From 11b9dcd160768aa4952ae5fadb48992602d73f1e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Enmanuel Jimenez <34482837+EnmaJim@users.noreply.github.com> Date: Mon, 18 May 2026 14:13:51 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] docs(workspace/product): add OpenClaw channels research (#38) --- workspace/product/openclaw-channels.md | 175 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 175 insertions(+) create mode 100644 workspace/product/openclaw-channels.md diff --git a/workspace/product/openclaw-channels.md b/workspace/product/openclaw-channels.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..cb572849 --- /dev/null +++ b/workspace/product/openclaw-channels.md @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ +# OpenClaw Channel Research + +Surveys the messaging channels documented at OpenClaw's channels page, +evaluates each one for dotbot's "orchestrate humans" use case (asking +questions, getting approvals, sending status updates), assesses the +integration effort to add each channel directly as a dotbot delivery +provider (`IQuestionDeliveryProvider`), and ranks the channels to +prioritise next. + +> **Scope note.** OpenClaw is itself an AI agent runtime, not a messaging +> channel. This document uses its channels page only as a convenient +> market catalogue of chat platforms. Whether dotbot should integrate +> with OpenClaw as a system is outside the scope of Issue #38. + +--- + +## 1. Channel catalogue + +Source: . Most channels have a dedicated +docs page at `/channels/`; Voice Call lives at `/plugins/voice-call` +and WebChat at `/web/webchat`. The catalogue lists 25 chat channels +(alphabetical): + +1. **Discord**: Bot API + Gateway; supports servers, channels, and DMs. +2. **Feishu (Lark)**: Feishu/Lark bot via WebSocket (bundled plugin). +3. **Google Chat**: Google Chat API app via HTTP webhook (downloadable + plugin). +4. **iMessage**: Native macOS integration via the `imsg` bridge on a + signed-in Mac (or SSH wrapper when the Gateway runs elsewhere); supports + private API actions. +5. **IRC**: Classic IRC servers; channels and DMs with pairing / allowlist + controls. +6. **LINE**: LINE Messaging API bot (downloadable plugin). +7. **Matrix**: Matrix protocol (downloadable plugin). +8. **Mattermost**: Bot API + WebSocket; channels, groups, DMs (downloadable + plugin). +9. **Microsoft Teams**: Bot Framework; enterprise support (bundled plugin). +10. **Nextcloud Talk**: Self-hosted chat via Nextcloud Talk (bundled + plugin). +11. **Nostr**: Decentralised DMs via NIP-04 (bundled plugin). +12. **QQ Bot**: QQ Bot API; private chat, group chat, and rich media + (bundled plugin). +13. **Signal**: signal-cli; privacy-focused. +14. **Slack**: Bolt SDK; workspace apps. +15. **Synology Chat**: Synology NAS Chat via outgoing + incoming webhooks + (bundled plugin). +16. **Telegram**: Bot API via grammY; supports groups. Upstream notes this + as the fastest setup (bot token only). +17. **Tlon**: Urbit-based messenger (bundled plugin). +18. **Twitch**: Twitch chat via IRC connection (bundled plugin). +19. **Voice Call**: Telephony via Plivo or Twilio (plugin, installed + separately). +20. **WebChat**: OpenClaw's bundled Gateway WebChat UI over WebSocket. +21. **WeChat**: Tencent iLink Bot plugin via QR login; private chats only + (external plugin). +22. **WhatsApp**: Uses Baileys, requires QR pairing, state stored on disk. + Upstream calls this the most popular channel. +23. **Yuanbao**: Tencent Yuanbao bot (external plugin). +24. **Zalo**: Zalo Bot API; Vietnam's popular messenger (bundled plugin). +25. **Zalo Personal**: Zalo personal account via QR login (bundled plugin). + +--- + +## 2. Per-channel evaluation and integration effort + +Each row evaluates the channel for dotbot's orchestration pattern (asking +N humans a question, collecting their answer or approval) and assesses +the direct integration effort to add a new `IQuestionDeliveryProvider` +that talks to the channel's first-party APIs (not OpenClaw's pipeline). + +Effort scale: **S** (about a day), **M** (a few days), **L** (about a +week). Fit scale: **high** (clear orchestration fit), **medium** (works, +narrower audience), **low** (works but constrained), **skip** (does not +fit the use case). + +| Channel | Fit | Interactive controls | Direct integration path | Effort | Notes | +| --------------- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | +| Discord | high | buttons, select menus, modals (Components V2) | Bot + Interactions endpoint, `Discord.Net` for the C# server | M | already in Phase 13 scope; large active community user base | +| Feishu (Lark) | medium | interactive cards, approval flows | Feishu/Lark Open Platform Bot APIs | M | strong in Greater China and pan-Asia enterprise | +| Google Chat | high | Card v2, dialogs, buttons | Google Chat API (service account + OAuth) | M | symmetric to Teams for Google Workspace customers | +| iMessage | low | basic text; rich controls only via Messages for Business | Apple Messages for Business via an approved CSP | L | Apple approval gate is selective and slow; consumer leaning | +| IRC | skip | none (plain text) | direct IRC client library | S | no buttons or cards; poor orchestration UX | +| LINE | medium | quick replies, flex messages, rich menus | LINE Messaging API (Official Account) | M | dominant in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand | +| Matrix | medium | reactions, threads, replies (client-rendered) | `matrix-bot-sdk` or similar | M | privacy-sensitive and federation-friendly orgs | +| Mattermost | medium | interactive messages, slash commands, ephemeral updates | Mattermost REST + WebSocket | M | self-hosted Slack alternative; fits orgs that cannot use SaaS chat | +| Microsoft Teams | already a channel | Adaptive Cards | already implemented (`TeamsDeliveryProvider`) | n/a | shipped | +| Nextcloud Talk | low | slash commands, plain text; no rich cards | Nextcloud Talk OCS API | M | niche user base; weak interactive surface | +| Nostr | skip | encrypted DMs, no native buttons | Nostr relay + NIP-04 client | S-M | decentralised DM protocol; not orchestration-shaped | +| QQ Bot | low | rich media, custom keyboards | QQ Open Platform Bot API | M | China-only; addressable base outside Greater China negligible | +| Signal | low | text and reactions only; no native buttons | `signal-cli` or `signald` REST wrapper | M | weak bot tooling; per-installation phone number constraint | +| Slack | already a channel | Block Kit | already implemented (`SlackDeliveryProvider`, PR #84) | n/a | shipped | +| Synology Chat | skip | incoming / outgoing webhooks only | Synology Chat webhook API | S | tied to Synology NAS estate; tiny addressable base | +| Telegram | high | inline keyboards, callback buttons, polls | Bot API (single bot token; signing not required) | S | fastest single-channel integration; strong fit for cross-org and informal teams | +| Tlon | skip | basic chat | Urbit / Tlon SDK | L | Urbit ecosystem; tiny user base | +| Twitch | skip | chat commands, bits | Twitch IRC / EventSub | M | live-stream chat; wrong category for orchestration | +| Voice Call | low | DTMF / TTS prompts | Twilio Voice or Plivo Voice | M | telephony, not chat; useful only as an escalation channel | +| WebChat | skip | n/a (OpenClaw's own browser UI) | n/a | n/a | not an external destination; dotbot already has its own web form in Phase 13 | +| WeChat | low | rich messages, approvals (WeChat Work); consumer WeChat heavily restricted | WeChat Work API or Official Account API | L | strong fit for Chinese enterprise; high integration cost; consumer WeChat constrained | +| WhatsApp | high | list pickers, up to three quick-reply buttons, CTA URL, flow templates | **WhatsApp Cloud API (Meta) directly, or via a BSP such as Twilio / Infobip; do not use OpenClaw's Baileys path** | M-L | already in Phase 13 scope; widest external-recipient reach; Baileys / WAHA / Wppconnect violate Meta ToS | +| Yuanbao | skip | unknown | Tencent Yuanbao bot API | M | Chinese AI-assistant ecosystem; no business orchestration use case identified | +| Zalo | skip | basic templates | Zalo Official Account API | M | Vietnam-only consumer messenger; narrow base | +| Zalo Personal | skip | none (personal account) | reverse-engineered Zalo client | n/a | personal-account scraping; ToS risk; same geo as Zalo OA | + +--- + +## 3. Priority recommendation + +Ranking of the channels dotbot should add next as direct delivery +providers. The current channels are Teams, Email, Jira, and Slack. The +Phase 13 roadmap (`docs/roadmap/DOTBOT-V4-phase-13-multi-channel-qa.md`) +already names **Discord**, **WhatsApp**, and **Web** as the next channels; +this ranking confirms and refines that list. + +### P1: add next (Phase 13) + +1. **Discord.** Best ROI. Large active user base in product, engineering, + and community orgs. Components V2 covers approvals (buttons), free + text (modals), and multi-choice (select menus) natively. Conventional + integration is Bot + Interactions endpoint with Ed25519 signature + verification on inbound interactions. Already in Phase 13 scope. + +2. **WhatsApp (via Meta Cloud API).** Widest external-recipient reach of + any chat channel. Cloud API supports list pickers and up to three + quick-reply buttons, plus approved templates for outbound after the + 24-hour conversation window. Must use the Cloud API directly or via a + Business Solution Provider (Twilio, Infobip, MessageBird, Vonage). + Avoid Baileys / WAHA / Wppconnect: they reverse-engineer WhatsApp Web + and violate Meta's terms; numbers risk being banned. Already in + Phase 13 scope. + +3. **Telegram.** Fastest integration of any new channel: one bot token, + no signing secret, no app approval. Strong fit for cross-org and + informal teams. Inline keyboards and callback buttons map directly to + approvals and single-choice questions; polls map to multi-choice. + Worth adding even though Phase 13 does not yet name it. + +### P2: add when target customer demand materialises + +4. **Google Chat.** Symmetric to Teams: fits Google Workspace customers + the way Teams fits M365 customers. Cards V2 covers approvals and + dialogs. Required if dotbot wants to be the obvious orchestration + tool in a non-M365 enterprise estate. + +5. **Mattermost.** Self-hosted Slack alternative. Adds the orgs that + will not use SaaS chat (regulated industries, gov, on-prem-only + estates). + +6. **Matrix.** Open federated protocol. Adds privacy-sensitive and + federation-friendly customers. Bot SDKs handle reactions, threads, + and replies; richer interactive controls are client-dependent. + +### P3: region-specific; defer until demand + +7. **LINE.** Japan, Taiwan, Thailand. +8. **Feishu / Lark.** Greater China and pan-Asia enterprise. +9. **WeChat (via WeChat Work).** Chinese enterprise. + +### Skip + +These do not fit the orchestration use case and should not be added as +dotbot channels: + +- **iMessage.** Apple Messages for Business approval is too gated for + general use. +- **Signal.** Limited bot tooling; per-installation phone number model + does not scale to multi-recipient fan-out. +- **IRC, Nostr, Twitch, Tlon.** Wrong category (no rich interactive + controls, or live-stream / decentralised social). +- **Voice Call.** Telephony, not chat. Useful only as an escalation + channel; out of scope for the orchestrate-humans pattern. +- **Synology Chat, Nextcloud Talk.** Too niche. +- **QQ Bot, Yuanbao, Zalo, Zalo Personal.** Narrow geographic reach or + consumer-only. +- **WebChat.** OpenClaw's own bundled UI, not an external destination; + dotbot already plans its own web form in Phase 13.