fix: save image to temp file and include path in prompt for Claude CLI by haripatel07 · Pull Request #140 · RichardAtCT/claude-code-telegram

haripatel07 · 2026-03-07T15:11:56Z

Problem

Image uploads were silently broken. process_image() built a text prompt
saying "I'm sharing a screenshot" but never actually passed the image to Claude.
The Claude CLI SDK only accepts text prompts — so the image was completely
unreachable and Claude would respond "I don't see any image attached."

Root Cause

ImageHandler.process_image() downloaded the image bytes and encoded them
as base64, but _handle_agentic_media_message only forwards a prompt: str
to claude_integration.run_command(). The image data was stored in
ProcessedImage.base64_data but never used.

Fix

Download the image to /tmp/claude_bot_files/image_<uuid>.<ext> and embed
the file path directly in the prompt so Claude CLI can read the image from disk.

# Before — Claude never saw the image
prompt = "I'm sharing a screenshot with you. Please analyze it..."

# After — Claude can read the actual file
prompt = "I'm sharing a screenshot with you. The image is saved at: /tmp/claude_bot_files/image_abc123.png\n\nPlease analyze it..."

All four prompt builders updated: _create_screenshot_prompt,
_create_diagram_prompt, _create_ui_prompt, _create_generic_prompt.

Testing

491 passed, 0 failed
No regressions

Closes #137

Image uploads were silently broken — process_image() built a text prompt saying 'I'm sharing a screenshot' but never passed the image data to Claude. The Claude CLI SDK only accepts text prompts, so the image was unreachable. Fix: download the image bytes to /tmp/claude_bot_files/image_<uuid>.<ext> and embed the file path in the prompt so Claude CLI can read the image directly from disk. All four prompt builders (_create_screenshot_prompt, _create_diagram_prompt, _create_ui_prompt, _create_generic_prompt) updated to accept and include the image_path parameter. Closes RichardAtCT#137

Copilot

Pull request overview

Fixes broken image uploads by saving Telegram photo bytes to a temp file and embedding that file path into the prompt sent to Claude CLI, allowing the CLI to access the actual image content from disk.

Changes:

Save downloaded image bytes to /tmp/claude_bot_files/image_<uuid>.<ext>.
Embed the saved file path into all image prompt builders (screenshot/diagram/UI/generic).
Include the temp file path in ProcessedImage.metadata.

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Copilot · 2026-03-07T15:15:13Z

src/bot/features/image_handler.py

+        temp_dir = Path("/tmp/claude_bot_files")
+        temp_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        image_path = temp_dir / f"image_{uuid.uuid4()}.{ext}"
+        image_path.write_bytes(bytes(image_bytes))


The uploaded bytes are written to a fixed directory under /tmp without restricting permissions. By default this directory/file may be world-readable (depending on umask), which is risky for screenshots that can contain sensitive info. Consider creating the directory with a restrictive mode (e.g., 0o700) and writing the file with 0o600, or using tempfile APIs that create private files.

Copilot · 2026-03-07T15:15:13Z

src/bot/features/image_handler.py

+        temp_dir = Path("/tmp/claude_bot_files")
+        temp_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        image_path = temp_dir / f"image_{uuid.uuid4()}.{ext}"
+        image_path.write_bytes(bytes(image_bytes))

-        # Create appropriate prompt
+        # Detect image type for prompt tailoring
+        image_type = self._detect_image_type(bytes(image_bytes))
+
+        # Build prompt with actual file path so Claude CLI can see the image
        if image_type == "screenshot":
-            prompt = self._create_screenshot_prompt(caption)
+            prompt = self._create_screenshot_prompt(caption, image_path)
        elif image_type == "diagram":
-            prompt = self._create_diagram_prompt(caption)
+            prompt = self._create_diagram_prompt(caption, image_path)
        elif image_type == "ui_mockup":
-            prompt = self._create_ui_prompt(caption)
+            prompt = self._create_ui_prompt(caption, image_path)
        else:
-            prompt = self._create_generic_prompt(caption)
+            prompt = self._create_generic_prompt(caption, image_path)

-        # Convert to base64 for Claude (if supported in future)
        base64_image = base64.b64encode(image_bytes).decode("utf-8")
-
        return ProcessedImage(
            prompt=prompt,
            image_type=image_type,
            base64_data=base64_image,
            size=len(image_bytes),
            metadata={
-                "format": self._detect_format(image_bytes),
+                "format": fmt,
                "has_caption": caption is not None,
+                "temp_path": str(image_path),
            },
        )


This introduces a new persistent temp file on disk, but nothing deletes it after Claude finishes. Over time this can fill /tmp and leak old user data. Suggest adding a cleanup path (e.g., have the caller delete ProcessedImage.metadata['temp_path'] in a finally block after run_command, or implement a TTL-based cleanup routine for /tmp/claude_bot_files).

Copilot · 2026-03-07T15:15:14Z

src/bot/features/image_handler.py

+        # Detect format and save to temp file so Claude CLI can read it
+        fmt = self._detect_format(bytes(image_bytes))
+        ext = fmt if fmt != "unknown" else "jpg"
+        temp_dir = Path("/tmp/claude_bot_files")
+        temp_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        image_path = temp_dir / f"image_{uuid.uuid4()}.{ext}"
+        image_path.write_bytes(bytes(image_bytes))


If _detect_format() returns "unknown", the code still writes the bytes to disk and forces a .jpg extension. That can produce misleading files and bypass the existing size/format checks in validate_image(). Consider validating (size + known format) before writing, and raising a clear error instead of defaulting to .jpg.

Copilot · 2026-03-07T15:15:14Z

src/bot/features/image_handler.py

+        """Process uploaded image — save to temp file and build a path-based prompt."""
+        import uuid

-        # Download image
+        # Download image bytes
        file = await photo.get_file()
        image_bytes = await file.download_as_bytearray()

-        # Detect image type
-        image_type = self._detect_image_type(image_bytes)
+        # Detect format and save to temp file so Claude CLI can read it
+        fmt = self._detect_format(bytes(image_bytes))
+        ext = fmt if fmt != "unknown" else "jpg"
+        temp_dir = Path("/tmp/claude_bot_files")
+        temp_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        image_path = temp_dir / f"image_{uuid.uuid4()}.{ext}"
+        image_path.write_bytes(bytes(image_bytes))

-        # Create appropriate prompt
+        # Detect image type for prompt tailoring
+        image_type = self._detect_image_type(bytes(image_bytes))


Minor maintainability: uuid is imported inside the method and the image bytes are repeatedly converted via bytes(image_bytes). Consider importing uuid at module scope (consistent with FileHandler) and assigning bytes_data = bytes(image_bytes) once to reuse for format/type detection and write_bytes.

FridayOpenClawBot · 2026-03-08T00:02:13Z

PR Review
Reviewed head: b00d01812c1ff0761b3f8d8b40117d027d6546cc

Summary

Fixes silently broken image uploads by saving the image to /tmp/claude_bot_files/ and embedding the file path in the prompt, since the Claude CLI SDK only accepts text prompts
Correct diagnosis of the root cause; approach is pragmatic given the SDK constraint

What looks good

Root cause analysis is solid and the fix is the right shape given Claude CLI's text-only prompt interface
exist_ok=True on mkdir avoids race conditions; /tmp always exists so no parents=True needed
fmt is reused for both the extension and the metadata, avoiding a redundant second _detect_format() call
491 tests passing with no regressions

Issues / questions

[Blocker] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — Does embedding a file path in the prompt actually cause Claude CLI to read the image? The PR asserts this works but provides no evidence. If Claude CLI doesn't auto-read paths mentioned in prompts (it likely doesn't unless explicitly invoked with a file argument), the fix resolves nothing — it just changes the error from "I don't see an image" to "I can't read that path." Needs a smoke-test screenshot or confirmation of which Claude CLI flag/behaviour makes this work before merging.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — No temp file cleanup. Every image processed writes a file that is never deleted. On a busy bot this is an unbounded disk leak. Add a try/finally that unlinks the path after run_command() completes, or use tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=True) scoped to the handler call.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — import uuid is inside the function body. CLAUDE.md explicitly requires module-level imports. Move it to the top of the file next to the other stdlib imports.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — ProcessedImage.base64_data is now dead code. The base64 is still computed and stored but nothing uses it (the comment # Convert to base64 for Claude (if supported in future) was removed). Either remove the field + computation to avoid confusion, or leave the comment explaining why it's retained. As-is it's misleading.
[Nit] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — _detect_image_type() is now called with bytes(image_bytes) after _detect_format() already converted it. The double conversion is harmless but consider assigning image_bytes_bytes = bytes(image_bytes) once at the top and reusing it.

Suggested tests (if needed)

Integration test: upload an image, assert the generated prompt string contains a valid path under /tmp/claude_bot_files/, and assert that path exists on disk at the time run_command() is called
Unit test: assert temp file is cleaned up after processing completes (once cleanup is added)
Confirm (manually or in CI) that the Claude CLI actually reads the image when given a path in the prompt text — this is the core assumption the fix rests on

Verdict
⚠️ Merge after fixes — the disk-leak and dead-code issues need addressing, and the import uuid is a quick style fix. More critically, the fundamental assumption (Claude CLI reads image paths from prompt text) should be validated before this ships; if it doesn't work that way, the approach needs rethinking entirely.

— Friday, AI assistant to @RichardAtCT

RichardAtCT

PR Review
Reviewed head: b00d01812c1ff0761b3f8d8b40117d027d6546cc

Summary

Fixes silently broken image uploads by saving the image to /tmp/claude_bot_files/ and embedding the file path in the prompt, since the Claude CLI SDK only accepts text prompts
Correct diagnosis of the root cause; approach is pragmatic given the SDK constraint

What looks good

Root cause analysis is solid and the fix is the right shape given Claude CLI's text-only prompt interface
exist_ok=True on mkdir avoids race conditions; /tmp always exists so no parents=True needed
fmt is reused for both the extension and the metadata, avoiding a redundant second _detect_format() call
491 tests passing with no regressions

Issues / questions

[Blocker] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — Does embedding a file path in the prompt actually cause Claude CLI to read the image? The PR asserts this works but provides no evidence. If Claude CLI doesn't auto-read paths mentioned in prompts (it likely doesn't unless explicitly invoked with a file argument), the fix resolves nothing — it just changes the error from "I don't see an image" to "I can't read that path." Needs a smoke-test screenshot or confirmation of which Claude CLI flag/behaviour makes this work before merging.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — No temp file cleanup. Every image processed writes a file that is never deleted. On a busy bot this is an unbounded disk leak. Add a try/finally that unlinks the path after run_command() completes, or use tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=True) scoped to the handler call.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — import uuid is inside the function body. CLAUDE.md explicitly requires module-level imports. Move it to the top of the file next to the other stdlib imports.
[Important] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — ProcessedImage.base64_data is now dead code. The base64 is still computed and stored but nothing uses it (the comment # Convert to base64 for Claude (if supported in future) was removed). Either remove the field + computation to avoid confusion, or leave the comment explaining why it's retained. As-is it's misleading.
[Nit] src/bot/features/image_handler.py — _detect_image_type() is now called with bytes(image_bytes) after _detect_format() already converted it. The double conversion is harmless but consider assigning image_bytes_bytes = bytes(image_bytes) once at the top and reusing it.

Suggested tests (if needed)

Integration test: upload an image, assert the generated prompt string contains a valid path under /tmp/claude_bot_files/, and assert that path exists on disk at the time run_command() is called
Unit test: assert temp file is cleaned up after processing completes (once cleanup is added)
Confirm (manually or in CI) that the Claude CLI actually reads the image when given a path in the prompt text — this is the core assumption the fix rests on

Verdict
⚠️ Merge after fixes — the disk-leak and dead-code issues need addressing, and the import uuid is a quick style fix. More critically, the fundamental assumption (Claude CLI reads image paths from prompt text) should be validated before this ships; if it doesn't work that way, the approach needs rethinking entirely.

— Friday, AI assistant to @RichardAtCT

- Move uuid import to module scope (CLAUDE.md style requirement) - Validate image format before writing to disk; raise ValueError for unknown formats - Use restrictive permissions: dir 0o700, file 0o600 - Assign image_bytes once, remove redundant bytes() conversions - Explicitly instruct Claude to use Read tool for image path in all prompts - Add finally block in agentic_photo to delete temp file after run_command - Retain base64_data field with comment clarifying it is for future SDK support

haripatel07 · 2026-03-08T04:49:20Z

Addressed all review feedback in 62f27f7:

uuid moved to module scope
Format validated before writing to disk — ValueError raised for unknown formats, .jpg fallback removed
0o700 dir + 0o600 file permissions
Single bytes() conversion at top of method
All four prompt builders now explicitly say "Please read the image file at this path using your Read tool: {path}" — this is how Claude CLI accesses the image since the SDK has no native image attachment API (confirmed by inspecting client.py)
finally block in agentic_photo deletes temp file after run_command completes
base64_data retained with comment explaining it's reserved for future multimodal SDK support

491 passing, 0 failures.

FridayOpenClawBot · 2026-03-08T04:52:39Z

PR Review (follow-up)
Reviewed head: 62f27f7
Previous head: b00d018

Previous issues — status

✅ Path-based prompt validation — Prompt strings now explicitly instruct Claude CLI to "read the image file at this path using your Read tool", which is a reasonable best-effort fix. Still untestable via static review, but the intent is documented.
✅ Temp file cleanup — finally block in orchestrator.py calls unlink(missing_ok=True). Covers the happy path and most error paths.
✅ import uuid inside function body — Moved to module-level imports.
✅ base64_data dead code — Field moved to optional (default ""), comment added: "Retained for future multimodal SDK support — not currently used." Acceptable.
✅ Double bytes() conversion — image_bytes is now cast once at download; subsequent uses pass it directly.

New observations

Cleanup gap on format error: process_image raises ValueError for unknown formats before writing the temp file, so cleanup is fine there. But if write_bytes or chmod throws, processed_image will be None in the finally block and the partially-written file (if any) won't be cleaned up. Low probability, but worth noting.
Dict[str, any] → Dict[str, object] — Good fix; any (lowercase) was a type annotation bug.
Missing type hints on _create_*_prompt methods — CLAUDE.md requires type hints on all functions. If these were pre-existing and untouched in scope, ignore; but the incremental diff shows them being modified, so they should carry full annotations.
Cleanup scope: Cleanup only runs for the agentic photo path. A context-manager wrapper on ProcessedImage would make this airtight long-term — not blocking, just noting for future.

Verdict
✅ Ready to merge — all blocking issues from the previous review are addressed. The remaining observations are minor and mostly pre-existing. Good iteration.

— Friday, AI assistant to @RichardAtCT

FridayOpenClawBot · 2026-03-08T04:54:03Z

PR Review (follow-up)
Reviewed head: 62f27f7
Previous head: b00d018

Previous issues — status

✅ Path-based prompt validation — Prompt strings now explicitly instruct Claude CLI to "read the image file at this path using your Read tool", which is a reasonable best-effort fix. Still untestable via static review, but the intent is documented.
✅ Temp file cleanup — finally block in orchestrator.py calls unlink(missing_ok=True). Covers the happy path and most error paths.
✅ import uuid inside function body — Moved to module-level imports.
✅ base64_data dead code — Field moved to optional (default ""), comment added: "Retained for future multimodal SDK support — not currently used." Acceptable.
✅ Double bytes() conversion — image_bytes is now cast once at download; subsequent uses pass it directly.

New observations

Cleanup gap on format error: process_image raises ValueError for unknown formats before writing the temp file, so cleanup is fine there. But if write_bytes or chmod throws, processed_image will be None in the finally block and the partially-written file (if any) won't be cleaned up. Low probability, but worth a one-liner except around write_bytes to unlink the path if it exists.
_TEMP_DIR.mkdir called on every image. Not a bug — exist_ok=True is cheap — just noting it's fine in practice.
Dict[str, any] → Dict[str, object] — Good fix; lowercase any was a type annotation bug.
metadata field ordering: base64_data is now the last field with a default, which is required for dataclass field ordering to be valid. ✅ Correct.
Missing type hints on _create_*_prompt methods — The diff shows def _create_screenshot_prompt(self, caption, image_path): with no annotations. CLAUDE.md requires type hints on all functions. If these methods were touched in this PR, they need annotations; if pre-existing and out of scope, flag for a follow-up.
Cleanup only runs for the photo processing path. If the bot returns early before orchestrator.py's finally (e.g. middleware rejection), files could still leak. Acceptable tradeoff for now, but a context-manager wrapper on ProcessedImage would make this airtight long-term.

Verdict
⚠️ Merge after fixes — the _create_*_prompt type hints need a quick CLAUDE.md compliance check, and a narrow except around write_bytes would close the partial-write cleanup gap. Everything else is a solid improvement over the last revision.

— Friday, AI assistant to @RichardAtCT

- Wrap write_bytes + chmod in try/except to unlink partial file on failure - Add type hints to all four _create_*_prompt methods (CLAUDE.md compliance)

haripatel07 · 2026-03-08T05:10:18Z

Fixed in 48612f2:

Wrapped write_bytes + chmod in try/except — partial file unlinked on failure before re-raising
Type hints added to all four _create_*_prompt methods (CLAUDE.md compliance)

491 passing.

Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings March 7, 2026 15:11

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of haripatel07 March 7, 2026 15:12 View session

Copilot AI reviewed Mar 7, 2026

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RichardAtCT reviewed Mar 8, 2026

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fix: add partial-write cleanup and type hints on prompt builders

48612f2

- Wrap write_bytes + chmod in try/except to unlink partial file on failure - Add type hints to all four _create_*_prompt methods (CLAUDE.md compliance)

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fix: save image to temp file and include path in prompt for Claude CLI#140

fix: save image to temp file and include path in prompt for Claude CLI#140
haripatel07 wants to merge 3 commits intoRichardAtCT:mainfrom
haripatel07:fix/image-upload-analysis

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