feat(n8n-webhook): expand action bus starter workflow

memory/2026-03-12.md

@@ -40,3 +40,14 @@
   - `notify` → success
 - Refreshed packaged skill artifact again at `/tmp/n8n-skill-dist/n8n-webhook.skill`.
 - Will clarified a standing operating preference: treat local n8n as an assistant tool to use proactively when appropriate, not as something needing separate approval each time.
+- Extended the shipped `skills/n8n-webhook` router asset beyond the original live trio (`append_log`, `get_logs`, `notify`) to add:
+  - `send_email_draft`
+  - `create_calendar_event`
+  - `approval_queue_add`
+  - `approval_queue_list`
+  - `approval_queue_resolve`
+  - `fetch_and_normalize_url`
+  - `inbound_event_filter`
+- Design choice for the new actions: keep the starter workflow immediately usable without new provider credentials by using n8n workflow static data for approval queue/history/event state, while leaving room to wire provider-backed email/calendar executors later.
+- Updated local docs, validator, and sample payloads for the expanded action bus and re-ran local structural validation successfully.
+- Live n8n re-import/update was not completed in this pass because the current session did not have a verified safe path into the already-running instance (no confirmed admin/browser path and no confirmed current webhook secret for live test calls).

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-append-log.json

@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 {
   "action": "append_log",
+  "request_id": "test-append-log-001",
   "args": {
-    "text": "backup complete"
+    "text": "backup complete",
-  },
+    "meta": {
-  "request_id": "test-append-log-001"
+      "source": "backup-job"
+    }
+  }
 }

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-approval-queue-list.json

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "action": "approval_queue_list",
+  "request_id": "test-approval-list-001",
+  "args": {
+    "limit": 10,
+    "include_history": true
+  }
+}

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-create-calendar-event.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "action": "create_calendar_event",
+  "request_id": "test-calendar-event-001",
+  "args": {
+    "calendar": "primary",
+    "title": "Call with vendor",
+    "start": "2026-03-13T18:00:00Z",
+    "end": "2026-03-13T18:30:00Z",
+    "description": "Drafted from OpenClaw action bus."
+  }
+}

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-fetch-and-normalize-url.json

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+{
+  "action": "fetch_and_normalize_url",
+  "request_id": "test-fetch-001",
+  "args": {
+    "url": "https://example.com",
+    "max_chars": 2000
+  }
+}

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-inbound-event-filter.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "action": "inbound_event_filter",
+  "request_id": "test-inbound-001",
+  "args": {
+    "source": "homelab",
+    "type": "alert",
+    "severity": "critical",
+    "summary": "Build failed on swarm cluster",
+    "notify": true
+  }
+}

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-notify.json

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
   "action": "notify",
+  "request_id": "test-notify-001",
   "args": {
     "title": "Workflow finished",
     "message": "n8n router test"
-  },
+  }
-  "request_id": "test-notify-001"
 }

skills/n8n-webhook/assets/test-send-email-draft.json

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "action": "send_email_draft",
+  "request_id": "test-email-draft-001",
+  "args": {
+    "to": [
+      "will@example.com"
+    ],
+    "subject": "Draft daily brief",
+    "body_text": "Here is a draft daily brief for review."
+  }
+}

skills/n8n-webhook/references/openclaw-action.md

@@ -10,10 +10,17 @@ It implements a real local OpenClaw → n8n router.
 
 - accepts `POST /webhook/openclaw-action`
 - normalizes incoming JSON into an action contract
-- supports three live actions:
+- supports these actions in the shipped asset:
   - `append_log`
   - `get_logs`
   - `notify`
+  - `send_email_draft`
+  - `create_calendar_event`
+  - `approval_queue_add`
+  - `approval_queue_list`
+  - `approval_queue_resolve`
+  - `fetch_and_normalize_url`
+  - `inbound_event_filter`
 - returns normalized JSON responses
 - returns `400` for unknown actions
 - returns `400` when required args are missing
@@ -33,13 +40,35 @@ Example stored record:
 {"ts":"2026-03-12T07:00:00Z","source":"openclaw-action","request_id":"abc","text":"backup complete"}
 ```
 
-### `get_logs`
+### `send_email_draft` and `create_calendar_event`
 
-- reads from workflow static data key:
+- queue approval-gated proposals into workflow static data under key:
-  - `actionLog`
+  - `approvalQueue`
-- returns newest-first
+- keep the most recent `200` pending entries
-- default `limit` is `20`
+- do **not** send email or create provider-side calendar events in the shipped starter workflow
-- clamps `limit` to `1..50`
+- are designed to become safe provider-backed executors later once instance-local creds are bound in n8n
+
+### `approval_queue_resolve`
+
+- removes one item from `approvalQueue`
+- appends the resolved entry into:
+  - `approvalHistory`
+- supports optional notification on approval/rejection
+
+### `fetch_and_normalize_url`
+
+- fetches a remote `http` or `https` URL from inside n8n
+- normalizes HTML/text/JSON into a single response shape
+- returns title/excerpt/body text suitable for downstream summarization or logging
+
+### `inbound_event_filter`
+
+- classifies inbound events as `urgent`, `important`, `watch`, or `deduped`
+- stores recent events in:
+  - `inboundEvents`
+- stores recent dedupe keys in:
+  - `eventDedup`
+- can fan out a notification for urgent/important non-duplicate events
 
 ### `notify`
 
@@ -49,18 +78,19 @@ Example stored record:
   - `Discord Bot Auth`
 - current targets mirror the already-working reminder workflow
 
-## Why workflow static data for logs
+## Why workflow static data first
 
 Why this first:
 - built-in, no extra credentials
 - persists without guessing writable filesystem paths
-- better fit than MinIO for small, recent operational breadcrumbs
+- good fit for queues, recent breadcrumbs, and small operational state
+- lets us implement safe approval-gated patterns immediately
 
-When to use MinIO later:
+When to add provider-backed steps later:
-- long retention
+- email draft creation in Gmail/Outlook
-- rotated archives
+- calendar writes in Google Calendar
-- large/batched exports
+- Airtable/Sheets append pipelines
-- sharing logs outside n8n
+- long-retention logs or external archival
 
 ## Intentional security choice
 
@@ -97,6 +127,11 @@ After import, set this manually in n8n:
 
 - `assets/test-append-log.json`
 - `assets/test-notify.json`
+- `assets/test-send-email-draft.json`
+- `assets/test-create-calendar-event.json`
+- `assets/test-fetch-and-normalize-url.json`
+- `assets/test-approval-queue-list.json`
+- `assets/test-inbound-event-filter.json`
 
 ## Example tests
 
@@ -105,69 +140,73 @@ export N8N_WEBHOOK_SECRET='YOUR_SECRET_HERE'
 scripts/call-action.sh append_log --args '{"text":"backup complete"}' --pretty
 scripts/call-action.sh get_logs --args '{"limit":5}' --pretty
 scripts/call-action.sh notify --args '{"title":"Workflow finished","message":"n8n router test"}' --pretty
+scripts/call-action.sh send_email_draft --args-file assets/test-send-email-draft.json --pretty
+scripts/call-action.sh create_calendar_event --args-file assets/test-create-calendar-event.json --pretty
+scripts/call-action.sh fetch_and_normalize_url --args '{"url":"https://example.com"}' --pretty
+scripts/call-action.sh approval_queue_list --args '{"limit":10,"include_history":true}' --pretty
+scripts/call-action.sh inbound_event_filter --args-file assets/test-inbound-event-filter.json --pretty
 ```
 
 ## Expected success examples
 
-### append_log
+### send_email_draft
 
 ```json
 {
   "ok": true,
-  "request_id": "test-append-log-001",
+  "request_id": "test-email-draft-001",
   "result": {
-    "action": "append_log",
+    "action": "send_email_draft",
-    "status": "logged",
+    "status": "queued_for_approval",
-    "preview": {
+    "pending_id": "approval-abc123",
-      "text": "backup complete"
+    "approval_status": "pending"
-    },
-    "sink": {
-      "type": "workflow-static-data",
-      "key": "actionLog",
-      "retained_entries": 200
-    }
   }
 }
 ```
 
-### get_logs
+### create_calendar_event
 
 ```json
 {
   "ok": true,
-  "request_id": "",
+  "request_id": "test-calendar-event-001",
   "result": {
-    "action": "get_logs",
+    "action": "create_calendar_event",
+    "status": "queued_for_approval",
+    "pending_id": "approval-def456",
+    "approval_status": "pending"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+### fetch_and_normalize_url
+
+```json
+{
+  "ok": true,
+  "request_id": "test-fetch-001",
+  "result": {
+    "action": "fetch_and_normalize_url",
     "status": "ok",
-    "count": 1,
+    "url": "https://example.com/",
-    "total_retained": 1,
+    "title": "Example Domain",
-    "retained_entries": 200,
+    "content_type": "text/html; charset=UTF-8"
-    "entries": [
-      {
-        "ts": "2026-03-12T08:42:37.615Z",
-        "source": "openclaw-action",
-        "request_id": "live-log-003",
-        "text": "n8n append_log static-data verification"
-      }
-    ]
   }
 }
 ```
 
-### notify
+### inbound_event_filter
 
 ```json
 {
   "ok": true,
-  "request_id": "test-notify-001",
+  "request_id": "test-inbound-001",
   "result": {
-    "action": "notify",
+    "action": "inbound_event_filter",
-    "status": "sent",
+    "status": "stored",
-    "preview": {
+    "classification": "urgent",
-      "title": "Workflow finished",
+    "duplicate": false,
-      "message": "n8n router test"
+    "notified": true
-    },
-    "targets": ["telegram", "discord"]
   }
 }
 ```

skills/n8n-webhook/references/payloads.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ Recommended request shape:
 }
 ```
 
-## Live actions
+## Live actions in the shipped workflow asset
 
 ### `append_log`
 
@@ -96,23 +96,6 @@ Behavior:
 - max limit: `50`
 - entries are returned newest-first
 
-Success shape:
-
-```json
-{
-  "ok": true,
-  "request_id": "optional-uuid",
-  "result": {
-    "action": "get_logs",
-    "status": "ok",
-    "count": 2,
-    "total_retained": 7,
-    "retained_entries": 200,
-    "entries": []
-  }
-}
-```
-
 ### `notify`
 
 Request:
@@ -130,21 +113,171 @@ Request:
 Purpose:
 - send the message through the currently configured Telegram + Discord notification targets
 
-Success shape:
+### `send_email_draft`
+
+Request:
 
 ```json
 {
-  "ok": true,
+  "action": "send_email_draft",
-  "request_id": "optional-uuid",
+  "args": {
-  "result": {
+    "to": ["will@example.com"],
-    "action": "notify",
+    "subject": "Draft daily brief",
-    "status": "sent",
+    "body_text": "Here is a draft daily brief for review."
-    "targets": ["telegram", "discord"]
   }
 }
 ```
 
-## Failure shape
+Purpose:
+- queue an email draft proposal for approval
+- does **not** send mail directly in the shipped starter workflow
+
+Sink:
+- type: `workflow-static-data`
+- key: `approvalQueue`
+- retained entries: `200`
+
+### `create_calendar_event`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "create_calendar_event",
+  "args": {
+    "calendar": "primary",
+    "title": "Call with vendor",
+    "start": "2026-03-13T18:00:00Z",
+    "end": "2026-03-13T18:30:00Z",
+    "description": "Drafted from OpenClaw action bus."
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- queue a calendar event proposal for approval
+- does **not** write to a calendar provider directly in the shipped starter workflow
+
+Sink:
+- type: `workflow-static-data`
+- key: `approvalQueue`
+- retained entries: `200`
+
+### `approval_queue_add`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "approval_queue_add",
+  "args": {
+    "kind": "manual",
+    "summary": "Review outbound customer reply",
+    "payload": {
+      "channel": "email"
+    },
+    "tags": ["approval", "customer"]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- add a generic pending approval item to the queue
+
+### `approval_queue_list`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "approval_queue_list",
+  "args": {
+    "limit": 10,
+    "include_history": true
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- inspect pending approval items
+- optionally include recent resolved history
+
+### `approval_queue_resolve`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "approval_queue_resolve",
+  "args": {
+    "id": "approval-abc123",
+    "decision": "approve",
+    "note": "Looks good",
+    "notify_on_resolve": true
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- approve or reject a pending item
+- moves resolved entries into `approvalHistory`
+
+### `fetch_and_normalize_url`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "fetch_and_normalize_url",
+  "args": {
+    "url": "https://example.com/article",
+    "max_chars": 8000,
+    "timeout_ms": 10000
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- fetch a URL inside n8n
+- normalize content into a predictable summary-ready shape
+
+Success shape includes:
+- `url`
+- `title`
+- `content_type`
+- `http_status`
+- `excerpt`
+- `body_text`
+- `text_length`
+- `truncated`
+
+### `inbound_event_filter`
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "action": "inbound_event_filter",
+  "args": {
+    "source": "homelab",
+    "type": "alert",
+    "severity": "critical",
+    "summary": "Build failed on swarm cluster",
+    "notify": true
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Purpose:
+- dedupe and classify inbound events
+- store recent events in workflow static data
+- optionally notify on urgent/important events
+
+Sinks:
+- `inboundEvents`
+- `eventDedup`
+
+## Common failure shape
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -160,6 +293,6 @@ Success shape:
 ## Naming guidance
 
 - Use lowercase kebab-case for webhook paths.
-- Use lowercase snake_case or kebab-case consistently for action names; prefer snake_case for JSON actions if using switch/router logic.
+- Use lowercase snake_case for JSON action names.
-- Keep names explicit: `openclaw-ping`, `openclaw-action`, `append_log`, `get_logs`, `notify`.
+- Keep names explicit: `openclaw-ping`, `openclaw-action`, `append_log`, `approval_queue_resolve`.
 - Avoid generic names like `run`, `task`, or `webhook1`.

skills/n8n-webhook/scripts/call-action.sh

@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ set -euo pipefail
 usage() {
   cat <<'EOF'
 Usage:
-  scripts/call-action.sh <action> [--args '{"k":"v"}'] [--args-file args.json] [--request-id <id|auto>] [--path openclaw-action] [--test] [--pretty] [--dry-run]
+  scripts/call-action.sh [action] [--args '{"k":"v"}'] [--args-file args.json] [--request-id <id|auto>] [--path openclaw-action] [--test] [--pretty] [--dry-run]
+
+Notes:
+  - `action` is optional when --args/--args-file contains a full payload with top-level `action` + `args`.
+  - `--args` / `--args-file` may contain either:
+    1) a plain args object, or
+    2) a full payload object: {"action":"...","args":{...},"request_id":"..."}
 
 Environment:
   N8N_ACTION_PATH    Default router webhook path (default: openclaw-action)
@@ -14,6 +20,7 @@ Environment:
 
 Examples:
   scripts/call-action.sh append_log --args '{"text":"backup complete"}' --request-id auto
+  scripts/call-action.sh --args-file assets/test-send-email-draft.json --pretty
   scripts/call-action.sh notify --args-file notify.json --test --pretty
 EOF
 }
@@ -84,11 +91,6 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
   esac
 done
 
-if [[ -z "$ACTION" ]]; then
-  usage >&2
-  exit 2
-fi
-
 if [[ ${#EXTRA_ARGS[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
   echo "Unexpected extra arguments: ${EXTRA_ARGS[*]}" >&2
   exit 2
@@ -110,13 +112,32 @@ PAYLOAD="$({
   python3 - <<'PY' "$ACTION" "$ARGS" "$REQUEST_ID"
 import json, sys
 
-action = sys.argv[1]
+cli_action = sys.argv[1]
-args = json.loads(sys.argv[2])
+raw = json.loads(sys.argv[2])
-request_id = sys.argv[3]
+cli_request_id = sys.argv[3]
 
-if not isinstance(args, dict):
+if not isinstance(raw, dict):
     raise SystemExit('Action args must decode to a JSON object.')
 
+if 'action' in raw and 'args' in raw:
+    file_action = raw.get('action', '')
+    file_args = raw.get('args', {})
+    file_request_id = raw.get('request_id', '')
+    if not isinstance(file_args, dict):
+        raise SystemExit('Full payload args must decode to a JSON object.')
+    if cli_action and file_action and cli_action != file_action:
+        raise SystemExit(f'CLI action {cli_action!r} does not match payload action {file_action!r}.')
+    action = cli_action or file_action
+    args = file_args
+    request_id = cli_request_id or file_request_id
+else:
+    action = cli_action
+    args = raw
+    request_id = cli_request_id
+
+if not action:
+    raise SystemExit('Action is required unless provided inside --args/--args-file full payload.')
+
 payload = {
     'action': action,
     'args': args,

skills/n8n-webhook/scripts/validate-workflow.py

@@ -21,6 +21,38 @@ EXPECTED_TYPES = {
     'Respond to Webhook': 'n8n-nodes-base.respondToWebhook',
 }
 
+SAMPLE_FILES = [
+    'test-append-log.json',
+    'test-notify.json',
+    'test-send-email-draft.json',
+    'test-create-calendar-event.json',
+    'test-fetch-and-normalize-url.json',
+    'test-approval-queue-list.json',
+    'test-inbound-event-filter.json',
+]
+
+ROUTER_SNIPPETS = [
+    'append_log',
+    'get_logs',
+    'notify',
+    'send_email_draft',
+    'create_calendar_event',
+    'approval_queue_add',
+    'approval_queue_list',
+    'approval_queue_resolve',
+    'fetch_and_normalize_url',
+    'inbound_event_filter',
+    'unknown_action',
+    'invalid_request',
+    '$getWorkflowStaticData',
+    'approvalQueue',
+    'approvalHistory',
+    'inboundEvents',
+    'eventDedup',
+    'notify_text',
+    'fetch(',
+]
+
 
 def fail(msg: str):
     print(f'ERROR: {msg}', file=sys.stderr)
@@ -72,7 +104,7 @@ def main():
 
     router = by_name['route-action'].get('parameters', {})
     js_code = router.get('jsCode', '')
-    for snippet in ('append_log', 'get_logs', 'notify', 'unknown_action', 'invalid_request', '$getWorkflowStaticData', 'actionLog', 'retained_entries', 'notify_text', 'entries.length', 'Math.min(50'):
+    for snippet in ROUTER_SNIPPETS:
         if snippet not in js_code:
             fail(f'route-action jsCode missing expected snippet: {snippet!r}')
 
@@ -94,7 +126,8 @@ def main():
     if responder.get('respondWith') != 'json':
         fail('Respond to Webhook must respondWith json')
 
-    for sample in (path.parent / 'test-append-log.json', path.parent / 'test-notify.json'):
+    for sample_name in SAMPLE_FILES:
+        sample = path.parent / sample_name
         sample_data = load_json(sample)
         if not isinstance(sample_data, dict) or 'action' not in sample_data or 'args' not in sample_data:
             fail(f'sample payload missing action/args: {sample}')
@@ -102,8 +135,8 @@ def main():
     print('OK: workflow asset structure looks consistent')
     print(f'- workflow: {path}')
     print(f'- nodes: {len(nodes)}')
-    print('- routes: append_log + get_logs via workflow static data, notify via Telegram + Discord, fallback -> JSON error')
+    print('- routes: notify via Telegram + Discord; queue/log/fetch/filter handled in route-action code')
-    print('- samples: test-append-log.json, test-notify.json')
+    print('- samples: ' + ', '.join(SAMPLE_FILES))
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':