power-automate-reference

name

power-automate-reference

description

Authoritative, embedded reference for the Power Automate cloud-flow language (Workflow Definition Language / Logic Apps). Use to confirm whether a function, trigger, or action exists and its exact name or JSON "type", to check function signatures, the workflow-definition schema, runAfter semantics, or operators — before writing or validating any cloud-flow expression or JSON. Stops invented functions and Power Fx bleeding into cloud flows.

Power Automate Reference

Look here before writing or reviewing a cloud-flow expression or action JSON. This skill ships the canonical Microsoft references inline so you verify names against the real namespace instead of recalling them from training data (which goes stale as Microsoft changes the platform).

Hard rules

• The function namespace is closed. If a name is not in references/expression-functions.md, it does not exist — do not invent or guess a function. Pick a real one or compose existing ones.
• Cloud flows use Workflow Definition Language (WDL) only. Never use Power Fx functions inside cloud-flow JSON. Power Fx is for desktop flows and other Power Platform formula surfaces (see power-automate-expression-syntax).
• Secrets in a workflow definition's parameters use the securestring / secureobject types (a GET will not return them); real secrets belong in Azure Key Vault, never as literals in the definition.
• Use the ? null-safe operator for optional action/trigger outputs.
• Prefer real control actions (If / Switch / Scope / Foreach / Until) over stacking Compose actions to fake logic.

Procedure

1. Classify what you need:
   • a function (name / category / does it exist) → references/expression-functions.md
   • a trigger or action (type value, runAfter) → references/triggers-and-actions.md
   • the definition shape, parameter types, or operators → references/workflow-definition-language-schema.md
2. Read the matching reference file and use the exact names/types it lists.
3. Only open the canonical Microsoft Learn link (in each file) when you need the newest behavior or an edge detail the reference does not cover.

Related skills

• power-automate-expression-syntax — how to compose and validate expressions (this skill is the lookup of what exists).
• power-automate-action-configuration — connector/action payload shapes.
• power-automate-docs — router to the wider Microsoft Learn documentation.
• power-automate-workflow-patterns — flow architecture (and avoiding Compose sprawl).