[Bug] update_flow fails to save any flow with a connector action/trigger, even resubmitting an unmodified working flow

[tom-riha]

Plugin

power-automate

Plugin Version

3.0.1

Skill / Command

FlowAgent MCP — update_flow tool

Bug Description

update_flow fails to save any flow definition containing a connector-based (OpenApiConnection) action or trigger referencing a named connection reference — even when that reference is valid and already working. create_flow with an otherwise-identical connectionRefs payload succeeds every time, isolating this to update_flow specifically.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Fetch an existing, working, connector-based flow's exact definition via get_flow.
2. Call update_flow with that flow's ID, passing back the exact same definition and connectionRefs, completely unmodified.
3. Observe the save is rejected — even though nothing changed.

(Also reproducible by adding a first-ever connector action to a previously connector-free flow, or adding a new connector action to a flow that already has a different working connector reference — all three cases fail identically.)

Expected Behavior

update_flow should succeed when resubmitting a flow's own already-saved, unmodified definition, and should succeed adding new connector actions when preflight_flow/resolve_refs both report the connection reference as valid and connected.

Actual Behavior

400 Bad Request, code InvalidOpenApiFlow, 'WorkflowRunActionInputsInvalidProperty' (actions) or 'WorkflowTriggerInputsPropertyInvalid' (triggers): "The API connection reference '' could not be found for the operation ''."

Three related issues found while diagnosing:

1. preflight_flow reports 'ready'/'connected' for the exact payload that then fails to save — gives false confidence.
2. The required host.connectionReferenceName field (needed to get past a different error) appears in no get_flow read-back JSON or get_operation_details schema — only discoverable by triggering the error.
3. preflight_flow requires connectionReferences.source='Embedded' (flags 'Invoker' as causing 'InvokerConnectionOverrideFailed'), yet get_flow shows already-working PowerApp-triggered flows saved with source='Invoker' — contradictory guidance.

Relevant Logs / Screenshots

{"code":"tool-error","message":"Flow API 400 Bad Request: {\"error\":{\"code\":\"XrmApiRequestFailed\",\"message\":\"Request to XRM API failed with error: 'Message: Flow client error returned with status code \\\"BadRequest\\\" and details \\\"{\\\"error\\\":{\\\"code\\\":\\\"InvalidOpenApiFlow\\\",\\\"message\\\":\\\"Flow save failed with code 'WorkflowTriggerInputsPropertyInvalid' and message 'The API connection reference 'wah_TM_Conn_SharePoint' could not be found for the operation 'When_an_item_is_created_or_modified'.'.\\\"}}\\\".\\nCode: 0x80060467\\nInnerError: '.\",\"extendedData\":{\"code\":\"0x80060467\",\"message\":\"Flow client error returned with status code \\\"BadRequest\\\" and details \\\"{\\\"error\\\":{\\\"code\\\":\\\"InvalidOpenApiFlow\\\",\\\"message\\\":\\\"Flow save failed with code 'WorkflowTriggerInputsPropertyInvalid' and message 'The API connection reference 'wah_TM_Conn_SharePoint' could not be found for the operation 'When_an_item_is_created_or_modified'.'.\\\"}}\\\".\"}}}","errorName":"FlowApiError"}

Environment

macOS 15.7.2 (24G325), Claude Code 2.1.233, PAC CLI 1.32.6+g634bb82

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🤖 This issue was created using the /report-issue skill.