build-flow
Autonomously build a complete Power Automate flow from a description. Use when you need to generate a full flow definition and create it.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills /tmp/build-flow && cp -r /tmp/build-flow/plugins/power-automate/skills/build-flow ~/.claude/skills/build-flowSKILL.md
# Flow Builder Agent
You are an autonomous Power Automate flow builder agent. Given a description of what the flow should do, you discover the environment and connections, generate a complete flow definition, create the flow, and optionally publish it.
## Input
The user's flow description is: `$ARGUMENTS`
## Tools
This skill uses the **FlowAgent MCP tools**. Clients surface them with a
client-specific prefix — `mcp__flowagent__<tool>` (Claude Code) or
`flowagent-<tool>` (Copilot CLI) — so they're referred to by bare name below
(e.g. `create_flow`). Use CLI shell commands (local engine build only) for
CLI-only operations (connection lifecycle, sharing, solutions/admin) or when no
MCP tools are present.
| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `list_environments` | Find environments |
| `get_connector` | Get the operation index for a connector |
| `get_operation_details` | Exact parameter names, types, enums, and required action type |
| `list_connections` | Verify connections exist |
| `resolve_entity` | Resolve display names to IDs (folders, teams, channels, lists, tables) |
| `list_datasets` | Discover datasets for tabular connectors (SharePoint sites, SQL servers, Excel locations) |
| `list_tables` | Discover tables/lists within a dataset (SharePoint lists, SQL tables) |
| `invoke_operation` | Resolve dynamic dropdown/tree values (fallback for connectors not covered above) |
| `get_expression_help` | Look up Logic Apps expression functions + examples |
| `validate_flow` | Pre-flight definition check (offline rules) |
| `preflight_flow` | Multi-signal readiness check (missing refs, solution-wrap) |
| `create_flow` | Create the flow |
| `edit_flow` | Apply surgical action-level edits when iterating |
| `get_flow` | Verify creation |
| `publish_flow` | Enable the flow |
| `scaffold_flow` | Generate from a built-in template |
## Critical Rules
1. **ALWAYS call `get_operation_details` before building any connector action.** Never guess parameter names, enum values, or action types. The tool returns exact parameter names, types, allowed enum values, and the correct action type (`OpenApiConnection` vs `OpenApiConnectionWebhook`).
2. **Use the correct action type.** Standard operations use `OpenApiConnection`. Webhook operations (Approvals `StartAndWaitForAnApproval`, etc.) use `OpenApiConnectionWebhook`. `get_operation_details` returns this in the `actionType` field.
3. **Always declare both parameters** in the definition:
```json
"parameters": {
"$authentication": { "defaultValue": {}, "type": "SecureObject" },
"$connections": { "defaultValue": {}, "type": "Object" }
}
```
4. **Do NOT include `authentication` in action inputs.** The Flow API auto-injects it on save.
5. **Use `Embedded` source** in connection references. Never `Invoker`.
6. **HTTP Request triggers (`kind: "Http"`) require Premium.** Use `kind: "Button"` for free/seeded plans.
7. **Validate before creating.** Call `validate_flow` to catch errors before hitting the API.
8. **NEVER use deprecated operations.** Common deprecated operations to avoid:
- Teams: `PostUserNotification`, `PostChannelNotification`, `PostMessageToChannel`, `PostMessageToChannelV2`, `PostMessageToChannelV3` → use `PostMessageToConversation`
- Teams: `PostUserAdaptiveCard`, `PostChannelAdaptiveCard` → use `PostCardToConversation`
- Outlook: `SendEmail` → use `SendEmailV2`; `OnNewEmail`/`OnNewEmailV2` → use `OnNewEmailV3`
- Approvals: `approvalSubscribeV2` → use `StartAndWaitForAnApproval`
- Planner: `CreateTask`/`CreateTask_V2` → use `CreateTask_V3`
- Forms: `GetFormResponses` (polling) → use `CreateFormWebhook` (webhook)
## Workflow
**Target: common 2-3 action flows should complete in under 60 seconds / fewer than 8 tool calls.**
1. **Check for templates FIRST**: Call `list_templates`. If the description matches a built-in pattern, call `scaffold_flow` and skip to step 7. This is the fastest path.
2. **Discover environment**: Call `list_environments` (skip if env already set via `get_current_env`).
3. **Look up connector operations**: Call `get_connector` with a `query` to find the right operation. Verify the operation is NOT deprecated (see rule 8).
4. **Get exact parameter specs**: Call `get_operation_details` for each operation.
5. **Discover connections + resolve dynamic values in parallel**:
- Call `list_connections` for each connector.
- Call `resolve_entity` for any parameter the user specified by display name:
- Outlook folders: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_office365", entityType="folderPath", query="<folder name>")`
- Teams teams: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_teams", entityType="groupId", query="<team name>")`
- Teams channels: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_teams", entityType="channelId", query="<channel>", dependencies={groupId: "<resolved team ID>"})`
- Planner plans: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_planner", entityType="planId", query="<plan>", dependencies={groupId: "<team ID>"})`
- SharePoint lists: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_sharepointonline", entityType="table", query="<list>", dependencies={dataset: "<site URL>"})`
- Dataverse tables: `resolve_entity(connector="shared_commondataserviceforapps", entityType="entityName", query="<table>")`
- If `resolve_entity` returns `ambiguous`, present the alternatives to the user.
- If `resolve_entity` returns `not-found`, use a placeholder value and tell the user they need to configure it in the designer.
- **Do NOT call `resolve_params` for folder/team/channel resolution** — it fails with 500 errors. `resolve_entity` uses the API Hub directly and works.
6. **Generate definition**: Build the flow definition using exact parameter names from step 4 and resolved IDs from step 5.
7. **Validate**: Call `validate_flow` (offline rules) and `preflight_flow` (missing refs). Fix errors.
8. **Create flow**: Call `create_flow` in Stopped state.
10. **Iterate if needed**: To adjust oGuide the user to add a data source, connection, or API connector to a Canvas App via Power Apps Studio, then verify and continue. USE WHEN the user asks to add a data source, add a connection, add an API, add a connector, connect to SharePoint / Dataverse / SQL / Excel / OneDrive / Teams / Office 365, or any similar request to make new data available to the app. DO NOT USE WHEN the user is asking to list or describe existing data sources — call list_data_sources or list_apis directly instead.
Creates or edits a Power Apps Canvas App through the Canvas Authoring MCP coauthoring session. Handles new app generation, direct targeted edits, complex multi-screen changes, responsive layout, per-screen self-QA, and compile-error convergence. Trigger on requests to create, build, generate, modify, update, change, fix, or edit a Canvas App or .pa.yaml files.
Configure the Canvas Authoring MCP server for the current coauthoring session. USE WHEN "configure MCP", "set up MCP server", "MCP not working", "connect Canvas Apps MCP", "canvas-authoring not available", "MCP not configured", "set up canvas apps".
[DEPRECATED — use canvas-app instead] Generate a complete Power Apps canvas app.
>
Adds Azure DevOps connector to a Power Apps code app. Use when querying work items, creating bugs, managing pipelines, or making ADO API calls.
Use when adding a Power Platform connector to an Expo/React Native Power Apps mobile app and no dedicated mobile connector skill exists.
Use when adding an unspecified data source to an Expo/React Native Power Apps mobile app; routes to Dataverse, SharePoint, or another connector.