override.
- `message_received`: use the typed `threadId` field when you need inbound thread/topic routing. Keep `metadata` for channel-specific extras.
- `message_sending`: use typed `replyToId` / `threadId` routing fields before falling back to channel-specific `metadata`.
- `gateway_start`: use `ctx.config`, `ctx.workspaceDir`, and `ctx.getCron?.()` for gateway-owned startup state instead of relying on internal `gateway:startup` hooks. Cron may still be loading at this point.
- `cron_reconciled`: rebuild a full external cron projection after startup or scheduler reload. It includes `reason` and the effective `enabled` state, including `enabled: false`, while `ctx.getCron?.()` returns the exact reconciled scheduler. Pass `ctx.abortSignal` into durable projection work; it aborts when that scheduler snapshot is superseded or the Gateway closes.
- `cron_changed`: observe gateway-owned cron lifecycle changes. `scheduled` and `removed` events are post-commit reconciliation hints, not an ordered delta log. A scheduled event's `event.nextRunAtMs` is absent when the job has no next wake; a removed event still carries the deleted job snapshot.

External wake schedulers should debounce or coalesce `cron_changed` events,
then reread the full durable view from the scheduler last captured by
`cron_reconciled`. Do not adopt the scheduler from a `cron_changed` context: a
detached hint from an older scheduler can overlap a later reload.

Use `cron_reconciled` as the full-snapshot trigger for durable state loaded at
Gateway startup or scheduler replacement. It is not replayed for a plugin-only
hot reload. Observation handlers run in parallel, and fire-and-forget
dispatches can overlap, so consumers must not depend on event completion order.
Keep OpenClaw as the source of truth for due checks and execution.

For a single-flight adapter with durable replacement, retry/backoff, and clean
shutdown, see [Safe external cron projection](/plugins/hooks#safe-external-cron-projection).

### API object fields

| Field                    | Type                      | Description                                                                               |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `api.id`                 | `string`                  | Plugin id                                                                                 |
| `api.name`               | `string`                  | Display name                                                                              |
| `api.version`            | `string?`                 | Plugin version (optional)                                                                 |
| `api.description`        | `string?`                 | Plugin description (optional)                                                             |
| `api.source`             | `string`                  | Plugin source path                                                                        |
| `api.rootDir`            | `string?`                 | Plugin root directory (optional)                                                          |
| `api.config`             | `OpenClawConfig`          | Current config snapshot (active in-memory runtime snapshot when available)                |
| `api.pluginConfig`       | `Record<string, unknown>` | Plugin-specific config from `plugins.entries.<id>.config`                                 |
| `api.runtime`            | `PluginRuntime`           | [Runtime helpers](/plugins/sdk-runtime)                                                   |
| `api.logger`             | `PluginLogger`            | Scoped logger (`debug`, `info`, `warn`, `error`)                                          |
| `api.registrationMode`   | `PluginRegistrationMode`  | Current load mode; `"setup-runtime"` is the lightweight setup flow with runtime available |
| `api.resolvePath(input)` | `(string) => string`      | Resolve path relative to plugin root                                                      |

## Internal module convention

Within your plugin, use local barrel files for internal imports:

```text
my-plugin/
  api.ts            # Public exports for external consumers
  runtime-api.ts    # Internal-only runtime exports
  index.ts          # Plugin entry point
  setup-entry.ts    # Lightweight setup-only entry (optional)
```

<Warning>
  Never import your own plugin through `openclaw/plugin-sdk/<your-plugin>`
  from production code. Route internal imports through `./api.ts` or
  `./runtime-api.ts`. The SDK path is the external contract only.
</Warning>

Facade-loaded bundled plugin public surfaces (`api.ts`, `runtime-api.ts`,
`index.ts`, `setup-entry.ts`, and similar public entry files) prefer the
active runtime config snapshot when OpenClaw is already running. If no runtime
snapshot exists yet, they fall back to the resolved config file on disk.
Packaged bundled plugin facades should be loaded through OpenClaw's plugin
facade loaders; direct imports from `dist/extensions/...` bypass the manifest
and runtime sidecar checks that packaged installs use for plugin-owned code.

Provider plugins can expose a narrow plugin-local contract barrel when a
helper is intentionally provider-specific and does not belong in a generic SDK
subpath yet. Bundled examples:

- **Anthropic**: public `api.ts` / `contract-api.ts` seam for Claude
  beta-header and `service_tier` stream helpers.
- **`@openclaw/openai-provider`**: `api.ts` exports provider builders,
  default-model helpers, and realtime provider builders.
- **`@openclaw/openrouter-provider`**: `api.ts` exports the provider builder
  plus onboarding/config helpers.

<Warning>
  Extension production code should also avoid `openclaw/plugin-sdk/<other-plugin>`
  imports. If a helper is truly shared, promote it to a neutral SDK subpath
  such as `openclaw/plugin-sdk/speech`, `.../provider-model-shared`, or another
  capability-oriented surface instead of coupling two plugins together.
</Warning>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Entry points" icon="door-open" href="/plugins/sdk-entrypoints">
    `definePluginEntry` and `defineChannelPluginEntry` options.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Runtime helpers" icon="gears" href="/plugins/sdk-runtime">
    Full `api.runtime` namespace reference.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Setup and config" icon="sliders" href="/plugins/sdk-setup">
    Packaging, manifests, and config schemas.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Testing" icon="vial" href="/plugins/sdk-testing">
    Test utilities and lint rules.
  </Card>
  <Card title="SDK migration" icon="arrows-turn-right" href="/plugins/sdk-migration">
    Migrating from deprecated surfaces.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Plugin internals" icon="diagram-project" href="/plugins/architecture">
    Deep architecture and capability model.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
