<p align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="assets/banner-dark.png">
    <img alt="OpenOutbound, the AI SDR engine any agent can drive. An agent session finds leads, reads hiring signals and writes checked drafts, then waits for your approval before anything is sent." src="assets/banner-light.png" width="100%">
  </picture>
</p>

<p align="center">
  Find leads, read buying signals, write and send email and LinkedIn outreach, handle replies, report results.<br>
  It runs 24/7 on its own. Your AI agent, your scripts or your team steer it.
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="LICENSE"><img alt="License: Apache-2.0" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/license-Apache--2.0-6E6E73"></a>
  <img alt="MCP server" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-server-6E6E73">
  <img alt="Agent Skill" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Agent%20Skill-included-6E6E73">
  <img alt="Node 22+" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/node-22%2B-6E6E73">
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="#quickstart">Quickstart</a> ·
  <a href="docs/getting-started/connect-your-agent.md">Connect your agent</a> ·
  <a href="docs/README.md">Docs</a> ·
  <a href="docs/reference/mcp-tools.md">MCP tools</a> ·
  <a href="docs/roadmap.md">Roadmap</a>
</p>

---

## Why OpenOutbound

- **An engine, not a prompt.** Sending limits, approvals, suppression lists, compliance rules and budgets are enforced by code. An agent cannot blast 300 LinkedIn invites or email someone who unsubscribed, even if it tries.
- **Any agent, any brain.** One registry powers an MCP server, an Agent Skill, a CLI and a REST API. Drive it from Claude, Codex, Cursor or a cron job. Think with Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, a local model, or your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription.
- **Every part is a plug-in.** Your mailboxes, your data providers, your LinkedIn provider, your CRM. Skip what you do not need; it still works with nothing but a CSV and one mailbox.

## Quickstart

Try it in the sandbox: two demo client workspaces with fake mailboxes, fake prospects and simulated replies. Nothing leaves your machine and no API keys are needed. You need Node 22+ and pnpm (`corepack enable`).

```bash
git clone https://github.com/xyluxx/openoutbound && cd openoutbound
pnpm install && pnpm build
node dist/cli/main.js init       # .env with a fresh secret key, local database
node dist/cli/main.js sandbox    # seeds the demo workspaces
```

Connect your agent from the same folder (Claude Code shown; [Codex, Cursor, VS Code and others](docs/getting-started/connect-your-agent.md)). `init` prints this command with your paths filled in.

```bash
claude mcp add openoutbound -- node "$PWD/dist/cli/main.js" --home "$PWD" mcp --workspace northwind
```

Then ask it:

> What needs my attention in OpenOutbound? Then draft a campaign for our best offer and show me five sample emails before anything is sent.

Going live: [install with Docker](docs/getting-started/install.md), [connect mailboxes](docs/guides/mailboxes.md), [pick an AI brain](docs/guides/ai-brain.md).

## How it works

<p align="center">
  <picture>
    <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="assets/how-it-works-dark.png">
    <img alt="How OpenOutbound works: AI agents (MCP server, Agent Skill), apps and scripts (REST API) and people (CLI) drive one engine. Every call passes one safety gate: scopes, limits, approvals, budgets and an audit log. The engine covers leads, research and signals, campaigns, sending, inbox and reports. Plug-ins for the AI brain, mailboxes, lead sources, finders and verifiers, research and signals, LinkedIn and CRM are all optional." src="assets/how-it-works-light.png" width="100%">
  </picture>
</p>

The engine does the repetitive work on a schedule: sequencing, sending, reply sync, signal monitors, reports. Agents and people steer it through four doors. Every call passes the same safety gate: scopes, limits, approvals, budgets and an audit log with the reason for each action.

## What it does

| | |
|---|---|
| **Leads** | Import CSV, Excel or JSON, search Apollo or Google Maps, or hand over a list. Dedupe, ICP fit scoring with reasons, email finding and verification. |
| **Research and signals** | Sourced research briefs. 15 built-in buying signals plus your own, written in plain English. Free collectors for website changes, job boards, news and tech stack. |
| **Campaigns** | As many as you want, each with its own offer, senders, schedule, review level, writing rules and priority. Email and LinkedIn steps, waits, branches, A/B variants, templates. |
| **AI writing you can check** | Every fact about a prospect has a source. A checker reviews every message. Review every message, only first messages, or only when the checker is unsure. Preview on real leads and teach it with corrections. |
| **Sending** | Your own mailboxes over SMTP/IMAP or OAuth. Daily caps, ramp-up, recipient-timezone windows, one-click unsubscribe, bounce auto-pause. |
| **LinkedIn** | Profile visits, likes, comments, invites and messages inside conservative limits. Posting through LinkedIn's official API. |
| **Inbox** | Replies from every channel in one place, classified, with the right next step and drafted answers. Unsubscribes, angry replies and prompt-injection attempts are handled by locked rules. |
| **Reports** | Funnels by step and variant, sender health, which signals lead to meetings, pipeline, AI and data costs, scheduled summaries to Slack or email. |
| **Compliance built in** | Consent-required countries, unsubscribe and postal address in every email, suppression everywhere, ad and AI disclosure lines, data retention. |
| **Agency ready** | Many client workspaces, scoped API keys, budgets per workspace, a kill switch, an audit log, a cross-client report. |

## Plug-ins

| Slot | Built in |
|---|---|
| AI brain | Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Gemini, Ollama, LM Studio, any OpenAI-compatible API, Claude Code CLI, Codex CLI, or your connected agent |
| Lead data | CSV, Excel, JSON, Apollo, Google Maps |
| Email finder and checker | Icypeas, Findymail, Hunter, Prospeo, MillionVerifier, Reoon, built-in website crawler |
| Research | Parallel, Exa, Tavily, Firecrawl, built-in fetcher |
| Signals | Built-in collectors, PredictLeads, Crustdata, any tool via webhook |
| LinkedIn | Unipile for outreach, LinkedIn official API for posting |
| CRM and alerts | HubSpot, Pipedrive, webhooks, Slack, email |

Need something else? [Write a provider](docs/extending/write-a-provider.md) in one file.

## Documentation

- **Start:** [Quickstart](docs/getting-started/quickstart.md) · [Install](docs/getting-started/install.md) · [Connect your agent](docs/getting-started/connect-your-agent.md) · [Sandbox](docs/getting-started/sandbox.md)
- **Understand:** [How it works](docs/concepts/how-it-works.md) · [Safety and approvals](docs/concepts/safety-and-approvals.md) · [Campaigns](docs/concepts/campaigns.md) · [Signals](docs/concepts/signals.md) · [Reports](docs/concepts/reports.md)
- **Set up:** [AI brain](docs/guides/ai-brain.md) · [Mailboxes](docs/guides/mailboxes.md) · [LinkedIn](docs/guides/linkedin.md) · [Lead sources](docs/guides/lead-sources.md) · [Deploy](docs/guides/deploy.md)
- **Reference:** [MCP tools](docs/reference/mcp-tools.md) · [CLI](docs/reference/cli.md) · [REST API](docs/reference/rest-api.md) · [Configuration](docs/reference/configuration.md)
- **Playbooks:** [ICP](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-icp.md) · [Signals](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-signals.md) · [Copywriting](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-copywriting.md) · [Sequences](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-sequences.md) · [Deliverability](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-deliverability.md) · [LinkedIn](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-linkedin.md) · [Replies](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-replies.md) · [Compliance](skills/openoutbound/references/playbook-compliance.md)

## Status

v0.1 is an early release. The engine, doors and providers are covered by tests against recorded fixtures; real-world provider behavior can differ, so start in the sandbox, then with low volume. See the [roadmap](docs/roadmap.md).

## Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) and [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md). Security issues: [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md).

## License

[Apache-2.0](LICENSE)