[aidan] feat/workflows: require at least one step to save a workflow

backend/apps/workflows/workflows.py

@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ def _normalize_schedule_state(wf: Workflow) -> None:
     wf.next_run_at = scheduler.compute_next_fire(wf) if wf.schedule.enabled else None
 
 
+def _has_nonempty_steps(steps: list[WorkflowStep] | None) -> bool:
+    return any(bool((s.text or "").strip()) for s in (steps or []))
+
+
 def _parse_calendar_bound(value: str, label: str) -> datetime:
     raw = (value or "").strip()
     if raw.endswith("Z"):
@@ -166,6 +170,8 @@ def _parse_calendar_bound(value: str, label: str) -> datetime:
 
 @workflows.router.post("/create")
 async def create_workflow(body: WorkflowCreate):
+    if not body.unsaved and not _has_nonempty_steps(body.steps):
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Workflow must have at least one step")
     actions = body.actions
     # Scheduled workflows default to freeze=on for safety. The user can
     # flip "Full agent access" in the editor with an explicit confirm.
@@ -785,15 +791,21 @@ async def commit_draft(workflow_id: str):
     wf = storage.get_workflow(workflow_id)
     if not wf:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Workflow not found")
-    # Clicking Save is the user committing to this workflow, so reveal it in
-    # the hub (clears the "+ New" build-in-progress flag) even if there's no
-    # pending draft to flush.
-    wf.unsaved = False
     if wf.draft_steps is None:
+        if not _has_nonempty_steps(wf.steps):
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Workflow must have at least one step")
+        # Clicking Save is the user committing to this workflow, so reveal it
+        # in the hub (clears the "+ New" build-in-progress flag).
+        wf.unsaved = False
         await p_end_edit_session(wf)
         storage.save_workflow(wf)
         return _enriched(wf)
     before = wf.model_dump(mode="json")
+    if not _has_nonempty_steps(wf.draft_steps):
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Workflow must have at least one step")
+    # Clicking Save is the user committing to this workflow, so reveal it in
+    # the hub (clears the "+ New" build-in-progress flag).
+    wf.unsaved = False
     wf.steps = wf.draft_steps
     wf.draft_steps = None
     await p_relabel_changed_steps(wf, before.get("steps") or [])

frontend/src/app/pages/AgentChat/AgentChat.tsx

@@ -937,9 +937,13 @@ const AgentChat: React.FC<AgentChatProps> = ({ sessionId: sessionIdProp, onClose
     if (id) dispatch(removeCard(id));
   }, [linkedWorkflowId, id, dispatch]);
 
-  const onTestSaveWorkflow = useCallback(() => {
+  const onTestSaveWorkflow = useCallback(async () => {
     if (linkedWorkflowId) {
-      dispatch(commitDraft(linkedWorkflowId));
+      try {
+        await dispatch(commitDraft(linkedWorkflowId)).unwrap();
+      } catch {
+        return;
+      }
       dispatch(updateWorkflowCard({ workflowId: linkedWorkflowId, patch: { view: 'saved' } }));
       dispatch(setCardSidecar({ workflowId: linkedWorkflowId, sessionId: null, kind: null }));
     }

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/EditAgentView.tsx

@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ export default function EditAgentView({ workflow, steps, isFixMode = false, onEd
   const [saveAnchorEl, setSaveAnchorEl] = useState<HTMLElement | null>(null);
   const [testSessionId, setTestSessionId] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const draftSteps = workflow.draft_steps ?? steps;
+  const canSave = draftSteps.some((s) => (s.text || '').trim().length > 0);
   // A draft always exists in edit mode (we snapshot on entry), so only flag
   // "unsaved" once the draft actually diverges from the committed steps.
   const hasChanges = workflow.draft_steps != null && JSON.stringify(workflow.draft_steps) !== JSON.stringify(workflow.steps);
@@ -140,10 +141,15 @@ export default function EditAgentView({ workflow, steps, isFixMode = false, onEd
   }, []);
 
   const onSaveNow = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (!canSave) return;
     setSavePhase('idle');
-    await dispatch(commitDraft(workflow.id));
+    try {
+      await dispatch(commitDraft(workflow.id)).unwrap();
+    } catch {
+      return;
+    }
     toSaved();
-  }, [dispatch, workflow.id, toSaved]);
+  }, [canSave, dispatch, workflow.id, toSaved]);
 
   const onRunTest = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
@@ -206,11 +212,13 @@ export default function EditAgentView({ workflow, steps, isFixMode = false, onEd
             Discard
           </Box>
           <Box
-            onClick={onSaveClick}
+            onClick={canSave ? onSaveClick : undefined}
             role="button"
+            title={canSave ? undefined : 'Add at least one step before saving'}
             sx={{
               fontSize: '0.8rem', fontWeight: 700, color: '#fff', bgcolor: c.accent.primary,
-              px: 1.2, py: 0.35, borderRadius: 999, cursor: 'pointer',
+              px: 1.2, py: 0.35, borderRadius: 999, cursor: canSave ? 'pointer' : 'not-allowed',
+              opacity: canSave ? 1 : 0.45,
               '&:hover': { filter: 'brightness(1.05)' },
             }}>
             Save

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/ScheduleThisPopover.tsx

@@ -30,6 +30,30 @@ const PRESETS: Preset[] = [
   { label: 'Every month on the 1st', hint: 'Monthly summary, billing report', build: () => ({ enabled: true, repeat_unit: 'month', repeat_every: 1, hour: 9, minute: 0 }) },
 ];
 
+function extractStepsFromSession(session: { messages?: Array<{ role: string; content: unknown; hidden?: boolean }> } | null | undefined): Array<{ id: string; text: string }> {
+  const out: Array<{ id: string; text: string }> = [];
+  for (const msg of session?.messages || []) {
+    if (msg.role !== 'user' || msg.hidden) continue;
+    const text = typeof msg.content === 'string'
+      ? msg.content
+      : Array.isArray(msg.content)
+        ? msg.content.map((b: any) => (typeof b === 'string' ? b : b?.text || '')).join(' ')
+        : '';
+    const trimmed = text.trim();
+    if (trimmed.length < 6) continue;
+    out.push({ id: `step-${out.length + 1}-${Date.now().toString(36)}`, text: trimmed.slice(0, 400) });
+    if (out.length === 3) break;
+  }
+  if (out.length === 0 && session?.messages?.length) {
+    const fallback = session.messages.find((m) => m.role === 'user');
+    if (fallback) {
+      const text = typeof fallback.content === 'string' ? fallback.content : '';
+      out.push({ id: `step-1-${Date.now().toString(36)}`, text: text.slice(0, 400) || 'Run the original task' });
+    }
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
 interface Props {
   anchorEl: HTMLElement | null;
   onClose: () => void;
@@ -61,6 +85,7 @@ export default function ScheduleThisPopover({ anchorEl, onClose, sessionId, sess
   const sessionDashboardId = useAppSelector(
     (s) => sessionId ? s.agents.sessions[sessionId]?.dashboard_id : null,
   );
+  const sourceSession = useAppSelector((s) => sessionId ? s.agents.sessions[sessionId] : null);
 
   // Dup-detect: a chat session can only sanely have one schedule attached.
   // If we find one already, offer "Open existing" instead of silently
@@ -82,6 +107,7 @@ export default function ScheduleThisPopover({ anchorEl, onClose, sessionId, sess
       const result = await dispatch(createWorkflow({
         title,
         source_session_id: sessionId,
+        steps: extractStepsFromSession(sourceSession),
         schedule,
       } as Partial<Workflow>));
       if (createWorkflow.fulfilled.match(result)) {
@@ -98,7 +124,7 @@ export default function ScheduleThisPopover({ anchorEl, onClose, sessionId, sess
     } finally {
       setBusy(false);
     }
-  }, [busy, dispatch, sessionId, title, onClose, onCreated]);
+  }, [busy, dispatch, sessionId, sourceSession, title, onClose, onCreated]);
 
   const openCustom = useCallback(() => {
     // Open a local draft. NO backend create yet — the workflow only

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/WorkflowCard.tsx

@@ -381,12 +381,14 @@ const WorkflowCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
   const persistDraft = useCallback(async (): Promise<Workflow | null> => {
     const d = card?.draft;
     if (!d || persistingRef.current) return null;
+    const draftSteps = d.steps || [];
+    if (!draftSteps.some((s) => (s.text || '').trim().length > 0)) return null;
     persistingRef.current = true;
     try {
       const result = await dispatch(createWorkflow({
         title: (d.title as string) || 'New workflow',
         description: (d.description as string) || '',
-        steps: (d.steps || []).map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text })),
+        steps: draftSteps.map((s) => ({ id: s.id, text: s.text })),
         source_session_id: (d.source_session_id as string | undefined) || card?.sourceSessionId || null,
         use_synced_prompt: true,
         model: defaultModel || (d.model as string),

frontend/src/app/pages/Workflows/WorkflowCardSubviews.tsx

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
   const liveDraft = (card?.draft ?? initialDraft ?? {}) as Partial<Workflow>;
   const title = (liveDraft.title as string) || 'New workflow';
   const description = (liveDraft.description as string) || '';
+  const canSave = steps.some((s) => (s.text || '').trim().length > 0);
   // The new workflow runs with the user's configured default model/mode (their
   // subscription, etc.), falling back to whatever the source chat used. Without
   // this the backend picks its own default, which surprised users who'd set a
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
   }, [closeRequestNonce]);
 
   const saveWorkflow = useCallback(async (): Promise<Workflow | null> => {
+    if (!canSave) return null;
     const result = await dispatch(createWorkflow({
       title,
       description,
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
     const wf = (result as unknown as { payload: Workflow }).payload;
     if (wf?.id) return wf;
     return null;
-  }, [dispatch, title, description, steps, sourceSessionId, liveDraft, defaultModel, defaultMode]);
+  }, [canSave, dispatch, title, description, steps, sourceSessionId, liveDraft, defaultModel, defaultMode]);
 
   const onIgnore = useCallback(async () => {
     if (busy) return;
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
   }, [busy]);
 
   const onSaveThenSchedule = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (busy) return;
+    if (busy || !canSave) return;
     setBusy(true);
     try {
       const wf = await saveWorkflow();
@@ -191,10 +193,10 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
     } finally {
       setBusy(false);
     }
-  }, [busy, saveWorkflow, onSaved]);
+  }, [busy, canSave, saveWorkflow, onSaved]);
 
   const onSaveDraft = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (busy) return;
+    if (busy || !canSave) return;
     setBusy(true);
     try {
       const wf = await saveWorkflow();
@@ -203,7 +205,7 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
       setBusy(false);
       setSavePromptOpen(false);
     }
-  }, [busy, saveWorkflow, onSaved]);
+  }, [busy, canSave, saveWorkflow, onSaved]);
 
   const onDontSave = useCallback(() => {
     setSavePromptOpen(false);
@@ -252,15 +254,16 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
           Not now
         </Box>
         <Box
-          onClick={onSaveThenSchedule}
+          onClick={canSave ? onSaveThenSchedule : undefined}
           role="button"
+          title={canSave ? undefined : 'Add at least one step before saving'}
           sx={{
             display: 'inline-flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: 0.5,
             fontSize: '0.88rem', fontWeight: 700,
             px: 1.75, py: 0.6, borderRadius: 999,
             color: '#fff', bgcolor: c.accent.primary,
-            cursor: busy ? 'wait' : 'pointer',
-            opacity: busy ? 0.6 : 1,
+            cursor: busy ? 'wait' : canSave ? 'pointer' : 'not-allowed',
+            opacity: busy || !canSave ? 0.6 : 1,
             '&:hover': { bgcolor: c.accent.primary, filter: 'brightness(1.06)' },
           }}>
           Schedule Workflow
@@ -288,8 +291,9 @@ export function PreviewView({ workflowId, steps, sourceSessionId, initialDraft,
           </Box>
           <Box
             role="button"
-            onClick={onSaveDraft}
-            sx={{ fontSize: '0.84rem', fontWeight: 700, color: '#fff', bgcolor: c.accent.primary, borderRadius: 999, cursor: busy ? 'wait' : 'pointer', px: 1.5, py: 0.6, opacity: busy ? 0.6 : 1, '&:hover': { filter: 'brightness(1.06)' } }}>
+            onClick={canSave ? onSaveDraft : undefined}
+            title={canSave ? undefined : 'Add at least one step before saving'}
+            sx={{ fontSize: '0.84rem', fontWeight: 700, color: '#fff', bgcolor: c.accent.primary, borderRadius: 999, cursor: busy ? 'wait' : canSave ? 'pointer' : 'not-allowed', px: 1.5, py: 0.6, opacity: busy || !canSave ? 0.6 : 1, '&:hover': { filter: 'brightness(1.06)' } }}>
             Save
           </Box>
         </DialogActions>