fix: suppress raw API error payloads (#924) (thanks @grp06)

Co-authored-by: George Pickett <gpickett00@gmail.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 ### Fixes
 - Embedded runner: suppress raw API error payloads from replies. (#924) — thanks @grp06.
+
 ## 2026.1.14
 
 ### Changes

src/agents/pi-embedded-helpers.formatassistanterrortext.test.ts

@@ -33,4 +33,10 @@ describe("formatAssistantErrorText", () => {
       "The AI service is temporarily overloaded. Please try again in a moment.",
     );
   });
+  it("suppresses raw error JSON payloads that are not otherwise classified", () => {
+    const msg = makeAssistantError(
+      '{"type":"error","error":{"message":"Something exploded","type":"server_error"}}',
+    );
+    expect(formatAssistantErrorText(msg)).toBe("The AI service returned an error. Please try again.");
+  });
 });

src/agents/pi-embedded-helpers.ts

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export {
 export {
   classifyFailoverReason,
   formatAssistantErrorText,
+  getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint,
   isAuthAssistantError,
   isAuthErrorMessage,
   isBillingAssistantError,
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ export {
   isFailoverAssistantError,
   isFailoverErrorMessage,
   isOverloadedErrorMessage,
+  isRawApiErrorPayload,
   isRateLimitAssistantError,
   isRateLimitErrorMessage,
   isTimeoutErrorMessage,

src/agents/pi-embedded-helpers/errors.ts

@@ -30,6 +30,76 @@ export function isCompactionFailureError(errorMessage?: string): boolean {
   );
 }
 
+const ERROR_PAYLOAD_PREFIX_RE =
+  /^(?:error|api\s*error|apierror|openai\s*error|anthropic\s*error|gateway\s*error)[:\s-]+/i;
+
+type ErrorPayload = Record<string, unknown>;
+
+function isErrorPayloadObject(payload: unknown): payload is ErrorPayload {
+  if (!payload || typeof payload !== "object" || Array.isArray(payload)) return false;
+  const record = payload as ErrorPayload;
+  if (record.type === "error") return true;
+  if (typeof record.request_id === "string" || typeof record.requestId === "string") return true;
+  if ("error" in record) {
+    const err = record.error;
+    if (err && typeof err === "object" && !Array.isArray(err)) {
+      const errRecord = err as ErrorPayload;
+      if (
+        typeof errRecord.message === "string" ||
+        typeof errRecord.type === "string" ||
+        typeof errRecord.code === "string"
+      ) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+function parseApiErrorPayload(raw: string): ErrorPayload | null {
+  if (!raw) return null;
+  const trimmed = raw.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return null;
+  const candidates = [trimmed];
+  if (ERROR_PAYLOAD_PREFIX_RE.test(trimmed)) {
+    candidates.push(trimmed.replace(ERROR_PAYLOAD_PREFIX_RE, "").trim());
+  }
+  for (const candidate of candidates) {
+    if (!candidate.startsWith("{") || !candidate.endsWith("}")) continue;
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(candidate) as unknown;
+      if (isErrorPayloadObject(parsed)) return parsed;
+    } catch {
+      // ignore parse errors
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+function stableStringify(value: unknown): string {
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object") {
+    return JSON.stringify(value) ?? "null";
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(value)) {
+    return `[${value.map((entry) => stableStringify(entry)).join(",")}]`;
+  }
+  const record = value as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const keys = Object.keys(record).sort();
+  const entries = keys.map((key) => `${JSON.stringify(key)}:${stableStringify(record[key])}`);
+  return `{${entries.join(",")}}`;
+}
+
+export function getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint(raw?: string): string | null {
+  if (!raw) return null;
+  const payload = parseApiErrorPayload(raw);
+  if (!payload) return null;
+  return stableStringify(payload);
+}
+
+export function isRawApiErrorPayload(raw?: string): boolean {
+  return getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint(raw) !== null;
+}
+
 export function formatAssistantErrorText(
   msg: AssistantMessage,
   opts?: { cfg?: ClawdbotConfig; sessionKey?: string },
@@ -73,6 +143,10 @@ export function formatAssistantErrorText(
     return "The AI service is temporarily overloaded. Please try again in a moment.";
   }
 
+  if (isRawApiErrorPayload(raw)) {
+    return "The AI service returned an error. Please try again.";
+  }
+
   return raw.length > 600 ? `${raw.slice(0, 600)}…` : raw;
 }
 

src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/payloads.test.ts

@@ -3,15 +3,27 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { buildEmbeddedRunPayloads } from "./payloads.js";
 
 describe("buildEmbeddedRunPayloads", () => {
-  it("suppresses raw API error JSON when the assistant errored", () => {
+  const errorJson =
-    const errorJson =
       '{"type":"error","error":{"details":null,"type":"overloaded_error","message":"Overloaded"},"request_id":"req_011CX7DwS7tSvggaNHmefwWg"}';
-    const lastAssistant = {
+  const errorJsonPretty = `{
+  "type": "error",
+  "error": {
+    "details": null,
+    "type": "overloaded_error",
+    "message": "Overloaded"
+  },
+  "request_id": "req_011CX7DwS7tSvggaNHmefwWg"
+}`;
+  const makeAssistant = (overrides: Partial<AssistantMessage>): AssistantMessage =>
+    ({
       stopReason: "error",
       errorMessage: errorJson,
       content: [{ type: "text", text: errorJson }],
-    } as AssistantMessage;
+      ...overrides,
+    }) as AssistantMessage;
 
+  it("suppresses raw API error JSON when the assistant errored", () => {
+    const lastAssistant = makeAssistant({});
     const payloads = buildEmbeddedRunPayloads({
       assistantTexts: [errorJson],
       toolMetas: [],
@@ -29,4 +41,74 @@ describe("buildEmbeddedRunPayloads", () => {
     expect(payloads[0]?.isError).toBe(true);
     expect(payloads.some((payload) => payload.text === errorJson)).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  it("suppresses pretty-printed error JSON that differs from the errorMessage", () => {
+    const lastAssistant = makeAssistant({ errorMessage: errorJson });
+    const payloads = buildEmbeddedRunPayloads({
+      assistantTexts: [errorJsonPretty],
+      toolMetas: [],
+      lastAssistant,
+      sessionKey: "session:telegram",
+      inlineToolResultsAllowed: true,
+      verboseLevel: "on",
+      reasoningLevel: "off",
+    });
+
+    expect(payloads).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(payloads[0]?.text).toBe(
+      "The AI service is temporarily overloaded. Please try again in a moment.",
+    );
+    expect(payloads.some((payload) => payload.text === errorJsonPretty)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("suppresses raw error JSON from fallback assistant text", () => {
+    const lastAssistant = makeAssistant({ content: [{ type: "text", text: errorJsonPretty }] });
+    const payloads = buildEmbeddedRunPayloads({
+      assistantTexts: [],
+      toolMetas: [],
+      lastAssistant,
+      sessionKey: "session:telegram",
+      inlineToolResultsAllowed: false,
+      verboseLevel: "off",
+      reasoningLevel: "off",
+    });
+
+    expect(payloads).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(payloads[0]?.text).toBe(
+      "The AI service is temporarily overloaded. Please try again in a moment.",
+    );
+    expect(payloads.some((payload) => payload.text?.includes("request_id"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("suppresses raw error JSON even when errorMessage is missing", () => {
+    const lastAssistant = makeAssistant({ errorMessage: undefined });
+    const payloads = buildEmbeddedRunPayloads({
+      assistantTexts: [errorJsonPretty],
+      toolMetas: [],
+      lastAssistant,
+      sessionKey: "session:telegram",
+      inlineToolResultsAllowed: false,
+      verboseLevel: "off",
+      reasoningLevel: "off",
+    });
+
+    expect(payloads).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(payloads[0]?.isError).toBe(true);
+    expect(payloads.some((payload) => payload.text?.includes("request_id"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not suppress error-shaped JSON when the assistant did not error", () => {
+    const payloads = buildEmbeddedRunPayloads({
+      assistantTexts: [errorJsonPretty],
+      toolMetas: [],
+      lastAssistant: { stopReason: "end_turn" } as AssistantMessage,
+      sessionKey: "session:telegram",
+      inlineToolResultsAllowed: false,
+      verboseLevel: "off",
+      reasoningLevel: "off",
+    });
+
+    expect(payloads).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(payloads[0]?.text).toBe(errorJsonPretty.trim());
+  });
 });

src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/run/payloads.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@ import type { ReasoningLevel, VerboseLevel } from "../../../auto-reply/thinking.
 import { isSilentReplyText, SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN } from "../../../auto-reply/tokens.js";
 import { formatToolAggregate } from "../../../auto-reply/tool-meta.js";
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../../config/config.js";
-import { formatAssistantErrorText } from "../../pi-embedded-helpers.js";
+import {
+  formatAssistantErrorText,
+  getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint,
+  isRawApiErrorPayload,
+  normalizeTextForComparison,
+} from "../../pi-embedded-helpers.js";
 import {
   extractAssistantText,
   extractAssistantThinking,
@@ -42,16 +47,20 @@ export function buildEmbeddedRunPayloads(params: {
     replyToCurrent?: boolean;
   }> = [];
 
+  const lastAssistantErrored = params.lastAssistant?.stopReason === "error";
   const errorText = params.lastAssistant
     ? formatAssistantErrorText(params.lastAssistant, {
         cfg: params.config,
         sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
       })
     : undefined;
-  const rawErrorMessage =
+  const rawErrorMessage = lastAssistantErrored
-    params.lastAssistant?.stopReason === "error"
+    ? params.lastAssistant?.errorMessage?.trim() || undefined
-      ? params.lastAssistant.errorMessage?.trim() || undefined
+    : undefined;
-      : undefined;
+  const rawErrorFingerprint = rawErrorMessage
+    ? getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint(rawErrorMessage)
+    : null;
+  const normalizedRawErrorText = rawErrorMessage ? normalizeTextForComparison(rawErrorMessage) : null;
   if (errorText) replyItems.push({ text: errorText, isError: true });
 
   const inlineToolResults =
@@ -87,13 +96,28 @@ export function buildEmbeddedRunPayloads(params: {
   if (reasoningText) replyItems.push({ text: reasoningText });
 
   const fallbackAnswerText = params.lastAssistant ? extractAssistantText(params.lastAssistant) : "";
+  const shouldSuppressRawErrorText = (text: string) => {
+    if (!lastAssistantErrored) return false;
+    const trimmed = text.trim();
+    if (!trimmed) return false;
+    if (rawErrorMessage && trimmed === rawErrorMessage) return true;
+    if (normalizedRawErrorText) {
+      const normalized = normalizeTextForComparison(trimmed);
+      if (normalized && normalized === normalizedRawErrorText) return true;
+    }
+    if (rawErrorFingerprint) {
+      const fingerprint = getApiErrorPayloadFingerprint(trimmed);
+      if (fingerprint && fingerprint === rawErrorFingerprint) return true;
+    }
+    return isRawApiErrorPayload(trimmed);
+  };
   const answerTexts = (
     params.assistantTexts.length
       ? params.assistantTexts
       : fallbackAnswerText
         ? [fallbackAnswerText]
         : []
-  ).filter((text) => (rawErrorMessage ? text.trim() !== rawErrorMessage : true));
+  ).filter((text) => !shouldSuppressRawErrorText(text));
 
   for (const text of answerTexts) {
     const {