flow-automation

name	flow-automation
description	Flow automation — triggers, operations, data chains, event hooks, webhooks, schedules. This skill should be used when the user asks to create automation flows, set up triggers, configure operations, build event-driven workflows, schedule tasks, or trigger flows programmatically in Directus.

Flow Automation

Complete reference for the flows, operations, and trigger-flow MCP tools.

Concepts

• Flow = Trigger + Chain of Operations
• Each flow has ONE trigger and a series of operations forming a data chain
• Operations connect via resolve (success) and reject (failure) paths
• Data passes through the chain using {{ operation_key }} variables

Trigger Types

Trigger	When It Fires	Key Options
event	On item CRUD (hook)	type (filter/action), scope (items.create, items.update, items.delete), collections
webhook	HTTP request to flow URL	method (GET/POST), async
schedule	Cron expression	cron (e.g., "0 9 * * 1" = Monday 9am)
operation	Called by another flow	—
manual	User triggers from app	collections, requireSelection, fields

Creating a Flow

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "create",
  "data": {
    "name": "Notify on New Post",
    "trigger": "event",
    "status": "active",
    "accountability": "all",
    "icon": "notifications",
    "color": "#FF9800",
    "description": "Send notification when a new post is created",
    "options": {
      "type": "action",
      "scope": ["items.create"],
      "collections": ["posts"]
    }
  

Trigger Options by Type

Event trigger:

"options": {
  "type": "action",
  "scope": ["items.create", "items.update"],
  "collections": ["posts"]
}

• type: "filter" — runs before the operation (can block it)
• type: "action" — runs after the operation

Schedule trigger:

"options": {
  "cron": "0 */6 * * *"
}

Manual trigger:

"options": {
  "collections": ["posts"],
  "requireSelection": true,
  "fields": [
    { "field": "reason", "type": "string", "name": "Reason" }
  ]
}

Webhook trigger:

"options": {
  "method": "POST",
  "async": false
}

Operation Types

Type	Description	Key Options
condition	If/else branching	filter (condition rules)
item-create	Create items	collection, payload
item-read	Read items	collection, query
item-update	Update items	collection, payload, query
item-delete	Delete items	collection, query
mail	Send email	to, subject, body
notification	In-app notification	recipient, subject, message
request	HTTP request	url, method, headers, body
sleep	Wait/delay	milliseconds
log	Log to console	message
exec	Run custom code	code
transform	Transform data	json
trigger	Chain to another flow	flow

Creating Operations

Tool: operations
Input: {
  "action": "create",
  "data": {
    "flow": "flow-uuid-here",
    "key": "check_status",
    "type": "condition",
    "name": "Check if Published",
    "options": {
      "filter": {
        "$trigger": {
          "payload": {
            "status": { "_eq": "published" }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "position_x": 20,
    "position_y": 1
     
     
  

Connecting Operations

Operations form a chain through resolve and reject UUIDs:

1. Create all operations first (with resolve: null, reject: null)
2. Update each operation with the correct resolve/reject UUIDs
3. Update the flow with operation: "first-op-uuid" to set the entry point

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "update",
  "key": "flow-uuid",
  "data": { "operation": "first-operation-uuid" }
}

Data Chain Variables

Access data from triggers and previous operations:

Variable	Source
{{ $trigger }}	Trigger data (payload, keys, collection)
{{ $trigger.payload }}	Item data that triggered the flow
{{ $trigger.keys }}	Primary keys of items
{{ $trigger.collection }}	Collection name
{{ $trigger.body }}	Webhook/manual trigger body
{{ operation_key }}	Output of a specific operation (use the key you set)
{{ $accountability }}	User who triggered the flow

Critical Syntax Rules

1. Condition filters — Use nested objects, NOT dot notation:

   // CORRECT
   { "$trigger": { "payload": { "status": { "_eq": "published" } } } }
   
   // WRONG
   { "$trigger.payload.status": { "_eq": "published" } }
   

2. Request headers — Array of {header, value} objects, NOT key-value:

   // CORRECT
   "headers": [
     { "header": "Content-Type", "value": "application/json" },
     { "header": "Authorization", "value": "Bearer token" }
   
   
   
       
   

Complete Flow Example

"Send Slack Notification on New Published Post"

Step 1: Create the flow:

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "create",
  "data": {
    "name": "Notify Slack on Publish",
    "trigger": "event",
    "status": "active",
    "options": {
      "type": "action",
      "scope": ["items.create", "items.update"],
      "collections": ["posts"]
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Create condition operation:

Tool: operations
Input: {
  "action": "create",
  "data": {
    "flow": "FLOW_UUID",
    "key": "is_published",
    "type": "condition",
    "name": "Is Published?",
    "options": {
      "filter": {
        "$trigger": {
          "payload": {
            "status": { "_eq": "published" }
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "position_x": 20,
    "position_y": 1
  

Step 3: Create HTTP request operation:

Tool: operations
Input: {
  "action": "create",
  "data": {
    "flow": "FLOW_UUID",
    "key": "send_slack",
    "type": "request",
    "name": "Send to Slack",
    "options": {
      "url": "https://hooks.slack.com/services/XXX",
      "method": "POST",
      "headers": [
        { "header": "Content-Type", "value": "application/json" }
      ],
      "body": "{\"text\": \"New post published: {{ $trigger.payload.title }}\"}"
    },
     
     
  

Step 4: Connect operations:

Tool: operations
Input: {
  "action": "update",
  "key": "is_published",
  "data": { "resolve": "SEND_SLACK_UUID" }
}

Step 5: Set flow entry point:

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "update",
  "key": "FLOW_UUID",
  "data": { "operation": "IS_PUBLISHED_UUID" }
}

Triggering Flows Programmatically

Important: Always read the flow definition first to understand requirements.

Tool: flows
Input: { "action": "read", "key": "flow-uuid" }

Then trigger:

Tool: trigger-flow
Input: {
  "id": "flow-uuid",
  "collection": "posts",
  "keys": ["item-uuid-1"],
  "data": { "custom_field": "value" }
}

Managing Flows

List All Flows

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "read",
  "query": {
    "fields": ["id", "name", "status", "trigger", "description"],
    "sort": ["name"]
  }
}

Activate/Deactivate

Tool: flows
Input: {
  "action": "update",
  "key": "flow-uuid",
  "data": { "status": "inactive" }
}

Best Practices

• Use explicit operation keys (e.g., "check_status", "send_email") — never rely on $last
• Test with manual trigger first before switching to event/schedule
• Use condition operations to filter — avoid running all operations on every trigger
• Keep flows focused on a single responsibility
• Log important operations for debugging
• Set accountability: "all" for full audit trails