OpenClaw v2026.4.8 was published on 2026-04-08T05:59:44Z by steipete. OpenClaw v2026.4.8 fixes packaged channel sidecar loading, aligns bundled plugin compatibility metadata, and tightens agent progress and exec defaults.
Quick answer
This is an operational reliability release. The biggest wins are cleaner packaged installs and fewer surprises when channels or agents rely on packaged runtime assets.
What's new in this release
- Telegram/setup: load setup and secret contracts through packaged top-level sidecars so installed npm builds no longer try to import missing `dist/extensions/telegram/src/*` files during gateway startup.
- Bundled channels/setup: load shared secret contracts through packaged top-level sidecars across BlueBubbles, Feishu, Google Chat, IRC, Matrix, Mattermost, Microsoft Teams, Nextcloud Talk, Slack, and Zalo so installed npm builds no longer rely on missing `dist/extensions/*/src/*` files during gateway startup.
- Bundled plugins: align packaged plugin compatibility metadata with the release version so bundled channels and providers load on OpenClaw 2026.4.8.
- Agents/progress: keep `update_plan` available for OpenAI-family runs while returning compact success payloads and allowing `tools.experimental.planTool=false` to opt out.
- Agents/exec: keep `/exec` current-default reporting aligned with real runtime behavior so `host=auto` sessions surface the correct host-aware fallback policy (`full/off` on gateway or node, `deny/off` on sandbox) instead of stale stricter defaults.
Why developers should care
Installed npm users, channel maintainers, and teams depending on packaged runtime behavior should review this version.
Upgrade notes
No explicit breaking changes were called out in the fetched GitHub release notes. Even so, teams using custom providers, plugins, or channel integrations should review the full release notes before rolling forward.
Source
Full release notes: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.4.8