Windows TTS Notification Skill#

Push text notifications from OpenClaw to your Windows PC's Azure TTS service for audio broadcast through Bluetooth speakers or any connected audio output.

🔥 Perfect for: Family reminders, medication alerts, homework notifications, dinner announcements, and any cross-device audio broadcast scenarios.

When to Use#

✅ USE this skill when:

• "Remind my family to do homework"
• "Announce dinner time through speakers"
• "Create audio alarms and reminders"
• "Broadcast messages to specific rooms"
• "Play medication reminders"
• "Send cross-device audio notifications"

Prerequisites#

• Windows PC with Azure TTS server running (e.g., play_tts Flask service)
• Network connectivity between OpenClaw host and Windows PC (same LAN)
• Server URL in format: http://<windows-ip>:5000

Quick Start#

1. Install the Skill#

bash

cd /home/cmos/skills/windows-tts
npm install
npm run build

2. Configure OpenClaw#

Add plugin configuration to your openclaw.json:

json

{
  "plugins": {
    "windows-tts": {
      "url": "http://192.168.1.60:5000",
      "defaultVoice": "zh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeural",
      "defaultVolume": 1.0,
      "timeout": 10000
    }
  }
}

3. Use in Agent Heartbeat#

Edit your life agent's HEARTBEAT.md:

markdown

# Family Reminder Check (every 30 minutes)

- Check if it's homework time (19:00-21:00)
- Check if it's medication time
- Check if there are urgent announcements
- Use tts_notify to broadcast reminders

Configuration Reference#

OptionTypeRequiredDefaultDescriptionurl``stringYes-Windows TTS server base URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.60:5000)defaultVoice``stringNozh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeuralDefault Azure TTS voice IDdefaultVolume``numberNo1.0Default volume level (0.0-1.0)timeout``numberNo10000HTTP request timeout in milliseconds

Tool Reference#

tts_notify#

Send text to Windows TTS for immediate audio broadcast.

Input:

typescript

{
  text: string;      // Required: Text to speak
  voice?: string;    // Optional: Override default voice
  volume?: number;   // Optional: Override default volume (0.0-1.0)
}

Example Usage:

typescript

// Basic notification
await tts_notify({
  text: "程老板，该提醒孩子写作业了！"
});

// With custom voice and volume
await tts_notify({
  text: "Attention: Meeting in 5 minutes",
  voice: "en-US-JennyNeural",
  volume: 0.8
});

Response:

json

{
  "status": "success",
  "message": "播报完成"
}

tts_get_status#

Check Windows TTS server connection status.

Input: None

Example:

typescript

const status = await tts_get_status();
// Returns: { status: "success", connected: true, serverUrl: "http://192.168.1.60:5000" }

tts_list_voices#

List available Azure TTS voices.

Input:

typescript

{
  language?: string;  // Optional: Filter by language code (e.g., "zh-CN", "en-US")
}

Example:

typescript

// List all Chinese voices
const voices = await tts_list_voices({ language: "zh-CN" });
// Returns: [{ name: "zh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeural", language: "zh-CN", gender: "Female", ... }]

tts_set_volume#

Set default volume level for TTS playback.

Input:

typescript

{
  volume: number;  // Required: Volume level (0.0-1.0)
}

Example:

typescript

await tts_set_volume({ volume: 0.5 });

Usage Examples#

1. Homework Reminder (Daily 19:00)#

Add to life agent's heartbeat or cron:

typescript

await tts_notify({
  text: "亲爱的程老板，现在是晚上 7 点，该提醒孩子写作业了！"
});

2. Medication Reminder#

typescript

await tts_notify({
  text: "温馨提示：该吃药了，请记得服用今天的维生素。",
  volume: 0.7
});

3. Dinner Announcement#

typescript

await tts_notify({
  text: "晚饭准备好了，快来吃饭吧！",
  voice: "zh-CN-YunxiNeural"
});

4. Multi-Language Support#

typescript

// English announcement
await tts_notify({
  text: "Good evening! Dinner is ready.",
  voice: "en-US-JennyNeural"
});

// Japanese announcement
await tts_notify({
  text: "夕ご飯の準備ができました。",
  voice: "ja-JP-NanamiNeural"
});

Error Handling#

The skill throws WindowsTtsError when the server returns an error:

typescript

try {
  await tts_notify({ text: "Test message" });
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof WindowsTtsError) {
    console.error(`TTS Server error: ${error.status}`);
  } else if (error.message.includes("timeout")) {
    console.error("TTS request timed out - check network connection");
  }
}

Best Practices#

1. Network Reliability#

• Ensure Windows PC has static IP or DHCP reservation
• Test connection with tts_get_status before critical reminders
• Set appropriate timeout (10-30 seconds for TTS)

2. Voice Selection#

• Use zh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeural for warm, friendly Chinese announcements
• Use zh-CN-YunxiNeural for more formal notifications
• Match voice to message tone (casual vs formal)

3. Volume Management#

• Set lower volume (0.5-0.7) for frequent reminders
• Use full volume (1.0) for urgent announcements
• Avoid very low volume (<0.3) as TTS may be inaudible

4. Message Design#

• Keep messages concise (10-30 seconds max)
• Use clear, natural language
• Include context (time, action needed)
• Add polite markers for family harmony

Programmatic Usage#

Use as a library in your TypeScript/JavaScript code:

typescript

import { WindowsTtsClient, validateConfig } from "./index";

const config = validateConfig({
  url: "http://192.168.1.60:5000",
  defaultVoice: "zh-CN-XiaoxiaoNeural",
  defaultVolume: 0.8
});

const client = new WindowsTtsClient(config);

// Send notification
await client.notify({
  text: "Hello from OpenClaw!"
});

// Check status
const status = await client.getStatus();
console.log(`Connected: ${status.connected}`);

Troubleshooting#

"Connection refused" error#

• Verify Windows TTS server is running: curl http://192.168.1.60:5000/status
• Check firewall allows port 5000
• Ensure both devices are on same network

"Request timeout" error#

• Increase timeout in plugin config
• Check network latency between devices
• Verify Windows PC is not in sleep mode

TTS plays but wrong voice#

• Verify voice name is valid Azure TTS voice ID
• Use tts_list_voices to see available voices
• Check Windows TTS server supports voice selection

Related Skills#

• openclaw-homeassistant - Control smart home devices
• proactive-agent - Build proactive reminder behaviors
• gws-calendar - Schedule reminders based on calendar events

Version History#

1.0.0#

• Initial release with 4 tools
• Basic HTTP client with timeout
• Voice and volume configuration
• Error handling and status checks

License#

MIT