Split paid research acknowledgement from answer

telegram/bot.py

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ from http_chat_proxy import (
     should_attach_structured_market_context,
     smart_research_payment_fields_for_message,
     smart_research_command_names,
+    split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply,
 )
 
 # ─── Config ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -859,11 +860,21 @@ async def _poll_smart_research_auto_resume(
             if classification == "pending":
                 continue
             if classification == "ready" and proxy_reply:
-                await _reply_text_native(msg, proxy_reply, do_quote=True)
+                ack_reply, answer_reply = split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply(
+                    proxy_body,
+                    proxy_reply,
+                )
+                if ack_reply:
+                    await _reply_text_native(msg, ack_reply, do_quote=True)
+                if answer_reply:
+                    await _reply_text_native(msg, answer_reply, do_quote=not ack_reply)
+                visible_reply = "\n\n".join(
+                    part for part in (ack_reply, answer_reply) if part
+                ) or proxy_reply
                 if msg.from_user:
                     entry = {
                         "user": research_goal[:500],
-                        "bot": proxy_reply[:500],
+                        "bot": visible_reply[:500],
                         "username": username or "anonymous",
                     }
                     user_key = (msg.chat_id, msg.from_user.id)
@@ -879,9 +890,9 @@ async def _poll_smart_research_auto_resume(
                     user_response_times[msg.from_user.id].append(time.time())
                 _record_transcript(
                     msg,
-                    proxy_reply,
+                    visible_reply,
                     is_bot=True,
-                    rio_response=proxy_reply,
+                    rio_response=visible_reply,
                     internal={
                         "agent": AGENT_NAME.lower(),
                         "http_research_proxy_auto_resume": True,

telegram/http_chat_proxy.py

@@ -7,7 +7,15 @@ from html import escape
 from typing import Any
 
 DEFAULT_SMART_RESEARCH_COMMAND_PREFIXES = ("/smart_research", "/paid_research")
+SMART_RESEARCH_PAYMENT_ACK_TEXT = "Payment received. Research is starting now."
 _TELEGRAM_COMMAND_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[A-Za-z0-9_]+$")
+_SMART_RESEARCH_PAYMENT_ACK_PREFIX_RE = re.compile(
+    r"^\s*"
+    r"Payment received[.!]\s*"
+    r"(?:Research is starting now[.!]\s*)?"
+    r"(?:I will use the included source-tool budget and continue with the answer here[.!]\s*)?",
+    re.IGNORECASE,
+)
 _AUTO_SMART_RESEARCH_RE = re.compile(
     r"\b("
     r"research|source|sources|citation|citations|evidence|"
@@ -319,6 +327,37 @@ def classify_smart_research_auto_resume_response(
     return "ignore"
 
 
+def split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply(
+    payload: dict[str, Any] | None,
+    reply: str | None,
+) -> tuple[str | None, str | None]:
+    """Split a paid auto-resume reply into receipt ack and answer text.
+
+    The HTTP route may return one combined reply starting with "Payment
+    received...". Telegram should show that as two messages: a quick payment
+    receipt first, then the research result or clean tool-failure message.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(reply, str) or not reply.strip():
+        return None, None
+    text = reply.strip()
+    if not isinstance(payload, dict):
+        return None, text
+
+    auto_resume = payload.get("autoResume")
+    paid_work_order = payload.get("paidWorkOrder")
+    paid_resume = (
+        isinstance(auto_resume, dict)
+        and auto_resume.get("activated") is True
+        or isinstance(paid_work_order, dict)
+        and paid_work_order.get("status") == "settled"
+    )
+    if not paid_resume:
+        return None, text
+
+    answer = _SMART_RESEARCH_PAYMENT_ACK_PREFIX_RE.sub("", text, count=1).strip()
+    return SMART_RESEARCH_PAYMENT_ACK_TEXT, answer or None
+
+
 def build_smart_research_proxy_payload(
     *,
     research_goal: str,

tests/test_telegram_leo_x402_bridge.py

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ from http_chat_proxy import (  # noqa: E402
     extract_chat_proxy_reply,
     extract_smart_research_goal,
     should_attach_structured_market_context,
+    split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply,
     smart_research_payment_fields_for_message,
     smart_research_command_names,
 )
@@ -227,6 +228,35 @@ def test_classify_smart_research_auto_resume_response(http_status, payload, expe
     assert classify_smart_research_auto_resume_response(http_status, payload) == expected
 
 
+def test_split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply_separates_payment_ack_from_answer():
+    payload = {
+        "autoResume": {"activated": True},
+        "paidWorkOrder": {"status": "settled"},
+    }
+    reply = (
+        "Payment received. Research is starting now. "
+        "I will use the included source-tool budget and continue with the answer here.\n\n"
+        "Based on the Twitter/X results I found, Ranger is being discussed as wound down."
+    )
+
+    ack, answer = split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply(payload, reply)
+
+    assert ack == "Payment received. Research is starting now."
+    assert answer == (
+        "Based on the Twitter/X results I found, Ranger is being discussed as wound down."
+    )
+
+
+def test_split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply_keeps_non_paid_ready_reply_intact():
+    ack, answer = split_smart_research_auto_resume_reply(
+        {"status": "complete"},
+        "Here is the answer.",
+    )
+
+    assert ack is None
+    assert answer == "Here is the answer."
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("message", "expected"),
     [