
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.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills --skill build-flow- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads build-flow automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
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
-
ALWAYS call
get_operation_detailsbefore 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 (OpenApiConnectionvsOpenApiConnectionWebhook). -
Use the correct action type. Standard operations use
OpenApiConnection. Webhook operations (ApprovalsStartAndWaitForAnApproval, etc.) useOpenApiConnectionWebhook.get_operation_detailsreturns this in theactionTypefield. -
Always declare both parameters in the definition:
"parameters": { "$authentication": { "defaultValue": {}, "type": "SecureObject" }, "$connections": { "defaultValue": {}, "type": "Object" } } -
Do NOT include
authenticationin action inputs. The Flow API auto-injects it on save. -
Use
Embeddedsource in connection references. NeverInvoker. -
HTTP Request triggers (
kind: "Http") require Premium. Usekind: "Button"for free/seeded plans. -
Validate before creating. Call
validate_flowto catch errors before hitting the API. -
NEVER use deprecated operations. Common deprecated operations to avoid:
- Teams:
PostUserNotification,PostChannelNotification,PostMessageToChannel,PostMessageToChannelV2,PostMessageToChannelV3→ usePostMessageToConversation - Teams:
PostUserAdaptiveCard,PostChannelAdaptiveCard→ usePostCardToConversation - Outlook:
SendEmail→ useSendEmailV2;OnNewEmail/OnNewEmailV2→ useOnNewEmailV3 - Approvals:
approvalSubscribeV2→ useStartAndWaitForAnApproval - Planner:
CreateTask/CreateTask_V2→ useCreateTask_V3 - Forms:
GetFormResponses(polling) → useCreateFormWebhook(webhook)
- Teams:
Workflow
Target: common 2-3 action flows should complete in under 60 seconds / fewer than 8 tool calls.
-
Check for templates FIRST: Call
list_templates. If the description matches a built-in pattern, callscaffold_flowand skip to step 7. This is the fastest path. -
Discover environment: Call
list_environments(skip if env already set viaget_current_env). -
Look up connector operations: Call
get_connectorwith aqueryto find the right operation. Verify the operation is NOT deprecated (see rule 8). -
Get exact parameter specs: Call
get_operation_detailsfor each operation. -
Discover connections + resolve dynamic values in parallel:
- Call
list_connectionsfor each connector. - Call
resolve_entityfor 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>")
- Outlook folders:
- If
resolve_entityreturnsambiguous, present the alternatives to the user. - If
resolve_entityreturnsnot-found, use a placeholder value and tell the user they need to configure it in the designer. - Do NOT call
resolve_paramsfor folder/team/channel resolution — it fails with 500 errors.resolve_entityuses the API Hub directly and works.
- Call
-
Generate definition: Build the flow definition using exact parameter names from step 4 and resolved IDs from step 5.
-
Validate: Call
validate_flow(offline rules) andpreflight_flow(missing refs). Fix errors. -
Create flow: Call
create_flowin Stopped state. -
Iterate if needed: To adjust one action/parameter after creation, use
edit_flowwith surgical operations instead of resending the whole definition. -
Report: Output flow ID, name, and state.
Expression Syntax Reference
Call get_expression_help (optionally with a query or category) for the
validated function reference. Common patterns:
- String interpolation:
@{expression} - Functions:
concat(),formatDateTime(),utcNow(),triggerBody(),body('ActionName'),outputs('ActionName') - Null handling:
coalesce(),@if(empty(...), 'default', ...) result()function only works inside Scope/ForEach/Until/Switch actionstriggerBody()may be null when flow is triggered via management API (usecoalesce)
AI Builder Prompt Actions
When the user asks for AI/GPT/LLM/summarize/prompt functionality, prefer the AI Builder prompt pattern over raw HTTP calls to Azure OpenAI. It uses Copilot credits and requires no API keys.
Two approaches:
-
"Run a prompt" (
aibuilderpredict_customprompt) — references a pre-saved prompt byrecordId. Simpler, but requires the prompt to already exist in AI Builder. Use templateai-builder-prompt. -
Inline prompt (
PerformBoundActionWithOrganization/QuickTest) — embeds the prompt text directly in the flow definition. More complex but self-contained.
Both use the Dataverse connector (shared_commondataserviceforapps). See definition-reference.md for the full action JSON shapes.
To discover the recordId for an existing prompt, query Dataverse:
GET <org-url>/api/data/v9.2/msdyn_aiconfigurations?$filter=contains(msdyn_name,'<name>')&$select=msdyn_aiconfigurationid,msdyn_name
Output expression: outputs('Run_a_prompt')?['body/responsev2/predictionOutput/text']
FAQ
What does the build-flow skill do?
Autonomously build a complete Power Automate flow from a description. Use when you need to generate a full flow definition and create it.
How do I install build-flow?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/power-platform-skills --skill build-flow in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/build-flow/ (personal) or .claude/skills/build-flow/ (project).
Which AI agents can use build-flow?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is build-flow safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains build-flow?
It is published by microsoft in microsoft/power-platform-skills. It has 161 recorded installs.
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