What is the difference between Outbound and Inbound properties in MuleSoft?

Outbound properties and Inbound properties serve distinct roles in the context of message processing in MuleSoft. Outbound properties are designed to be used when sending messages from Mule applications to external systems. This includes any metadata or additional information that needs to be transmitted along with the outgoing message, such as headers that define how the message should be processed by the receiving endpoint.

Inbound properties, on the other hand, are associated with incoming requests to the Mule application. These properties capture and store information related to the incoming message, providing context for processing. For example, they can include details about the request, such as headers or query parameters, that can be utilized within the flow to determine how to handle the incoming data.

This distinction between the two types of properties is crucial for developing and managing message flows effectively, as it helps ensure appropriate handling of both incoming and outgoing messages in a Mule application.