Fix for sub-agents not showing up in OpenClaw v2026.3.13

Issue: Sub-agents invisible in v2026.3.13

In OpenClaw version 2026.3.13, some users report that only the main agent appears in the agent list, while custom sub-agents remain invisible. The issue appears to be with automatic path discovery for custom squad members.

Solution: Force-connect method

After analyzing logs, a community member found a reliable workaround involving two configuration changes.

1. Simplify openclaw.json

The 2026.3 parser can fail when the agent list contains extra keys like "path". Keep the list minimal with only "id" values:

"list": [
  { "id": "main", "tools": { "alsoAllow": ["agents_list"], "deny": ["cron"] } },
  { "id": "librarian" },
  { "id": "matrix" }
]

Important: Check trailing commas and brackets. The "list" should end with just ] and then } for the "agents" section.

2. Manual registration via runs.json

If the system doesn't detect your agents, manually register them in your .openclaw/subagents/runs.json (or root runs.json depending on setup). Set their status to "idle" to activate them:

{
  "version": 2,
  "runs": {
    "librarian": {
      "id": "librarian",
      "path": "C:\\Users\\YOUR_USERNAME\\.openclaw\\subagents\\Librarian_Synapse.md",
      "status": "idle"
    }
  }
}

3. Verification

After making these changes, restart your gateway and use the /agents command. Your squad should now appear (e.g., showing "Agents (8)" instead of just 1). You can then delegate tasks using the @agent_name tag.