diff --git a/src/commands/channels/capabilities.test.ts b/src/commands/channels/capabilities.test.ts
index f907ac4ca0e..6752924b9a5 100644
--- a/src/commands/channels/capabilities.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/channels/capabilities.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ import { channelsCapabilitiesCommand } from "./capabilities.js";
 
 const logs: string[] = [];
 const errors: string[] = [];
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  writeConfigFile: vi.fn(),
+  resolveInstallableChannelPlugin: vi.fn(),
+}));
 
 vi.mock("./shared.js", () => ({
   requireValidConfig: vi.fn(async () => ({ channels: {} })),
@@ -20,6 +24,18 @@ vi.mock("../../channels/plugins/index.js", () => ({
   getChannelPlugin: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+vi.mock("../../config/config.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../../config/config.js")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    writeConfigFile: mocks.writeConfigFile,
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock("../channel-setup/channel-plugin-resolution.js", () => ({
+  resolveInstallableChannelPlugin: mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin,
+}));
+
 const runtime = {
   log: (...args: unknown[]) => {
     logs.push(args.map(String).join(" "));
@@ -77,6 +93,11 @@ describe("channelsCapabilitiesCommand", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     resetOutput();
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.writeConfigFile.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin.mockResolvedValue({
+      cfg: { channels: {} },
+      configChanged: false,
+    });
   });
 
   it("prints Slack bot + user scopes when user token is configured", async () => {
@@ -106,6 +127,12 @@ describe("channelsCapabilitiesCommand", () => {
     };
     vi.mocked(listChannelPlugins).mockReturnValue([plugin]);
     vi.mocked(getChannelPlugin).mockReturnValue(plugin);
+    mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin.mockResolvedValue({
+      cfg: { channels: {} },
+      channelId: "slack",
+      plugin,
+      configChanged: false,
+    });
 
     await channelsCapabilitiesCommand({ channel: "slack" }, runtime);
 
@@ -139,6 +166,12 @@ describe("channelsCapabilitiesCommand", () => {
     };
     vi.mocked(listChannelPlugins).mockReturnValue([plugin]);
     vi.mocked(getChannelPlugin).mockReturnValue(plugin);
+    mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin.mockResolvedValue({
+      cfg: { channels: {} },
+      channelId: "msteams",
+      plugin,
+      configChanged: false,
+    });
 
     await channelsCapabilitiesCommand({ channel: "msteams" }, runtime);
 
@@ -146,4 +179,41 @@ describe("channelsCapabilitiesCommand", () => {
     expect(output).toContain("ChannelMessage.Read.All (channel history)");
     expect(output).toContain("Files.Read.All (files (OneDrive))");
   });
+
+  it("installs an explicit optional channel before rendering capabilities", async () => {
+    const plugin = buildPlugin({
+      id: "whatsapp",
+      probe: { ok: true },
+    });
+    plugin.status = {
+      ...plugin.status,
+      formatCapabilitiesProbe: () => [{ text: "Probe: linked" }],
+    };
+    mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin.mockResolvedValue({
+      cfg: {
+        channels: {},
+        plugins: { entries: { whatsapp: { enabled: true } } },
+      },
+      channelId: "whatsapp",
+      plugin,
+      configChanged: true,
+    });
+    vi.mocked(listChannelPlugins).mockReturnValue([]);
+    vi.mocked(getChannelPlugin).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+
+    await channelsCapabilitiesCommand({ channel: "whatsapp" }, runtime);
+
+    expect(mocks.resolveInstallableChannelPlugin).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        rawChannel: "whatsapp",
+        allowInstall: true,
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(mocks.writeConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        plugins: { entries: { whatsapp: { enabled: true } } },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(logs.join("\n")).toContain("Probe: linked");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/commands/channels/capabilities.ts b/src/commands/channels/capabilities.ts
index eccd96824da..d2165eb284d 100644
--- a/src/commands/channels/capabilities.ts
+++ b/src/commands/channels/capabilities.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { resolveChannelDefaultAccountId } from "../../channels/plugins/helpers.js";
-import { getChannelPlugin, listChannelPlugins } from "../../channels/plugins/index.js";
+import { listChannelPlugins } from "../../channels/plugins/index.js";
 import {
   createMessageActionDiscoveryContext,
   resolveMessageActionDiscoveryForPlugin,
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ import type {
   ChannelCapabilitiesDisplayLine,
   ChannelPlugin,
 } from "../../channels/plugins/types.js";
-import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import { writeConfigFile, type OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import { danger } from "../../globals.js";
 import { defaultRuntime, type RuntimeEnv } from "../../runtime.js";
 import { theme } from "../../terminal/theme.js";
+import { resolveInstallableChannelPlugin } from "../channel-setup/channel-plugin-resolution.js";
 import { formatChannelAccountLabel, requireValidConfig } from "./shared.js";
 
 export type ChannelsCapabilitiesOptions = {
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export type ChannelsCapabilitiesOptions = {
 };
 
 type ChannelCapabilitiesReport = {
+  plugin: ChannelPlugin;
   channel: string;
   accountId: string;
   accountName?: string;
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ async function resolveChannelReports(params: {
     );
 
     reports.push({
+      plugin,
       channel: plugin.id,
       accountId,
       accountName:
@@ -204,10 +207,11 @@ export async function channelsCapabilitiesCommand(
   opts: ChannelsCapabilitiesOptions,
   runtime: RuntimeEnv = defaultRuntime,
 ) {
-  const cfg = await requireValidConfig(runtime);
-  if (!cfg) {
+  const loadedCfg = await requireValidConfig(runtime);
+  if (!loadedCfg) {
     return;
   }
+  let cfg = loadedCfg;
   const timeoutMs = normalizeTimeout(opts.timeout, 10_000);
   const rawChannel = typeof opts.channel === "string" ? opts.channel.trim().toLowerCase() : "";
   const rawTarget = typeof opts.target === "string" ? opts.target.trim() : "";
@@ -227,12 +231,18 @@ export async function channelsCapabilitiesCommand(
   const selected =
     !rawChannel || rawChannel === "all"
       ? plugins
-      : (() => {
-          const plugin = getChannelPlugin(rawChannel);
-          if (!plugin) {
-            return null;
+      : await (async () => {
+          const resolved = await resolveInstallableChannelPlugin({
+            cfg,
+            runtime,
+            rawChannel,
+            allowInstall: true,
+          });
+          if (resolved.configChanged) {
+            cfg = resolved.cfg;
+            await writeConfigFile(cfg);
           }
-          return [plugin];
+          return resolved.plugin ? [resolved.plugin] : null;
         })();
 
   if (!selected || selected.length === 0) {
@@ -280,7 +290,7 @@ export async function channelsCapabilitiesCommand(
       lines.push(`Status: ${configuredLabel}, ${enabledLabel}`);
     }
     const probeLines =
-      getChannelPlugin(report.channel)?.status?.formatCapabilitiesProbe?.({
+      report.plugin.status?.formatCapabilitiesProbe?.({
         probe: report.probe,
       }) ?? formatGenericProbeLines(report.probe);
     if (probeLines.length > 0) {