Workato Skill connector - Start workflow trigger
The Start workflow trigger runs a recipe when an AI agent calls the skill. The trigger declares the input parameters the agent must supply, the result schema the agent expects to receive, and any optional task metadata the skill receives.
The recipe editor opens with the Start workflow trigger by default when you create a skill. After you configure the trigger, you can replace it with a different trigger to run the recipe from an external event instead of an agent invocation. Replacing the trigger removes the recipe from any assigned genies and MCP servers.
Input
| Input field | Description |
|---|---|
| Require user confirmation before executing skill? | Select whether the agent prompts the user for confirmation before it runs the skill. Use this option for skills that perform destructive or high-impact actions, such as updating customer records. Refer to User confirmation for more information. |
| When should your agent run this skill? | Enter a natural-language description of the skill. The agent reads this description to decide when to call the skill. Write it from the agent's perspective and include any context that helps the agent decide. Refer to Skill design best practices for best practices. |
| What inputs will your agent require to run this skill? | Define the parameters the agent must provide when it calls the skill. Use JSON or add fields manually. Use clear field labels and add a hint for each field to help the agent populate the input correctly. Refer to the File inputs section for information about how the agent processes file parameters. |
| What should be returned to the agent after this skill is run? | Define the values the Return response action sends back to the agent. Use JSON or add fields manually. The agent uses these values to produce its response to the user. |
| Task metadata | Optional. Define the task metadata attributes this skill receives when an agent assigns a task to it. You must define matching attributes in the Assign task action of the Workato Genie connector. |
File inputs
The agent passes a file reference to the skill instead of raw bytes when you add a File to the input parameter schema. The connector resolves the reference into a file object with name, created, file_contents, file_type, and size datapills you can use in subsequent recipe steps.
This pattern lets agents pass uploaded files, such as a PDF attached in Slack or an image dropped into Workato GO, into the skill. It also avoids inflating the agent's context window with binary content.
Refer to Create a skill recipe with a File input parameter for setup steps.
Output
| Output field | Description |
|---|---|
| Parameters | The values the agent supplied for this skill call. The schema for this object is defined in the What inputs will your agent require to run this skill? input field. |
| Context | Information about the calling agent and the user that invoked it. Refer to Context fields for the available sub-fields. |
| Custom metadata | The task metadata attributes the calling agent supplied for this skill call. The schema for this object is defined in the Task metadata input field. |
Context fields
The Context output field contains the following information about the calling agent and the user that invoked the skill:
Genie ID
The ID of the genie that called the skill.
Genie name
The display name of the genie that called the skill.
Conversation ID
The ID of the conversation in which the skill was called.
Call ID
The ID of the specific skill call.
App type
The chat application the user invoked the agent from, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.
App user ID
The user's ID in the chat application.
User ID
The user's Workato user ID.
User name
The user's full name.
User email
The user's email address.
User group IDs
The Workato user group IDs the user belongs to.
You can use these fields to personalize skill behavior or enforce context-aware authorization. For example, you can use User group IDs to restrict destructive actions based on group membership.
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