- Agents/subagents: add optional forked context for native `sessions_spawn` runs so agents can let a child inherit the requester transcript when needed, while keeping clean isolated sessions as the default; includes prompt guidance, context-engine hook metadata, docs, and QA coverage.

- Codex harness: add structured debug logging for embedded harness selection decisions so `/status` stays simple while gateway logs explain auto-selection and Pi fallback reasons. (#70760) Thanks @100yenadmin.

- Dependencies/Pi: update bundled Pi packages to `0.70.0`, use Pi's upstream `gpt-5.5` catalog metadata for OpenAI and OpenAI Codex, and keep only local `gpt-5.5-pro` forward-compat handling.

- Models/CLI: speed up `openclaw models list --all --provider <id>` for bundled providers with safe static catalogs while keeping live and third-party providers on registry discovery. (#70632) Thanks @shakkernerd.

- Models/CLI: avoid broad registry enumeration for default `openclaw models list`, reducing default listing latency while preserving configured-row output. (#70883) Thanks @shakkernerd.

- Models/CLI: split `openclaw models list` row-source orchestration and registry loading into narrower helpers without changing list output behavior. (#70867) Thanks @shakkernerd.

- Codex harness/context-engine: run context-engine bootstrap, assembly, post-turn maintenance, and engine-owned compaction in Codex app-server sessions while keeping native Codex thread state and compaction auditable. (#70809) Thanks @jalehman.

| `kind` | No | `"memory"` \| `"context-engine"` | Declares an exclusive plugin kind used by `plugins.slots.*`. |

| `channels` | No | `string[]` | Channel ids owned by this plugin. Used for discovery and config validation. |

| `providers` | No | `string[]` | Provider ids owned by this plugin. |

| `providerDiscoveryEntry` | No | `string` | Lightweight provider-discovery module path, relative to the plugin root, for manifest-scoped provider catalog metadata that can be loaded without activating the full plugin runtime. |

| `modelSupport` | No | `object` | Manifest-owned shorthand model-family metadata used to auto-load the plugin before runtime. |

| `providerEndpoints` | No | `object[]` | Manifest-owned endpoint host/baseUrl metadata for provider routes that core must classify before provider runtime loads. |

| `cliBackends` | No | `string[]` | CLI inference backend ids owned by this plugin. Used for startup auto-activation from explicit config refs. |

- Native manifests are parsed with JSON5, so comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys are accepted as long as the final value is still an object.

- Only documented manifest fields are read by the manifest loader. Avoid custom top-level keys.

- `channels`, `providers`, `cliBackends`, and `skills` can all be omitted when a plugin does not need them.

- `providerDiscoveryEntry` must stay lightweight and should not import broad runtime code; use it for static provider catalog metadata or narrow discovery descriptors, not request-time execution.

- Exclusive plugin kinds are selected through `plugins.slots.*`: `kind: "memory"` via `plugins.slots.memory`, `kind: "context-engine"` via `plugins.slots.contextEngine` (default `legacy`).

- Env-var metadata (`providerAuthEnvVars`, `channelEnvVars`) is declarative only. Status, audit, cron delivery validation, and other read-only surfaces still apply plugin trust and effective activation policy before treating an env var as configured.

- For runtime wizard metadata that requires provider code, see [Provider runtime hooks](/plugins/architecture-internals#provider-runtime-hooks).