OpenClaw Test Performance

Use evidence first. The goal is real pnpm test, plugin-suite, and plugin-inspector speed/RSS improvement with coverage intact, not runner tuning by guesswork.

Workflow

1. Read the relevant local AGENTS.md files before editing:
   • src/agents/AGENTS.md for agent/import hotspots.
   • src/channels/AGENTS.md and src/plugins/AGENTS.md for plugin/channel laziness.
   • src/gateway/AGENTS.md for server lifecycle tests.
   • test/helpers/AGENTS.md and src/channels/plugins/contracts/test-helpers/AGENTS.md for shared contract helpers.
   • src/infra/outbound/AGENTS.md for outbound/media/action tests.
2. Establish a baseline before changing code:
   • Prefer pnpm test:perf:groups --full-suite --allow-failures --output <file> for full-suite ranking.
   • For bundled plugin breadth, run the smallest relevant pnpm test:extensions:batch <plugin[,plugin...]> or plugin-inspector command before jumping to the full extension sweep.
   • For a scoped hotspot use: /usr/bin/time -l pnpm test <file-or-files> --maxWorkers=1 --reporter=verbose
   • For import-heavy suspicion add: OPENCLAW_VITEST_IMPORT_DURATIONS=1 OPENCLAW_VITEST_PRINT_IMPORT_BREAKDOWN=1.
3. Separate wall/runner noise from real file cost:
   • Compare Vitest duration, test body timing, import breakdown, wall time, and max RSS.
   • Re-run single files when grouped/full-suite numbers look stale or noisy.
   • If a full-suite grouped run reports a lane failure but JSON says tests passed, capture that as harness/noise and verify the suspect file directly.
4. Pick the next attack by return and risk:
   • High return: one file/test dominates seconds or RSS and has a clear root.
   • High leverage: one plugin or SDK barrel causes every plugin-inspector or extension-batch run to load broad runtime.
   • Lower risk: static descriptors, target parsing, routing, auth bypass, setup hints, registry fixtures, or test server lifecycle.
   • Higher risk: real memory/runtime behavior, live providers, protocol contracts, or broad production refactors.
5. Fix the root cause, not the symptom:
   • Move static metadata/parsing into narrow helpers or lightweight artifacts reused by full runtime and fast paths.
   • Prefer dependency injection, loaded-plugin-only lookup, explicit fixtures, and pure helpers over broad mocks.
   • Reuse suite-level servers/clients when a fresh handshake is irrelevant.
   • Keep schedulers/background loops off unless the test proves scheduling.
   • In plugin paths, move static metadata into manifest/lightweight artifacts and keep runtime plugin loads behind explicit execution boundaries.
6. Preserve coverage shape:
   • Do not delete a slow integration proof unless the exact production composition is extracted into a named helper and tested.
   • Keep one cheap integration smoke when cross-component wiring matters.
   • State explicitly what incidental coverage was removed, if any.
7. Re-benchmark the same command after the change and compute seconds plus percent gain.
8. Update the running report when requested or when this thread is tracking one. Include before/after commands, artifacts, coverage notes, verification, and next attack order.
9. Stage the intended paths, commit with standard Git, and push when the user asked for commits/pushes. Stage only files touched for this attack.

Plugin-Suite Workflow

Use this section when perf work involves bundled plugins, plugin-inspector, SDK barrels, package-boundary tests, or extension suites.

1. Map the suite shape first:
   • source tests: pnpm test extensions/<id> or pnpm test:extensions:batch <id>
   • package boundaries: pnpm run test:extensions:package-boundary:canary and pnpm run test:extensions:package-boundary:compile
   • all bundled source tests: pnpm test:extensions
   • plugin import memory: pnpm test:extensions:memory -- --json .artifacts/test-perf/extensions-memory.json
   • plugin-inspector/report work: keep report primitives in plugin-inspector; keep wrappers thin and collect peak RSS when the command supports it.
2. Start narrow, then widen:
   • one plugin changed: run that plugin's tests and plugin-inspector slice.
   • SDK/public barrel changed: add representative provider, channel, memory, and feature plugins.
   • loader/runtime mirror changed: add package-boundary checks and build/package proof as needed.
   • unknown shared plugin behavior: run test:extensions:batch groups before pnpm test:extensions.
3. Treat plugin-inspector failures as product signals:
   • JSON must parse.
   • warnings/errors must be classified, not hidden.
   • runtime capture should be quiet and config-tolerant.
   • command output should include wall time, exit code, and peak RSS when available.
4. Follow $openclaw-testing for host selection. Trusted source benchmarks can run locally with comparable machine/load conditions. Use $crabbox when clean packaging, Linux/platform behavior, isolation, or an explicit remote request is part of the proof; reuse and clean up only the owned lease.
5. If plugin performance is package-artifact sensitive, switch to release-openclaw-plugin-testing and Package Acceptance rather than trusting source-only timing.

Metric Collection

Collect at least one stable metric before and after. Prefer the same machine and same command. For Testbox comparisons, use the same tbx_... id when possible.

Metric	Use for	Preferred source
wall time	user-visible suite cost	/usr/bin/time -l, test wrapper duration, Testbox run time
Vitest duration	test body/import cost	Vitest output per file/shard
import duration	broad barrel/runtime loads	OPENCLAW_VITEST_IMPORT_DURATIONS=1
max RSS	memory pressure and OOM risk	/usr/bin/time -l, pnpm test:extensions:memory, wrapper memory summaries
CPU/user/sys	CPU-bound vs wait-bound split	/usr/bin/time -l locally, Testbox job timing when local CPU is noisy
heap evidence	real leak vs retained module graph	openclaw-test-heap-leaks workflow

Local scoped command with CPU/RSS:

timeout 240 /usr/bin/time -l pnpm test <file> --maxWorkers=1 --reporter=verbose

Plugin import memory profile:

pnpm build
pnpm test:extensions:memory -- --top 20 --json .artifacts/test-perf/extensions-memory.json

Targeted plugin import memory:

pnpm test:extensions:memory -- --extension discord --extension telegram --skip-combined

Heap/RSS escalation:

pnpm test:perf:groups \
  --config test/vitest/vitest.unit-fast.config.ts \
  --allow-failures \
  --output .artifacts/test-perf/unit-fast-memory.json
pnpm test:perf:profile:runner -- \
  --output-dir .artifacts/test-perf/vitest-runner-profile -- <file>

Use openclaw-test-heap-leaks when RSS keeps growing across intervals, workers OOM, or the suspect command has app-object retention. Do not call RSS growth a leak until snapshots or retainers support it.

Common Root Causes

• Full bundled channel/plugin runtime loaded for static data.
• getChannelPlugin() fallback used when an already-loaded fixture or pure parser would suffice.
• Broad api.ts, runtime-api.ts, test-api.ts, or plugin-sdk barrels pulled into hot tests.
• SDK root aliases or package barrels pulling focused subpaths back into a broad plugin graph.
• Plugin-inspector loading runtime code just to render metadata, reports, or CI policy scores.
• Bundled plugin capture reusing real config/home state instead of synthetic, redacted, isolated state.
• Partial-real mocks using importActual() around broad modules.
• vi.resetModules() plus fresh imports in per-test loops.
• Test plugin registry seeded in beforeAll while runtime state resets in afterEach.
• Per-test gateway/server/client startup when state reset would suffice.
• Runtime/default model/auth selection paid by idle snapshots or fixtures.
• Plugin-owned media/action discovery triggered before checking whether args contain plugin-owned fields.
• Parallel Vitest runs sharing node_modules/.experimental-vitest-cache without distinct OPENCLAW_VITEST_FS_MODULE_CACHE_PATH values.

Benchmark Commands

Scoped file:

timeout 240 /usr/bin/time -l pnpm test <file> --maxWorkers=1 --reporter=verbose

Scoped file with import breakdown:

timeout 240 /usr/bin/time -l env \
  OPENCLAW_VITEST_IMPORT_DURATIONS=1 \
  OPENCLAW_VITEST_PRINT_IMPORT_BREAKDOWN=1 \
  pnpm test <file> --maxWorkers=1 --reporter=verbose

Grouped suite:

pnpm test:perf:groups --full-suite --allow-failures \
  --output .artifacts/test-perf/<name>.json

Extension batch:

pnpm test:extensions:batch <plugin[,plugin...]> -- --reporter=verbose

All extension tests:

pnpm test:extensions

Package-boundary plugin checks:

pnpm run test:extensions:package-boundary:canary
pnpm run test:extensions:package-boundary:compile

Reuse an existing Vitest JSON report:

pnpm test:perf:groups --report <vitest-json> \
  --output .artifacts/test-perf/<name>.json

Verification

• Always run the targeted test surface that proves the change.
• Source changes: focused local tests + targeted typecheck/lint/format before push; pnpm check:changed optional. PR CI = broad proof. Testbox only for CI/local gaps, immediate grant; warmed Testbox reuse when selected.
• For test-only changes, run pnpm test:changed or the exact edited tests.
• Run pnpm build when touching lazy-loading, bundled artifacts, package boundaries, dynamic imports, build output, or public surfaces.
• For plugin SDK/barrel/runtime changes, compare exact commits with pnpm plugin-sdk:api:diff -- --base <base-sha> --head <head-sha> when the public API surface may drift. For PR-local proof, use the branch merge base as <base-sha> and the exact tested head commit as <head-sha>.
• For plugin-suite perf fixes, verify at least one representative plugin batch plus the changed gate; use Package Acceptance if the bug only exists in a packed artifact.
• If deps are missing/stale, run pnpm install and retry the exact failed command once.
• Use the report format:

| Metric         | Before |  After |          Gain |
| -------------- | -----: | -----: | ------------: |
| File wall time |   `Xs` |   `Ys` |  `-Zs` (`P%`) |
| Max RSS        |  `XMB` |  `YMB` | `-ZMB` (`P%`) |
| CPU user/sys   | `X/Ys` | `A/Bs` |       explain |

Handoff

Keep the final concise:

• Root cause.
• Suite/plugin scope.
• Files changed.
• Before/after wall, Vitest/import, CPU, and RSS numbers where available.
• Leak classification if memory was involved: real leak, retained module graph, or inconclusive.
• Coverage retained.
• Verification commands.
• Testbox ID or workflow URL for remote proof.
• Commit hash and push status.