Breaking changes, action items, new features, and everything that might break — ranked by real impact on your setup.
These require action before or immediately after updating.
openclaw.json and all agent configs for minimax-m2, minimax-m2.1, minimax-m2.5, or minimax-vl01 references. Replace with minimax-m2.7.
openclaw.json keys from months ago, they will fail validation instead of being auto-rewritten. Doctor will no longer fix them automatically.
openclaw doctor before updating. If you see legacy key warnings, migrate them manually. If you're on a recent config (last 2 months), you're likely fine — but verify.
qwen-portal-auth OAuth integration for portal.qwen.ai is removed. Must migrate to Model Studio with modelstudio-api-key auth. Only affects you if you use Qwen models.
openclaw onboard --auth-choice modelstudio-api-key or openclaw configure --section providers.
Not breaking, but important to address before you upgrade.
openclaw.json, agent SOUL.md files, and workspace configs for any reference to m2, m2.1, m2.5, or vl-01. Replace all with minimax-m2.7. This is the single most important pre-upgrade task.
openclaw doctor to catch any config issues. It will flag legacy keys and deprecated settings. Fix what it reports before proceeding.
before_tool_call hooks. If you use plugins, this is a new security layer — test your plugin workflow after updating. The /approve command now handles both exec and plugin approvals.
These don't require action — but you should understand what's now possible.
image-01 model added to MiniMax — supports generate and image-to-image editing with aspect ratio control. Use with image_generate tool.
x_search. Bundled Grok auth + search works automatically — no manual plugin toggle needed. x_search model picker added to onboarding.
before_tool_call hooks now support async requireApproval. Plugins can pause execution and prompt for user approval. /approve command now unified across exec and plugin approvals.
/acp spawn codex --bind here now attaches Codex to the current chat instead of creating a child thread. Works on Discord, BlueBubbles, and iMessage.
apply_patch enabled by default for OpenAI and OpenAI Codex models. Better code editing in Codex sessions. Sandbox policy access aligned with write permissions.
--cli-backend-logs flag (old --claude-cli-logs kept as alias). Auto-loads bundled plugins from config.
openclaw config schema prints the generated JSON schema for openclaw.json. Useful for validating configs and building integrations.
runHeartbeatOnce now exposed in plugin runtime. Plugins can trigger a single heartbeat cycle with explicit delivery target override. AGENTS.md refresh preserved on stale-usage preflight compaction.
stream-json so long runs show progress. Session/usage metadata preserved even on empty result lines. MCP server isolation improved.
upload-file Slack action added. File-first sends now supported on Microsoft Teams and Google Chat. BlueBubbles file sends unified under upload-file.
35+ bugs resolved. The ones most likely to have affected you:
grep -r "m2.1\|m2.5\|vl-01" ~/.openclaw/ — check openclaw.json, agent SOUL.md files, and any workspace configs. Replace with minimax-m2.7.
openclaw doctor — address any warnings about legacy keys, deprecated configs, or missing required fields before upgrading.
cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d) — always have a rollback point before a major version jump.
openclaw onboard --auth-choice modelstudio-api-key after updating. Otherwise ignore this step.
openclaw update — then restart gateway: openclaw gateway restart
/status shows correct context windows. Check logs if anything feels off.
| Change | Type | Impact | Requires action? |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax catalog trimmed to M2.7 only | Breaking | High | Yes — update model refs |
| Old config migrations dropped | Breaking | High | Yes — run doctor first |
| Qwen portal-auth removed | Breaking | Medium | If using Qwen — migrate auth |
| Legacy TTS config removed | Change | Medium | Test TTS after upgrade |
| xAI Grok + x_search (auto-enabled) | New | Info | No — works automatically |
| MiniMax image-01 model | New | Info | No — ready to use |
| Plugin before_tool_call approval hooks | New | Info | Test plugin workflows |
| Claude/Codex/Gemini CLI backends unified | Change | Info | No |
| WhatsApp echo loop fixed | Fix | Info | No |
| Image tool fallback restored | Fix | Info | No — should just work |
| Telegram message splitting fixed | Fix | Info | No |
| Discord reconnect loop fixed | Fix | Info | No |
| openclaw config schema command | New | Info | No — available if needed |
| ACP current-conversation binds | New | Info | No |
| Memory compaction AGENTS refresh fixed | Fix | Info | No |