feat(automation): notify node click-through target (source_object/source_id) (#2675) (#2677)

The flow `notify` node consumed only recipients/title/message/channels, so every
notification it emitted had `sys_notification.source_object` / `source_id` = null
— inbox notifications could not be clicked into the related record.

Read `sourceObject`/`sourceId` (or the nested `source:{object,id}` form) and
`actorId` from the node config and forward them to `messaging.emit()`, which
already persists the source columns and synthesizes a `/{object}/{id}` inbox
deep-link. Both keys interpolate flow variables; a half-specified target is
dropped so the inbox never renders a dead link. Accept `url` as an alias for
`actionUrl`, and publish a `configSchema` documenting the accepted keys.

Co-authored-by: Jack Zhuang <277994282+os-zhuang@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: os-zhuang

.changeset/notify-click-through-target.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+'@objectstack/service-automation': minor
+---
+
+Flow `notify` node: support a click-through target so inbox notifications can be clicked into the related record (#2675).
+
+The `notify` node now reads `sourceObject` / `sourceId` (or the nested `source: { object, id }` form) and `actorId` from its config and forwards them to the messaging service, which persists `sys_notification.source_object` / `source_id` / `actor_id` and synthesizes a `/{object}/{id}` inbox deep-link. Both keys interpolate flow variables (e.g. `sourceId: '{new_quotation.id}'`), and a half-specified target (object without id, or vice versa) is dropped so the inbox never renders a dead link. `url` is now accepted as an alias for `actionUrl` (an explicit URL still overrides the synthesized link). The node also publishes a `configSchema` documenting all accepted keys for the Studio form.
+
+Previously the node consumed only `recipients` / `title` / `message` / `channels`, so every notification it emitted had `source_object` / `source_id` = `null` and could not be clicked through to a record.

packages/services/service-automation/src/builtin/notify-node.test.ts

@@ -117,6 +117,72 @@ describe('notify (baseline node)', () => {
             expect(result.output).toMatchObject({ 'notify.delivered': 2 });
         });
 
+        it('forwards a click-through target via sourceObject/sourceId, interpolating the id (#2675)', async () => {
+            engine.registerFlow('notify_flow', notifyFlow({
+                recipients: ['user_1'],
+                title: 'Quote {dealName} approved',
+                message: 'Fill in the line items',
+                channels: ['inbox'],
+                sourceObject: 'mtc_quotation',
+                sourceId: '{dealId}',
+            }));
+
+            const result = await engine.execute('notify_flow', {
+                params: { dealName: 'Acme', dealId: 'q_42' },
+            } as any);
+
+            expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+            expect(messaging.emitted[0]).toMatchObject({
+                source: { object: 'mtc_quotation', id: 'q_42' },
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('accepts the nested source:{object,id} form and forwards actorId', async () => {
+            engine.registerFlow('notify_flow', notifyFlow({
+                recipients: ['user_1'],
+                title: 'Assigned to you',
+                source: { object: 'opportunity', id: '{dealId}' },
+                actorId: '{dealName}',
+            }));
+
+            const result = await engine.execute('notify_flow', {
+                params: { dealName: 'user_boss', dealId: '99' },
+            } as any);
+
+            expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+            expect(messaging.emitted[0]).toMatchObject({
+                source: { object: 'opportunity', id: '99' },
+                actorId: 'user_boss',
+            });
+        });
+
+        it('drops a half-specified target (object without id) rather than emitting a dead link', async () => {
+            engine.registerFlow('notify_flow', notifyFlow({
+                recipients: ['user_1'],
+                title: 'Heads up',
+                sourceObject: 'opportunity',
+                // no sourceId
+            }));
+
+            const result = await engine.execute('notify_flow');
+            expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+            expect(messaging.emitted[0].source).toBeUndefined();
+        });
+
+        it('accepts `url` as an alias for actionUrl', async () => {
+            engine.registerFlow('notify_flow', notifyFlow({
+                recipients: ['user_1'],
+                title: 'Heads up',
+                url: '/opps/{dealId}',
+            }));
+
+            const result = await engine.execute('notify_flow', {
+                params: { dealId: '7' },
+            } as any);
+            expect(result.success).toBe(true);
+            expect(messaging.emitted[0].payload).toMatchObject({ url: '/opps/7' });
+        });
+
         it('accepts a single recipient string and the subject/to aliases', async () => {
             engine.registerFlow('notify_flow', notifyFlow({
                 to: 'user_9',

packages/services/service-automation/src/builtin/notify-node.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2025 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
 
 import type { PluginContext } from '@objectstack/core';
+import type { AutomationContext } from '@objectstack/spec/contracts';
 import { defineActionDescriptor } from '@objectstack/spec/automation';
 import type { AutomationEngine } from '../engine.js';
-import { interpolate } from './template.js';
+import { interpolate, type VariableMap } from './template.js';
 
 /**
  * Structural view of `@objectstack/service-messaging`'s service (ADR-0012),
@@ -33,6 +34,33 @@ function toStringList(value: unknown): string[] {
     return [];
 }
 
+/** Coerce an interpolated config value to a non-empty trimmed string, else undefined. */
+function toStr(value: unknown): string | undefined {
+    if (value == null) return undefined;
+    const s = String(value).trim();
+    return s.length > 0 ? s : undefined;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the click-through target record from the node config, if any.
+ *
+ * Accepts the flat `sourceObject`/`sourceId` keys (canonical — mirrors the
+ * `sys_notification.source_object`/`source_id` columns) or the nested
+ * `source: { object, id }` form (mirrors the messaging `emit()` surface). A
+ * target is produced only when BOTH object and id resolve — a half-specified
+ * link is dropped so the inbox never renders a dead deep-link.
+ */
+function resolveSource(
+    cfg: Record<string, unknown>,
+    variables: VariableMap,
+    context: AutomationContext,
+): { object: string; id: string } | undefined {
+    const src = (cfg.source ?? null) as { object?: unknown; id?: unknown } | null;
+    const object = toStr(interpolate(cfg.sourceObject ?? src?.object, variables, context));
+    const id = toStr(interpolate(cfg.sourceId ?? src?.id, variables, context));
+    return object && id ? { object, id } : undefined;
+}
+
 /**
  * `notify` built-in node (ADR-0012) — outbound notification.
  *
@@ -68,6 +96,46 @@ export function registerNotifyNode(engine: AutomationEngine, ctx: PluginContext)
             // emit → sys_notification_delivery), so it inherits retry/dead-letter.
             needsOutbox: true,
             paradigms: ['flow', 'approval'],
+            // Drives the Studio form + documents the accepted keys. Extra keys
+            // are still tolerated (JSON Schema allows additional properties) —
+            // this is discoverability, not a lockdown.
+            configSchema: {
+                // No `required` array: `recipients`/`title` each accept an alias
+                // (`to`/`subject`), which a strict required-check would reject.
+                // The node enforces "title + ≥1 recipient" at execute time.
+                type: 'object',
+                properties: {
+                    recipients: {
+                        description: 'Recipient user id(s) / audience selector(s); alias: `to`',
+                    },
+                    title: { type: 'string', description: 'Notification title; alias: `subject`' },
+                    message: { type: 'string', description: 'Notification body; alias: `body`' },
+                    channels: {
+                        type: 'array', items: { type: 'string' },
+                        description: 'Channels to fan out to (default: inbox)',
+                    },
+                    topic: { type: 'string', description: 'Event topic (default: "notify")' },
+                    severity: { type: 'string', description: 'info | warning | critical' },
+                    // ── Click-through target (#2675) ─────────────────────────
+                    sourceObject: {
+                        type: 'string',
+                        description: 'Object name of the record the notification links to (writes sys_notification.source_object). Requires sourceId.',
+                    },
+                    sourceId: {
+                        type: 'string',
+                        description: 'Record id the notification links to (writes sys_notification.source_id). Requires sourceObject. The inbox synthesizes a `/{object}/{id}` deep-link from these.',
+                    },
+                    actorId: {
+                        type: 'string',
+                        description: 'User id that caused the event (writes sys_notification.actor_id)',
+                    },
+                    url: {
+                        type: 'string',
+                        description: 'Explicit click-through URL; overrides the link synthesized from sourceObject/sourceId. Alias: `actionUrl`.',
+                    },
+                    payload: { type: 'object', description: 'Extra template inputs merged into the notification payload' },
+                },
+            },
         }),
         async execute(node, variables, context) {
             const cfg = (node.config ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -78,13 +146,21 @@ export function registerNotifyNode(engine: AutomationEngine, ctx: PluginContext)
             const channels = toStringList(cfg.channels);
             const topic = cfg.topic ? String(cfg.topic) : undefined;
             const severity = cfg.severity ? String(cfg.severity) : undefined;
-            const actionUrl = cfg.actionUrl
-                ? String(interpolate(cfg.actionUrl, variables, context) ?? '')
+            const urlCfg = cfg.actionUrl ?? cfg.url;
+            const actionUrl = urlCfg
+                ? String(interpolate(urlCfg, variables, context) ?? '')
                 : undefined;
             const payload = cfg.payload
                 ? (interpolate(cfg.payload, variables, context) as Record<string, unknown>)
                 : undefined;
 
+            // Click-through target: forwarding `source` lets the messaging
+            // service persist sys_notification.source_object/source_id and
+            // synthesize a `/{object}/{id}` deep-link for the inbox (#2675). An
+            // explicit `actionUrl`/`url` still wins over the synthesized link.
+            const source = resolveSource(cfg, variables, context);
+            const actorId = toStr(interpolate(cfg.actorId, variables, context));
+
             if (!title) return { success: false, error: 'notify: title (or subject) is required' };
             if (recipients.length === 0) {
                 return { success: false, error: 'notify: at least one recipient is required' };
@@ -111,6 +187,8 @@ export function registerNotifyNode(engine: AutomationEngine, ctx: PluginContext)
                     audience: recipients,
                     payload: { ...(payload ?? {}), title, body, url: actionUrl },
                     severity,
+                    source,
+                    actorId,
                     channels: channels.length ? channels : undefined,
                 });
                 return {