Description

OpenClaw creates Slack threads for all channel responses despite replyToMode: "off" and replyToModeByChatType: { "channel": "off" } being configured. This started after recreating the container on January 30, 2026.

Environment

• OpenClaw Version: 2026.1.29
• • Platform: Docker on Ubuntu (VPS)
• • • Slack Integration: Socket Mode
• • • • Channel Type: Public channel (#lecanaldemichel, ID: C0ABN35FJBF)
• • • • • Container Created: 2026-01-30 15:30 UTC
• • • • • • Issue Started: 2026-01-30 21:38 UTC (after container recreation)

Expected Behavior

Based on the Slack documentation:

replyToMode: "off" - Reply in main channel. Only thread if the triggering message was already in a thread.

Expected: Bot replies directly in the channel without creating threads.

Previous behavior (before Jan 30): Bot replied directly in the channel ✅

Current Behavior

Actual: Bot creates a thread for every response, even when replying to a message that is NOT in a thread ❌

Logs confirm delivery to channel:

[slack] delivered reply to channel:C0ABN35FJBF

But a thread is still created in the Slack UI.

Configuration

File: /root/.openclaw-delegue/openclaw.json

{
  "meta": {
    "lastTouchedVersion": "2026.1.24-1",
    "lastTouchedAt": "2026-01-31T14:15:00.000Z"
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "maxConcurrent": 4,
      "model": {
        "primary": "google-gemini-cli/gemini-3-flash-preview"
      }
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "slack": {
      "mode": "socket",
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "${SLACK_BOT_TOKEN_ECOLE}",
      "appToken": "${SLACK_APP_TOKEN_ECOLE}",
      "groupPolicy": "open",
      "replyToMode": "off",
      "replyToModeByChatType": {
        "channel": "off",
        "direct": "off",
        "group": "off"
      },
      "channels": {
        "C0ABN35FJBF": {
          "allow": true,
          "requireMention": false
        }
      },
      "dm": {
        "enabled": true,
        "policy": "open",
        "allowFrom": ["*"]
      }
    }
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "controlUi": {
      "allowInsecureAuth": true
    },
    "auth": {
      "mode": "token",
      "token": "delegue-2026"
    },
    "remote": {
      "token": "secure-token-delegue-2026"
    }
  },
  "plugins": {
    "entries": {
      "google-gemini-cli-auth": {
        "enabled": true
      },
      "slack": {
        "enabled": true
      }
    }
  }
}

Steps to Reproduce

1. Configure OpenClaw 2026.1.29 with Slack Socket Mode
2. 2. Set replyToMode: "off" globally
3. 3. Set replyToModeByChatType: { "channel": "off" } for channels
4. 4. Configure a public channel with requireMention: false
5. 5. Send a message in the channel (NOT in a thread)
6. 6. Observe: Bot creates a new thread instead of replying directly

What We've Tried

✅ Attempted Fix 1: Added replyToMode: "off" at root level

• Result: Thread still created
  ✅ Attempted Fix 2: Added replyToModeByChatType with all types set to "off"
• Result: Thread still created
  Logs confirm config is loaded:

[reload] config change detected; evaluating reload (meta.lastTouchedAt, agents.defaults.compaction, channels.slack.replyToModeByChatType)
[slack] socket mode connected

Related Issues

• [Bug]: Slack DM threading not working (replyToMode and reply_to tags ignored) #2411 - Slack DM threading not working (inverse problem - threading doesn't work in DMs)
• • Slack: second thread reply routes to main channel when two messages arrive before first reply #4424 - Thread reply routes to main channel when two messages arrive quickly

Logs

Before issue (Jan 30 21:40):

[slack] delivered reply to user:U0AC9HKJM8Q

After issue started (Jan 31 13:50):

[slack] delivered reply to channel:C0ABN35FJBF

Log says "delivered to channel" but Slack UI shows it as threaded.

Hypothesis

Possible causes:

1. Bug in 2026.1.29: Default threading behavior changed without documentation
2. 2. Regression: replyToMode: "off" config is being ignored for channels
3. 3. Missing config: There's an additional config option needed to disable threading completely

Impact

• Makes channel conversations harder to follow
• • Forces users to click into threads to see bot responses
• • • Breaks previous expected behavior (direct channel replies)

Environment Details

Docker Image: moltbot:local
Image Created: 2026-01-30T15:30:17Z
Package Version: openclaw@2026.1.29 (confirmed via cat /app/package.json in container)

Container logs show:

2026-01-30T21:39:24.785Z [gateway] log file: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-2026-01-30.log

Request

Please investigate why replyToMode: "off" is not preventing thread creation in public channels for OpenClaw 2026.1.29. Is there additional configuration required, or is this a regression?

Happy to provide more logs or testing if needed.

Additional Context: This is for a student delegate bot at Rocket School, used by 30+ students. Threading makes it harder for classmates to see bot responses in the shared channel.