fix(active-memory): use bundled recall tool

Takhoffman · web-flow · commit f256eeba431b · 2026-04-28T09:03:47.000-05:00
Fixes #73502. Active Memory now allows its hidden recall sub-agent to use both bundled memory tool contracts: memory_recall for memory-lancedb and memory_search/memory_get for memory-core. The prompt prefers memory_recall when available and falls back to the legacy tool pair when that is the active backend surface. Also updates Active Memory docs, QA mock fixtures, and debug parsing compatibility for the two recall paths.
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 ### Fixes
 
 - Active Memory: allow `allowedChatTypes` to include explicit portal/webchat sessions and classify `agent:...:explicit:...` session keys before opaque session ids can shadow the chat type. Fixes #65775. (#66285) Thanks @Lidang-Jiang.
+- Active Memory: allow the hidden recall sub-agent to use both `memory_recall` and the legacy `memory_search`/`memory_get` memory tool contract, so bundled `memory-lancedb` recall works without breaking the default `memory-core` path. Fixes #73502. (#73584) Thanks @Takhoffman.
 - fix(device-pairing): validate callerScopes against resolved token scopes on repair [AI]. (#72925) Thanks @pgondhi987.
 - Active Memory docs: document the `cacheTtlMs` 1000-120000 ms range and 15000 ms default so setup snippets do not lead users past the schema limit. Fixes #65708. (#65737) Thanks @WuKongAI-CMU.
 - fix(agents): canonicalize provider aliases in byProvider tool policy lookup [AI]. (#72917) Thanks @pgondhi987.
diff --git a/docs/concepts/active-memory.md b/docs/concepts/active-memory.md
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ because it follows your existing provider, auth, and model preferences.
 If you want Active Memory to feel faster, use a dedicated inference model
 instead of borrowing the main chat model. Recall quality matters, but latency
 matters more than for the main answer path, and Active Memory's tool surface
-is narrow (it only calls `memory_search` and `memory_get`).
+is narrow (it only calls available memory recall tools).
 
 Good fast-model options:
 
@@ -332,8 +332,9 @@ flowchart LR
   I --> M["Main Reply"]
 ```
 
-The blocking memory sub-agent can use only:
+The blocking memory sub-agent can use only the available memory recall tools:
 
+- `memory_recall`
 - `memory_search`
 - `memory_get`
 
@@ -644,9 +645,10 @@ If active memory is too slow:
 
 ## Common issues
 
-Active Memory rides on the normal `memory_search` pipeline under
-`agents.defaults.memorySearch`, so most recall surprises are embedding-provider
-problems, not Active Memory bugs.
+Active Memory rides on the configured memory plugin's recall pipeline, so most
+recall surprises are embedding-provider problems, not Active Memory bugs. The
+default `memory-core` path uses `memory_search`; `memory-lancedb` uses
+`memory_recall`.
 
 <AccordionGroup>
   <Accordion title="Embedding provider switched or stopped working">
diff --git a/extensions/active-memory/index.test.ts b/extensions/active-memory/index.test.ts
@@ -1015,9 +1015,14 @@ describe("active-memory plugin", () => {
     expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain(
       "You receive conversation context, including the user's latest message.",
     );
-    expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain("Use only memory_search and memory_get.");
+    expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain("Use only the available memory tools.");
+    expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain("Prefer memory_recall when available.");
     expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain(
-      "When searching for preference or habit recall, use a permissive memory_search threshold before deciding that no useful memory exists.",
+      "If memory_recall is unavailable, use memory_search and memory_get.",
+    );
+    expect(runParams?.toolsAllow).toEqual(["memory_recall", "memory_search", "memory_get"]);
+    expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain(
+      "When searching for preference or habit recall, use a permissive recall limit or memory_search threshold before deciding that no useful memory exists.",
     );
     expect(runParams?.prompt).toContain(
       "If the user is directly asking about favorites, preferences, habits, routines, or personal facts, treat that as a strong recall signal.",
diff --git a/extensions/active-memory/index.ts b/extensions/active-memory/index.ts
@@ -848,8 +848,10 @@ function buildRecallPrompt(params: {
     "Another model is preparing the final user-facing answer.",
     "Your job is to search memory and return only the most relevant memory context for that model.",
     "You receive conversation context, including the user's latest message.",
-    "Use only memory_search and memory_get.",
-    "When searching for preference or habit recall, use a permissive memory_search threshold before deciding that no useful memory exists.",
+    "Use only the available memory tools.",
+    "Prefer memory_recall when available.",
+    "If memory_recall is unavailable, use memory_search and memory_get.",
+    "When searching for preference or habit recall, use a permissive recall limit or memory_search threshold before deciding that no useful memory exists.",
     "Do not answer the user directly.",
     `Prompt style: ${params.config.promptStyle}.`,
     ...buildPromptStyleLines(params.config.promptStyle),
@@ -1448,14 +1450,18 @@ function extractActiveMemorySearchDebugFromSessionRecord(
   const record = asRecord(value);
   const nestedMessage = asRecord(record?.message);
   const topLevelMessage =
-    record?.role === "toolResult" || record?.toolName === "memory_search" ? record : undefined;
+    record?.role === "toolResult" ||
+    record?.toolName === "memory_search" ||
+    record?.toolName === "memory_recall"
+      ? record
+      : undefined;
   const message = nestedMessage ?? topLevelMessage;
   if (!message) {
     return undefined;
   }
   const role = normalizeOptionalString(message.role);
   const toolName = normalizeOptionalString(message.toolName);
-  if (role !== "toolResult" || toolName !== "memory_search") {
+  if (role !== "toolResult" || (toolName !== "memory_search" && toolName !== "memory_recall")) {
     return undefined;
   }
   const details = asRecord(message.details);
@@ -2072,7 +2078,7 @@ async function runRecallSubagent(params: {
       timeoutMs: params.config.timeoutMs,
       runId: subagentSessionId,
       trigger: "manual",
-      toolsAllow: ["memory_search", "memory_get"],
+      toolsAllow: ["memory_recall", "memory_search", "memory_get"],
       disableMessageTool: true,
       bootstrapContextMode: "lightweight",
       verboseLevel: "off",
diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/providers/mock-openai/server.test.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/providers/mock-openai/server.test.ts
@@ -1195,7 +1195,9 @@ describe("qa mock openai server", () => {
                 type: "input_text",
                 text: [
                   "You are a memory search agent.",
-                  "Use only memory_search and memory_get.",
+                  "Use only the available memory tools.",
+                  "Prefer memory_recall when available.",
+                  "If memory_recall is unavailable, use memory_search and memory_get.",
                   "",
                   "Conversation context:",
                   "Latest user message:",
@@ -1208,9 +1210,9 @@ describe("qa mock openai server", () => {
       }),
     });
     expect(activeMemorySearch.status).toBe(200);
-    expect(await activeMemorySearch.text()).toContain('"name":"memory_search"');
+    expect(await activeMemorySearch.text()).toContain('"name":"memory_recall"');
 
-    const activeMemoryGet = await fetch(`${server.baseUrl}/v1/responses`, {
+    const activeMemoryStreamSummary = await fetch(`${server.baseUrl}/v1/responses`, {
       method: "POST",
       headers: {
         "content-type": "application/json",
@@ -1225,7 +1227,9 @@ describe("qa mock openai server", () => {
                 type: "input_text",
                 text: [
                   "You are a memory search agent.",
-                  "Use only memory_search and memory_get.",
+                  "Use only the available memory tools.",
+                  "Prefer memory_recall when available.",
+                  "If memory_recall is unavailable, use memory_search and memory_get.",
                   "",
                   "Conversation context:",
                   "Latest user message:",
@@ -1237,20 +1241,14 @@ describe("qa mock openai server", () => {
           {
             type: "function_call_output",
             output: JSON.stringify({
-              results: [
-                {
-                  path: "MEMORY.md",
-                  startLine: 1,
-                  endLine: 1,
-                },
-              ],
+              text: "Stable QA movie night snack preference: lemon pepper wings with blue cheese.",
             }),
           },
         ],
       }),
     });
-    expect(activeMemoryGet.status).toBe(200);
-    expect(await activeMemoryGet.text()).toContain('"name":"memory_get"');
+    expect(activeMemoryStreamSummary.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(await activeMemoryStreamSummary.text()).toContain("lemon pepper wings with blue cheese");
 
     const activeMemorySummary = await fetch(`${server.baseUrl}/v1/responses`, {
       method: "POST",
@@ -1267,7 +1265,9 @@ describe("qa mock openai server", () => {
                 type: "input_text",
                 text: [
                   "You are a memory search agent.",
-                  "Use only memory_search and memory_get.",
+                  "Use only the available memory tools.",
+                  "Prefer memory_recall when available.",
+                  "If memory_recall is unavailable, use memory_search and memory_get.",
                   "",
                   "Conversation context:",
                   "Latest user message:",
diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/providers/mock-openai/server.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/providers/mock-openai/server.ts
@@ -1447,37 +1447,34 @@ async function buildResponsesPayload(
     /silent snack recall check/i.test(allInputText)
   ) {
     if (!toolOutput) {
-      return buildToolCallEventsWithArgs("memory_search", {
+      return buildToolCallEventsWithArgs("memory_recall", {
         query: "QA movie night snack lemon pepper wings blue cheese",
-        maxResults: 3,
-      });
-    }
-    const results = Array.isArray(toolJson?.results)
-      ? (toolJson.results as Array<Record<string, unknown>>)
-      : [];
-    const first = results[0];
-    if (
-      typeof first?.path === "string" &&
-      (typeof first.startLine === "number" || typeof first.endLine === "number")
-    ) {
-      const from =
-        typeof first.startLine === "number"
-          ? Math.max(1, first.startLine)
-          : typeof first.endLine === "number"
-            ? Math.max(1, first.endLine)
-            : 1;
-      return buildToolCallEventsWithArgs("memory_get", {
-        path: first.path,
-        from,
-        lines: 4,
+        limit: 3,
       });
     }
-    const memorySnippet =
+    const memoryText =
       typeof toolJson?.text === "string"
         ? toolJson.text
-        : Array.isArray(toolJson?.results)
-          ? JSON.stringify(toolJson.results)
-          : toolOutput;
+        : Array.isArray(toolJson?.content)
+          ? toolJson.content
+              .map((item) =>
+                typeof item === "object" && item && "text" in item && typeof item.text === "string"
+                  ? item.text
+                  : "",
+              )
+              .filter(Boolean)
+              .join("\n")
+          : undefined;
+    if (memoryText) {
+      const snackPreference = extractSnackPreference(memoryText);
+      if (snackPreference) {
+        return buildAssistantEvents(`User usually wants ${snackPreference} for QA movie night.`);
+      }
+      return buildAssistantEvents("NONE");
+    }
+    const memorySnippet = Array.isArray(toolJson?.results)
+      ? JSON.stringify(toolJson.results)
+      : toolOutput;
     const snackPreference = extractSnackPreference(memorySnippet);
     if (snackPreference) {
       return buildAssistantEvents(`User usually wants ${snackPreference} for QA movie night.`);
