Bug type

Behavior bug (incorrect output/state without crash)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

User-defined hooks (from hooks/ directory) that register for the message_sending event never fire, even though openclaw hooks list shows them as ready. The message_sending event is dispatched via hookRunner.runModifyingHook() (plugin registry only) but lacks a corresponding triggerInternalHook() call. In contrast, message_sent correctly calls both paths.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create hook dir ~/.openclaw/hooks/test-message-sending/ with HOOK.md specifying events: ["message_sending"] and handler.js that writes to /tmp/test.log.
2. Run openclaw hooks list — shows ✓ ready for the hook.
3. Restart gateway (openclaw gateway restart).
4. Send a message via webchat, agent replies.
5. Check /tmp/test.log — file is empty, handler was never invoked.
6. Check gateway logs — no errors, no hook invocation logs.

Expected behavior

User-defined hooks registering message_sending should fire before each outgoing message is delivered to the channel, matching the behavior that plugin hooks receive via hookRunner.runMessageSending(). The message_sent event already bridges both registries (plugin + internal), so message_sending should follow the same pattern.

Actual behavior

Hook handler is never called. The message_sending event exists in pluginHookNameSet (deliver-BWpM4stS.js line ~156) and runMessageSending() is called at line ~1136, but only through hookRunner (plugin registry). There is no triggerInternalHook(createInternalHookEvent("message", "sending", ...)) call anywhere near the message_sending dispatch, unlike message_sent at line ~1121 which correctly bridges both.

OpenClaw version

2026.3.24 (cff6dc9)

Operating system

macOS 15.4 (Darwin 24.4.0 arm64)

Install method

mac app (AutoClaw Desktop)

Model

glm-5.1

Provider / routing chain

openclaw -> zhipu/glm-5.1 (direct)

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Impact and severity

Affected: All users who create user-defined hooks with message_sending event
Severity: High — prevents pre-delivery message guardrails for user hooks
Frequency: Always (100% reproducible)
Consequence: Cannot implement output filtering, content validation, or message cancellation via user hooks. Only workaround is writing a full plugin.

Additional information

Root cause: In deliver-BWpM4stS.js, the message_sending dispatch (line ~1136) calls only hookRunner.runMessageSending() but does NOT call triggerInternalHook(). The message_sent dispatch (line ~1121) correctly calls both hookRunner.runMessageSent() AND triggerInternalHook(createInternalHookEvent("message", "sent", ...)). The missing triggerInternalHook bridge for message_sending means user-defined hooks (registered via registerInternalHook) are invisible to this event.\n\nSuggested fix: Add triggerInternalHook(createInternalHookEvent("message", "sending", ...)) near line 1136, mirroring the message_sent pattern.\n\nRelated issues: #24618, #20246, #35889, #13004, #30784