FlowDrop 2.4.0 Adds Port Shapes to Distinguish Workflow Data

The FlowDrop 2.4.0 release adds Port Shapes, a way for workflow ports to name the concept they carry, such as an order, invoice, or chat conversation. According to the release notes published on 23 August 2026, the editor displays the Port Shape and offers connections only between matching shapes. Administrators can define shapes through FlowDrop configuration, while modules can provide them in code.

FlowDrop already distinguishes basic port forms such as text and lists. Port Shapes add a named concept alongside that underlying form, giving workflow authors more information about what should travel across an individual connection. The release describes this as an editor-level connection rule; it does not state that Port Shapes validate data against a runtime schema or define a Drupal-wide orchestration standard.

Administrators can create Port Shapes under Configuration → FlowDrop → Port Shapes and assign each one a name, colour, and description. For module developers, version 2.4.0 adds the #[PortShape] plugin type, and the release directs custom node maintainers to an upgrade guide covering three compatibility changes. Two schema keys previously read for custom node plugins are no longer read, with one affecting what a node type's form offers by default.

The release also adds a text-to-message node so plain text can feed nodes expecting a conversation message, and node error outputs now describe their fields for downstream use. A handful of built-in ports that had the wrong type recorded have been corrected, while canvas colours now distinguish failed runs from files, video, and conversations. Existing workflows do not need to be redrawn, and the release says their run behaviour is unchanged after the upgrade.

Sites upgrading to 2.4.0 must run database updates; without the update, the text-to-message node will not appear. Sites that export configuration should export it again afterward, and administrators must explicitly grant the new permission for managing Port Shapes. The release is compatible with Drupal 11.3 and later Drupal 11 releases.

The release follows FlowDrop 2.3.0, released on 18 August 2026, which added named, described, and required workflow inputs and outputs. In a July TDT interview, Shibin Das, founder of FlowDrop, said work had begun on a shared language between FlowDrop, ECA, and Maestro. Separately, Tool API defines executable logic with typed inputs and outputs, while the FlowDrop Tool Provider describes its connection with FlowDrop as bidirectional, allowing each system to use the other's building blocks.