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Messages and delivery
Typing indicators
Typing indicators are sent to the chat channel while a run is active. Use agents.defaults.typingMode to control when typing starts and typingIntervalSeconds to control how often it refreshes (keepalive cadence, default 6 seconds).
Defaults
When agents.defaults.typingMode is unset:
- Direct chats: typing starts immediately once the model loop begins.
- Group chats with a mention: typing starts immediately.
- Group chats without a mention: typing starts when the admitted run has user-visible activity, such as harness execution activity or message text.
- Message-tool-only replies: typing starts immediately, even in a group chat without a mention, so members can see the agent working when no automatic final reply is posted. This takes precedence over the group rules above; an explicit
typingModestill wins over it. - Session events: background events suppress typing while their ordinary session turn runs.
Modes
Set agents.defaults.typingMode to one of:
never- no typing indicator, ever.instant- start typing as soon as the model loop begins, even if the run later returns only the silent reply token.thinking- start typing on the first reasoning delta, or on active harness execution after the turn is accepted.message- start typing on the first user-visible reply activity, such as active harness execution or a non-silent text delta. Silent reply tokens such asNO_REPLYdo not count as text activity.
Order of "how early it fires": never -> message/thinking -> instant.
Configuration
Set the agent-level default:
Override the policy for one agent:
Notes
messagemode does not start from silent reply tokens, but active execution can still show typing before any assistant text is available.thinkingstill reacts to streamed reasoning (reasoningLevel: "stream"), and can also start from active execution before reasoning deltas arrive.- Migrated heartbeat monitors use ordinary automation delivery. They no longer have a separate heartbeat typing policy or target.
- Telegram also shows typing while a detached child that owes a visible completion is running, using the originating account, chat, and topic. Typing stops when the child ends or its requester is reset, deleted, or rebound to another route. Quiet children do not start typing.
agents.defaults.typingIntervalSecondscontrols the refresh cadence for every agent, not the start time. Default: 6 seconds.
Related
How the Gateway tracks connected clients for the Control UI Devices page and macOS Instances tab.
Outbound streaming behavior, chunk boundaries, and channel-specific delivery.
Move periodic monitors to editable automation jobs with their own delivery policy.
Group chat behavior and mention gating across group-capable channels.