Fix Slack Channel Crash (Bolt 4.6.0)
Dependency Incompatibility
If you see message.channels is not a valid event type in your logs, your Slack Bolt dependency has auto-updated to a version incompatible with your current OpenClaw build.
This issue affects all Slack channels using Socket Mode. It usually happens after a fresh npm install or an automated container rebuild.
Next Step
Fix now, then reduce repeat incidents
If this issue keeps coming back, validate your setup in Doctor first, then harden your config.
Symptoms
at SlackChannel.init (dist/channels/slack.js:142:9)
Fix 1: Update OpenClaw (Recommended)
The latest release of OpenClaw includes a middleware shim that handles the new Bolt v4 strict event typing.
npm install -g openclaw@latest\nopenclaw gateway restart
Fix 2: Pin Dependency to 4.5.0
If you cannot update OpenClaw yet, you can force the use of the previous stable Bolt version by adding it directly to your environment.
npm install @slack/[email protected] --save-exact
Fix 3: Docker Rebuild
If running in Docker, ensure your Dockerfile uses a specific version or clear your build cache to avoid pulling the broken transitive dependency.
docker compose up -d
Verification
Once fixed, your Slack channel status in the dashboard should change from stopped/error to running.
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