flowstudio-power-automate-build

by github

Programmatically build, scaffold, and deploy Power Automate cloud flows via FlowStudio MCP. Requires a FlowStudio MCP subscription and valid JWT token; connection setup covered in the flowstudio-power-automate-mcp skill Covers the full build workflow: safety checks for existing flows, connection reference discovery, definition construction, deployment (create or update), and test execution Includes reference templates for triggers, core actions (variables, control flow, expressions), data... npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill flowstudio-power-automate-build Download ZIPGitHub36.2k

Source of Truth

Always call list_skills / tool_search first to confirm available tool names and parameter schemas. Tool names and parameters may change between server versions. This skill covers response shapes, behavioral notes, and build patterns — things tool schemas cannot tell you. If this document disagrees with tool_search or a real API response, the API wins.

Python Helper

import json, urllib.request

MCP_URL = "https://mcp.flowstudio.app/mcp"
MCP_TOKEN = " "

def mcp(tool, **kwargs):
 payload = json.dumps({"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/call",
 "params": {"name": tool, "arguments": kwargs}}).encode()
 req = urllib.request.Request(MCP_URL, data=payload,
 headers={"x-api-key": MCP_TOKEN, "Content-Type": "application/json",
 "User-Agent": "FlowStudio-MCP/1.0"})
 try:
 resp = urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=120)
 except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
 body = e.read().decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
 raise RuntimeError(f"MCP HTTP {e.code}: {body[:200]}") from e
 raw = json.loads(resp.read())
 if "error" in raw:
 raise RuntimeError(f"MCP error: {json.dumps(raw['error'])}")
 return json.loads(raw["result"]["content"][0]["text"])

ENV = " " # e.g. Default-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

0. Load the Current Build Tools

For a brand-new flow, load the server's create-flow bundle. For editing an existing flow, load build-flow. This keeps the agent aligned with the MCP server's current schema before constructing JSON.

schemas = mcp("tool_search", query="skill:create-flow")
# Includes list_live_environments, list_live_connections,
# describe_live_connector, get_live_dynamic_options, update_live_flow.

If you need a tool outside the bundle, load it explicitly:

mcp("tool_search", query="select:get_live_dynamic_properties")

1. Safety Check: Does the Flow Already Exist?

Always look before you build to avoid duplicates:

results = mcp("list_live_flows",
 environmentName=ENV,
 mode="owner",
 search="My New Flow",
 top=20)

# list_live_flows returns { "flows": [...], "mode": "...", ... }
matches = [f for f in results["flows"]
 if "My New Flow".lower() in f["displayName"].lower()]

if len(matches) > 0:
 # Flow exists — modify rather than create
 FLOW_ID = matches[0]["id"] # plain UUID from list_live_flows
 print(f"Existing flow: {FLOW_ID}")
 defn = mcp("get_live_flow", environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID)
else:
 print("Flow not found — building from scratch")
 FLOW_ID = None

For very large environments, list_live_flows may return a continuation URL. Pass it back as continuationUrl with the same mode to retrieve the next batch. Use mode="admin" only when the user needs all environment flows and the MCP identity has admin rights.

2. Obtain Connection References

Every connector action needs a connectionName that points to a key in the flow's connectionReferences map. That key links to an authenticated connection in the environment.

MANDATORY: You MUST call list_live_connections first — do NOT ask the user for connection names or GUIDs. The API returns the exact values you need. Only prompt the user if the API confirms that required connections are missing.

2a — Find active connections

conns = mcp("list_live_connections", environmentName=ENV)
active = [c for c in conns["connections"]
 if c["statuses"][0]["status"] == "Connected"]
conn_map = {c["connectorName"]: c["id"] for c in active}

For a known connector, pass search to reduce output and get paste-ready connectionReferenceTemplate and hostTemplate values:

sp_conns = mcp("list_live_connections",
 environmentName=ENV,
 search="shared_sharepointonline")

2b — Determine which connectors the flow needs

Common connector API names: SharePoint shared_sharepointonline, Outlook shared_office365, Teams shared_teams, Approvals shared_approvals, OneDrive shared_onedriveforbusiness, Excel shared_excelonlinebusiness, Dataverse shared_commondataserviceforapps, Forms shared_microsoftforms.

Flows that need no connectors, such as Recurrence + Compose + HTTP only, can omit connectionReferences.

2c — If connections are missing, guide the user

connectors_needed = ["shared_sharepointonline", "shared_office365"] # adjust per flow
missing = [c for c in connectors_needed if c not in conn_map]
if missing:
 # STOP: connections require browser OAuth consent.
 # Ask the user to create the missing connector connections in the
 # selected environment, then re-run list_live_connections.
 raise Exception(f"Missing active connections: {missing}")

2d — Build the connectionReferences block

connection_references = {}
host_templates = {}
for connector in connectors_needed:
 c = next(c for c in active if c["connectorName"] == connector)
 connection_references[connector] = c.get("connectionReferenceTemplate") or {
 "connectionName": c["id"], # the connection id from list_live_connections
 "source": "Invoker",
 "id": f"/providers/Microsoft.PowerApps/apis/{connector}"
 }
 host_templates[connector] = c.get("hostTemplate") or {
 "connectionName": connector
 }

In Step 3 action JSON, inputs.host.connectionName must be the map key such as shared_teams, not the GUID. The GUID belongs only inside the connectionReferences[connector].connectionName value. If an existing flow uses the same connectors, you may also copy its properties.connectionReferences from get_live_flow.

3. Build the Flow Definition

Construct the definition object. See flow-schema.md for the full schema and these action pattern references for copy-paste templates:

• action-patterns-core.md — Variables, control flow, expressions

• action-patterns-data.md — Array transforms, HTTP, parsing

• action-patterns-connectors.md — SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Approvals

definition = {
 "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/providers/Microsoft.Logic/schemas/2016-06-01/workflowdefinition.json#",
 "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
 "triggers": { ... }, # see trigger-types.md / build-patterns.md
 "actions": { ... } # see ACTION-PATTERNS-*.md / build-patterns.md
}

See build-patterns.md for complete, ready-to-use flow definitions covering Recurrence+SharePoint+Teams, HTTP triggers, and more.

Discover connector operations before guessing JSON

For connector-backed triggers/actions, prefer the live connector describer over hand-written shapes. It can return authored hints, canonical examples, variant keys, inputs/outputs, and dynamic metadata pointers.

# Search across connectors when you know the user's intent but not the API.
matches = mcp("describe_live_connector",
 environmentName=ENV,
 search="send email",
 top=5)

# Describe a specific operation before copying an exampleDefinition.
op = mcp("describe_live_connector",
 environmentName=ENV,
 connectorName="shared_office365",
 operationId="SendEmailV2")
print(op.get("hint"))

When an operation has multiple authored variants, request the variant the flow needs:

teams_chat = mcp("describe_live_connector",
 environmentName=ENV,
 connectorName="shared_teams",
 operationId="PostMessageToConversation",
 variant="flowbot_chat")

When the operation description says a parameter has dynamic options or dynamic properties, call the indicated next tool:

sp_op = mcp("describe_live_connector",
 environmentName=ENV,
 connectorName="shared_sharepointonline",
 operationId="GetItems")

sites = mcp("get_live_dynamic_options",
 environmentName=ENV,
 connectorName="shared_sharepointonline",
 connectionName=conn_map["shared_sharepointonline"],
 operationId="GetItems",
 parameterName="dataset",
 dynamicMetadata=sp_op["dynamicParameters"]["dataset"])

fields = mcp("get_live_dynamic_properties",
 environmentName=ENV,
 connectorName="shared_sharepointonline",
 connectionName=conn_map["shared_sharepointonline"],
 operationId="GetItems",
 parameterName="item",
 parameters={"dataset": " ", "table": "
- "},
 dynamicMetadata=sp_op["dynamicProperties"]["item"])

Use dynamic options for dropdown IDs such as SharePoint sites/lists and Teams teams/channels. Use dynamic properties for schema/field shapes such as SharePoint list item columns.

6. Test the Flow

MANDATORY: Before triggering any test run, ask the user for confirmation. Running a flow has real side effects — it may send emails, post Teams messages, write to SharePoint, start approvals, or call external APIs. Explain what the flow will do and wait for explicit approval before calling trigger_live_flow or resubmit_live_flow_run.

Updated flows (have prior runs) — ANY trigger type

Use resubmit_live_flow_run first. It works for EVERY trigger type — Recurrence, SharePoint, connector webhooks, Button, and HTTP. It replays the original trigger payload. Do NOT ask the user to manually trigger the flow or wait for the next scheduled run.

runs = mcp("get_live_flow_runs", environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID, top=1)
if runs:
 # Works for Recurrence, SharePoint, connector triggers — not just HTTP
 result = mcp("resubmit_live_flow_run",
 environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID, runName=runs[0]["name"])
 print(result) # {"resubmitted": true, "triggerName": "..."}

HTTP-triggered flows — custom test payload

Only use trigger_live_flow when you need to send a different payload than the original run. For verifying a fix, resubmit_live_flow_run is better because it uses the exact data that caused the failure.

defn = mcp("get_live_flow", environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID)
triggers = defn["properties"]["definition"]["triggers"]
manual = next(iter(triggers.values()))
print("Expected body:", manual.get("inputs", {}).get("schema"))

result = mcp("trigger_live_flow",
 environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID,
 body={"name": "Test", "value": 1})
print(f"Status: {result['responseStatus']}")

Brand-new non-HTTP flows (Recurrence, connector triggers, etc.)

A brand-new Recurrence or connector-triggered flow has no prior runs to resubmit and no HTTP endpoint to call. This is the ONLY scenario where you need the temporary HTTP trigger approach below. Deploy with a temporary HTTP trigger first, test the actions, then swap to the production trigger.

Compact recipe:

production_trigger = definition["triggers"]
definition["triggers"] = {
 "manual": {"type": "Request", "kind": "Http", "inputs": {"schema": {}}}
}

result = mcp("update_live_flow",
 environmentName=ENV,
 flowName=FLOW_ID, # omit if creating new
 definition=definition,
 connectionReferences=connection_references,
 displayName="Overdue Invoice Notifications")
FLOW_ID = FLOW_ID or result["created"]

test = mcp("trigger_live_flow", environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID,
 body={"sample": "payload"})
runs = mcp("get_live_flow_runs", environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID, top=1)

if runs[0]["status"] == "Failed":
 err = mcp("get_live_flow_run_error",
 environmentName=ENV, flowName=FLOW_ID, runName=runs[0]["name"])
 raise Exception(err["failedActions"][-1])

definition["triggers"] = production_trigger
mcp("update_live_flow",
 environmentName=ENV,
 flowName=FLOW_ID,
 definition=definition,
 connectionReferences=connection_references)

The trigger is only the entry point; testing through HTTP still exercises the same actions. If actions use triggerBody() or triggerOutputs(), pass a representative trigger_live_flow.body shaped like the production trigger payload.

Gotchas

Mistake Consequence Prevention Missing connectionReferences in deploy 400 "Supply connectionReferences" Always call list_live_connections first "operationOptions" missing on Foreach Parallel execution, race conditions on writes Always add "Sequential" union(old_data, new_data) Old values override new (first-wins) Use union(new_data, old_data) split() on potentially-null string InvalidTemplate crash Wrap with coalesce(field, '') Checking result["error"] exists Always present; true error is != null Use result.get("error") is not None Flow deployed but state is "Stopped" Flow won't run on schedule Call set_live_flow_state with state: "Started" — do not use update_live_flow for state changes Teams "Chat with Flow bot" recipient as object 400 GraphUserDetailNotFound Use plain string with trailing semicolon (see below) Copilot/Skills flow not in a solution Copilot Studio may not discover it as an agent tool After deploy, call add_live_flow_to_solution with the target solutionId Button/Skills trigger used for MCP testing MCP cannot directly fire the production trigger Test the same actions through a temporary HTTP twin, then swap the trigger back Connector action missing metadata.operationMetadataId Designer/run-only UI can behave inconsistently Preserve existing IDs; add stable GUIDs for new connector actions Placeholder Excel scriptId Dynamic validation fails at save time Resolve the real Office Script ID before deploying SharePoint PatchItem omits required fields Save can fail even if the field is not changing Echo unchanged required fields such as item/Title Copilot Studio connector calls a draft agent Connector invocation can fail or hit stale behavior Publish the agent before testing/resubmitting the flow

Teams PostMessageToConversation — Recipient Formats

The body/recipient parameter format depends on the location value:

Location body/recipient format Example Chat with Flow bot Plain email string with trailing semicolon " [email protected] ;" Channel Object with groupId and channelId {"groupId": "...", "channelId": "..."}

Common mistake: passing {"to": " [email protected] "} for "Chat with Flow bot" returns a 400 GraphUserDetailNotFound error. The API expects a plain string.

Reference Files

• flow-schema.md — Full flow definition JSON schema

• trigger-types.md — Trigger type templates

• action-patterns-core.md — Variables, control flow, expressions

• action-patterns-data.md — Array transforms, HTTP, parsing

• action-patterns-connectors.md — SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Approvals

• build-patterns.md — Complete flow definition templates (Recurrence+SP+Teams, HTTP trigger)

Related Skills

• flowstudio-power-automate-mcp — Core connection setup and tool reference

• flowstudio-power-automate-debug — Debug failing flows after deployment