zulip-platform-plugins/docs/adr/ADR-007-platform-native-contracts.md

ADR 7: Platform-Native Plugin Contracts

Date: 2026-04-28

Decision

Each platform uses its native plugin interface: Hermes BasePlatformAdapter, openclaw extension API, Agent Zero plugin system.

Context

Each platform has matured, battle-tested interfaces for receiving and sending messages. A unified A2A contract would add unnecessary abstraction and latency for local agent communication. Platform-native contracts are reliable, handle connection-state/retry automatically, and follow each platform's established patterns.

Consequences

• Three separate plugin implementations
• Each plugin leverages platform-specific reliability features
• Plugin developers need familiarity with each platform
• Cross-platform @all-bots still works because each bot processes the same Zulip event independently