Outbound posting for workflows

This is the difference between:

“the workflow ran”
and
“the workflow posted something externally”

Those are not the same thing.

The recommended way: `outbound.post`

ClawRecipes supports workflow publishing through the runner-native tool:

outbound.post

This tool sends a request to a separate Outbound Posting Service that owns the actual platform credentials. Why this is the preferred path:

better separation of concerns
credentials stay out of workflow files
easier audit logging
better idempotency / retry safety
approval proof can be enforced

What you need to configure

outbound.post needs two plugin config values:

outbound.baseUrl
outbound.apiKey

If either is missing, the workflow will fail with a clear message. Example conceptual config values:

{
  "outbound": {
    "baseUrl": "http://localhost:8787",
    "apiKey": "your-service-key"
  }
}

Exact config placement depends on how your OpenClaw deployment manages plugin config.

Example workflow node

{
  "id": "publish_x",
  "kind": "tool",
  "assignedTo": { "agentId": "development-team-lead" },
  "action": {
    "tool": "outbound.post",
    "args": {
      "platform": "x",
      "text": "Hello from ClawRecipes",
      "idempotencyKey": "<workflowRunId>:publish_x",
      "runContext": {
        "teamId": "development-team",
        "workflowId": "marketing",
        "workflowRunId": "<workflowRunId>",
        "nodeId": "publish_x"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tool arguments

Expected arguments:

{
  "platform": "x",
  "text": "...",
  "idempotencyKey": "<stable string>",
  "runContext": {
    "teamId": "...",
    "workflowId": "...",
    "workflowRunId": "...",
    "nodeId": "..."
  },
  "approval": {
    "code": "...",
    "approvalFileRel": "shared-context/workflow-runs/.../approvals/approval.json"
  }
}

Notes:

platform, text, and idempotencyKey are required
use a stable idempotencyKey across retries
approval is optional unless your outbound service requires proof

A good default idempotency key:

<workflowRunId>:<nodeId>

Important note about installs and posting

A normal ClawRecipes install does not automatically mean posting is active.

Supported path

If you configure outbound.post, great — that is the supported path.

Local custom patch path

If your controller relies on a custom local patch (for example, a local posting helper wired directly into workflow execution), that patch may need to be reapplied after install/update. That means after installing or updating ClawRecipes, you may need to:

reapply your local workflow posting patch, or
tell your assistant to turn workflow posting back on for your local controller

This is especially important if:

workflows run successfully
approvals succeed
but nothing actually gets posted

Example post-install checklist

After a fresh install or update:

# 1) confirm plugin is installed
openclaw plugins list

# 2) confirm workflow commands exist
openclaw recipes workflows --help

# 3) confirm your posting path is configured or patched
#    (depends on your environment)

# 4) run a test workflow
openclaw recipes workflows run \
  --team-id development-team \
  --workflow-file marketing.workflow.json

If you use a local patch, this is the moment to reapply it.

Expected outbound service API

ClawRecipes expects something like:

POST /v1/<platform>/publish
Authorization: Bearer <apiKey>
Idempotency-Key: <string>

Example success response:

{
  "ok": true,
  "platform": "x",
  "id": "123",
  "url": "https://x.com/..."
}

Security notes

do not put platform credentials in workflow files
prefer a local/tailnet-only outbound service
treat outbound publishing as a side-effecting action that should usually be approval-gated
use idempotency keys so retries do not double-post

Getting started

ClawRecipes

ClawKitchen

Outbound posting for workflows

The recommended way: `outbound.post`

What you need to configure

Example workflow node

Tool arguments

Important note about installs and posting

Supported path

Local custom patch path

Example post-install checklist

Expected outbound service API

Security notes

​The recommended way: outbound.post

​What you need to configure

​Example workflow node

​Tool arguments

​Important note about installs and posting

​Supported path

​Local custom patch path

​Example post-install checklist

​Expected outbound service API

​Security notes

The recommended way: `outbound.post`

What you need to configure

Example workflow node

Tool arguments

Important note about installs and posting

Supported path

Local custom patch path

Example post-install checklist

Expected outbound service API

Security notes