Inputs

Inputs define parameters that users provide when triggering a flow. Flowctl supports multiple input types with validation.

Input Types¶

inputs:
  - name: namespace
    type: string
    label: Namespace
    description: Target namespace
    required: true
    default: "default"
    validation: len(namespace) > 3

inputs:
  - name: count
    type: number
    label: Retry Count
    description: Number of retries
    required: true
    validation: count > 0 && count < 10

inputs:
  - name: environment
    type: select
    label: Environment
    description: Deployment environment
    options:
      - development
      - staging
      - production
    required: true

inputs:
  - name: enable_debug
    type: checkbox
    label: Enable Debug Mode
    description: Enable verbose logging
    default: false

inputs:
  - name: api_token
    type: password
    label: API Token
    description: Authentication token
    required: true

inputs:
  - name: config_file
    type: file
    label: Configuration File
    description: Upload a configuration file
    required: true
    max_file_size: 10485760 # Optional: 10MB limit (default: 100MB)

File Inputs¶

File inputs allow users to upload files when triggering a flow. The uploaded file is made available to actions via the artifacts system.

Using File Inputs in Actions¶

Reference file inputs using the standard {{ inputs.file_name }} syntax:

inputs:
  - name: data_file
    type: file
    label: Data File
    required: true

actions:
  - id: process_file
    name: Process Uploaded File
    executor: docker
    variables:
      - file_path: "{{ inputs.data_file }}"
    with:
      image: docker.io/alpine
      script: |
        echo "Processing: $file_path"
        cat "$file_path"

        # Files are also available in the uploads directory
        ls -la $FC_ARTIFACTS/uploads/

File Input Limitations¶

• No default values: File inputs cannot have default values
• Not schedulable: Flows with file inputs cannot be scheduled (files must be provided at execution time)
• Size limits: Default maximum file size is 100MB, configurable per-input via max_file_size (in bytes) or globally in server config

Remote Execution¶

When running on remote nodes, uploaded files are automatically transferred to the remote node before execution. The file path in your variable will point to the correct location on the remote system.

Input Validation¶

Use the validation field with expressions to validate input values:

inputs:
  - name: port
    type: number
    validation: port >= 1024 && port <= 65535

  - name: username
    type: string
    validation: len(username) >= 3 && len(username) <= 20

Validations are expr statements that should evaluate to either true or false.

Remote Options¶

Select inputs can fetch their options dynamically from a remote HTTP endpoint using remote_options. When configured, flowctl calls the endpoint when the input form is displayed and populates the dropdown with the returned values.

inputs:
  - name: cluster
    type: select
    label: Target Cluster
    required: true
    remote_options:
      url: "https://api.internal/clusters"
      method: GET
      headers:
        Authorization: "Bearer {{ secrets.API_TOKEN }}"

The remote endpoint must return a JSON response with this structure:

{
  "options": ["cluster-a", "cluster-b", "cluster-c"]
}

Configuration¶

Header Interpolation¶

Header values support {{ expression }} placeholders evaluated with expr. The following variables are available in header expressions:

• secrets — flow secrets (e.g., secrets.API_TOKEN)
• inputs — current input values (available at trigger time)
• outputs — action outputs (available at trigger time)

remote_options:
  url: "https://api.internal/environments"
  headers:
    Authorization: "Bearer {{ secrets.INTERNAL_TOKEN }}"
    X-Team: "{{ inputs.team }}"

Next Steps¶

• Use inputs in Actions
• Back to Flows overview