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Task dependencies allow you to model workflows where certain tasks must be completed before others can begin. OpenClaw tracks dependency status and automatically blocks tasks when their dependencies are incomplete.

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Dependency Concepts

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Depends On Relationship

When Task A depends on Task B:
  • Task B is a dependency of Task A
  • Task A is dependent on Task B
  • Task A cannot progress if Task B is not done

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Blocking Behavior

A task is blocked when:
  • It has one or more dependencies
  • At least one dependency is not in done status
  • The task itself is not already done
Blocked tasks cannot:
  • Be assigned to an agent
  • Move to in_progress status
  • Move to review status
  • Move to done status
Blocked tasks must remain in inbox status until all dependencies are completed.

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Setting Dependencies

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On Task Creation

Specify dependencies when creating a task: 
curl -X POST "https://api.openclaw.ai/api/boards/{board_id}/tasks" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Deploy to production",
    "description": "Deploy the authentication service",
    "depends_on_task_ids": [
      "task-id-1",
      "task-id-2"
    ]
  }'
If any dependencies are incomplete, the task will be created in blocked state: 
{
  "id": "new-task-id",
  "title": "Deploy to production",
  "status": "inbox",
  "depends_on_task_ids": ["task-id-1", "task-id-2"],
  "blocked_by_task_ids": ["task-id-1"],
  "is_blocked": true
}

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On Task Update

Update dependencies using the PATCH endpoint: 
curl -X PATCH "https://api.openclaw.ai/api/boards/{board_id}/tasks/{task_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "depends_on_task_ids": [
      "task-id-1",
      "task-id-2",
      "task-id-3"
    ]
  }'
Important Notes:
  • The depends_on_task_ids array is a complete replacement, not a merge
  • Pass an empty array [] to clear all dependencies
  • Dependencies cannot be changed after a task reaches done status
  • Updating dependencies may change the task’s is_blocked status

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Validation Rules

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Same Board Requirement

All dependencies must exist on the same board as the task: 
// Error Response
{
  "detail": {
    "message": "One or more dependency tasks were not found on this board.",
    "missing_task_ids": ["task-id-3"]
  }
}

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No Self-Dependencies

A task cannot depend on itself: 
// Error Response
{
  "detail": "Task cannot depend on itself."
}

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No Circular Dependencies

Dependency chains cannot form cycles: 
Task A → depends on → Task B
Task B → depends on → Task C
Task C → depends on → Task A  ❌ Cycle detected!

// Error Response
{
  "detail": "Dependency cycle detected. Remove the cycle before saving."
}
The validation checks the entire board’s dependency graph, catching both direct and indirect cycles.

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Automatic Reconciliation

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When Dependencies Complete

When a dependency task moves to done status:
  1. All dependent tasks are checked
  2. If no other dependencies block them, is_blocked becomes false
  3. An activity log entry is added to dependent tasks
  4. Dependent tasks can now be assigned and progressed

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When Dependencies Reopen

When a done dependency is moved back to another status:
  1. All dependent tasks are identified
  2. Tasks that are not done are reset to inbox:
    • Status set to inbox
    • Assigned agent cleared
    • In-progress timestamp cleared
  3. Activity log entries document the reset
// Activity log message
{
  "event_type": "task.status_changed",
  "message": "Task returned to inbox: dependency reopened (Authentication API)."
}

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Reading Dependency Status

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In List Response

Every task includes dependency information: 
{
  "id": "task-id",
  "depends_on_task_ids": ["dep-1", "dep-2", "dep-3"],
  "blocked_by_task_ids": ["dep-1"],
  "is_blocked": true
}
  • depends_on_task_ids: All configured dependencies
  • blocked_by_task_ids: Subset of dependencies that are incomplete
  • is_blocked: Whether task is currently blocked

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Checking Specific Dependencies

To check the status of dependency tasks, fetch them individually or use the list endpoint: 
curl -X GET "https://api.openclaw.ai/api/boards/{board_id}/tasks?status=done" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

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Best Practices

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Design Clear Workflows

✅ Good:
Setup Database → Implement API → Write Tests → Deploy

❌ Avoid:
Task A ↔ Task B (mutual dependency - creates cycle)

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Use Dependencies for Prerequisites

Depend on tasks that must be completed before starting:
  • Infrastructure setup before deployment
  • API implementation before integration tests
  • Design approval before development

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Don’t Over-Depend

Avoid creating dependencies for tasks that can run in parallel:
  • Separate feature branches don’t need to depend on each other
  • Documentation can often be written alongside implementation

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Handle Long Chains Carefully

Long dependency chains can create bottlenecks: 
Task 1 → Task 2 → Task 3 → Task 4 → Task 5
If Task 1 is blocked, all 5 tasks are blocked. Consider:
  • Breaking work into smaller, parallel tasks
  • Reducing chain depth where possible
  • Ensuring critical path tasks are prioritized

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Example Workflows

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Feature Development Workflow

[
  {
    "id": "design-task",
    "title": "Design authentication flow",
    "status": "done",
    "depends_on_task_ids": []
  },
  {
    "id": "api-task",
    "title": "Implement authentication API",
    "status": "in_progress",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["design-task"],
    "is_blocked": false
  },
  {
    "id": "ui-task",
    "title": "Build login UI",
    "status": "inbox",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["design-task"],
    "is_blocked": false
  },
  {
    "id": "integration-task",
    "title": "Integration testing",
    "status": "inbox",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["api-task", "ui-task"],
    "blocked_by_task_ids": ["api-task"],
    "is_blocked": true
  },
  {
    "id": "deploy-task",
    "title": "Deploy to production",
    "status": "inbox",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["integration-task"],
    "blocked_by_task_ids": ["integration-task"],
    "is_blocked": true
  }
]
In this workflow:
  • Design is complete
  • API and UI work can happen in parallel (both depend on design)
  • Integration cannot start until both API and UI are done
  • Deploy waits for integration to complete

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Infrastructure Setup Workflow

[
  {
    "id": "provision-infra",
    "title": "Provision cloud resources",
    "depends_on_task_ids": []
  },
  {
    "id": "setup-database",
    "title": "Configure database",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["provision-infra"]
  },
  {
    "id": "setup-cache",
    "title": "Configure Redis cache",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["provision-infra"]
  },
  {
    "id": "deploy-app",
    "title": "Deploy application",
    "depends_on_task_ids": ["setup-database", "setup-cache"]
  }
]
This creates a clear deployment sequence with parallel infrastructure setup steps.

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