Meaning in graphics work
An outbox is a durable record of events or effects created alongside a relevant state transaction so that later delivery can be coordinated reliably.
It differs from an ordinary email mailbox or an in-memory notification. The pattern links a committed business change to a record that a worker can process.
Example and practical consequence
When an accepted project change needs a notification, the engine can record the change and an event in the same transaction. A delivery failure then need not erase the accepted state or leave the intended event invisible.
Use stable identities, bounded retries and effect deduplication because delivery may repeat. Preserve current authority at execution and reconcile external uncertainty. An outbox helps avoid inconsistencies between recorded work and messages, but it does not grant permission to send arbitrary marketing, accept a contract or bypass tenant checks for convenience.
Take it to the next job
- Create event records with the transaction and handle delivery replay safely.
