Pilot newsletter automation setup

Newsletter Automation Setup

Deploy 3 agents that curate content, write newsletters, and dispatch emails.

Roles

Role	Hostname	Skills	Purpose
curator	<prefix>-curator	pilot-discover, pilot-stream-data, pilot-archive	Aggregates trending content into curated digests
writer	<prefix>-writer	pilot-task-router, pilot-share, pilot-receipt	Transforms content into newsletter copy
mailer	<prefix>-mailer	pilot-webhook-bridge, pilot-announce, pilot-metrics	Dispatches emails, tracks delivery metrics

Setup Procedure

Step 1: Ask the user which role this agent should play and what prefix to use.

Step 2: Install the skills for the chosen role:

# For curator:
clawhub install pilot-discover pilot-stream-data pilot-archive

# For writer:
clawhub install pilot-task-router pilot-share pilot-receipt

# For mailer:
clawhub install pilot-webhook-bridge pilot-announce pilot-metrics

Step 3: Set the hostname:

pilotctl --json set-hostname <prefix>-<role>

Step 4: Write the setup manifest:

mkdir -p ~/.pilot/setups
cat > ~/.pilot/setups/newsletter-automation.json << 'MANIFEST'
{
  "setup": "newsletter-automation",
  "setup_name": "Newsletter Automation",
  "role": "<ROLE_ID>",
  "role_name": "<ROLE_NAME>",
  "hostname": "<prefix>-<role>",
  "description": "<ROLE_DESCRIPTION>",
  "skills": { "<skill>": "<contextual description>" },
  "peers": [ { "role": "...", "hostname": "...", "description": "..." } ],
  "data_flows": [ { "direction": "send|receive", "peer": "...", "port": 1002, "topic": "...", "description": "..." } ],
  "handshakes_needed": [ "<peer-hostname>" ]
}
MANIFEST

Step 5: Tell the user to initiate handshakes with direct communication peers.

Manifest Templates Per Role

curator

{
  "setup": "newsletter-automation", "setup_name": "Newsletter Automation",
  "role": "curator", "role_name": "Content Curator",
  "hostname": "<prefix>-curator",
  "description": "Aggregates trending articles, RSS feeds, and industry news into curated content digests.",
  "skills": {
    "pilot-discover": "Find trending articles and industry news from configured sources.",
    "pilot-stream-data": "Stream RSS feeds and content APIs into structured digests.",
    "pilot-archive": "Archive curated content for historical reference and deduplication."
  },
  "peers": [
    { "role": "writer", "hostname": "<prefix>-writer", "description": "Receives curated content for newsletter writing" },
    { "role": "mailer", "hostname": "<prefix>-mailer", "description": "Final stage — does not communicate directly" }
  ],
  "data_flows": [
    { "direction": "send", "peer": "<prefix>-writer", "port": 1002, "topic": "content-digest", "description": "Curated content digest with sources and summaries" }
  ],
  "handshakes_needed": ["<prefix>-writer"]
}

writer

{
  "setup": "newsletter-automation", "setup_name": "Newsletter Automation",
  "role": "writer", "role_name": "Newsletter Writer",
  "hostname": "<prefix>-writer",
  "description": "Transforms curated content into engaging newsletter copy with subject lines and sections.",
  "skills": {
    "pilot-task-router": "Route writing tasks across content sections and templates.",
    "pilot-share": "Share draft previews with other agents for review.",
    "pilot-receipt": "Confirm receipt of curated content from curator."
  },
  "peers": [
    { "role": "curator", "hostname": "<prefix>-curator", "description": "Sends curated content digests" },
    { "role": "mailer", "hostname": "<prefix>-mailer", "description": "Receives newsletter drafts for delivery" }
  ],
  "data_flows": [
    { "direction": "receive", "peer": "<prefix>-curator", "port": 1002, "topic": "content-digest", "description": "Curated content digest with sources and summaries" },
    { "direction": "send", "peer": "<prefix>-mailer", "port": 1002, "topic": "newsletter-draft", "description": "Newsletter draft with subject line and HTML body" }
  ],
  "handshakes_needed": ["<prefix>-curator", "<prefix>-mailer"]
}

mailer

{
  "setup": "newsletter-automation", "setup_name": "Newsletter Automation",
  "role": "mailer", "role_name": "Email Dispatcher",
  "hostname": "<prefix>-mailer",
  "description": "Formats newsletters for email delivery, manages subscriber segments, tracks open rates.",
  "skills": {
    "pilot-webhook-bridge": "Send formatted emails via email service provider webhooks.",
    "pilot-announce": "Broadcast delivery confirmations and schedule notifications.",
    "pilot-metrics": "Track open rates, click rates, and delivery success per segment."
  },
  "peers": [
    { "role": "curator", "hostname": "<prefix>-curator", "description": "First stage — does not communicate directly" },
    { "role": "writer", "hostname": "<prefix>-writer", "description": "Sends newsletter drafts for delivery" }
  ],
  "data_flows": [
    { "direction": "receive", "peer": "<prefix>-writer", "port": 1002, "topic": "newsletter-draft", "description": "Newsletter draft with subject line and HTML body" },
    { "direction": "send", "peer": "external", "port": 443, "topic": "email-dispatch", "description": "Email dispatch to subscriber segments" }
  ],
  "handshakes_needed": ["<prefix>-writer"]
}

Data Flows

• curator -> writer : content-digest events (port 1002)
• writer -> mailer : newsletter-draft events (port 1002)
• mailer -> external : email-dispatch via webhook (port 443)

Handshakes

# curator and writer handshake with each other:
pilotctl --json handshake <prefix>-writer "setup: newsletter-automation"
pilotctl --json handshake <prefix>-curator "setup: newsletter-automation"

# writer and mailer handshake with each other:
pilotctl --json handshake <prefix>-mailer "setup: newsletter-automation"
pilotctl --json handshake <prefix>-writer "setup: newsletter-automation"

Workflow Example

# On writer — subscribe to content digests:
pilotctl --json subscribe <prefix>-curator content-digest

# On mailer — subscribe to newsletter drafts:
pilotctl --json subscribe <prefix>-writer newsletter-draft

# On curator — publish a content digest:
pilotctl --json publish <prefix>-writer content-digest '{"date":"2026-04-10","articles":[{"title":"AI Agents in Production","url":"https://example.com/ai-agents"}],"topic":"AI & DevOps"}'

# On writer — publish a newsletter draft:
pilotctl --json publish <prefix>-mailer newsletter-draft '{"subject":"This Week in AI","sections":[{"heading":"Top Story","body":"AI agents are going mainstream..."}]}'

Dependencies

Requires pilot-protocol skill, pilotctl binary, clawhub binary, and a running daemon.