OpenClaw Discord image analysis fails: “Failed to optimize image”
✅Solved
In a Discord DM, when I send a screenshot (PNG or JPG), functions.image returns “Failed to optimize image”.
This happens even with small images (e.g., 1280px, ~61KB). It worked yesterday.
Steps to reproduce:
Send an image in a Discord DM
Agent calls functions.image
Error: Failed to optimize image
Expected:
Image is processed and text is readable.
Actual:
Error “Failed to optimize image”.
Tried:
PNG → JPG
Smaller resolution
Crop
Still the same error.
Environment:
OpenClaw + Discord. Issue started today; worked yesterday.
This happens even with small images (e.g., 1280px, ~61KB). It worked yesterday.
Steps to reproduce:
Send an image in a Discord DM
Agent calls functions.image
Error: Failed to optimize image
Expected:
Image is processed and text is readable.
Actual:
Error “Failed to optimize image”.
Tried:
PNG → JPG
Smaller resolution
Crop
Still the same error.
Environment:
OpenClaw + Discord. Issue started today; worked yesterday.
Solution
That exact error string is thrown when OpenClaw tries to re-encode/resize the image and every attempt fails (it tries a grid of sizes/qualities). It’ll happen even for a 61KB screenshot because the pipeline currently always runs the optimizer for images, not only when the file is “too big”.
In practice this almost always means the image backend (
(OpenClaw docs require Node >= 22; if you’re on some “current” Node like 24/25,
2) Verify whether
Run this as the same user that runs the Gateway service:
In practice this almost always means the image backend (
sharp1) First: confirm versions
On the machine running the Gateway:(OpenClaw docs require Node >= 22; if you’re on some “current” Node like 24/25,
sharp2) Verify whether sharp
loads
Run this as the same user that runs the Gateway service:sharp
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