2026-07-17 · NextClaw v0.25.0

Published: 2026-07-17 Tags: release npm minor

NextClaw v0.25.0 is an npm stable minor update. This release makes chat results feel more like workspace material instead of disconnected text blocks: charts, HTML previews, file references, panel apps, and tool results can stay inside the same task flow more naturally. The desktop app also keeps checking for updates while it is running, reducing the chance that an older app misses a newly published version.

Features

• File and directory references in chat now support directory navigation and project-wide search. Sent file, directory, skill, and panel-app tokens render as compact links.
• Added an experimental UI injection hook. Advanced users and community tools can place ui-inject.js in the NextClaw data directory, refresh the desktop or browser page, and run custom interface scripts; removing the file and refreshing restores the default UI.
• Added the Skin Studio skill and Marketplace catalog support for distributing reusable interface skins and resources as skills.

Enhancements

• HTML previews no longer show a filename or card border, resize with the page content, and expose side-panel preview plus source actions on hover.
• Mermaid diagrams are steadier in history and streaming replies: old sessions no longer flash source code first, streaming diagrams progressively render valid frames, and the previous frame stays visible during updates.
• Skill Marketplace now handles recent-update sorting, catalog refresh, total counts, and older install records more reliably, so historical install types do not break the end of infinite scrolling.
• The desktop app periodically checks whether an update check is needed while it is running, and catches up when the window regains focus or the system resumes. Disabling automatic checks still prevents background requests.

Fixes

• Context compaction now keeps using the selected model for the current session. Failed compaction requests no longer leave half-finished state, so switching to an available model can continue the session directly.
• On narrow screens, opening an existing session from the session list no longer occasionally shows an empty history. The session detail title can also search and switch sessions directly.
• Attachments, workspace file previews, and inline content expansion behave more consistently, reducing cases where content opens in the wrong surface.

Defaults and Compatibility

• No manual migration is required.
• NPM users can continue through the stable update path or reinstall nextclaw@latest to get this release.
• ui-inject.js is an experimental advanced capability. It does not promise security, DOM stability, or cross-version compatibility, and users who do not customize the UI can ignore it.
• Desktop background update checks still respect the automatic-check setting. When it is off, focus or system-resume events do not trigger background requests.