OpenClaw v2026.4.22: Voice Transcription, WhatsApp Prompts & Opus 4.7
OpenClaw v2026.4.22 landed on April 23, 2026 with a set of changes that matter directly to B2B sales teams: real-time voice call transcription, per-group WhatsApp system prompts, mailbox-style session labels, a bundled Tencent Cloud plugin, and access to Claude Opus 4.7 via Amazon Bedrock. Here is everything you need to know and how to act on it today.
What Is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent gateway that connects large language models to messaging channels — WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, WeChat, email — with a plugin system for providers, tools, and workflows. B2B export companies use it as the backbone of their AI SDR agents: qualifying leads, sending proposals, following up across time zones, and closing pipeline without a human touching every conversation.
The B2B SDR Agent Template wraps OpenClaw with a production-ready 7-layer context system (identity, soul, memory, tools, heartbeat, user profile, agents) and ships with a one-line installer:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iPythoning/b2b-sdr-agent-template/main/install.sh | bash
Key Changes in v2026.4.22
1. Voice Call Streaming Transcription
Every inbound and outbound voice call is now transcribed in real-time via Deepgram, ElevenLabs, or Mistral — your choice of provider. Transcripts are available to the agent immediately after the call ends.
What this means for B2B SDR teams:
- Automatic call summaries and CRM log entries, zero manual note-taking
- Objection detection across your entire call volume — not just the calls a manager happened to monitor
- Voice follow-up sequences that reference what was actually said, not what the rep remembered
This is a breakthrough for export companies running SDR agents that handle both chat (WhatsApp/Telegram) and voice. The same agent now has full context for both.
2. Per-Group WhatsApp systemPrompt Forwarding
Each WhatsApp group or direct conversation can now carry its own systemPrompt config. Previously, a single system prompt governed all WhatsApp interactions from one deployment.
Practical application:
| Segment | systemPrompt focus |
|---|---|
| Cold outbound group | Short, curiosity-driving, light qualification |
| Warm inbound leads | Detailed product knowledge, price anchoring |
| VIP accounts | White-glove tone, executive references |
| Post-sale support | FAQ-first, escalation triggers |
A single OpenClaw deployment now handles all four contexts without separate instances or complex routing logic.
3. Mailbox-Style Session Filtering with Labels
Sessions can be tagged with labels and searched from a unified mailbox view. For high-volume SDR operations receiving hundreds of WhatsApp and Telegram messages daily:
- Label by pipeline stage:
cold → warm → proposal → negotiation → closed - Filter by account or product line
- Surface stale threads that haven't had a reply in N days
- Hand off labeled sessions cleanly between operators
This turns the agent gateway into a proper sales inbox — not just a chatbot console.
4. Tencent Cloud Bundled Plugin + TokenHub
The Tencent Cloud provider (Hunyuan LLM models + COS object storage) ships as a first-party bundled plugin with TokenHub credential management.
Why this matters for China-market B2B teams:
- Run a fully domestic AI stack: Hunyuan for conversation, COS for document storage, WeChat for delivery
- No data crossing international borders — important for customers in regulated industries
- TokenHub centralizes credential rotation for multi-tenant deployments
5. Claude Opus 4.7 via Amazon Bedrock Mantle
The latest and most capable Claude model is now available through the Amazon Bedrock Mantle provider. Opus 4.7 brings stronger reasoning, longer effective context, and better multi-step negotiation handling compared to Sonnet.
For SDR agents handling complex B2B deals — custom pricing, long procurement cycles, multi-stakeholder buying committees — Opus 4.7 is a meaningful upgrade for closing quality.
6. Enhanced OpenAI Responses with Native Web Search
The OpenAI Responses API integration now automatically activates the web_search tool when available. SDR agents can pull real-time company news, market data, and industry updates into conversations without any additional tool configuration.
Example: A prospect mentions their competitor just raised funding. Your agent can immediately surface the news and reframe your value proposition accordingly — in the same conversation, in real time.
7. Auto-Install Missing Plugins on First Setup
Required provider and channel plugins are detected and installed automatically during the initial setup wizard. The setup path is now:
- Run
install.sh - Follow the onboarding wizard
- Missing plugins auto-install
No more hunting for plugin names or running manual install commands.
8. Reasoning Models Default to Medium Thinking Level
The implicit thinking level for reasoning models (o3, o4-mini, etc.) is raised from low to medium by default. More thorough internal reasoning on complex queries, with no config change required.
Upgrade Guide
From v2026.4.21 (last release)
No breaking changes. Standard upgrade:
# Pull latest OpenClaw
openclaw update
# Verify plugins
openclaw doctor
# Reload configuration
openclaw reload
Configure Per-Group WhatsApp Prompts
In your openclaw.json channel config for WhatsApp:
{
"channels": {
"whatsapp": {
"groups": {
"+1234567890-group-id": {
"systemPrompt": "You are an SDR focused on cold qualification. Keep responses under 3 sentences..."
}
}
}
}
}
Enable Voice Transcription
{
"voice": {
"transcription": {
"provider": "deepgram",
"model": "nova-3",
"language": "en-US"
}
}
}
Comparison: Manual SDR vs. AI SDR on OpenClaw v2026.4.22
| Capability | Manual SDR | AI SDR on OpenClaw v2026.4.22 |
|---|---|---|
| Call transcription | Manual notes | Automatic, real-time (Deepgram/ElevenLabs/Mistral) |
| WhatsApp persona per segment | Separate accounts | Per-group systemPrompt in one deployment |
| Pipeline inbox management | CRM + chat app switching | Labels + search in unified gateway |
| China market AI stack | Separate vendor setup | Bundled Tencent Cloud + TokenHub |
| AI model quality | Fixed | Swap to Claude Opus 4.7 in one config line |
| Real-time market intel | Google then copy-paste | Native web_search in conversation |
| Setup time | Days | 5 minutes with install.sh |
FAQ
Does voice transcription work with WhatsApp voice messages? Yes. WhatsApp voice notes are routed through the same transcription pipeline as voice calls, giving your agent full context from audio messages.
Can I use different AI models per WhatsApp group?
Yes. The per-group config supports modelId alongside systemPrompt, so your VIP account group can use Opus 4.7 while cold outbound groups use a faster, cheaper model.
Is the Tencent Cloud plugin available for self-hosted deployments? Yes, it ships as a bundled plugin in v2026.4.22 and works with self-hosted OpenClaw. TokenHub integration is optional.
Do I need a Bedrock account to use Claude Opus 4.7? Yes — you need AWS credentials with Bedrock access and the relevant model enabled in your region. The Mantle provider handles the API abstraction.
What languages does voice transcription support? Depends on provider: Deepgram Nova-3 supports 30+ languages; ElevenLabs and Mistral have their own language coverage. Configure per deployment.
Get Started
OpenClaw v2026.4.22 ships in the B2B SDR Agent Template today. To deploy your AI SDR in 5 minutes:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iPythoning/b2b-sdr-agent-template/main/install.sh | bash
Or sign up for a managed deployment at pulseagent.io/app — no server required.
Explore more:
- WhatsApp Sales Automation — Per-group prompts, broadcast sequences, voice follow-up
- AI SDR for B2B Export — Full pipeline from lead capture to close
- Telegram Lead Generation — Group and channel-based inbound qualification
- Multi-Channel Sales Pipeline — WhatsApp + Telegram + email in one agent
- AI Sales Agent for Manufacturing — Complex catalogs, custom quotes, technical objections
See full release notes on GitHub. View all changes in the B2B SDR Agent Template CHANGELOG.