Callback queries from custom skills are received but not routed to agent (skills can't handle button taps)

[adolfousier]

Problem

Inline keyboard buttons sent by custom skills (e.g. earbot: prefix) are received by the backend but silently dropped. The callback handler in src/channels/telegram/agent.rs only recognizes specific hardcoded prefixes (followup:, setup:, provider:, model:, allm:, session:, q:, cd:sel:, cd:pg:, prof:*, plan:*, approve:/always:/yolo:/deny:). Unrecognized prefixes fall through without:

1. Calling answer_callback_query (button shows infinite loading spinner until Telegram timeout)
2. Routing the callback data to the agent as a message turn (skill never sees the user's tap)

Evidence (from logs)

20:29:44.199  INFO  Telegram callback query received: data=earbot:C
20:29:44.199  WARN  Telegram: unknown callback data: earbot:C
20:29:45.087  INFO  Telegram callback query received: data=earbot:E
20:29:45.087  WARN  Telegram: unknown callback data: earbot:E
20:29:45.762  INFO  Telegram callback query received: data=earbot:G
20:29:45.762  WARN  Telegram: unknown callback data: earbot:G
20:29:46.418  INFO  Telegram callback query received: data=earbot:F
20:29:46.418  WARN  Telegram: unknown callback data: earbot:F

All 4 button taps received, all silently dropped. User saw infinite spinner on each tap.

Impact

• Any skill that sends inline buttons with custom callback_data will have non-functional buttons
• This blocks the earbot skill demo and any future skill that needs interactive inline keyboards
• Users get zero feedback (spinner forever) which looks like a bug

Proposed Fix

Two-part:

1. Catch-all answer_callback_query (immediate UX fix)

At the end of the callback data chain in agent.rs, add a catch-all that calls answer_callback_query with an empty response so the spinner is dismissed. At minimum this gives users feedback that the tap was received.

2. Route unrecognized callbacks to agent as synthetic messages (proper fix)

For callback data that doesn't match any built-in prefix, inject it as a synthetic user message (e.g. [callback:earbot:C]) into the agent turn. This lets skills handle their own button taps without the core needing to know about every prefix.

Files

• src/channels/telegram/agent.rs (callback handler chain, ~line 259-1372)

[adolfousier]

Correction

Audit found the catch-all at the end of the callback chain DOES call (line ~1311), so the spinner IS dismissed. My earlier claim about infinite spinner was wrong, apologies.

The actual gap is: unrecognized callback data is acknowledged but never routed to the agent. The callback is received, the spinner goes away, but the data is dropped. No message, no response, no way for skills to react to button taps.

Fix (in progress)

Changed the catch-all block in to:

1. Echo the tapped button as a quoted message in the chat (visible record of the user's choice)
2. Resolve the session for that chat via (existing helper)
3. Inject the callback data as a synthetic message:
4. Run to process it as a normal agent turn
5. Deliver the agent's response back to the chat

This means any skill that sends inline buttons with custom will now get the taps routed as agent messages. The skill just needs to detect in the user message and react accordingly.

Running clippy now.

[adolfousier]

Update: Implementation in progress

Fixed the audit error: the catch-all answer_callback_query was already there (spinner dismissed), so the gap is purely about routing, not UI feedback.

The fix (agent.rs):

Modified the unknown-callback catch-all to route unrecognized callback data to the agent as a synthetic message:

1. Echo the tapped button as a quoted message (visible record of the tap)
2. Resolve the active session for the chat via resolve_callback_session
3. Inject [{callback:earbot:C}] as a synthetic user message via run_resume_turn
4. Agent (or skill) sees the callback data and can react accordingly

This follows the exact same pattern the followup handler already uses for followup:* callbacks. Skills that send inline buttons with custom prefixes (e.g. earbot:, quiz:, poll:) will now receive their callbacks as agent turns.

Status: clippy running, tests pending.

[adolfousier]

Fixed in agent.rs. The callback handler already had a catch-all that calls answer_callback_query (spinner dismissed), but unrecognized callback data like earbot:C was dropped silently with no routing to the agent.

Fix: The catch-all now resolves the active session for the chat via resolve_callback_session, echoes the tap as a quoted message (> 🔘 earbot:C), and injects the callback data as a synthetic user message ([callback:earbot:C]) into the agent turn via run_resume_turn. The agent then sees it as a normal message and can react (e.g. grade the earbot guess).

How it works:

• Any callback prefix not in the built-in set (followup:/setup:/provider:/model:/q:/cd:/prof:/plan:/approve:/always:/yolo:/deny:) hits the catch-all
• The catch-all routes it to the agent as [callback:<data>]
• Skills that send their own inline buttons just need a unique prefix (e.g. earbot:) and the router handles the rest

Also updated: skills/earbot/SKILL.md with callback routing docs and in-group demo mode workflow.

Clippy clean, cargo test clean.