Docs: clarify plugin target resolution and directories

docs/tools/plugin.md

@@ -1140,6 +1140,54 @@ authoring plugins:
   `openclaw/plugin-sdk/twitch`, `openclaw/plugin-sdk/voice-call`,
   `openclaw/plugin-sdk/zalo`, and `openclaw/plugin-sdk/zalouser`.
 
+## Channel target resolution
+
+Channel plugins should own channel-specific target semantics. Keep the shared
+outbound host generic and use the messaging adapter surface for provider rules:
+
+- `messaging.inferTargetChatType({ to })` decides whether a normalized target
+  should be treated as `direct`, `group`, or `channel` before directory lookup.
+- `messaging.targetResolver.looksLikeId(raw, normalized)` tells core whether an
+  input should skip straight to id-like resolution instead of directory search.
+- `messaging.targetResolver.resolveTarget(...)` is the plugin fallback when
+  core needs a final provider-owned resolution after normalization or after a
+  directory miss.
+- `messaging.resolveOutboundSessionRoute(...)` owns provider-specific session
+  route construction once a target is resolved.
+
+Recommended split:
+
+- Use `inferTargetChatType` for category decisions that should happen before
+  searching peers/groups.
+- Use `looksLikeId` for “treat this as an explicit/native target id” checks.
+- Use `resolveTarget` for provider-specific normalization fallback, not for
+  broad directory search.
+- Keep provider-native ids like chat ids, thread ids, JIDs, handles, and room
+  ids inside `target` values or provider-specific params, not in generic SDK
+  fields.
+
+## Config-backed directories
+
+Plugins that derive directory entries from config should keep that logic in the
+plugin and reuse the shared helpers from
+`openclaw/plugin-sdk/directory-runtime`.
+
+Use this when a channel needs config-backed peers/groups such as:
+
+- allowlist-driven DM peers
+- configured channel/group maps
+- account-scoped static directory fallbacks
+
+The shared helpers in `directory-runtime` only handle generic operations:
+
+- query filtering
+- limit application
+- deduping/normalization helpers
+- building `ChannelDirectoryEntry[]`
+
+Channel-specific account inspection and id normalization should stay in the
+plugin implementation.
+
 ## Provider catalogs
 
 Provider plugins can define model catalogs for inference with

src/channels/plugins/types.core.ts

@@ -392,6 +392,10 @@ export type ChannelMessagingAdapter = {
     threadId?: string | number;
     chatType?: ChatType;
   } | null;
+  /**
+   * Lightweight chat-type inference used before directory lookup so plugins can
+   * steer peer-vs-group resolution without reimplementing host search flow.
+   */
   inferTargetChatType?: (params: { to: string }) => ChatType | undefined;
   buildCrossContextComponents?: ChannelCrossContextComponentsFactory;
   enableInteractiveReplies?: (params: {
@@ -402,6 +406,10 @@ export type ChannelMessagingAdapter = {
   targetResolver?: {
     looksLikeId?: (raw: string, normalized?: string) => boolean;
     hint?: string;
+    /**
+     * Plugin-owned fallback for explicit/native targets or post-directory-miss
+     * resolution. This should complement directory lookup, not duplicate it.
+     */
     resolveTarget?: (params: {
       cfg: OpenClawConfig;
       accountId?: string | null;
@@ -420,6 +428,10 @@ export type ChannelMessagingAdapter = {
     display?: string;
     kind?: ChannelDirectoryEntryKind;
   }) => string;
+  /**
+   * Provider-specific session-route builder used after target resolution.
+   * Keep session-key orchestration in core and channel-native routing rules here.
+   */
   resolveOutboundSessionRoute?: (params: {
     cfg: OpenClawConfig;
     agentId: string;