Custom External Agents (Runnable Pattern)
Build agents with custom code, API integrations, and platform-delegated LLM calls using run() functions.
Custom External Agents: Full Code Control
A Runnable Agent uses the Agent SDK (@openserv-labs/sdk) with runnable capabilities — each has a run() function where you write custom TypeScript. Need to call an API? Fetch data? Use this.generate() to delegate LLM calls to the platform using your OpenServ credits (no API key required).
The Concept
- Define: Create an
Agentwith asystemPromptand add capabilities withinputSchema(Zod) and arun()function. - Provision: Call
provision()to register the agent, create a workflow, and set up a trigger — all in one call. - Run: Call
run(agent)to start. Tunneling is automatic, no ngrok needed.
⚠️ run(agent) starts a local server. Make sure it's running before triggering any webhooks. Deploy to a VPS for always-on production use.
Both packages are needed:
@openserv-labs/sdk → Agent, run, addCapability, this.generate()
@openserv-labs/client → provision, triggersBest for:
- API integrations (GitHub, Slack, Twitter, databases)
- Web scraping & data transformation
- Complex multi-step logic with LLM reasoning via
this.generate() - Agents that need external secrets or API keys
The Master Template
Copy & Paste:
--- 📋 BUILD REQUEST (customize to whatever you need) ---
Build a runnable agent called "[AGENT_NAME]" with a capability "[CAPABILITY_NAME]" that takes [INPUT_DESCRIPTION] and does: [WHAT_IT_DOES — e.g., "fetches GitHub user data and analyzes their coding style"]. It should use AI reasoning to [HOW — e.g., "summarize the data"]. Create a workflow with a webhook trigger, fire it once with "[TEST_INPUT]", and show me the response.
--- 🤖 OPENSERV GUARDRAILS (standard — don't change) ---
Read ALL of these skills before writing any code:
- openserv-client: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/SKILL.md
- openserv-client reference: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/reference.md
- openserv-agent-sdk: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-agent-sdk/SKILL.md
- openserv-multi-agent-workflows: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-multi-agent-workflows/SKILL.md
CONCEPT → CODE:
Auth: provision() creates/reuses wallet, writes WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY to .env on first run. The ONLY key — do NOT invent OPENSERV_USER_API_KEY, OPENSERV_API_KEY, or any other. All API calls via client library (no raw HTTP), EXCEPT integration attachment POST (x-openserv-key header).
Triggers: webhook → triggers.webhook({ waitForCompletion: true, timeout: 600 }); cron → triggers.cron(schedule); x402 → triggers.x402. Always activate after creation.
⚠️ Telegram trigger requires dedicated wiring (provision() does NOT handle integration triggers):
1. Create trigger: client.triggers.create({ workflowId, name, integrationConnectionId, trigger_name: 'on-message', props: { regexMatch: '.*' } }) + activate
2. Create task: client.tasks.create({ workflowId, agentId, description })
3. Attach integration to task via REST: POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId } — use header x-openserv-key: userApiKey (the string returned by client.authenticate(WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY), NOT Bearer)
4. Wire trigger→task graph: client.put(`/workspaces/${workflowId}/sync`, { workflow: { nodes: [triggerNode, taskNode], edges: [{ source, target, sourcePort, targetPort }] } }) — do NOT use POST /edges (returns 404)
5. Set running: client.workflows.setRunning({ id: workflowId })
Integrations: User adds in UI first (Connect → Integrations). Discover: listConnections() or getOrCreateConnection('name'). Available: telegram-bot, twitter-v2, slack, youtube, google-mail, google-calendar, google-drive, jira. Attach to task (required, declarative does NOT work): POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId: id }. If missing, STOP and tell user to add in UI.
Agents: Marketplace → client.agents.listMarketplace(), assign by id. Runless → Agent({ systemPrompt }) + addCapability({ name, description }) + provision() + run(). Runnable → same + inputSchema + run function. Custom agents must be running before triggering.
Workflows: Goal must be DETAILED (not "test"). Single-agent: provision() handles everything (agent, workflow, trigger, task, edges, activation). Multi-agent: client.workflows.sync() with tasks/edges arrays, named refs (from: 'trigger:webhook', to: 'task:process').
Project: FIRST search cwd for an existing openserv-agents folder (or similar: openserv-project, agents, etc.) and check for .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY. If found → use that folder and its .env, create your script inside it. ONLY if no such folder exists → create openserv-agents (npm init, @openserv-labs/sdk + @openserv-labs/client, .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY). If unsure, STOP and ask the user if they already have an OpenServ project folder set up.
Execute: RUN with `npx tsx <file>.ts` — don't just write it. Print workflowId, triggerId, taskId(s). Verify: webhook → fire + print result; Telegram → "send a message to test"; cron → print schedule; x402 → print result.paywallUrl.Example Recipes
1. The "GitHub Profile Analyzer"
Copy & Paste:
--- 📋 BUILD REQUEST (customize to whatever you need) ---
Build a runnable agent called "GitHub Analyst" with a capability "analyze_github_user" that takes a GitHub username, fetches their public profile from the GitHub API, and uses AI to write a one-paragraph analysis of their coding style and expertise. Create a webhook, fire it once with username "torvalds", and show me the analysis.
--- 🤖 OPENSERV GUARDRAILS (standard — don't change) ---
Read ALL of these skills before writing any code:
- openserv-client: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/SKILL.md
- openserv-client reference: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/reference.md
- openserv-agent-sdk: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-agent-sdk/SKILL.md
- openserv-multi-agent-workflows: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-multi-agent-workflows/SKILL.md
CONCEPT → CODE:
Auth: provision() creates/reuses wallet, writes WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY to .env on first run. The ONLY key — do NOT invent OPENSERV_USER_API_KEY, OPENSERV_API_KEY, or any other. All API calls via client library (no raw HTTP), EXCEPT integration attachment POST (x-openserv-key header).
Triggers: webhook → triggers.webhook({ waitForCompletion: true, timeout: 600 }); cron → triggers.cron(schedule); x402 → triggers.x402. Always activate after creation.
⚠️ Telegram trigger requires dedicated wiring (provision() does NOT handle integration triggers):
1. Create trigger: client.triggers.create({ workflowId, name, integrationConnectionId, trigger_name: 'on-message', props: { regexMatch: '.*' } }) + activate
2. Create task: client.tasks.create({ workflowId, agentId, description })
3. Attach integration to task via REST: POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId } — use header x-openserv-key: userApiKey (the string returned by client.authenticate(WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY), NOT Bearer)
4. Wire trigger→task graph: client.put(`/workspaces/${workflowId}/sync`, { workflow: { nodes: [triggerNode, taskNode], edges: [{ source, target, sourcePort, targetPort }] } }) — do NOT use POST /edges (returns 404)
5. Set running: client.workflows.setRunning({ id: workflowId })
Integrations: User adds in UI first (Connect → Integrations). Discover: listConnections() or getOrCreateConnection('name'). Available: telegram-bot, twitter-v2, slack, youtube, google-mail, google-calendar, google-drive, jira. Attach to task (required, declarative does NOT work): POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId: id }. If missing, STOP and tell user to add in UI.
Agents: Marketplace → client.agents.listMarketplace(), assign by id. Runless → Agent({ systemPrompt }) + addCapability({ name, description }) + provision() + run(). Runnable → same + inputSchema + run function. Custom agents must be running before triggering.
Workflows: Goal must be DETAILED (not "test"). Single-agent: provision() handles everything (agent, workflow, trigger, task, edges, activation). Multi-agent: client.workflows.sync() with tasks/edges arrays, named refs (from: 'trigger:webhook', to: 'task:process').
Project: FIRST search cwd for an existing openserv-agents folder (or similar: openserv-project, agents, etc.) and check for .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY. If found → use that folder and its .env, create your script inside it. ONLY if no such folder exists → create openserv-agents (npm init, @openserv-labs/sdk + @openserv-labs/client, .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY). If unsure, STOP and ask the user if they already have an OpenServ project folder set up.
Execute: RUN with `npx tsx <file>.ts` — don't just write it. Print workflowId, triggerId, taskId(s). Verify: webhook → fire + print result; Telegram → "send a message to test"; cron → print schedule; x402 → print result.paywallUrl.2. The "DeFi Market Briefing" (No API Key Needed)
Uses Hyperliquid's open API — completely free, no authentication required. Shows how to fetch live on-chain data and turn it into an AI-written report.
Copy & Paste:
--- 📋 BUILD REQUEST (customize to whatever you need) ---
Build a runnable agent called "DeFi Briefer" with a capability "generate_briefing" that fetches live perpetual market data from Hyperliquid's public API, identifies the top 5 assets by open interest and the top 5 by funding rate, then uses AI to write a short "DeFi Market Briefing" summarizing what's hot, what's overleveraged, and what's worth watching. Create a webhook and fire it once to generate today's briefing.
--- 🤖 OPENSERV GUARDRAILS (standard — don't change) ---
Read ALL of these skills before writing any code:
- openserv-client: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/SKILL.md
- openserv-client reference: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/reference.md
- openserv-agent-sdk: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-agent-sdk/SKILL.md
- openserv-multi-agent-workflows: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-multi-agent-workflows/SKILL.md
CONCEPT → CODE:
Auth: provision() creates/reuses wallet, writes WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY to .env on first run. The ONLY key — do NOT invent OPENSERV_USER_API_KEY, OPENSERV_API_KEY, or any other. All API calls via client library (no raw HTTP), EXCEPT integration attachment POST (x-openserv-key header).
Triggers: webhook → triggers.webhook({ waitForCompletion: true, timeout: 600 }); cron → triggers.cron(schedule); x402 → triggers.x402. Always activate after creation.
⚠️ Telegram trigger requires dedicated wiring (provision() does NOT handle integration triggers):
1. Create trigger: client.triggers.create({ workflowId, name, integrationConnectionId, trigger_name: 'on-message', props: { regexMatch: '.*' } }) + activate
2. Create task: client.tasks.create({ workflowId, agentId, description })
3. Attach integration to task via REST: POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId } — use header x-openserv-key: userApiKey (the string returned by client.authenticate(WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY), NOT Bearer)
4. Wire trigger→task graph: client.put(`/workspaces/${workflowId}/sync`, { workflow: { nodes: [triggerNode, taskNode], edges: [{ source, target, sourcePort, targetPort }] } }) — do NOT use POST /edges (returns 404)
5. Set running: client.workflows.setRunning({ id: workflowId })
Integrations: User adds in UI first (Connect → Integrations). Discover: listConnections() or getOrCreateConnection('name'). Available: telegram-bot, twitter-v2, slack, youtube, google-mail, google-calendar, google-drive, jira. Attach to task (required, declarative does NOT work): POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId: id }. If missing, STOP and tell user to add in UI.
Agents: Marketplace → client.agents.listMarketplace(), assign by id. Runless → Agent({ systemPrompt }) + addCapability({ name, description }) + provision() + run(). Runnable → same + inputSchema + run function. Custom agents must be running before triggering.
Workflows: Goal must be DETAILED (not "test"). Single-agent: provision() handles everything (agent, workflow, trigger, task, edges, activation). Multi-agent: client.workflows.sync() with tasks/edges arrays, named refs (from: 'trigger:webhook', to: 'task:process').
Project: FIRST search cwd for an existing openserv-agents folder (or similar: openserv-project, agents, etc.) and check for .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY. If found → use that folder and its .env, create your script inside it. ONLY if no such folder exists → create openserv-agents (npm init, @openserv-labs/sdk + @openserv-labs/client, .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY). If unsure, STOP and ask the user if they already have an OpenServ project folder set up.
Execute: RUN with `npx tsx <file>.ts` — don't just write it. Print workflowId, triggerId, taskId(s). Verify: webhook → fire + print result; Telegram → "send a message to test"; cron → print schedule; x402 → print result.paywallUrl.3. The "Runnable Agent + Marketplace Agent" Pipeline
Your custom agent does step 1 (custom code), then a marketplace agent handles step 2 (AI reasoning).
Copy & Paste:
--- 📋 BUILD REQUEST (customize to whatever you need) ---
Build a two-agent pipeline: First, my runnable agent "Data Scraper" fetches the top 5 Hacker News stories from the API and returns them as JSON. Then, hand off that data to the Grok Research marketplace agent to analyze the trends and write a summary report. Chain both in one workflow, fire it once, and show me the final trend report.
--- 🤖 OPENSERV GUARDRAILS (standard — don't change) ---
Read ALL of these skills before writing any code:
- openserv-client: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/SKILL.md
- openserv-client reference: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-client/reference.md
- openserv-agent-sdk: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-agent-sdk/SKILL.md
- openserv-multi-agent-workflows: https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-multi-agent-workflows/SKILL.md
CONCEPT → CODE:
Auth: provision() creates/reuses wallet, writes WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY to .env on first run. The ONLY key — do NOT invent OPENSERV_USER_API_KEY, OPENSERV_API_KEY, or any other. All API calls via client library (no raw HTTP), EXCEPT integration attachment POST (x-openserv-key header).
Triggers: webhook → triggers.webhook({ waitForCompletion: true, timeout: 600 }); cron → triggers.cron(schedule); x402 → triggers.x402. Always activate after creation.
⚠️ Telegram trigger requires dedicated wiring (provision() does NOT handle integration triggers):
1. Create trigger: client.triggers.create({ workflowId, name, integrationConnectionId, trigger_name: 'on-message', props: { regexMatch: '.*' } }) + activate
2. Create task: client.tasks.create({ workflowId, agentId, description })
3. Attach integration to task via REST: POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId } — use header x-openserv-key: userApiKey (the string returned by client.authenticate(WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY), NOT Bearer)
4. Wire trigger→task graph: client.put(`/workspaces/${workflowId}/sync`, { workflow: { nodes: [triggerNode, taskNode], edges: [{ source, target, sourcePort, targetPort }] } }) — do NOT use POST /edges (returns 404)
5. Set running: client.workflows.setRunning({ id: workflowId })
Integrations: User adds in UI first (Connect → Integrations). Discover: listConnections() or getOrCreateConnection('name'). Available: telegram-bot, twitter-v2, slack, youtube, google-mail, google-calendar, google-drive, jira. Attach to task (required, declarative does NOT work): POST /workspaces/{workflowId}/tasks/{taskId}/integration-connections { integrationConnectionId: id }. If missing, STOP and tell user to add in UI.
Agents: Marketplace → client.agents.listMarketplace(), assign by id. Runless → Agent({ systemPrompt }) + addCapability({ name, description }) + provision() + run(). Runnable → same + inputSchema + run function. Custom agents must be running before triggering.
Workflows: Goal must be DETAILED (not "test"). Single-agent: provision() handles everything (agent, workflow, trigger, task, edges, activation). Multi-agent: client.workflows.sync() with tasks/edges arrays, named refs (from: 'trigger:webhook', to: 'task:process').
Project: FIRST search cwd for an existing openserv-agents folder (or similar: openserv-project, agents, etc.) and check for .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY. If found → use that folder and its .env, create your script inside it. ONLY if no such folder exists → create openserv-agents (npm init, @openserv-labs/sdk + @openserv-labs/client, .env with WALLET_PRIVATE_KEY). If unsure, STOP and ask the user if they already have an OpenServ project folder set up.
Execute: RUN with `npx tsx <file>.ts` — don't just write it. Print workflowId, triggerId, taskId(s). Verify: webhook → fire + print result; Telegram → "send a message to test"; cron → print schedule; x402 → print result.paywallUrl.Key Concepts
this.generate() — Platform-Delegated LLM Calls
Inside any run() function, call this.generate() to use OpenServ's LLM. No API key needed — uses your credits. The action parameter is required.
// Text generation
const analysis = await this.generate({
prompt: `Summarize this data: ${JSON.stringify(data)}`,
action // Required: binds cost to workspace
})
// Structured output (returns typed JSON)
const result = await this.generate({
prompt: "Extract key insights...",
outputSchema: z.object({ insights: z.array(z.string()) }),
action
})Runless vs Runnable Capabilities
| Type | When to Use | Has run()? |
|---|---|---|
| Runless | Simple text processing. Platform handles the LLM call. | No |
| Runnable | Custom code, external APIs, data fetching, side effects. | Yes |
Both are defined with agent.addCapability() — the difference is whether you include a run() function.
Deployment
Local: Just run(agent). Tunnel is automatic. No ngrok.
Production: Set DISABLE_TUNNEL=true and provide endpointUrl in provision().
Debugging
If something isn't working, paste this to OpenClaw:
Check https://github.com/openserv-labs/skills/blob/main/skills/openserv-agent-sdk/troubleshooting.md for a fix to this error: [PASTE_ERROR_HERE]Custom OpenServ Agents (Runless Pattern)
Build agents that use platform-managed LLM calls. Define a system prompt and capabilities — no custom code needed.
Telegram Integration
Connect your agents and workflows to Telegram. Telegram has its own trigger type — the only integration that can directly trigger workflows from messages.

