Plugin blocks on the canvas
Once a plugin is added, its blocks work like any other block. Wire them, set them up, and run them.
Finding them
Open the block picker. Plugin blocks have their own top-level Plugins section, separate from Custom. It is organised as folders: the plugin's author, then the plugin, then any groups the plugin defines.
Plugins → acme → slack → messages → Post message- Search finds a block by its name or its path.
- Deprecated blocks are listed last and carry a Deprecated badge.
- The spotlight search (Add Block: ...) offers the same blocks.
- A plugin that is still Pending approval is not offered in the picker, because it cannot run. You can still open a canvas that already contains its blocks.
Shape and connection points
A plugin block looks like a built-in block:
| Shape | Looks like |
|---|---|
| Compact | A small square card |
| Wide | A larger card, like the HTTP Request block |
It can have an input on the left, one or more outputs on the right (for example success and failure), and body connection points on its corners. A body connection point lets you attach a branch of blocks that the plugin runs when it needs to, such as the steps inside a loop. When a body connection point accepts only one branch, it is full after one connection.
Settings
Select a block to open its settings. The tabs are:
| Tab | What it holds |
|---|---|
| General | Execution Mode, shown only when the plugin allows more than one way to run: Synchronous (wait for output), Asynchronous (fire and forget) or Queued (durable background job). A deprecated block shows its banner here. Otherwise it points you to Parameters |
| Parameters | The block's settings, as designed by the plugin's author. If the plugin groups them, they appear under their own tabs. A tab is hidden when all of its settings are hidden, and there is no tab bar for a single tab |
| Docs | The plugin's own documentation for the block, and a link to the plugin's page |
A setting marked required shows a marker, and a default shows as placeholder text. Some settings only appear when another setting has a certain value, and a hidden setting keeps what you typed. Settings can take code with a js: prefix, which is run when the route runs. Deprecated settings are labelled with the author's message.
On a read-only canvas every setting is disabled.
Deprecated blocks
A block the author is phasing out shows a Deprecated badge on the canvas, in the picker and in its settings. Hover for the message. It keeps working. Plan to replace it before a later version removes it (upgrading).
"Plugin is not installed"
If a block's plugin was removed or was never added to this project, the block turns into a dashed placeholder reading Plugin acme/x is not installed. Its connections stay in place so nothing is lost. Add the plugin back (adding a plugin) and the block returns to normal.
Plugin blocks on the Custom Blocks page
The Custom Blocks page can list plugin blocks too. Tick Show plugin blocks (off by default). They are grouped by plugin, with the plugin's approval and status and an Open plugin link. This list is read-only: to change a plugin use Settings → Plugins. See Custom Blocks.