diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 65646b8..a3761ce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -81,6 +81,25 @@ ingress. Omit `RITE_IRIS_BASE_URL` when you do not want an Iris subscription.
 For a complete private-network example with both services, use the Iris
 repository's [`deploy/docker-compose.yml`](https://github.com/TechGodHQ/iris/blob/main/deploy/docker-compose.yml).
 
+## HTTP actions
+
+`http_post` forwards the normalized event as JSON by default. A handler may
+instead set `body_template` to render a deterministic text body using
+`{{event_type}}`, `{{action}}`, `{{title}}`, `{{body}}`, or nested event
+metadata such as `{{metadata.provider}}`; missing fields render empty.
+Optional `headers` are forwarded verbatim. Templated bodies default to
+`Content-Type: text/plain` unless that header is explicitly set. This remains
+a generic HTTP action: Discord, Slack, and other webhook targets do not add
+provider-specific Rite action types.
+
+```toml
+[[rites]]
+name = "deploy-alert"
+source = "iris"
+match = { body_contains = "URGENT" }
+action = { type = "http_post", url = "https://hooks.example.test/alerts", headers = { "content-type" = "application/json" }, body_template = "{\"content\":\"{{title}}: {{body}}\"}" }
+```
+
 ## Development
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/crates/rite-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/rite-core/src/lib.rs
index e5247f4..a5badac 100644
--- a/crates/rite-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/rite-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -129,8 +129,82 @@ impl MatchValue {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 #[serde(tag = "type", rename_all = "snake_case")]
 pub enum RiteAction {
-    /// Forward the normalized event as JSON to an HTTP endpoint.
-    HttpPost { url: Url },
+    /// Forward the normalized event as JSON, or a configured template, to an HTTP endpoint.
+    HttpPost {
+        /// Destination URL.
+        url: Url,
+        /// Additional request headers. Existing configurations omit this field.
+        #[serde(default)]
+        headers: BTreeMap<String, String>,
+        /// Optional `{{field}}` template for the request body.
+        #[serde(default)]
+        body_template: Option<String>,
+    },
+}
+
+/// Render a deterministic HTTP action template against a normalized event.
+///
+/// Supported fields are `source`, `event_type`, `action`, `timestamp`,
+/// `severity`, `title`, `body`, and `metadata.<key>[.<nested-key>...]`.
+/// Missing fields intentionally render as an empty string so a handler cannot
+/// fail merely because an optional source field was absent.
+#[must_use]
+pub fn render_template(template: &str, event: &RiteEvent) -> String {
+    let mut rendered = String::with_capacity(template.len());
+    let mut remaining = template;
+    while let Some(open) = remaining.find("{{") {
+        rendered.push_str(&remaining[..open]);
+        let field_start = open + 2;
+        let Some(close_offset) = remaining[field_start..].find("}}") else {
+            rendered.push_str(&remaining[open..]);
+            return rendered;
+        };
+        let field_end = field_start + close_offset;
+        rendered.push_str(&template_value(&remaining[field_start..field_end], event));
+        remaining = &remaining[field_end + 2..];
+    }
+    rendered.push_str(remaining);
+    rendered
+}
+
+fn template_value(field: &str, event: &RiteEvent) -> String {
+    match field {
+        "source" => event.source.clone(),
+        "event_type" => event.event_type.clone(),
+        "action" => event.action.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
+        "timestamp" => event.timestamp.to_rfc3339(),
+        "severity" => serde_json::to_value(event.severity)
+            .ok()
+            .and_then(|value| value.as_str().map(ToOwned::to_owned))
+            .unwrap_or_default(),
+        "title" => event.title.clone(),
+        "body" => event.body.clone().unwrap_or_default(),
+        field => field
+            .strip_prefix("metadata.")
+            .and_then(|path| template_metadata_value(path, &event.metadata))
+            .map(json_value_text)
+            .unwrap_or_default(),
+    }
+}
+
+fn template_metadata_value<'a>(
+    path: &str,
+    metadata: &'a BTreeMap<String, Value>,
+) -> Option<&'a Value> {
+    let mut segments = path.split('.');
+    let mut value = metadata.get(segments.next()?)?;
+    for segment in segments {
+        value = value.get(segment)?;
+    }
+    Some(value)
+}
+
+fn json_value_text(value: &Value) -> String {
+    match value {
+        Value::String(text) => text.clone(),
+        Value::Null => String::new(),
+        other => other.to_string(),
+    }
 }
 
 impl RiteHandler {
@@ -213,4 +287,48 @@ action = { type = "http_post", url = "https://example.test/hook" }"#,
         };
         assert!(handler.matches(&event));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn templates_render_event_and_nested_metadata_fields() {
+        let event = RiteEvent {
+            source: "iris".into(),
+            event_type: "text".into(),
+            action: None,
+            timestamp: Utc::now(),
+            severity: Severity::Warning,
+            title: "Attention".into(),
+            body: Some("Deploy paused".into()),
+            metadata: BTreeMap::from([(
+                "provider".into(),
+                serde_json::json!({ "name": "telegram", "id": 42 }),
+            )]),
+        };
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            render_template(
+                "{{event_type}}/{{action}} {{title}}: {{body}} {{metadata.provider.name}} #{{metadata.provider.id}} {{metadata.missing}}",
+                &event,
+            ),
+            "text/ Attention: Deploy paused telegram #42 "
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn http_post_defaults_preserve_existing_toml() {
+        let handler: RiteHandler = toml::from_str(
+            r#"name = "legacy"
+source = "github"
+action = { type = "http_post", url = "https://example.test/hook" }"#,
+        )
+        .expect("legacy handler parses");
+
+        assert!(matches!(
+            handler.action,
+            RiteAction::HttpPost {
+                headers,
+                body_template: None,
+                ..
+            } if headers.is_empty()
+        ));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/rite-server/src/dispatch.rs b/crates/rite-server/src/dispatch.rs
index e0ec17e..8fd6c99 100644
--- a/crates/rite-server/src/dispatch.rs
+++ b/crates/rite-server/src/dispatch.rs
@@ -184,8 +184,27 @@ async fn receive_event(state: &AppState, input: RawOperationInput) -> axum::resp
     for handler in &matched {
         tracing::info!(handler = %handler.name, "Webhook event matched handler");
         match &handler.action {
-            RiteAction::HttpPost { url } => {
-                match state.client.post(url.clone()).json(&event).send().await {
+            RiteAction::HttpPost {
+                url,
+                headers,
+                body_template,
+            } => {
+                let mut request = state.client.post(url.clone());
+                for (name, value) in headers {
+                    request = request.header(name, value);
+                }
+                if let Some(template) = body_template {
+                    if !headers
+                        .keys()
+                        .any(|name| name.eq_ignore_ascii_case("content-type"))
+                    {
+                        request = request.header("content-type", "text/plain");
+                    }
+                    request = request.body(rite_core::render_template(template, &event));
+                } else {
+                    request = request.json(&event);
+                }
+                match request.send().await {
                     Ok(response) if response.status().is_success() => {
                         executed += 1;
                         state
diff --git a/crates/rite-server/src/lib.rs b/crates/rite-server/src/lib.rs
index 8ca4e4a..1f2587a 100644
--- a/crates/rite-server/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/rite-server/src/lib.rs
@@ -229,8 +229,27 @@ pub fn start_iris_subscription(state: &AppState) {
             }
             for handler in matched {
                 tracing::info!(handler = %handler.name, "Iris event matched handler");
-                let RiteAction::HttpPost { url } = &handler.action;
-                match client.post(url.clone()).json(&event).send().await {
+                let RiteAction::HttpPost {
+                    url,
+                    headers,
+                    body_template,
+                } = &handler.action;
+                let mut request = client.post(url.clone());
+                for (name, value) in headers {
+                    request = request.header(name, value);
+                }
+                if let Some(template) = body_template {
+                    if !headers
+                        .keys()
+                        .any(|name| name.eq_ignore_ascii_case("content-type"))
+                    {
+                        request = request.header("content-type", "text/plain");
+                    }
+                    request = request.body(rite_core::render_template(template, &event));
+                } else {
+                    request = request.json(&event);
+                }
+                match request.send().await {
                     Ok(response) if response.status().is_success() => {
                         metrics.actions_succeeded.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
                         tracing::info!(handler = %handler.name, "Iris event action completed");
diff --git a/rite.example.toml b/rite.example.toml
index 7b7b956..da9ee57 100644
--- a/rite.example.toml
+++ b/rite.example.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ enabled = true
 base_url = "http://127.0.0.1:3000"
 
 [[rites]]
-name = "urgent-telegram"
+name = "discord-urgent-alert"
 source = "iris"
 match = { provider = "telegram", body_contains = "URGENT" }
-action = { type = "http_post", url = "https://example.test/hooks/urgent" }
+action = { type = "http_post", url = "https://example.test/hooks/urgent", headers = { "content-type" = "application/json" }, body_template = "{\"content\":\"{{title}}: {{body}}\"}" }