BTW Side Questions - OpenClaw

# BTW Side Questions - OpenClaw [Skip to main content](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#content-area) [OpenClaw home page](https://docs.openclaw.ai/)  English Search... ⌘K * [GitHub](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) * [Releases](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases) * [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/clawd) Search... Navigation Tools BTW Side Questions [Get started](https://docs.openclaw.ai/)[Install](https://docs.openclaw.ai/install)[Channels](https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels)[Agents](https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/architecture)[Tools & Plugins](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools)[Models](https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers)[Platforms](https://docs.openclaw.ai/platforms)[Gateway & Ops](https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway)[Reference](https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli)[Help](https://docs.openclaw.ai/help) ##### Overview * [Tools and Plugins](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools) ##### Plugins * [Install and Configure](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/plugin) * [Community Plugins](https://docs.openclaw.ai/plugins/community) * [Plugin Bundles](https://docs.openclaw.ai/plugins/bundles) * Building Plugins * SDK Reference ##### Skills * [Skills](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/skills) * [Creating Skills](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/creating-skills) * [Skills Config](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/skills-config) * [Slash Commands](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/slash-commands) * [ClawHub](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/clawhub) * [OpenProse](https://docs.openclaw.ai/prose) ##### Automation * [Hooks](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/hooks) * [Standing Orders](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/standing-orders) * [Cron Jobs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/cron-jobs) * [Cron vs Heartbeat](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/cron-vs-heartbeat) * [Automation Troubleshooting](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/troubleshooting) * [Webhooks](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/webhook) * [Gmail PubSub](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/gmail-pubsub) * [Polls](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/poll) * [Auth Monitoring](https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/auth-monitoring) ##### Tools * [apply_patch Tool](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/apply-patch) * Web Browser * Web Tools * [BTW Side Questions](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw) * [Diffs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/diffs) * [Elevated Mode](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/elevated) * [Exec Tool](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/exec) * [Exec Approvals](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/exec-approvals) * [LLM Task](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/llm-task) * [Lobster](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/lobster) * [Tool-loop detection](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/loop-detection) * [PDF Tool](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/pdf) * [Reactions](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/reactions) * [Thinking Levels](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/thinking) ##### Agent coordination * [Agent Send](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/agent-send) * [Sub-Agents](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/subagents) * [ACP Agents](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/acp-agents) * [Multi-Agent Sandbox & Tools](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/multi-agent-sandbox-tools) On this page * [BTW Side Questions](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#btw-side-questions) * [What it does](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#what-it-does) * [What it does not do](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#what-it-does-not-do) * [How context works](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#how-context-works) * [Delivery model](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#delivery-model) * [Surface behavior](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#surface-behavior) * [TUI](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#tui) * [External channels](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#external-channels) * [Control UI / web](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#control-ui-%2F-web) * [When to use BTW](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#when-to-use-btw) * [When not to use BTW](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#when-not-to-use-btw) * [Related](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#related) Tools # BTW Side Questions # [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#btw-side-questions) 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. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#what-it-does) What it does When you send: Copy ``` /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 ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#what-it-does-not-do) 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**. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#how-context-works) 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. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#delivery-model) 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. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#surface-behavior) Surface behavior ### [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#tui) 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 ### [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#external-channels) 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. ### [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#control-ui-/-web) 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. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#when-to-use-btw) 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: Copy ``` /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? ``` ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#when-not-to-use-btw) 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. ## [​](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/btw#related) Related * [Slash commands](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/slash-commands) * [Thinking Levels](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/thinking) * [Session](https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/session) [Tavily](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/tavily)[Diffs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/diffs) ⌘I [Powered by This documentation is built and hosted on Mintlify, a developer documentation platform](https://www.mintlify.com/?utm_campaign=poweredBy&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=clawdhub)