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BTW Side Questions
/btw lets you ask a quick side question about the current session without
turning that question into normal conversation history.
It is modeled after Claude Code’s /btw behavior, but adapted to OpenClaw’s
Gateway and multi-channel architecture.
What it does
When you send:
“`text theme={“theme”:{“light”:”min-light”,”dark”:”min-dark”}}
/btw what changed?
OpenClaw:
1. snapshots the current session context,
2. runs a separate **tool-less** model call,
3. answers only the side question,
4. leaves the main run alone,
5. does **not** write the BTW question or answer to session history,
6. emits the answer as a **live side result** rather than a normal assistant message.
The important mental model is:
* same session context
* separate one-shot side query
* no tool calls
* no future context pollution
* no transcript persistence
## What it does not do
`/btw` does **not**:
* create a new durable session,
* continue the unfinished main task,
* run tools or agent tool loops,
* write BTW question/answer data to transcript history,
* appear in `chat.history`,
* survive a reload.
It is intentionally **ephemeral**.
## How context works
BTW uses the current session as **background context only**.
If the main run is currently active, OpenClaw snapshots the current message
state and includes the in-flight main prompt as background context, while
explicitly telling the model:
* answer only the side question,
* do not resume or complete the unfinished main task,
* do not emit tool calls or pseudo-tool calls.
That keeps BTW isolated from the main run while still making it aware of what
the session is about.
## Delivery model
BTW is **not** delivered as a normal assistant transcript message.
At the Gateway protocol level:
* normal assistant chat uses the `chat` event
* BTW uses the `chat.side_result` event
This separation is intentional. If BTW reused the normal `chat` event path,
clients would treat it like regular conversation history.
Because BTW uses a separate live event and is not replayed from
`chat.history`, it disappears after reload.
## Surface behavior
### TUI
In TUI, BTW is rendered inline in the current session view, but it remains
ephemeral:
* visibly distinct from a normal assistant reply
* dismissible with `Enter` or `Esc`
* not replayed on reload
### External channels
On channels like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord, BTW is delivered as a
clearly labeled one-off reply because those surfaces do not have a local
ephemeral overlay concept.
The answer is still treated as a side result, not normal session history.
### Control UI / web
The Gateway emits BTW correctly as `chat.side_result`, and BTW is not included
in `chat.history`, so the persistence contract is already correct for web.
The current Control UI still needs a dedicated `chat.side_result` consumer to
render BTW live in the browser. Until that client-side support lands, BTW is a
Gateway-level feature with full TUI and external-channel behavior, but not yet
a complete browser UX.
## When to use BTW
Use `/btw` when you want:
* a quick clarification about the current work,
* a factual side answer while a long run is still in progress,
* a temporary answer that should not become part of future session context.
Examples:
```text theme={"theme":{"light":"min-light","dark":"min-dark"}}
/btw what file are we editing?
/btw what does this error mean?
/btw summarize the current task in one sentence
/btw what is 17 * 19?
When not to use BTW
Do not use /btw when you want the answer to become part of the session’s
future working context.
In that case, ask normally in the main session instead of using BTW.