UiPath API Workflow Assistant

Build, run, and publish UiPath API Workflows — JSON files conforming to the CNCF Serverless Workflow DSL 1.0.0 with UiPath activity-type extensions. Executed by

@uipath/api-workflow-executor

via

uip api-workflow run

. Packaged as

Type: "Api"

projects via

uip solution pack

When to Use This Skill

User wants to create or edit an API workflow JSON file

User wants to run an API workflow locally with
```
uip api-workflow run
```
User wants to package an API workflow project into
```
.nupkg
```
/ solution
```
.zip
```
User wants to publish an API workflow to UiPath Cloud / Orchestrator

User asks about activity types (Sequence, Assign, JavaScript, If, ForEach, DoWhile, Break, TryCatch, Wait, Response, HTTP Request, Connector)
User asks about nested control flow — If inside ForEach, TryCatch around a loop, conditional Break, multi-way branching, etc.
User asks for an Integration Service connector activity (Gmail Send Email, Outlook Get Newest Email, GitHub Search Issues, Slack Send Message, etc.) — follow the discovery flow in references/connector-activity-discovery.md
User asks for a generic HTTP Request that needs to render in StudioWeb's designer — same discovery flow
User asks about JavaScript expressions,
$context
,
$input
,
$workflow
,
WorkflowStart
, or the
export.as
pattern

User asks how to debug a failing API workflow run — the local
```
validate
```
→
```
run --no-auth
```
loop, or a post-publish cloud run (job logs/traces). See references/operating-published-workflows.md
User wants to operate a published workflow — invoke it (HTTP/schedule/Integration Service event trigger), start/list/stop its Orchestrator jobs, or manage the Integration Service connections it uses (
```
uip is connections list
```
/
```
ping
```
/
```
edit
```
). See references/operating-published-workflows.md

Do NOT use for:

.flow

Maestro flows (→

uipath-maestro-flow

.xaml

/ coded RPA (→

uipath-rpa

), coded agents (→

uipath-agents

), Coded Web Apps (→

uipath-coded-apps

Core Principles

Know before you write. Read the existing workflow file before editing. Read an example template before creating from scratch.

Start minimal, iterate to correct. Add one activity at a time. Run with
```
--no-auth --output json
```
after each addition. Fix what breaks. Repeat.
Validate before running.
```
uip api-workflow validate
```
is the offline static pre-flight (autonomous);
```
uip api-workflow run
```
is the runtime validator that catches what static analysis can't (live HTTP, expression evaluation, connection state) and needs user consent. See rules 20–21.

Fix errors by category. Triage: Structure > Expression > Activity Config > Logic. Higher-category fixes often resolve lower-category errors automatically.

Critical Rules

Rule 0 — Escalate big design forks before you build (highest priority, read first). When the happy path doesn't work out of the box and the resolution is a judgment call the user would reasonably want to own, STOP and ask before committing to a branch. Present the concrete options with their trade-offs and a recommended default; proceed only on the user's answer. Triggers (non-exhaustive): no valid connection for a required activity (rule 16); no curated activity exists and the choice is generic activity vs. raw Http kind vs. a different connector; the requested operation isn't exposed by any resolvable activity and the fallback is a hand-built HTTP call against an undocumented endpoint; an input the prompt assumed is missing and the alternatives are placeholder, hardcoded value, or new workflow input; the prompt is satisfiable by structurally different workflows (single connector call vs. ForEach over a list). This does NOT cover mechanical choices with an obvious answer (variable names, activity key suffixes, export-pattern selection) — decide those and move on. Reserve escalation for forks where guessing wrong wastes work or ships something the user didn't intend.
Ask the fork BEFORE branch-specific research, not after. Once you spot a structural fork, do only the shared work needed to surface the options (the cheap
resolve
that proves no curated activity exists, the
connections list
/
ping
that proves no connection works), then ask. Do NOT pre-research every branch — stubbing each candidate activity, describing resources, drafting alternative workflow shapes — so the user can "pick from finished work." The user picks one branch; deep work on the others is thrown away. Sequence: detect fork → minimal shared discovery → ask → then research and build only the chosen branch.

Workflow file is JSON, not YAML. Top-level keys:
```
document
```
(with
```
dsl: "1.0.0"
```
),
```
evaluate
```
(
```
language: "javascript"
```
,
```
mode: "strict"
```
),
```
do
```
(one root sequence — named
```
Sequence_1
```
in the template skeleton, but the literal key may differ in existing workflows; always read the actual key from the file before editing — containing
```
WorkflowStart
```
+ user activities). See references/workflow-file-format.md.
WorkflowStart
is always the first activity inside the root sequence's
```
do
```
array. It hydrates variable defaults into
```
$context.variables
```
and forwards inputs to
```
$input
```
. Never remove, rename, or modify it.
```
isTransparent: true
```
(only
```
WorkflowStart
```
uses
```
true
```
).
Every activity is a single-key object wrapped in the
```
do
```
array:
```
{ "<ActivityKey>": { ...activity body... } }
```
. Activity keys must be globally unique across the whole workflow — including
```
#Wrapper
```
,
```
#Then
```
,
```
#Else
```
,
```
#Body
```
suffixes.
Every activity should
export
its output to propagate state. Two patterns:
- Variables (Assign only):
```
{ ...$context, variables: { ...$context.variables, ...$output } }
```
- Outputs (everything else):
```
{ ...$context, outputs: { ...$context?.outputs, "<ActivityKey>": $output } }
```
  See references/expressions-and-context.md.

String literals in
Assign.set
/
Response
/ If
when
MUST be wrapped as
"${'literal'}"
— a JS string inside an expression. Plain
```
"literal"
```
runs fine under
```
uip api-workflow run
```
, but StudioWeb's designer normalizes unwrapped values to
"${literal}"
on save (treating them as expressions you typed into the property panel). At runtime the bare identifier
```
literal
```
has no binding →
```
ReferenceError: literal is not defined
```
. Use single quotes inside the expression to avoid JSON escaping:
```
"set": { "tier": "${'PLATINUM'}" }
```
. Numbers, booleans, and references like
```
${$context.variables.X}
```
need no extra wrapping. (Response payloads have a related but distinct constraint — see rule 15.) Scope: this rule applies to Assign / Response / If / variable contexts only. It does NOT apply to connector
bodyParameters
/
queryParameters
/
pathParameters
— those take BARE literals;
${'...'}
there is read as an expression and the field is cleared on save. See rule 16 and references/connector-activity-discovery.md#field-shape-rules-flat-keys-bare-literals-renamed-export-hub-prefix. See references/troubleshooting.md.

Each
Assign
activity MUST set exactly ONE variable.
```
Assign.set
```
is a single-key object, NOT a multi-variable update. StudioWeb's designer collapses multi-key
set
blocks to one key on save, silently dropping the others — the runtime then only updates the surviving key. To update N variables, use N separate Assign activities placed sequentially in the same
```
do
```
array. Example: instead of
```
"set": { "sum": "${$context.variables.sum + 1}", "count": "${$context.variables.count + 1}" }
```
(loses
```
count
```
after StudioWeb save), write two Assigns —
```
Assign_Sum
```
with
```
"set": { "sum": "${...}" }
```
and
```
Assign_Count
```
with
```
"set": { "count": "${...}" }
```
. Each runs in order; each Assign's variables export merges its single key into
```
$context.variables
```
.
If activity requires the wrapper pattern.
```
If_N#Wrapper
```
contains
```
If_N
```
(switch),
```
If_N#Then
```
,
```
If_N#Else
```
. Both
```
#Then
```
and
```
#Else
```
MUST end with
```
"then": "exit"
```
to prevent fall-through. Conditions in
```
when
```
MUST be wrapped in
```
${...}
```
. For deeply-nested If patterns and multi-way branching, see references/control-flow-patterns.md.
Loops (ForEach, DoWhile) require a
#Body
element inside
```
do
```
. ForEach body uses index-aware accumulation (resets on iteration 0); DoWhile body uses simple accumulation. Loop variables (
```
each
```
,
```
at
```
) are plain strings, NOT expressions.
DoWhile
for.in
is always
"${ [1] }"
. The
```
doWhile
```
condition controls repetition. The body MUST update the condition variable, otherwise the loop runs forever.
Nested loops MUST use distinct iterator/index names. Outer
```
for.each: "outerItem"
```
, inner
```
for.each: "innerItem"
```
. Reusing
```
currentItem
```
shadows the outer. "Distinct" just means "not the same string" — semantic (
```
outerItem
```
/
```
innerItem
```
) and incremental (
```
item1
```
/
```
item2
```
,
```
currentItem
```
/
```
currentItem2
```
) naming both work.
Loop iterators and catch error variables are prefixed with
$
in expressions. Declare
```
for.each: "currentItem"
```
(plain string, no
```
$
```
); reference it everywhere else (in
```
when
```
conditions, in script bodies, in
```
set
```
expressions, in body export patterns) as
```
$currentItem
```
— the
```
$
```
is a literal character in the global identifier name.
```
currentItem
```
is not a reserved name —
```
for.each: "customer"
```
binds
```
$customer
```
,
```
for.each: "row"
```
binds
```
$row
```
, etc. Same shape for
```
for.at
```
(
```
$currentItemIndex
```
,
```
$idx
```
, etc.) and
```
catch.as
```
(
```
$error
```
,
```
$err
```
, etc.). Empirically verified: the executor calls
```
setVariables({"$currentItem": item, ...})
```
—
```
currentItem
```
(no
```
$
```
) is not bound as a global. Forgetting the
```
$
```
produces
```
<name> is not defined
```
.
Break exits only the innermost enclosing loop. To exit nested loops, set a flag variable + check it in the outer loop. Break value MUST be the string
```
"true"
```
, with
```
then: "exit"
```
and
```
set: "${$input}"
```
. Only valid inside a
```
#Body
```
.
Use
$workflow.input.<name>
to read workflow inputs, never
```
$input.<name>
```
.
```
$input
```
is the task's input — for any non-first task, it's the previous task's output, NOT the workflow arguments.
JavaScript scripts read
$context
/
$workflow
/
$input
as globals. Scripts MUST
```
return
```
a value. The task's
```
run.script.arguments
```
field is StudioWeb designer scaffolding — keep it as the standard
```
"${{ \"$context\": $context, \"$workflow\": $workflow, \"$input\": $input }}"
```
block for designer roundtrip; the runtime ignores it.
Response activity shape — STRICT for StudioWeb roundtrip:
- ```
markJobAsFailed
```
  is a sibling of
```
response
```
  , not nested inside it.
- Always include
```
"then": "end"
```
  — without it, the workflow does not terminate properly.
```
then: "end"
```
  is for Response only;
```
then: "exit"
```
  is for control-flow branches/loops.
- Object-valued responses MUST use the single-expression form, NOT the JSON-object-with-
```
${}
```
  -fields form. StudioWeb's designer corrupts the latter on save.
  - ✗ Wrong (CLI runs but StudioWeb corrupts):
    "response": { "tier": "${$context.variables.tier}", "count": "${$context.variables.count}" }
  - ✓ Correct:
    "response": "${{ tier: $context.variables.tier, count: $context.variables.count }}"
    Inside the outer
    ${{ ... }}
    you are already in expression scope, so reference variables/outputs directly without an inner
    ${...}
    wrapper. JS object literal keys can be unquoted identifiers (
    tier:
    ,
    count:
    ); literal string values use single quotes (
    status: 'ok'
    ); numbers/booleans/references are bare. The designer leaves an already-wrapped single expression alone; the JSON-object form gets flattened to a stringified expression where inner
    ${...}
    substitutions are inside JS double-quoted strings (which don't interpolate), turning each field into the literal text of its expression.
  - Either
    "${ { ... } }"
    (single-brace, expression-of-object-literal) or
    "${{ ... }}"
    (double-brace, object-literal-expression form) is valid — both evaluate to the same JS object. Pick one and stay consistent within a workflow.
- For single-value responses (returning one variable or one expression), the simple form is fine:
```
"response": "${$context.outputs.Javascript_1}"
```
  or
```
"response": "${'done'}"
```
  .

- **On-disk is authoritative.** Even with the single-expression workaround, every StudioWeb designer save can re-trigger normalization passes that may corrupt the Response shape. After any designer roundtrip, re-validate with `uip api-workflow run --no-auth` and re-apply the workaround if needed. Until the designer fix ships, treat the file on disk as truth, not what the designer renders.

Connector activities (HTTP + Integration Service) come from
uip api-workflow registry resolve
+
stub
— never hand-author or guess. The stub computes
```
metadata.configuration
```
, the kind (
```
UiPath.Http
```
vs
```
UiPath.IntSvc
```
), the endpoint (with hub prefix),
```
SlotKey
```
, and
```
ExportBucketKey
```
(which can differ — HTTP slot
```
HttpRequest_1
```
vs bucket
```
http_request_1
```
). Use all of them verbatim; NEVER invent a
```
uiPathActivityTypeId
```
, hand-author
```
metadata.configuration
```
, or reconstruct a key from
```
objectName
```
. Non-negotiables (full step-by-step, field-shape rules, multipart, and worked examples in references/connector-activity-discovery.md):
- A keyword
  resolve
  miss is NOT proof no curated activity exists — verify connector-first before giving up.
```
resolve
```
  AND-matches every token, so a marketing phrase + guessed verb over-narrows (the product "UiPath Data Fabric" carries
```
connectorKey: uipath-uipath-dataservice
```
  and activity names like "Create Entity Record" —
```
resolve "data fabric insert"
```
  returns 0; fewer/truer tokens, not more). Before concluding none exists or falling back to a hand-built HTTP call (a Rule 0 fork): map the product/vendor → connector key with
```
uip is connectors list --filter "<product>"
```
  , then enumerate with
```
uip is activities list <connector-key>
```
  . Do NOT hardcode/guess the key — look it up. See the reference's Step 1 recovery.
- IntSvc/vendor activities require a pinged connection.
```
uip is connections ping <uuid>
```
  must succeed before authoring — listing-state ≠ runtime-state; an
```
Enabled
```
  connection can still 401 in cloud. An empty listing is NOT proof no connection exists —
```
uip is connections list
```
  is folder-scoped. On empty/failed listing, walk the fallbacks in order: unfiltered
```
uip is connections list
```
  , then
```
uip is connections list --all-folders
```
  (catches connections in other folders), re-pinging a different
```
Id
```
  for that
```
ConnectorKey
```
  each time.
- No connection pings cleanly → STOP and ask the user — do not decide alone. Offer: (a) continue with a placeholder (stub without
```
--connection-id
```
  , leaving the
```
<REPLACE_WITH_VENDOR_CONNECTION_UUID>
```
  sentinel — workflow is structurally complete but 401s until replaced; only with explicit user consent), or (b) stop and wait for the user to create/fix the connection, then re-ping. Never silently emit the placeholder, never silently abort. (Instance of Rule 0 — escalate design forks.)
- NEVER ship a
  <REPLACE_WITH_*>
  placeholder in
```
with.connectionId
```
  /
```
connectionResourceId
```
  / Http
```
bodyParameters.url
```
  . StudioWeb renders it as a broken connection and the workflow 401s. The placeholder is a sentinel for "re-stub with the real value," not a fill-in-later field.
- After every stub, cross-check required fields — the stub drops
```
required: true
```
  request fields (e.g. Outlook
```
getNewestEmail
```
  needs
```
parentFolderId
```
  ). Confirm via
```
uip is resources describe ... --operation <op>
```
  or the stub's own
```
metadata.configuration
```
  inputFields; re-stub with
```
--inputs
```
  if missing.
- Connector params use flat dotted keys and BARE literals.
```
"message.toRecipients": "..."
```
  , not nested objects; plain
```
"x@y.com"
```
  , not
```
"${'x@y.com'}"
```
  — rule 5's wrap is inverted here (
```
${'...'}
```
  clears the field on save). Real references (
```
${$context...}
```
  ) stay wrapped.
- NEVER use Http kind with a vendor connection UUID (401 "Invalid Element token"). IntSvc output is wrapped: read
```
$context.outputs.<ExportBucketKey>.content.<field>
```
  .

- **(Solutions-mode + IntSvc only)** sync the connection into the catalogue: `uip api-workflow bindings sync --workflow <Workflow.json>` then `uip solution resource refresh --solution-folder <path>`. Skip for Http kind, non-connector activities, and standalone (no `Solution/`) projects.

Pass input as a JSON string.
```
--input-arguments '{"key":"value"}'
```
. Invalid JSON exits 1.

Always
--output json
when parsing CLI output programmatically. Success →

{ "Result": "Success", "Code": "WorkflowRun", "Data": {...} }

. Failure →

{ "Result": "Failure", "Message": "...", "Instructions": "..." }

with exit 1.

Scaffold with
uip api-workflow init
; publish goes through the solution packager. Create every API workflow project with
```
uip api-workflow init <name>
```
(rule 19a) — never hand-assemble the project files. Project-level CLI commands also exist:
```
uip api-workflow build <projectDir>
```
(compile) and
```
uip api-workflow pack <projectDir> <outputDir>
```
(single-project
```
.nupkg
```
, useful to test one project in isolation). Solution-level build/publish go through
```
uip solution pack <solutionDir> <outputDir>
```
+
```
uip solution publish <package.zip>
```
. There is NO
```
uip api-workflow publish
```
command. Project type must be
```
"Api"
```
in the solution
```
.uipx
```
.

19a. Create projects with
uip api-workflow init <name>
— it produces the correct Studio Web editable shape and wires the solution. Run it from inside the solution directory (the folder containing the

.uipx

bash     uip api-workflow init <name> --output json   # add --skip-solution-registration for a standalone (no .uipx) project

It scaffolds

project.uiproj

Workflow.json

entry-points.json

bindings_v2.json

and, when run inside a solution, auto-registers the project in the surrounding
.uipx
(correct

ProjectRelativePath

+ a fresh

Id

). Success →

Code: "ApiWorkflowInit"

. Then edit

Workflow.json

only.

**Which mode.** Default = `init` inside a solution (Studio Web-editable + deployable — what a shipped automation needs). Use `--skip-solution-registration` ONLY when the user explicitly wants a CLI-only/local workflow that never opens in Studio Web or ships in a solution; it still emits the full project folder (`<name>/Workflow.json` + siblings), just no `.uipx` wiring. Never emit a lone `Workflow.json` with no project files — even a throwaway local workflow gets a project.

**Why it matters:** a legacy `project.json` + `workflows/WF_*.json` layout (no `.uiproj`) passes every runtime gate — `validate`, `run`, `pack`, `publish`, deploy — but Studio Web rejects it as `invalid_project_folder` and never shows it. `init` is the one step that can't produce the wrong shape. Full layout + field rules: [references/workflow-file-format.md](references/workflow-file-format.md#project-structure-studio-web-editable-contract).

To **convert a legacy `project.json` project**, `init` a fresh sibling and move the existing workflow content into its `Workflow.json` (cleanest), or convert in place — see [references/troubleshooting.md](references/troubleshooting.md). Never wire it with `uip solution projects add/remove` (errors on an already-registered name; `remove`+`add` destroys the project `Id`).

uip api-workflow validate <Workflow.json>
is the autonomous closure step for every authoring or edit cycle. Run it as the LAST command before asking the user anything about runtime. It's offline (no auth, no network, no side effects): JSON Schema + semantic checks on the static file. Output codes:
- ```
Result: "Success"
```
  ,
```
Code: "ApiwfValidate"
```
  ,
```
Data.Status: "Valid"
```
  (exit 0) — possibly with
```
Data.Warnings
```
  . Proceed to rule 21 (ask the user whether to run).
- ```
Result: "Failure"
```
  (exit 1) — do NOT bother the user. Read
```
Instructions
```
  , locate the offending activity by its JSON path (e.g.
```
/do/0/Sequence_1/do/2/Mystery_1/metadata/activityType
```
  ), edit
```
Workflow.json
```
  to fix it, then re-validate. Loop until pass.
Reading the error list. AJV schema errors from
```
oneOf
```
branches produce duplicate "Missing required property" noise (each unmatched variant lists all its required fields). Focus on the semantic-tail errors — the ones with prose messages like
```
Unknown activityType 'X'
```
,
```
must contain a 'do' with inner 'switch'
```
,
```
is missing 'metadata.configuration'
```
,
```
Variable must have a non-empty 'type'
```
. Those uniquely identify the root cause. Fix one root cause, re-validate, repeat — don't chase the schema-level fanout one by one.

**What validate catches:** malformed JSON; unknown `activityType` values (see VALID_ACTIVITY_TYPES list in the validate source); per-activity required keys (If → `do` + inner `switch`, Sequence → `do`, Assign → `set`, ForEach → `for` + `do`, DoWhile → `for` + `doWhile`, Connector → `call` + `metadata.configuration` + `essentialConfiguration`, Response → `response`, etc.); missing `metadata.activityType`/`displayName` (warnings); bad `evaluate.language`/`evaluate.mode`; duplicate or empty-named workflow variables; empty task lists. **What it does NOT catch:** wrong `selectedResourceId`, broken connector connection IDs, runtime expression errors (`ReferenceError: x is not defined`), unwrapped string literals (rule 5), multi-key `Assign.set` (rule 6) — those still need runtime validation via `uip api-workflow run` once the user consents.

Never run
uip api-workflow run
without an explicit user "yes." Validation (rule 20) is autonomous; running is not. Once validate passes, ask the user: (a) run now or skip, (b) if running, with
```
--no-auth
```
(fast, structure-only — IntSvc kind vendor calls fail) or with auth (real Integration Service calls — vendor side effects WILL happen: emails sent, tickets created, files uploaded). Suggest a default based on workflow content (
```
--no-auth
```
for control-flow-only + Http kind
```
ImplicitConnection
```
; with-auth for any IntSvc kind vendor activity), but wait for the user's answer. Never invoke
```
uip api-workflow run
```
with auth on speculation — once a vendor call goes out, it can't be unsent.

Workflow Phases

Phase 0: Discovery

Before touching anything, understand what exists.

For edit requests:

Read the existing workflow file with
```
Read
```
Identify activity keys already in use (avoid collisions)
Identify variables, inputs, outputs already declared
Identify export patterns in use (stay consistent)

For create requests:

Read assets/templates/api-workflow-template.json for the empty skeleton
Read a closer example based on need:
- Conditional branching with error handling → assets/templates/conditional-workflow-example.json
- Loops with aggregation → assets/templates/loop-aggregation-example.json
- Heavily nested control flow (TryCatch around DoWhile around If with Break) → assets/templates/nested-control-flow-example.json
For nested patterns specifically, read references/control-flow-patterns.md — pattern catalog for If-in-If, ForEach-with-If, TryCatch-around-loop, conditional Break, etc.

Phase 1: Plan

Decide which activities to use and in what order.

User wants	Activity type	Key points
Set/transform variables	Assign	Sets `$context.variables` ; uses variables export pattern
Run custom logic	JavaScript (JsInvoke)	Inline JS; access context via `$context` / `$workflow` / `$input` globals (NOT `arguments[0]` )
Branch on condition (2-way)	If	`#Wrapper` + `#Then` + `#Else` structure required
Branch on condition (3+ way)	Chain of Ifs	Each `#Else` holds the next If — see control-flow-patterns.md
Iterate over collection	ForEach	`for.each` / `for.in` / `for.at` ; needs `#Body`
Repeat until condition	DoWhile	`for.in: "${ [1] }"` ; needs `#Body` ; must update condition variable
Handle errors (whole batch)	TryCatch around loop	One bad item kills the batch — see control-flow-patterns.md
Handle errors (skip & continue)	TryCatch inside body	One bad item skipped, loop continues — see control-flow-patterns.md
Return result and end	Response	`then: "end"` ; `markJobAsFailed` sibling of `response`
Pause execution	Wait	`wait.seconds` / `minutes` / `milliseconds`
Exit loop early	Break (in If)	Wrap Break in an If — there's no "break when" condition on Break itself. `break: "true"` (string!), `then: "exit"` , `set: "${$input}"`
Exit nested loops	Flag variable + Break twice	Set a flag in inner loop, check + Break in outer — see control-flow-patterns.md
Call an arbitrary REST API (catfacts, stock prices, weather, any public/internal endpoint)	Unified HTTP Request ( `call: "UiPath.Http"` , Http kind)	`connectionId: "ImplicitConnection"` . NEVER `call: "http"` (block icon). Via rule 16's flow.
Call a vendor service via its UiPath connection (Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Slack, …)	Vendor curated activity ( `call: "UiPath.IntSvc"` , IntSvc kind)	Needs a pinged connection UUID. Via rule 16's flow.
CRUD a connector object that has no curated activity	Generic activity ( `ActivityType: "Generic"` in resolve output — "List Records", "Get Record", …; IntSvc kind)	Add `--object-name <object>` (from `uip is resources list` ) to the stub. Prefer a curated activity when one exists. Via rule 16's flow.

Before generating, determine:

Which activities are needed and in what order
What unique keys to assign (check existing keys to avoid collision)

What variables to declare (in

document.metadata.variables.schema.document.properties

)

What inputs/outputs to declare (in
```
input.schema
```
/
```
output.schema
```
)

Phase 2: Generate or Edit

For each activity, read its reference section in references/task-types.md, copy the minimal JSON, fill in values.

For CREATE: copy from a template, then add user activities AFTER

WorkflowStart

inside the root sequence (literally

Sequence_1.do

in the template skeleton).

For EDIT: read the file first, identify the exact insertion / replacement point, use

Edit

with sufficient context for unique matching.

Workflow skeleton:

json

{
  "document": { "dsl": "1.0.0", "name": "...", "version": "0.0.1", "namespace": "default", "metadata": { "variables": { "schema": { "format": "json", "document": { "type": "object", "properties": {...}, "title": "Variables" } } } } },
  "input":  { "schema": { "format": "json", "document": { "type": "object", "properties": {...}, "title": "Inputs" } } },
  "output": { "schema": { "format": "json", "document": { "type": "object", "properties": {...}, "title": "Outputs" } } },
  "do": [{ "Sequence_1": { "do": [ { "WorkflowStart": { /* system */ } }, /* user activities */ ], "metadata": {...} } }],
  "evaluate": { "mode": "strict", "language": "javascript" }
}

Phase 3: Validate (static) then Run (with consent)

Validate autonomously (rule 20), fixing + re-validating until

Data.Status: "Valid"

bash

uip api-workflow validate ./my-workflow.json --output json

Once green, ask before running (rule 21) — pick the mode from workflow content:

Mode	Flag	What happens	Use when
No-auth	`--no-auth`	Skips token loading. Structure / expressions / control flow validated. IntSvc vendor calls fail with a missing-token error.	Control-flow-only, OR Http kind with `connectionId: "ImplicitConnection"` . Default for most iterations.
With auth	(none)	Uses the `uip login` token. Real Integration Service calls — vendor side effects happen.	An IntSvc vendor activity AND the user confirmed the real call is OK (email sent, ticket created, file uploaded).

State the consequence in the question (e.g. "running with auth WILL send a real email to

<recipient>

— (1) skip, (2)

--no-auth

, (3) run with auth?"), wait for the reply, then run

uip api-workflow run ./my-workflow.json [--no-auth] --output json

. If the user skips, give them the exact command and stop.

Fix run failures in category order — Structure > Expression > Activity Config > Logic (higher categories often resolve lower ones). Full pitfall catalog: references/troubleshooting.md.

Phase 4: Package, Publish, and Operate

Once the workflow runs locally, deploy via the solution packager. If the project must open in Studio Web, confirm it uses the

init

-produced shape first (rule 19a) — runtime/pack success does not prove it.

Pack:

bash

uip solution pack <solutionDir> <outputDir> \
  --name <PACKAGE_NAME> \
  --version 1.0.0 \
  --output json

The packager auto-detects

Type: "Api"

projects, validates structure, copies workflow files, generates

operate.json

package-descriptor.json

, and produces a

.nupkg

wrapped in a

.zip

Publish:

bash

uip solution publish <outputDir>/<package>.zip \
  --tenant <TENANT_NAME> \
  --output json

Requires

uip login

Operate + diagnose the published workflow. Once deployed, the workflow is an Orchestrator API process — the local

uip api-workflow

verbs no longer apply to it. Invoke it (HTTP/schedule/Integration Service event trigger), start/list/stop its jobs, manage the Integration Service connections it uses, and read cloud-run logs/traces via

uip or

uip is

uip traces

. Full command map: references/operating-published-workflows.md. These are sibling-skill surfaces (

uipath-platform

uipath-troubleshoot

) — delegate there for depth.

Quick Start (CREATE from scratch)

bash

# 0. Create the solution (skip if one already exists). Creates ./MySolution/ with the .uipx.
uip solution init MySolution --output json

# 1. Scaffold the project — correct Studio Web shape + auto-registers in the .uipx (rule 19a).
#    init's <name> arg takes no slashes, so cd into the solution dir first; it registers the
#    project in the nearest parent .uipx. Creates MyApiProject/ with project.uiproj,
#    Workflow.json, entry-points.json, bindings_v2.json.
cd ./MySolution
uip api-workflow init MyApiProject --output json

# 2. Edit MyApiProject/Workflow.json to add user activities after WorkflowStart inside the root sequence

# 3. Validate (offline, autonomous — fix + re-validate until Status: Valid)
uip api-workflow validate ./MyApiProject/Workflow.json --output json

# 4. Ask the user, then run (only on user "yes")
uip api-workflow run ./MyApiProject/Workflow.json --no-auth --output json

# 5. Package (cwd is the solution dir)
uip solution pack . ./build --name MyApiSolution --version 1.0.0 --output json

# 6. Publish
uip login
uip solution publish ./build/MyApiSolution_1.0.0.zip --tenant MyTenant --output json   # pack names the zip <name>_<version>.zip

Reference Navigation

File	Use when
references/workflow-file-format.md	Authoring or editing the JSON skeleton: top-level keys, `document.metadata.variables` schema, `input.schema` / `output.schema` , `WorkflowStart`
references/http-retry-config.md	Adding workflow-level HTTP retry policy ( `httpRetryConfig` ) — scope (GET-only), constant/linear/exponential backoff formulas, defaults, `Retry-After` handling, anti-patterns
references/task-types.md	Adding/editing any single activity — exact JSON shape, required fields, export pattern, common mistakes, basic nesting hints per type
references/control-flow-patterns.md	Combining activities into hierarchical structures — nested If, ForEach inside DoWhile, TryCatch around/inside loops, conditional Break, multi-way branching, key uniqueness rules
references/connector-activity-discovery.md	Authoring HTTP Request / Gmail / Outlook / GitHub / Slack / etc. activities via `uip api-workflow registry resolve` + `stub` — three-step flow, sample stub output, field-shape rules, multipart subsection, worked examples
references/expressions-and-context.md	Writing JS expressions, propagating outputs via `export.as` , accessing `$context` / `$input` / `$workflow` , JS_Invoke argument passing, strict-mode gotchas, key patterns

| references/cli-reference.md | All

uip

commands —

api-workflow init

run

build

pack

validate

solution init

solution pack

solution publish

login

| references/operating-published-workflows.md | Operating + diagnosing a published workflow — invoke via HTTP/schedule/event triggers, manage Integration Service connections (

uip is connections

), start/list/stop Orchestrator jobs (

uip or jobs

), read cloud-run logs/traces (

uip or jobs logs

uip traces spans get

). Delegates depth to

uipath-platform

uipath-troubleshoot

| references/troubleshooting.md | Failed runs, structure/expression/loop/nesting/response/validation pitfalls, packaging errors, publish errors, debugging strategy |

Templates

File	Description
assets/templates/api-workflow-template.json	Empty valid workflow with `WorkflowStart` and empty schemas — drop activities into the root sequence ( `Sequence_1.do` in this template) after `WorkflowStart`
assets/templates/conditional-workflow-example.json	If branching with TryCatch — input validation + classification + error fallback
assets/templates/loop-aggregation-example.json	DoWhile + ForEach + Assign accumulation — pure-compute aggregation pattern
assets/templates/nested-control-flow-example.json	Heavy nesting demo — TryCatch around DoWhile around If with conditional Break

| assets/templates/connector-call-example.json | Http kind — HTTP Request curated activity (

call: "UiPath.Http"

) for arbitrary REST calls. Generated by

registry stub

against the catfacts URL. Shows the canonical shape:

connectionId: "ImplicitConnection"

unifiedTypesCompatible: true

savedJitInputFieldId: "in_http-request"

, URL in

bodyParameters.url

. Verified end-to-end with

uip api-workflow run --no-auth

. |

| assets/templates/vendor-curated-call-example.json | IntSvc kind — vendor curated activity (

call: "UiPath.IntSvc"

) using Outlook GetNewestEmail as exemplar. The

<REPLACE_WITH_VENDOR_CONNECTION_UUID>

placeholder is a sentinel — replace it with a pinged UUID from

uip is connections list/ping

before writing the workflow to disk. StudioWeb renders the literal placeholder as a broken connection if it survives. See rule 16. |

| assets/templates/solution-connection-resource-template.json | Solution connection resource — declares a IntSvc kind connection as a Solution resource. Write to

Solution/resources/solution_folder/connection/<connector-key>/<connection-name>.json

. Required for Solutions-mode projects; without it the StudioWeb properties panel flags the activity as having an invalid connection. |

Anti-patterns

The mistakes an agent makes most often (each maps to a Critical Rule above — see it for the full reasoning):

Do NOT use
```
call: "http"
```
for a REST call — it's the training-data default, but StudioWeb rejects it (renders as a "block" icon). Use
```
call: "UiPath.Http"
```
from
```
registry stub
```
. See rule 16.
Do NOT wrap connector
```
bodyParameters
```
/
```
queryParameters
```
literals as
```
${'literal'}
```
— rule 5's wrap is inverted for connectors; bare literals only, or the field clears on save. See rule 16.
Do NOT ship a
```
<REPLACE_WITH_*>
```
placeholder in a workflow — StudioWeb renders it as a broken connection and it 401s. No pinged UUID → ask the user. See rule 16.
Do NOT read workflow inputs as
```
$input.<name>
```
from a non-first activity — use
```
$workflow.input.<name>
```
. See rule 13.

Do NOT invoke
```
uip api-workflow run
```
autonomously, and never with auth without an explicit "yes" — vendor calls have irreversible side effects (emails sent, tickets created). See rules 20–21.

Do NOT hand-assemble a project (
```
project.json
```
+
```
main.json
```
/
```
workflows/WF_*.json
```
). Scaffold with
```
uip api-workflow init <name>
```
— it writes the correct
```
project.uiproj
```
shape and registers it in the
```
.uipx
```
. The legacy
```
project.json
```
-only shape runs and packs but Studio Web rejects it (
```
invalid_project_folder
```
) and never shows it. See rules 19–19a.
Do NOT emit a lone
```
Workflow.json
```
with no project files, even for a quick local run. It runs under
```
uip api-workflow run
```
but is not a Studio Web project — can't be edited or shipped. Every workflow lives in an
```
init
```
-scaffolded project (
```
--skip-solution-registration
```
when no solution is needed). See rule 19a ("Which mode").
Do NOT wire a project into the solution with
```
uip solution projects add/remove
```
— it errors on an already-registered name, and
```
remove
```
+
```
add
```
destroys the project
```
Id
```
.
```
init
```
registers it; for an already-built project, edit the
```
.uipx
```
```
ProjectRelativePath
```
in place. See rule 19a.
Do NOT trust "it packed / published / ran" as proof a project opens in Studio Web — every runtime gate passes on the wrong shape. Scaffolding with
```
init
```
is what guarantees it (rule 19a).

Infinite Loop Prevention

If a CLI command fails with the same error 2+ times, do NOT retry it. Investigate the root cause:

Not authenticated

Organization ID not available

→ ask the user to

uip login

, do not retry

```
File not found
```
→ check the path with
```
ls
```
Repeated structural errors after fixes → re-read the workflow and the relevant reference section; you may be misreading the file

Maximum 3 attempts for any single operation. After 3 failures, stop and report what was tried.

uipath-api-workflow

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

UiPath API Workflow Assistant

When to Use This Skill

Core Principles

Critical Rules

Workflow Phases

Phase 0: Discovery

Phase 1: Plan

Phase 2: Generate or Edit

Phase 3: Validate (static) then Run (with consent)

Phase 4: Package, Publish, and Operate

Quick Start (CREATE from scratch)

Reference Navigation

Templates

Anti-patterns

Infinite Loop Prevention