Feishu Group Chat Guide

Quick Start: Configure renderMode

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Set renderMode explicitly for stable message formatting

# Recommended configuration
channels:
  feishu:
    renderMode: "card"  # Always use card format

Why? The default "auto" mode causes unpredictable format switching (raw vs card), creating poor user experience.

Configuration:

openclaw config set channels.feishu.renderMode "card"
openclaw gateway restart

Verify:

openclaw config get channels.feishu.renderMode

Prerequisites

1. In a Feishu group - OpenClaw connected to Feishu
2. Configure renderMode - Set to "card" for consistent formatting
3. Know member IDs:
   • Human: open_id (ou_xxx format)
   • Bot: App ID (cli_xxx format)

0. Message Format Stability

The Problem: Raw vs Card Mixing

Without proper renderMode configuration, messages can inconsistently appear as:

• Raw text: Plain markdown source, no formatting
• Card format: Rendered markdown with syntax highlighting, tables, links

The Solution: Explicit renderMode

Recommended: renderMode: "card" for all production use.

1. Message Sending

⚠️ CRITICAL: Only Use ONE Method

DO NOT use both direct reply and message tool for the same content! This will send two messages.

Choose ONE:

• Plain text → message tool only
• Markdown → direct reply only

Two Methods

Raw Mode (Plain Text)

When to use: Plain text messages, @ mentions

How to send:

message({
  action: "send",
  channel: "feishu",
  target: "oc_xxx",
  message: "Plain text content"
})

@ Mention format:

message({
  action: "send",
  channel: "feishu",
  target: "oc_xxx",
  message: "\x3Cat user_id=\"ou_xxx\">nickname\x3C/at> Hello!"
})

Raw Mode Limitations:

• ❌ No Markdown rendering (bold, italic, code blocks won't render)
• ❌ Tables won't render
• ❌ Links won't render
• ✅ @ mentions work correctly

Card Mode (Markdown)

When to use: Formatted messages with code blocks, tables, bold/italic text

How to send: Direct reply in session with Markdown elements.

Card Mode Triggers (any of these):

• Code blocks
• Tables | table |
• Bold **bold**
• Italic *italic*
• Strikethrough ~~text~~
• Links [link](url)
• Headings # heading
• Lists - item or 1. item

@ Mention format:

\x3Cat id=ou_xxx>\x3C/at> This is Card mode @ mention

**Markdown content** renders correctly

Supported in Card Mode:

Not Supported in Card Mode:

Best Practice for Card Mode:

• Use **bold** for emphasis
• Use *italic* for light emphasis
• Use numbered lists 1. or bullet lists -
• Avoid ---, >, and inline code
• Keep formatting simple

Avoid Auto Mode

Problem: Auto mode can incorrectly choose between Raw and Card.

Best Practice:

• Plain text → Use message tool (Raw mode)
• Markdown content → Direct reply (Card mode)

Don't:

• Use message tool for Markdown (won't render)
• Use complex structures in Card mode (may trigger Raw incorrectly)

2. Group Member Management

⚠️ Important: Bots Only See @ Mentioned Messages

Bots can only see messages that @ mention them! If a group member sends a message without @ mentioning the bot, the bot won't receive it.

This means:

• To identify a human member's open_id, they must @ mention the bot and send a message
• The bot cannot see past messages where it wasn't mentioned

How to Get Member IDs

Human open_id (must @ mention bot):

1. Ask the human to @ mention the bot and send any message
2. When the message arrives, the system shows: [Feishu oc_xxx:ou_xxx timestamp] nickname: message content
3. The ou_xxx is the sender's open_id

Bot App ID (requires user to provide):

1. Go to Feishu Developer Console: https://open.feishu.cn/app
2. Click on the bot you want to view
3. In "Application Credentials" (应用凭证), copy the App ID (cli_xxx format)
4. @ mention the bot and send the App ID

Maintain Member List

Store member info in memory file:

## Group Members (oc_xxx)
### Humans
- nickname1: `ou_xxx`
- nickname2: `ou_xxx`

### AI Bots
- bot1: `cli_xxx` (must @ to receive messages)

3. @ Mention Tips

@ Format Difference (Critical!)

@ Different Target Types

@ Bot vs @ Human

Important difference:

• Bots: MUST be @ mentioned to receive messages! Without @, bots won't get notified
• Humans: Can see all group messages, @ not required

⚠️ Feishu Limitation: Bot-to-Bot Messages

• A bot CAN send messages and @ mention another bot
• But bots can only receive messages from human accounts
• Bots cannot receive messages from other bots
• Therefore, @ mentioning another bot will NOT notify that bot

Practical implication:

• If you need to communicate with another bot, ask a human to send the message instead
• Bot-to-bot communication is not possible in Feishu groups

Example - @ Bot:

// Raw mode
message({
  action: "send",
  channel: "feishu",
  target: "oc_xxx",
  message: "\x3Cat user_id=\"cli_xxx\">botname\x3C/at> Please reply!"
})

// Card mode
\x3Cat id=cli_xxx>\x3C/at> Please reply!

**Markdown content**

@ Everyone

Note: Requires group permission (Group Settings > Group Management > Who can @everyone)

// Raw mode
message({
  action: "send",
  channel: "feishu",
  target: "oc_xxx",
  message: "\x3Cat user_id=\"all\">everyone\x3C/at> Important announcement!"
})

// Card mode
\x3Cat id=all>\x3C/at> Important announcement!

Common @ Mistakes

Raw mode errors:

• @nickname - Plain text, no notification
• @{nickname} - Plain text
• \x3Cat id="ou_xxx">\x3C/at> - id attribute doesn't work in Raw mode

Card mode errors:

• \x3Cat user_id="ou_xxx">nickname\x3C/at> - user_id attribute doesn't work in Card mode

4. Quick Reference

Message Decision Tree

Need to send message
    │
    ├─ Plain text only?
    │   └─ YES → message tool (Raw mode)
    │
    └─ Need Markdown?
        └─ YES → Direct reply (Card mode)

@ Mention Decision Tree

Need to @ mention
    │
    ├─ Using message tool?
    │   └─ YES → \x3Cat user_id="ID">nickname\x3C/at>
    │
    └─ Direct reply (Card mode)?
        └─ YES → \x3Cat id=ID>\x3C/at>

ID Format Reference

5. Important Notes

1. Card and Raw mode use different @ formats - Wrong format = @ fails
2. Bots MUST be @ mentioned to receive messages - Humans don't need @
3. Bot-to-bot communication is NOT possible - Bots can only receive messages from humans, not other bots
4. message tool only sends Raw mode - No Markdown rendering
5. @everyone requires group permission
6. Avoid unsupported styles in Card mode (blockquote, inline code, horizontal rule)

6. Configuration Reference

renderMode Settings

Location: OpenClaw config file or environment

Quick Setup:

# Set to card mode (recommended)
openclaw config set channels.feishu.renderMode "card"
openclaw gateway restart

Environment-specific configurations:

Development:

channels:
  feishu:
    renderMode: "raw"  # Easier debugging
    dmPolicy: "open"   # Easier testing

Production:

channels:
  feishu:
    renderMode: "card"      # Consistent formatting
    dmPolicy: "pairing"     # Security
    requireMention: true    # Avoid spam

Troubleshooting

Messages appear as raw markdown:

1. Check: openclaw config get channels.feishu.renderMode
2. Set: openclaw config set channels.feishu.renderMode "card"
3. Restart: openclaw gateway restart

Format switches between raw and card:

• Cause: Using renderMode: "auto"
• Fix: Change to "card" or "raw" explicitly

Proactive messages not using card:

• Expected: Proactive messages (via message tool) always use plain text
• Workaround: Have user send a message first, then reply

Source

• Tested on: OpenClaw Feishu integration
• Test date: 2026-02-27 ~ 2026-02-28
• Source files:
  • /home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/feishu/src/bot.ts
  • /home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/feishu/src/reply-dispatcher.ts
  • /home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/feishu/src/mention.ts
  • /home/admin/.openclaw/extensions/feishu/src/send.ts