Contributing to the OpenClaw Rating & Review System

Contributing to the OpenClaw Rating & Review System involves forking the repository, implementing or extending the Rating API, testing with Jest or Mocha, and finally deploying the service on the UBOS platform.

1. Introduction

OpenClaw is an open‑source rating and review engine that powers community‑driven feedback loops for SaaS products, e‑commerce sites, and mobile apps. By contributing to its Rating & Review System you help thousands of developers ship trustworthy, scalable feedback features faster.

This guide walks you through every step—from understanding the API design to deploying a fully‑tested service on UBOS homepage. Whether you’re a seasoned Node.js engineer or a newcomer eager to make an impact, the workflow is deliberately MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) so you can focus on code, not bureaucracy.

2. Rating API Design

Core Endpoints

Data Model & Validation

The rating payload follows a strict JSON schema to guarantee data integrity across micro‑services:

{
  "productId": "string (UUID)",
  "userId": "string (UUID)",
  "score": "integer (1‑5)",
  "title": "string (max 120 chars)",
  "comment": "string (max 2000 chars)",
  "createdAt": "ISO‑8601 timestamp"
}

Validation is performed server‑side using Joi (or zod for TypeScript projects). Any request that violates the schema returns 400 Bad Request with a detailed error map.

Authentication & Authorization

OpenClaw uses JWT‑based authentication. Each request must include an Authorization: Bearer <token> header. The token encodes the userId and a role claim:

• user – can create, read, and update own ratings.
• moderator – can delete any rating and flag inappropriate content.
• admin – full access to all endpoints and configuration.

Authorization logic lives in a reusable middleware that you can extend for future OpenClaw modules.

3. Contribution Workflow

Forking the Repository

Navigate to the official OpenClaw Rating Service repo and click Fork. This creates a personal copy under your GitHub account.

Branching Strategy

Adopt the feature/* naming convention. For example, to add a bulk‑import endpoint, create git checkout -b feature/bulk-import. Keep the main branch clean; it always reflects the latest stable release.

Pull Request Guidelines

• Title must start with feat:, fix:, or docs:.
• Provide a concise description of the change and reference any related issue (e.g., #42).
• Include screenshots or API response examples when applicable.
• Ensure the PR passes all CI checks before requesting review.

Code Review Process

OpenClaw maintainers perform a two‑step review: automated linting (via ESLint) followed by a manual review focusing on security, performance, and documentation. Address reviewer comments promptly; once approved, the PR is merged into main and a new version tag is created.

4. SDK Usage

Installing the OpenClaw SDK

The SDK is published to npm as @openclaw/sdk. Install it with your preferred package manager:

npm install @openclaw/sdk
# or
yarn add @openclaw/sdk

Initializing the Client

Create a singleton client that injects your API key and base URL (the UBOS‑hosted endpoint):

import { OpenClawClient } from '@openclaw/sdk';

const client = new OpenClawClient({
  baseURL: 'https://api.yourdomain.com',
  apiKey: process.env.OPENCLAW_API_KEY,
});

Example: Submitting a Rating

The following snippet demonstrates a typical rating submission from a React component:

async function submitRating(productId, score, title, comment) {
  try {
    const response = await client.ratings.create({
      productId,
      userId: getCurrentUserId(),
      score,
      title,
      comment,
    });
    console.log('Rating created:', response.data);
  } catch (err) {
    if (err.response?.status === 401) {
      alert('Please log in to submit a rating.');
    } else {
      console.error('Failed to submit rating:', err);
    }
  }
}

Handling Responses & Errors

The SDK returns a standardized AxiosResponse object. Use try/catch blocks to differentiate between validation errors (400), authentication failures (401), and server issues (5xx). All error payloads contain a message field for UI display.

5. Testing

Unit Tests with Jest

OpenClaw ships with a Jest configuration that includes ts-jest for TypeScript projects. Write unit tests for each controller method:

import { RatingController } from '../../src/controllers/rating.controller';
import { RatingService } from '../../src/services/rating.service';

jest.mock('../../src/services/rating.service');

describe('RatingController', () => {
  it('should create a rating with valid payload', async () => {
    const mockReq = {
      body: { productId: 'prod-1', userId: 'user-1', score: 5, title: 'Great!', comment: 'Loved it' },
      user: { id: 'user-1' },
    };
    const mockRes = { status: jest.fn().mockReturnThis(), json: jest.fn() };
    await RatingController.createRating(mockReq as any, mockRes as any);
    expect(mockRes.status).toHaveBeenCalledWith(201);
  });
});

Integration Tests Using the Sandbox

UBOS provides a sandbox environment that mirrors production. Deploy a temporary instance of the Rating service and run end‑to‑end tests with supertest:

import request from 'supertest';
import { app } from '../../src/app';

describe('POST /api/ratings', () => {
  it('returns 201 when payload is valid', async () => {
    const token = await getSandboxJwt(); // helper that logs into sandbox
    const res = await request(app)
      .post('/api/ratings')
      .set('Authorization', `Bearer ${token}`)
      .send({ productId: 'prod-2', score: 4, title: 'Nice', comment: 'Good product' });
    expect(res.status).toBe(201);
  });
});

CI/CD Pipeline Checks

Every push triggers GitHub Actions that run linting, unit tests, and integration tests against the sandbox. The pipeline also builds a Docker image and pushes it to the UBOS container registry if all checks pass.

6. Deployment via UBOS

Preparing the UBOS Environment

Log in to your UBOS dashboard and create a new project. Choose the UBOS platform overview that matches your scaling needs (Standard, Pro, or Enterprise). The platform automatically provisions a PostgreSQL instance, a Redis cache, and a Kubernetes‑compatible runtime.

Deploying the Rating Service

1. Push your Docker image to the UBOS container registry (e.g., ubos.io/your-org/rating-service:1.2.0).
2. In the UBOS UI, navigate to Workflow automation studio and create a new deployment workflow that pulls the image, sets environment variables (DB_URL, REDIS_URL, JWT_SECRET), and exposes port 8080.
3. Save and trigger the workflow. UBOS will spin up pods, attach health checks, and register the service under /api/ratings.

Monitoring & Scaling Considerations

UBOS integrates with Prometheus and Grafana out of the box. Enable the monitoring dashboard to watch request latency, error rates, and CPU usage. If you anticipate traffic spikes, configure an auto‑scaler rule that adds pods when CPU > 70% for 2 minutes.

Embedding the Host Link Naturally

When you’re ready to showcase a live demo, simply embed the official hosting page: OpenClaw can be hosted on UBOS with a single click. This link fits naturally in the “Deploying” subsection because it points developers to the exact page where they can spin up a production‑grade instance.

7. Helpful UBOS Resources for Contributors

While you’re building and testing, the following UBOS tools can accelerate your workflow:

• Web app editor on UBOS – prototype UI components for rating widgets without leaving the platform.
• Workflow automation studio – design CI pipelines visually.
• UBOS pricing plans – choose a tier that matches your project’s budget.
• UBOS partner program – get co‑marketing support once your contribution gains traction.
• AI marketing agents – automate release announcements for your new rating features.
• Enterprise AI platform by UBOS – scale the rating service to millions of users.
• UBOS solutions for SMBs – see how small businesses leverage the same rating engine.
• UBOS for startups – fast‑track MVPs with pre‑built templates.
• UBOS templates for quick start – bootstrap a rating UI with a single click.

8. Template Marketplace Inspirations

UBOS’s marketplace offers ready‑made AI‑enhanced components that can complement the rating system:

• AI Article Copywriter – generate product descriptions that pair with user reviews.
• AI SEO Analyzer – ensure your rating pages rank well.
• AI YouTube Comment Analysis tool – learn how sentiment analysis works before applying it to ratings.

9. Conclusion & Call‑to‑Action

Contributing to the OpenClaw Rating & Review System is a rewarding way to sharpen your Node.js skills, influence a widely‑used open‑source project, and showcase your work on a modern cloud platform. Follow the step‑by‑step workflow outlined above, write thorough tests, and deploy confidently with UBOS.

Ready to start?

• Fork the repo, create a feature/your‑idea branch, and open a PR.
• Run the full test suite locally and in the UBOS sandbox.
• Deploy your service using the OpenClaw hosting page on UBOS and share the live URL with the community.

Happy coding, and thank you for making OpenClaw better for everyone!