Mixtiles Monthly Pipeline#

Automatically collect the best family photos from a WhatsApp group each month, curate them, and generate a ready-to-order Mixtiles cart link.

Configuration#

These environment variables control the pipeline. Set them before running:

VariableDescriptionDefaultMIXTILES_GROUP_JIDWhatsApp group JID to collect photos from_(required)_MIXTILES_SEND_TOWhere to send the cart link (group JID or phone number)Same as MIXTILES_GROUP_JID``MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNTHow many photos to select4``MIXTILES_TILE_SIZETile size for the orderRECTANGLE_12X16

Pipeline Steps#

Step 1: Collect Photos#

Calculate the date range for last month and download all photos from the group:

bash

# Calculate first day of last month
YEAR_MONTH=$(date -v-1m +%Y-%m)  # macOS
AFTER_DATE="${YEAR_MONTH}-01"
OUTPUT_DIR=~/mixtiles-queue/${YEAR_MONTH}

# Run the collection script
bash <skill-dir>/scripts/collect-photos.sh "$MIXTILES_GROUP_JID" "$AFTER_DATE" "$OUTPUT_DIR"

The script outputs a JSON manifest on stdout with {id, sender, timestamp, filepath} for each downloaded photo.

Step 2: Curate with Vision#

Read each downloaded photo using your vision capability. For each photo, evaluate:

Include if:

• Real family/life moment (people, gatherings, milestones, kids, travel, pets)
• Good image quality (clear, well-lit, in focus)
• Unique scene (not a near-duplicate of another photo)

Exclude if:

• Screenshot, meme, forwarded image, or link preview
• Blurry, too dark, or very low quality
• Near-duplicate of a better version already selected
• Text-heavy image (WhatsApp forwards, news articles)
• Promotional content or ads

Step 3: Select Top Photos#

From the curated set, pick the top $MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT photos (default: 4). Prioritize:

1. People and faces (especially kids, family gatherings)
2. Milestone moments (birthdays, first steps, graduations)
3. Travel and experiences
4. Variety — don't pick 4 photos from the same event if there are others

If fewer than $MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT good photos exist, use whatever passes curation.

Step 4: Build Multi-Photo Cart#

Use the mixtiles-it skill's script with the --batch flag:

bash

MIXTILES_CART_SCRIPT="$(find ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/mixtiles-it/scripts -name 'mixtiles-cart.py')"

python3 "$MIXTILES_CART_SCRIPT" \
  --batch <photo1> <photo2> <photo3> <photo4> \
  --size "${MIXTILES_TILE_SIZE:-RECTANGLE_12X16}"

This uploads each photo to Cloudinary and outputs a single Mixtiles cart URL with all photos.

Step 5: Send the Link#

Send the cart link to the target chat:

bash

SEND_TO="${MIXTILES_SEND_TO:-$MIXTILES_GROUP_JID}"

wacli send text \
  --to "$SEND_TO" \
  --message "Your monthly tiles are ready! Here are the best ${MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT:-4} photos from last month. Tap to customize and order: $CART_URL"

Error Handling#

• If collect-photos.sh finds 0 photos: report that no images were found for the period and skip the pipeline.
• If fewer photos pass curation than MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT: use all that passed — even 1 photo is worth sending.
• If Cloudinary upload fails for a photo: skip that photo, continue with the rest.
• If wacli send fails: print the cart URL so the user can send it manually.

Manual Trigger#

To run the pipeline outside the monthly schedule:

Run the mixtiles-monthly skill: collect photos from the family group for the past month, curate the best ones, build a multi-photo cart link, and send it.