MCP Workflow Skill

Quick Reference

# Start MCP Server
node scripts/mcp-server.js

# Run a workflow
./scripts/workflow-engine.sh run <workflow-name> [--input <json>]

# List available workflows
./scripts/workflow-engine.sh list

# Create new workflow from template
./scripts/workflow-engine.sh create <name> --from <template>

# Validate workflow
./scripts/workflow-engine.sh validate <workflow-file>

Overview

This skill implements workflow automation using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling:

• Prompt Chains: Multi-step prompt sequences
• Dynamic Workflows: Context-aware adaptation
• Resource Integration: File/data embedding
• Cross-Server Coordination: Multi-MCP orchestration

Workflow Patterns

1. Prompt Chain Pattern

plan → generate → execute → validate

2. Dynamic Prompt Pattern

context → adapt → generate → output

3. Resource Embedding Pattern

resource://{type}/{id} → load → embed → process

4. External Trigger Pattern

trigger → validate → dispatch → execute

Built-in Templates

MCP Server Features

Resources

• file://{path} - File system access
• memory://{key} - Memory storage
• config://{section} - Configuration values

Tools

• workflow.run - Execute workflow
• workflow.list - List workflows
• workflow.validate - Validate workflow JSON
• prompt.render - Render prompt template

Prompts

• chain:plan - Planning prompt
• chain:generate - Generation prompt
• chain:review - Review prompt

Example Usage

Meal Planner Workflow

./scripts/workflow-engine.sh run meal-planner \
  --input '{"diet":"vegetarian","days":7,"budget":50}'

Code Review Workflow

./scripts/workflow-engine.sh run code-review \
  --input '{"repo":"myapp","pr":123}'

Weekly Report

./scripts/workflow-engine.sh run weekly-report \
  --input '{"project":"dashboard","week":"2024-W01"}'

Best Practices

1. Workflow Design

• Keep steps atomic and focused
• Use clear input/output contracts
• Implement error handling at each step
• Version your workflows

2. Prompt Engineering

• Use system prompts for context
• Provide examples in few-shot prompts
• Chain prompts for complex tasks
• Validate outputs before next step

3. Resource Management

• Use URI patterns consistently
• Cache frequently accessed resources
• Clean up temporary resources
• Document resource schemas

4. Cross-Server Coordination

• Define clear interfaces between servers
• Use standardized message formats
• Implement health checks
• Handle timeouts gracefully

Configuration

Create ~/.openclaw/mcp-workflow.json:

{
  "servers": [
    {
      "name": "local",
      "command": "node scripts/mcp-server.js",
      "env": {}
    }
  ],
  "workflowsDir": "./workflows",
  "templatesDir": "./scripts/templates",
  "defaultTimeout": 30000
}

Integration with OpenClaw

Use in your OpenClaw session:

# Load the skill
openclaw skill load mcp-workflow

# Run workflow
openclaw workflow run meal-planner --input '{"days":5}'

References

• MCP Specification
• Workflow Patterns
• Jason Zhou Insights