Feature request: ackReactionScope option to exclude bot messages

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened Feb 17, 2026 by kay-qk Closed Feb 17, 2026

Summary

Add an option to filter auto-reactions (ackReaction) to exclude bot/agent messages, reacting only to human messages.

Use Case

In multi-agent setups where several OpenClaw agents share Slack channels, the current ackReactionScope options (group-mentions, group-all, direct, all) cause agents to react with 👀 to each other's messages, creating noise.

We want agents to acknowledge human messages with reactions while ignoring other agents' messages.

Current Behavior

ackReactionScope: "all" reacts to every message including bot messages.

Proposed Solution

Add one of:

  1. New scope value: "humans-only" or "exclude-bots"
  2. New boolean: ackBotMessages: false (default true for backward compatibility)
  3. Extend scope syntax: "all-humans", "group-all-humans"

Environment

  • OpenClaw version: 2026.2.12
  • Channel: Slack
  • Config location: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Current Config

{
  "messages": {
    "ackReaction": "eyes",
    "ackReactionScope": "all"
  }
}

Workarounds Considered

  • allowBots: false — But this ignores bot messages entirely, breaking agent coordination
  • ackReactionScope: "group-mentions" — Reduces noise but doesn't solve human-only requirement
  • Remove ackReaction — Loses useful acknowledgment for humans

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