fix(cli): align configure and channel wizard behavior

docs/cli/channels.md

@@ -100,7 +100,14 @@ Non-interactive add flags shared across channels: `--account <id>`, `--name <nam
 
 If a channel plugin needs to be installed during a flag-driven add command, OpenClaw uses the channel's default install source without opening the interactive plugin install prompt.
 
-When you run `openclaw channels add` without flags, the interactive wizard can prompt:
+When you run `openclaw channels add` with no direct account, credential, or channel-config flags, the interactive wizard can prompt. A positional channel id and `--channel <id>` both preselect that channel without bypassing guidance:
+
+```bash
+openclaw channels add telegram
+openclaw channels add --channel telegram
+```
+
+The wizard can prompt for:
 
 - account ids per selected channel
 - optional display names for those accounts

docs/cli/index.md

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Setup commands by intent:
 - `openclaw setup` and `openclaw onboard` verify inference first, then start OpenClaw for Gateway, workspace, channels, skills, and health setup.
 - `openclaw setup --baseline` creates the baseline config and workspace without walking the guided onboarding flow.
 - `openclaw configure` changes targeted parts of an existing setup: model auth, gateway, channels, plugins, or skills.
-- `openclaw channels add` configures channel accounts after the baseline exists; run without flags for guided setup, or with channel-specific flags for scripts.
+- `openclaw channels add` configures channel accounts after the baseline exists; a channel selection alone uses guided setup, while account, credential, or channel-config flags use the direct path for scripts.
 
 ## Command pages
 

src/cli/channels-cli.test.ts

@@ -8,11 +8,25 @@ import { registerChannelsCli } from "./channels-cli.js";
 const listBundledPackageChannelMetadataMock = vi.hoisted(() =>
   vi.fn<() => readonly PluginPackageChannel[]>(() => []),
 );
+const channelsAddCommandMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(async () => undefined));
+const runtimeMock = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  log: vi.fn(),
+  error: vi.fn(),
+  exit: vi.fn(),
+}));
 
 vi.mock("../plugins/bundled-package-channel-metadata.js", () => ({
   listBundledPackageChannelMetadata: listBundledPackageChannelMetadataMock,
 }));
 
+vi.mock("../commands/channels.js", () => ({
+  channelsAddCommand: channelsAddCommandMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
+  defaultRuntime: runtimeMock,
+}));
+
 function getChannelAddOptionFlags(program: Command): string[] {
   const channels = program.commands.find((command) => command.name() === "channels");
   const add = channels?.commands.find((command) => command.name() === "add");
@@ -25,6 +39,12 @@ function getChannelSubcommandNames(program: Command, parentName: string): string
   return parent?.commands.map((command) => command.name()) ?? [];
 }
 
+async function runChannelsAddCli(args: string[]) {
+  const program = new Command().name("openclaw");
+  await registerChannelsCli(program, ["node", "openclaw", ...args]);
+  await program.parseAsync(args, { from: "user" });
+}
+
 describe("registerChannelsCli", () => {
   const originalArgv = [...process.argv];
 
@@ -135,4 +155,56 @@ describe("registerChannelsCli", () => {
     expect(listBundledPackageChannelMetadataMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(getChannelAddOptionFlags(program)).toContain("--homeserver <url>");
   });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["positional", ["channels", "add", "telegram"]],
+    ["--channel", ["channels", "add", "--channel", "telegram"]],
+  ])("keeps selection-only %s channel adds on the guided path", async (_label, args) => {
+    await runChannelsAddCli(args);
+
+    expect(channelsAddCommandMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ channel: "telegram" }),
+      runtimeMock,
+      { hasFlags: false },
+    );
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["token", ["--token", "test-token"]],
+    ["token file", ["--token-file", "/tmp/test-token"]],
+    ["environment", ["--use-env"]],
+    ["account", ["--account", "work"]],
+  ])("keeps explicit %s inputs on the direct path", async (_label, extraArgs) => {
+    await runChannelsAddCli(["channels", "add", "--channel", "telegram", ...extraArgs]);
+
+    expect(channelsAddCommandMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ channel: "telegram" }),
+      runtimeMock,
+      { hasFlags: true },
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("treats plugin-provided config flags as direct automation inputs", async () => {
+    listBundledPackageChannelMetadataMock.mockReturnValueOnce([
+      {
+        id: "matrix",
+        cliAddOptions: [{ flags: "--homeserver <url>", description: "Matrix homeserver URL" }],
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    await runChannelsAddCli([
+      "channels",
+      "add",
+      "--channel",
+      "matrix",
+      "--homeserver",
+      "https://matrix.example.org",
+    ]);
+
+    expect(channelsAddCommandMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ channel: "matrix", homeserver: "https://matrix.example.org" }),
+      runtimeMock,
+      { hasFlags: true },
+    );
+  });
 });

src/cli/channels-cli.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ type BundledPackageChannelMetadataModule =
   typeof import("../plugins/bundled-package-channel-metadata.js");
 
 const optionNamesRemove = ["channel", "account", "delete"] as const;
+const CHANNEL_ADD_SELECTION_OPTION_NAMES = new Set(["channel"]);
 
 type RegisterChannelsCliOptions = {
   includeSetupOptions?: boolean;
@@ -282,7 +283,10 @@ export async function registerChannelsCli(
   addCommand.action(async (channelArg: string | undefined, opts, command) => {
     await runChannelsCommand(async () => {
       const { channelsAddCommand } = await loadChannelsCommands();
-      const hasFlags = hasExplicitOptions(command, getOptionNames(command));
+      const hasFlags = hasExplicitOptions(
+        command,
+        getOptionNames(command).filter((name) => !CHANNEL_ADD_SELECTION_OPTION_NAMES.has(name)),
+      );
       await channelsAddCommand(resolveChannelsAddOptions(channelArg, opts), defaultRuntime, {
         hasFlags,
       });

src/commands/configure.channels.ts

@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ export async function removeChannelConfigWizard(
         options,
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
 
     if (choice.kind === "done") {
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ export async function removeChannelConfigWizard(
         initialValue: false,
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     if (!confirmed) {
       continue;

src/commands/configure.commands.test.ts

@@ -83,7 +83,21 @@ describe("configureCommandFromSectionsArg", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("fails closed for a mixed valid/invalid section list on a non-interactive terminal", async () => {
+  it("rejects a lone invalid section before unrestricted wizard dispatch", async () => {
+    const runtime = makeRuntime();
+
+    await expect(
+      configureCommandFromSectionsArg(["bogus"], runtime, { interactive: true }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("exit 1");
+
+    expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+    expect(runtime.error.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toBe(
+      "Invalid --section: bogus. Expected one of: workspace, model, web, gateway, daemon, channels, plugins, skills, health. Run openclaw configure without --section to use the full wizard.",
+    );
+    expect(runConfigureWizardMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("validates invalid sections before the interactive-terminal guard", async () => {
     const runtime = makeRuntime();
 
     await expect(
@@ -92,9 +106,8 @@ describe("configureCommandFromSectionsArg", () => {
       }),
     ).rejects.toThrow("exit 1");
 
-    // Non-TTY guard fires before any section validation, so the wizard never runs.
     expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
-    expect(runtime.error.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toContain("interactive terminal (TTY)");
+    expect(runtime.error.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toContain("Invalid --section: bogus");
     expect(runConfigureWizardMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });

src/commands/configure.commands.ts

@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ export async function configureCommandFromSectionsArg(
   runtime: RuntimeEnv = defaultRuntime,
   options?: { interactive?: boolean },
 ): Promise<void> {
+  const { sections, invalid } = parseConfigureWizardSections(rawSections);
+  if (invalid.length > 0) {
+    runtime.error(
+      `Invalid --section: ${invalid.join(", ")}. Expected one of: ${CONFIGURE_WIZARD_SECTIONS.join(", ")}. Run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw configure")} without --section to use the full wizard.`,
+    );
+    runtime.exit(1);
+    return;
+  }
+
   // Fail closed once at the shared entry: both `openclaw configure` and the
   // no-subcommand `openclaw config` route here, so a single guard keeps them
   // consistent instead of partially entering the wizard on a non-TTY pipe.
@@ -69,19 +78,10 @@ export async function configureCommandFromSectionsArg(
     return;
   }
 
-  const { sections, invalid } = parseConfigureWizardSections(rawSections);
   if (sections.length === 0) {
     await configureCommand(runtime);
     return;
   }
 
-  if (invalid.length > 0) {
-    runtime.error(
-      `Invalid --section: ${invalid.join(", ")}. Expected one of: ${CONFIGURE_WIZARD_SECTIONS.join(", ")}. Run ${formatCliCommand("openclaw configure")} without --section to use the full wizard.`,
-    );
-    runtime.exit(1);
-    return;
-  }
-
   await configureCommandWithSections(sections as never, runtime);
 }

src/commands/configure.daemon.ts

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export async function maybeInstallDaemon(params: {
         ],
       }),
       params.runtime,
+      1,
     );
     if (action === "restart") {
       await withProgress(
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ export async function maybeInstallDaemon(params: {
             initialValue: DEFAULT_GATEWAY_DAEMON_RUNTIME,
           }),
           params.runtime,
+          1,
         ) as GatewayDaemonRuntime;
       }
     }
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ export async function maybeInstallDaemon(params: {
     await ensureSystemdUserLingerInteractive({
       runtime: params.runtime,
       prompter: {
-        confirm: async (p) => guardCancel(await confirm(p), params.runtime),
+        confirm: async (p) => guardCancel(await confirm(p), params.runtime, 1),
         note,
       },
       reason:

src/commands/configure.gateway.ts

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
       validate: validateGatewayPortInput,
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
   const port = parsePort(portRaw) ?? resolveGatewayPort(cfg);
 
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
       ],
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
 
   let customBindHost: string | undefined;
@@ -101,6 +103,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         validate: validateDottedDecimalIPv4Input,
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     customBindHost = readStringValue(input);
   }
@@ -120,6 +123,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
       initialValue: "token",
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   ) as GatewayAuthChoice;
 
   let tailscaleMode = guardCancel(
@@ -128,6 +132,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
       options: [...TAILSCALE_EXPOSURE_OPTIONS],
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
 
   // Detect Tailscale binary before proceeding with serve/funnel setup.
@@ -149,6 +154,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         initialValue: false,
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
   }
 
@@ -201,6 +207,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         initialValue: "plaintext",
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     if (tokenInputMode === "ref") {
       const envVar = guardCancel(
@@ -221,6 +228,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
           },
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
       const envVarName = normalizeOptionalString(envVar) ?? "";
       gatewayToken = {
@@ -237,6 +245,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
           message: "Gateway token (blank to generate)",
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
       gatewayTokenForCalls = normalizeGatewayTokenInput(tokenInput) || randomToken();
       gatewayToken = gatewayTokenForCalls;
@@ -250,6 +259,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         validate: validateGatewayPasswordInput,
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     gatewayPassword = normalizeOptionalString(passwordInput) ?? "";
   }
@@ -275,6 +285,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         validate: (value) => (value?.trim() ? undefined : "User header is required"),
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
 
     const requiredHeadersRaw = guardCancel(
@@ -283,6 +294,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         placeholder: "x-forwarded-proto,x-forwarded-host",
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     const requiredHeaders = requiredHeadersRaw
       ? normalizeStringEntries(requiredHeadersRaw.split(","))
@@ -294,6 +306,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         placeholder: "nick@example.com,admin@company.com",
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     const allowUsers = allowUsersRaw ? normalizeStringEntries(allowUsersRaw.split(",")) : [];
 
@@ -309,6 +322,7 @@ export async function promptGatewayConfig(
         },
       }),
       runtime,
+      1,
     );
     trustedProxies = normalizeStringEntries(trustedProxiesRaw.split(","));
 

src/commands/configure.wizard.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Configure wizard tests cover guided setup routing across gateway, auth, channels, skills, and search.
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
   const writeConfigFile = vi.fn();
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
       Boolean(config.auth?.profiles?.["openai:default"]),
     ),
     setupChannels: vi.fn(async (cfg: OpenClawConfig) => cfg),
+    guardCancel: vi.fn((value: unknown, _runtime: RuntimeEnv, _exitCode?: number) => value),
   };
 });
 
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ vi.mock("./onboard-helpers.js", () => ({
   DEFAULT_WORKSPACE: "~/.openclaw/workspace",
   applyWizardMetadata: (cfg: OpenClawConfig) => cfg,
   ensureWorkspaceAndSessions: vi.fn(),
-  guardCancel: <T>(value: T) => value,
+  guardCancel: mocks.guardCancel,
   printWizardHeader: mocks.printWizardHeader,
   probeGatewayReachable: mocks.probeGatewayReachable,
   resolveAdvertisedControlUiLinks: mocks.resolveAdvertisedControlUiLinks,
@@ -346,6 +348,8 @@ describe("runConfigureWizard", () => {
       config: cfg,
       port: 18789,
     }));
+    mocks.guardCancel.mockReset();
+    mocks.guardCancel.mockImplementation((value: unknown) => value);
   });
 
   it("persists gateway.mode=local when only the run mode is selected", async () => {
@@ -393,6 +397,37 @@ describe("runConfigureWizard", () => {
     expect(remoteProbe?.timeoutMs).toBe(300);
   });
 
+  it("uses the resolved configured port for the local gateway startup hint", async () => {
+    setupBaseWizardState({
+      gateway: {
+        mode: "local",
+        port: 18991,
+      },
+    });
+    mocks.resolveGatewayPort.mockReturnValue(18991);
+    mocks.probeGatewayReachable
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ok: true })
+      .mockResolvedValue({ ok: false });
+    mocks.clackSelect.mockResolvedValue("local");
+
+    await runConfigureWizard({ command: "configure", sections: ["gateway"] }, createRuntime());
+
+    expect(mocks.probeGatewayReachable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18991", timeoutMs: 300 }),
+    );
+    expect(mocks.clackSelect).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        message: "Where will the Gateway run?",
+        options: expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            value: "local",
+            hint: "Gateway reachable (ws://127.0.0.1:18991)",
+          }),
+        ]),
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("advertises LAN Control UI links while probing the local gateway", async () => {
     setupBaseWizardState({
       gateway: {
@@ -455,6 +490,24 @@ describe("runConfigureWizard", () => {
     expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
   });
 
+  it("uses nonzero exit semantics for cancellation at the first direct Clack prompt", async () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntime();
+    setupBaseWizardState();
+    mocks.guardCancel.mockImplementationOnce(
+      (_value: unknown, promptRuntime: RuntimeEnv, exitCode?: number) => {
+        promptRuntime.exit(exitCode ?? 0);
+        throw new Error("direct prompt cancelled");
+      },
+    );
+
+    await expect(runConfigureWizard({ command: "configure" }, runtime)).rejects.toThrow(
+      "direct prompt cancelled",
+    );
+
+    expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+    expect(mocks.writeConfigFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("does not gate model-only configure behind Gateway run-mode selection", async () => {
     setupBaseWizardState();
 

src/commands/configure.wizard.ts

@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ async function promptConfigureSection(
       initialValue: CONFIGURE_SECTION_OPTIONS[0]?.value,
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
 }
 
@@ -187,6 +188,7 @@ async function promptChannelMode(runtime: RuntimeEnv): Promise<ChannelsWizardMod
       initialValue: "configure",
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   ) as ChannelsWizardMode;
 }
 
@@ -221,6 +223,7 @@ async function promptWebToolsConfig(
       initialValue: existingSearch?.enabled ?? hasManagedSearchProviders,
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
 
   let nextSearch: WebSearchConfig = {
@@ -252,6 +255,7 @@ async function promptWebToolsConfig(
           initialValue: existingSearch?.openaiCodex?.enabled === true,
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
 
       if (enableCodexNative) {
@@ -273,6 +277,7 @@ async function promptWebToolsConfig(
             initialValue: existingSearch?.openaiCodex?.mode ?? "cached",
           }),
           runtime,
+          1,
         );
         nextSearch = {
           ...nextSearch,
@@ -288,6 +293,7 @@ async function promptWebToolsConfig(
             initialValue: Boolean(existingSearch?.provider),
           }),
           runtime,
+          1,
         );
       } else {
         nextSearch = {
@@ -342,6 +348,7 @@ async function promptWebToolsConfig(
       initialValue: existingFetch?.enabled ?? true,
     }),
     runtime,
+    1,
   );
 
   const nextFetch = {
@@ -422,7 +429,7 @@ export async function runConfigureWizard(
       selectedSections.includes("daemon") ||
       selectedSections.includes("health");
     const promptGatewayRunMode = async (): Promise<OnboardMode> => {
-      const localUrl = "ws://127.0.0.1:18789";
+      const localUrl = `ws://127.0.0.1:${resolveGatewayPort(baseConfig)}`;
       const remoteUrl = normalizeOptionalString(baseConfig.gateway?.remote?.url) ?? "";
       const localProbePromise = (async () => {
         const [baseLocalProbeToken, baseLocalProbePassword] = await Promise.all([
@@ -482,6 +489,7 @@ export async function runConfigureWizard(
           ],
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
     };
 
@@ -580,6 +588,7 @@ export async function runConfigureWizard(
           initialValue: workspaceDir,
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
       workspaceDir = resolveUserPath(
         normalizeOptionalString(workspaceInput ?? "") || DEFAULT_WORKSPACE,
@@ -650,6 +659,7 @@ export async function runConfigureWizard(
           validate: validateGatewayPortInput,
         }),
         runtime,
+        1,
       );
       gatewayPort = parsePort(portInput) ?? gatewayPort;
     };