master-ai/vibn-frontend/docs/architecture/POSTAL_INTEGRATION_SCOPE.md

Postal Email Infrastructure & AI Integration Scope

Overview

Vibn requires a scalable, multi-tenant email infrastructure that allows both the core platform and user-generated AI agents to send emails. To support unlimited custom domains without incurring high per-domain or per-email costs, we will self-host Postal, an open-source mail delivery platform, on Coolify.

This document outlines the end-to-end implementation plan, covering infrastructure, backend integration, database modifications, and the AI MCP tool.

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Phase 1: Infrastructure (Self-Hosted Postal)

Status: Pending

Postal requires its own dedicated environment with MariaDB and RabbitMQ. We will deploy this via Coolify's Docker Compose feature.

1. Server & DNS Prerequisites

• Clean IP: Ensure the Coolify host (or dedicated VPS) IP is not on any DNSBL (Blacklists).
• Subdomain: Dedicate a subdomain (e.g., postal.vibn.com or mail.vibn.com).
• Reverse DNS (rDNS/PTR): Configure the hosting provider to map the server's IP back to the Postal subdomain.

2. Coolify Deployment

• Create a new Docker Compose application in Coolify.
• Use the official Postal docker-compose configuration, which includes:
  • postal (The Ruby-based core app)
  • mariadb (Relational database for routing/config)
  • rabbitmq (Message queue for email spooling)
• Configure environment variables within Coolify (signing keys, DNS hostnames).
• Expose ports: 80/443 (Web UI/API) and 25 (SMTP inbound/outbound).

3. Deliverability Foundations

• Generate and configure the global SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for the Vibn root domain.
• Set up a master "Organization" and "Vibn System" Mail Server inside the Postal UI to generate the first API key.

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Phase 2: Backend Integration & Database

Status: Pending

We need to securely store Postal credentials and allow individual Vibn projects to configure their own sender identities.

1. Database Schema Update (lib/db-postgres.ts)

Add an email_config JSONB column to the projects table to handle multi-tenancy.

// Proposed structure for email_config
{
  provider: "postal",
  postalServerKey: "api_key_for_this_specific_project",
  verifiedDomains: ["userapp.com"],
  defaultFrom: "hello@userapp.com"
}

2. Environment Variables (.env.local & Coolify)

Add global fallback variables for Vibn system emails:

• VIBN_POSTAL_API_URL (e.g., https://postal.vibn.com/api/v1)
• VIBN_POSTAL_API_KEY

3. Email Utility Client (lib/email/postal.ts)

Create a robust TypeScript wrapper for the Postal REST API.

• Methods: sendEmail(), createServer(), addDomain().
• Logic: Must support passing a custom API key (for project-specific routing) or falling back to the global key.

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Phase 3: AI Agent Integration (MCP Tool)

Status: Pending

Expose the ability to send emails to the AI via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

1. Register send_email Tool (vibn-agent-runner/src/tools/vibn-tools.ts)

Define the JSON Schema for the tool:

• to: Array of email addresses.
• subject: String.
• body: Markdown or Plain Text string.
• (Optional) from: Override sender address (must match a verified domain).

2. Handle MCP Execution (vibn-frontend/app/api/mcp/route.ts)

When the AI invokes send_email:

1. Extract the projectId from the authenticated MCP session.
2. Query the database for the project's email_config.
3. Validate that the requested from address is authorized for this project.
4. Call the lib/email/postal.ts utility.
5. Return the Postal Message ID to the AI so it can confirm delivery in the chat.

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Phase 4: User Interface (Optional but Recommended)

Status: Pending

To achieve true multi-tenancy, users need a way to connect their custom domains to Postal via the Vibn UI.

1. Project Settings -> Email Tab

• A UI where users can click "Add Domain".
• Vibn calls the Postal API to register the domain and retrieve the required DNS records (DKIM, SPF).
• Display these DNS records to the user.
• Add a "Verify DNS" button that queries Postal to confirm the records are active.

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Next Steps

To begin, we should tackle Phase 1: Infrastructure.

I can write the exact docker-compose.yml you need to paste into Coolify right now. Do you have a specific subdomain in mind for Postal (e.g., postal.yourdomain.com)?