Task Dispatch

Other

Task scheduling and dispatching for task boards. Use when setting up periodic task dispatch, checking for dispatchable tasks, creating subagents to execute tasks, or verifying task completion. Supports task board APIs like ClawBoard.

Install

openclaw skills install task-dispatch

Task Dispatch

Automated task scheduling and execution for task management systems.

Quick Start

用户说"设置任务调度"或"部署 ClawBoard"时，按以下流程引导：

Step 1: 检测环境

# 检查 Node.js
node --version  # 需要 >= 18

# 检查 ClawBoard 是否已安装
ls -la ~/ClawBoard 2>/dev/null || echo "ClawBoard not installed"

Step 2: 部署 ClawBoard（如未安装）

# 克隆仓库
git clone https://github.com/CCCaptain0129/ClawBoard.git ~/ClawBoard
cd ~/ClawBoard

# 安装依赖并初始化
./clawboard install

# 生成访问 token（自动保存到 .env）
./clawboard token --generate

Step 3: 启动服务

cd ~/ClawBoard
./clawboard start

# 检查状态
./clawboard status

Step 4: 配置 Agent 环境

在 Agent 工作目录创建 .env 文件：

# 获取 token
TOKEN=$(cat ~/ClawBoard/.env | grep BOARD_ACCESS_TOKEN | cut -d= -f2)

# 写入 Agent 工作目录
echo "TASKBOARD_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:3000" >> ~/.openclaw/workspace-<name>/.env
echo "TASKBOARD_ACCESS_TOKEN=$TOKEN" >> ~/.openclaw/workspace-<name>/.env

Step 5: 打开看板

前端看板: http://127.0.0.1:5173
后端 API: http://127.0.0.1:3000
输入 .env 中的 BOARD_ACCESS_TOKEN 登录

Step 6: 设置定时调度（可选）

用户说"设置定时调度"时：

{
  "name": "ClawBoard 调度巡检",
  "schedule": { "kind": "every", "everyMs": 300000 },
  "payload": {
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "执行 task-dispatch 调度检查。无任务时返回 HEARTBEAT_OK。"
  },
  "sessionTarget": "isolated",
  "delivery": { "mode": "none" }
}

Agent Role

You are a dispatcher, not an executor.

Your job: plan, dispatch, verify, update status
NOT your job: implement tasks yourself
Task execution: delegated to subagents
You verify results and update task status

Data Source of Truth

What	Source
Task data	API endpoint (e.g., `http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/tasks/...`)
Task files	`tasks/*.json` (written by API)
Project docs	`projects/<project-name>/docs/`
NOT source of truth	Frontend dashboard (view only)

ClawBoard Deployment Guide

Prerequisites

Node.js >= 18
Git
PM2 (auto-installed by ./clawboard install)

Installation Commands

Command	Description
`./clawboard install`	Install dependencies, create .env
`./clawboard start`	Start frontend + backend services
`./clawboard stop`	Stop all services
`./clawboard status`	Check service health
`./clawboard token`	Show current access token
`./clawboard token --generate`	Generate new token

Verification Checklist

After deployment, verify:

✅ Backend API responds: curl http://127.0.0.1:3000/health
✅ Frontend loads: open http://127.0.0.1:5173
✅ Token works: curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" http://127.0.0.1:3000/api/tasks/projects
✅ Agent .env configured with token

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
Port 3000 in use	`lsof -i :3000` then kill process
Port 5173 in use	`lsof -i :5173` then kill process
Token not working	Regenerate with `./clawboard token --generate`
Services not starting	Check logs in `~/ClawBoard/logs/`

Dispatch Operations

Overview

This skill enables agents to:

Check task boards for dispatchable tasks
Spawn subagents to execute tasks
Verify completion and update task status
Continue dispatching until no tasks remain (no waiting for next cron)

Key Principle: Continuous Dispatch

触发一次 → 循环执行直到无任务 → 结束

而不是：

触发一次 → 派发一个任务 → 等待下次触发

Dispatch Loop

def dispatch_loop():
    while True:
        task = select_dispatchable_task()
        if not task:
            return HEARTBEAT_OK  # 本轮结束
        
        # 派发并等待完成
        result = spawn_and_wait(task)
        
        # 验收
        if result.success:
            update_task(task.id, status="review")
        else:
            update_task(task.id, status="failed", blockingReason=result.error)
        
        # 【关键】立即继续下一轮，不返回
        # 循环会自动检查下一个任务

API Reference

Get Projects

GET {TASKBOARD_API_URL}/api/tasks/projects
Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}

Get Tasks

GET {TASKBOARD_API_URL}/api/tasks/projects/{projectId}/tasks
Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}

Create Project

POST {TASKBOARD_API_URL}/api/tasks/projects
Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "id": "my-project",
  "name": "My Project",
  "description": "...",
  "taskPrefix": "MP",
  "color": "#3B82F6",
  "icon": "📁"
}

Create Task

POST {TASKBOARD_API_URL}/api/tasks/projects/{projectId}/tasks
Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "title": "Task title",
  "description": "...",
  "status": "todo",
  "priority": "P1",
  "executionMode": "auto",
  "assignee": "agent-id"
}

Update Task

PUT {TASKBOARD_API_URL}/api/tasks/projects/{projectId}/tasks/{taskId}
Authorization: Bearer {TOKEN}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "status": "in-progress",
  "claimedBy": "agent-id"
}

Task Selection Rules

A task is dispatchable if ALL conditions are met:

Condition	Requirement
`executionMode`	`"auto"`
`status`	`"todo"` or `"in-progress"` (unclaimed)
`assignee`	Empty or null
`claimedBy`	Empty or null
`dependencies`	All have `status: "done"`

Priority Order

P0 > P1 > P2 > P3
Same priority: earlier createdAt first

Subagent Execution

Prepare Dispatch Context

Before spawning subagent, prepare context using the Dispatch Template:

See references/dispatch-template.md for full template.

Required fields to fill:

Task Identity (from task data)
Goal (one sentence)
Hard Constraints (what NOT to do)
Deliverables (from task.deliverables)
Acceptance Criteria (from task.acceptanceCriteria)
Output Format (completion_signal block)

Spawn with Wait

Use sessions_spawn with the dispatch context:

{
  "runtime": "subagent",
  "mode": "run",
  "task": "<filled dispatch template>",
  "timeoutSeconds": 300
}

The main agent should:

Fill dispatch template with task context
Spawn subagent with the template
Wait for completion (blocking or polling)
Parse completion_signal from response
Verify deliverables and update status
Immediately continue to next task

Completion Signal

Subagent must return a completion_signal block:

task_id: <taskId>
status: done | blocked
summary: <one sentence summary>
deliverables: <comma-separated paths>
next_step: <N/A if done; blocking reason if blocked>

Parse this block to determine task outcome:

status: done → Verify deliverables, update to review
status: blocked → Update to failed with blockingReason

Status Transitions

todo → in-progress → review → done
                ↓         ↓
              failed    failed

Important: Tasks go to review after subagent completes, not directly to done. User or main agent verifies before done.

Verification Checklist

After subagent completes, verify:

Deliverables exist
- Check all paths in deliverables array
- Files should be non-empty
Acceptance criteria met
- Review each criterion
- Mark pass/fail
Update status
- All pass → review
- Any fail → failed with blockingReason

Heartbeat Response

When triggered by cron/heartbeat:

No dispatchable tasks: Return HEARTBEAT_OK (silent, no message to user)
Tasks dispatched: Report results, then check for more
Continue until empty: Don't stop after one task

Failure Handling

When a task fails or has no valid execution:

Record the reason in blockingReason field
Clear invalid occupation (claimedBy)
Return task to actionable state (todo or in-progress)
Never fail silently - always log or report

Common Failure Scenarios

Scenario	Action
Subagent timeout	Set `failed`, clear `claimedBy`, log reason
Subagent returns `blocked`	Set `failed` with `blockingReason`
Deliverables missing	Set `failed`, clear `claimedBy`
API error	Log error, skip this round, try next time

Dispatch Principles

Only dispatch executionMode=auto tasks
Priority order: todo first, then unclaimed in-progress
Respect assignee: Don't re-dispatch if assignee is set
Verify before done: Tasks go to review first, then done after verification

Configuration

See references/config.md for:

Task board adapters
Priority mappings
Execution timeouts
Retry policies

Example Usage

Deploy ClawBoard

"部署 ClawBoard 看板"

Setup with User Guidance

"帮我设置任务调度系统"

Manual Dispatch (runs until empty)

"检查任务看板，派发所有待执行任务"

Setup Periodic Check

"设置每10分钟自动检查任务"

The cron will trigger the dispatch loop, which runs until no tasks remain.