## Example: Lobster workflow step

### Important limitation

The example below assumes the **standalone Lobster CLI** is running in an environment where `openclaw.invoke` already has the correct gateway URL/auth context.

For the bundled **embedded** Lobster runner inside OpenClaw, this nested CLI pattern is **not currently reliable**:

```lobster

openclaw.invoke --tool llm-task --action json --args-json '{ ... }'

```

Until embedded Lobster has a supported bridge for this flow, prefer either:

- direct `llm-task` tool calls outside Lobster, or

- Lobster steps that do not rely on nested `openclaw.invoke` calls.

Standalone Lobster CLI example:

```lobster

openclaw.invoke --tool llm-task --action json --args-json '{

"prompt": "Given the input email, return intent and draft.",

}

```

Use it in a pipeline:

### Important limitation: embedded Lobster vs `openclaw.invoke`

The bundled Lobster plugin runs workflows **in-process** inside the gateway. In that embedded mode, `openclaw.invoke` does **not** automatically inherit a gateway URL/auth context for nested OpenClaw CLI tool calls.

That means this pattern is **not currently reliable in the embedded runner**:

```lobster

openclaw.invoke --tool llm-task --action json --args-json '{ ... }'

```

Use the example below only when running the **standalone Lobster CLI** in an environment where `openclaw.invoke` is already configured with the correct gateway/auth context.

Use it in a standalone Lobster CLI pipeline:

```lobster

openclaw.invoke --tool llm-task --action json --args-json '{

}'

```

If you are using the embedded Lobster plugin today, prefer either:

- a direct `llm-task` tool call outside Lobster, or

- non-`openclaw.invoke` steps inside the Lobster pipeline until a supported embedded bridge is added.

See [LLM Task](/tools/llm-task) for details and configuration options.

## Workflow files (.lobster)