Manage automations with MCP

Automation MCP tools use the same workspace services and definition contracts as the Portal. They are available when the module is enabled for the workspace and your connection has the appropriate access. Discover the tools exposed by your connection rather than assuming every workspace has the same tool list.

Tool reference

Tool	Purpose
`list_automations`	List definitions with status and 24-hour execution/failure counts
`get_automation`	Read the full definition, version, status, and direct entry URLs
`create_automation`	Create a draft with an empty webhook section
`update_automation`	Change metadata or replace the complete definition
`test_automation`	Test a section with a sample payload, including an optional unsaved definition
`set_automation_status`	Set `ACTIVE` or `PAUSED`
`list_automation_runs`	List runs, optionally filtered by status
`get_automation_run`	Read a run and its step results
`list_automation_trigger_routes`	Inspect existing trigger bindings
`set_automation_trigger_route`	Configure a webhook or status route from an existing production trigger
`delete_automation_trigger_route`	Remove one binding and restore the original path for new events
`rotate_automation_token`	Replace direct-entry tokens; previous direct URLs stop working
`delete_automation`	Delete the automation and its history

Update safely

Call get_automation and inspect its current definition and version.
Prepare the complete replacement definition, retaining section/step IDs where their meaning is unchanged.
Call test_automation with the proposed definition and representative payloads. Review test-mode behavior.
Re-read before updating to detect edits made by another operator. The current update tool does not accept an expected-version precondition; re-reading alone is not a concurrency lock. Coordinate edits.
Call update_automation, inspect the stored result, and activate only when ready for live events.

Example test arguments for the quickstart:

{
  "automationId": "AUTOMATION_ID",
  "sectionId": "record_event",
  "payload": { "event": "record.created", "id": "example-001" }
}

For testing an unsaved definition, add definition with the complete { "sections": [...] } object. An update with definition replaces the definition; it is not a partial patch of one step.

Preserve the caller’s URL

Example arguments for set_automation_trigger_route:

{
  "automationId": "AUTOMATION_ID",
  "triggerId": "EXISTING_TRIGGER_ID",
  "entryKind": "webhook",
  "match": {
    "match": "all",
    "rules": [
      { "path": "body:event", "operator": "equals", "value": "notification.requested" }
    ]
  }
}

A status binding uses entryKind: "channel" and allRequests: true, with a channel-status section on the destination automation. This can be a different automation from the webhook destination. Review routing behavior before changing an active trigger.

Portal, MCP, and CLI

Use the Portal for visual editing and run inspection, and MCP for programmatic management through a connected assistant. The automation definitions can be retained in source control as integration artifacts, but they are not agent source files and are not automatically updated by an agent deploy. Dedicated automation pull/diff/deploy/promote commands in the Runflow CLI are not part of the interface documented here. Do not apply the agent’s staging/promotion commands to an automation or assume that copying a definition creates an automatic synchronization mechanism.

Getting Started

CLI

Claude Connector

Automations

Core Concepts

Real-World Examples

Advanced

Configuration

Extending Runflow

Help & Support

Manage automations with MCP

Tool reference

Update safely

Preserve the caller’s URL

Portal, MCP, and CLI

​Tool reference

​Update safely

​Preserve the caller’s URL

​Portal, MCP, and CLI

Tool reference

Update safely

Preserve the caller’s URL

Portal, MCP, and CLI