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:
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
MIXTILES_GROUP_JID |
WhatsApp group JID to collect photos from | (required) |
MIXTILES_SEND_TO |
Where to send the cart link (group JID or phone number) | Same as MIXTILES_GROUP_JID |
MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT |
How many photos to select | 4 |
MIXTILES_TILE_SIZE |
Tile size for the order | RECTANGLE_12X16 |
Pipeline Steps
Step 1: Collect Photos
Calculate the date range for last month and download all photos from the group:
# 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:
- People and faces (especially kids, family gatherings)
- Milestone moments (birthdays, first steps, graduations)
- Travel and experiences
- Variety — don't pick 4 photos from the same event if there are others
If fewer than $MIXTILES_PHOTO_COUNT good photos exist, use whatever passes curation.
Step 4: Build Multi-Photo Cart
Use the mixtiles-it skill's script with the --batch flag:
MIXTILES_CART_SCRIPT="$(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:
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.shfinds 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 sendfails: 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.