swarm-zap/WIP.md

WIP.md

Current focus

Google Workspace + n8n integration

Goal

Use OpenClaw as the brain, n8n as the orchestration layer, and Google Workspace as a real execution surface for Gmail/Calendar workflows.

Current status

Status: in-progress Owner: zap Started: 2026-03-12

Architecture decision

• Keep openclaw-action as the narrow authenticated ingress into n8n.
• Keep approval/state/logging in n8n.
• Use workflow static data for tiny internal state and recent operational breadcrumbs.
• Do not adopt n8n data tables as the default state store yet; revisit only when shared row-based data, UI browsing/editing, or richer querying becomes a real need.
• Use host-side gog execution for Google Workspace actions for now.
• Attach execution results back into n8n history so approval items become auditable records.
• Prefer this over broad n8n Google credential sprawl unless a later need clearly justifies it.

Where n8n is a good fit here

• approval-gated actions and human-in-the-loop workflows
• cross-system glue / action-bus routing
• inbound event filtering, normalization, and dedupe
• notification fanout and formatting
• retries / backoff / rate-limit wrappers around brittle integrations
• fetch-and-normalize pipelines for URLs or provider payloads
• compact audit trail / operator history

Where n8n is not the default

• primary long-term database
• heavy archival logging
• large or fast-growing datasets
• business logic that is clearer and safer in normal code

What is already done

n8n action bus

• Live openclaw-action workflow exists and is active.
• Core actions verified live:
  • append_log
  • get_logs
  • notify
  • approval_queue_add
  • approval_queue_list
  • approval_queue_resolve
  • fetch_and_normalize_url
  • inbound_event_filter
• Approval-gated notification execution works live:
  • send_notification_draft
  • approve → real notify

Google access

• gog installed and authenticated for:
  • Gmail
  • Calendar
  • Drive
  • Contacts
  • Docs
  • Sheets
• Local-only Gog automation env stored outside git at:
  • /home/openclaw/.openclaw/credentials/gog.env
• Host bridge implemented:
  • skills/n8n-webhook/scripts/resolve-approval-with-gog.py
• n8n history patch action implemented:
  • approval_history_attach_execution
• Dry-run end-to-end bridge tests succeeded for:
  • Gmail draft creation
  • Calendar event creation
• Headless non-interactive Gog execution works via the stored local env.
• Direct real Gmail draft create test succeeded.
• Direct real Gmail draft delete test succeeded.
• Real n8n-routed Gmail draft test succeeded end-to-end (queue → approve via bridge → verify → delete).
  • approval id: approval-mmnvjcak-qcuhbzqd
  • draft id: r348335896293726096
  • subject: [zap n8n e2e] Gmail draft test 20260312T194153Z
• Real n8n-routed Calendar event test succeeded end-to-end (queue → approve via bridge → verify → delete).
  • approval id: approval-mmnvjyo5-uezhcw84
  • event id: il3ojkfnsnq3uhlepvrmaklpq4
  • title: [zap n8n e2e] Calendar test 20260312T194222Z

What is left

Highest priority: prove the bridge with real Google writes

• Real end-to-end Gmail draft via n8n path:
  1. queue send_email_draft
  2. approve via resolve-approval-with-gog.py
  3. verify draft exists in Gmail
  4. delete the test draft
• Real end-to-end Calendar event via n8n path:
  1. queue create_calendar_event
  2. approve via bridge
  3. verify event exists in Calendar
  4. delete the test event

Then expand useful Google actions

• Add delete_email_draft
• Add list_email_drafts
• Add send_gmail_draft / send-approved-email path
• Add update_calendar_event
• Add delete_calendar_event
• Add list_upcoming_events
• Decide whether Drive/Docs/Sheets need action-bus verbs next or can stay direct-tool only for now

Then polish the operator experience

• Add a compact operator command/reference section for common approval flows
• Add one or two canned test payloads for real bridge verification flows
• Decide whether some Google actions should stay approval-gated by default
• Add low-noise reporting so history clearly shows:
  • queued
  • approved/rejected
  • executed
  • execution result id / draft id / event id

Nice-to-have / future

• Evaluate whether native n8n Google nodes are worth adding later
• Add retry/backoff wrappers for fragile or rate-limited actions
• Expand notification fanout / routing rules if more channels become useful
• Add more inbound event normalization/filtering when new providers are wired in
• Revisit n8n data tables only if shared row-based operator data becomes useful
• If useful, sync this work into the LAN Gitea repo for safer backup/review and easier long-lived tracking

Current recommendation

Next action should be:

1. add delete_email_draft and list_email_drafts
2. add update_calendar_event, delete_calendar_event, and list_upcoming_events
3. decide approval defaults for each new Google action
4. add a compact operator test playbook for repeated proof runs

Fresh-session proof refresh (2026-03-12 19:44Z)

• Re-ran both target proofs through the real approval-routed path in a clean implementation session.
• Gmail draft flow:
  • approval id: approval-mmnvn4t2-w2rjlwz2
  • draft id: r-3319106208870238577
  • subject: [zap n8n e2e] Gmail draft test 20260312T194450Z
  • verified via gog gmail drafts get
  • cleaned via gog gmail drafts delete --force
• Calendar flow:
  • approval id: approval-mmnvn6i8-e9eq8gdf
  • event id: m7prri8vk2opuo6loq3qgtvsv4
  • title: [zap n8n e2e] Calendar test 20260312T194450Z
  • verified via gog calendar get primary <eventId>
  • cleaned via gog calendar delete primary <eventId> --force

Next-session handoff

For the next fresh implementation session, start from HANDOFF.md + WIP.md rather than from old chat context.

Immediate target:

• implement at least one new Gmail action and one new Calendar action
• verify through the same approval+bridge flow
• refresh WIP/memory/tasks and commit

Relevant files

• skills/n8n-webhook/assets/openclaw-action.workflow.json
• skills/n8n-webhook/scripts/call-action.sh
• skills/n8n-webhook/scripts/resolve-approval-with-gog.py
• skills/n8n-webhook/references/openclaw-action.md
• memory/2026-03-12.md
• /home/openclaw/.openclaw/credentials/gog.env (local-only, not for git)

Current branch / checkpoints

• branch: feat/n8n-action-bus-v2
• key commits:
  • 9dcc477 — expand action bus starter workflow
  • dc990a1 — deploy and verify expanded action bus
  • 1eabaeb — add approval-gated notification executor
  • afa48a3 — bridge approvals to gog executors
  • 044e36f — auto-load local gog automation env