10-Minute Guide to Building Dify Plugins

Learn how to build a functional Dify plugin that connects with Flomo note-taking service in just 10 minutes

What you’ll build

By the end of this guide, you’ll have created a Dify plugin that:

• Connects to the Flomo note-taking API
• Allows users to save notes from AI conversations directly to Flomo
• Handles authentication and error states properly
• Is ready for distribution in the Dify Marketplace

Time required

10 minutes

Prerequisites

Basic Python knowledge and a Flomo account

Step 1: Install the Dify CLI and create a project

1. Install Dify CLI

   Mac

   brew tap langgenius/dify
   brew install dify
   

   Linux

   Get the latest Dify CLI from the Dify GitHub releases page

   # Download appropriate version
   chmod +x dify-plugin-linux-amd64
   mv dify-plugin-linux-amd64 dify
   sudo mv dify /usr/local/bin/
   

   Verify installation:

   dify version
   
2. Initialize a plugin project

   Create a new plugin project using:

   dify plugin init
   

   Follow the prompts to set up your plugin:

   • Name it “flomo”
   • Select “tool” as the plugin type
   • Complete other required fields
3. Navigate to the project

   cd flomo
   

   This will create the basic structure for your plugin with all necessary files.

Step 2: Define your plugin manifest

The manifest.yaml file defines your plugin’s metadata, permissions, and capabilities.

Create a manifest.yaml file:

version: 0.0.4
type: plugin
author: yourname
label:
  en_US: Flomo
  zh_Hans: Flomo 浮墨笔记
created_at: "2023-10-01T00:00:00Z"
icon: icon.png

resource:
  memory: 67108864  # 64MB
  permission:
    storage:
      enabled: false

plugins:
  tools:
    - flomo.yaml
  
meta:
  version: 0.0.1
  arch:
    - amd64
    - arm64
  runner:
    language: python
    version: 3.12
    entrypoint: main

Step 3: Create the tool definition

Create a flomo.yaml file to define your tool interface:

identity:
  author: yourname
  name: flomo
  label:
    en_US: Flomo Note
    zh_Hans: Flomo 浮墨笔记
description:
  human:
    en_US: Add notes to your Flomo account directly from Dify.
    zh_Hans: 直接从Dify添加笔记到您的Flomo账户。
  llm: >
    A tool that allows users to save notes to Flomo. Use this tool when users want to save important information from the conversation. The tool accepts a 'content' parameter that contains the text to be saved as a note.
credential_schema:
  api_url:
    type: string
    required: true
    label:
      en_US: API URL
      zh_Hans: API URL
    human_description:
      en_US: Flomo API URL from your Flomo account settings.
      zh_Hans: 从您的Flomo账户设置中获取的API URL。
tool_schema:
  content:
    type: string
    required: true
    label:
      en_US: Note Content
      zh_Hans: 笔记内容
    human_description:
      en_US: Content to save as a note in Flomo.
      zh_Hans: 要保存为Flomo笔记的内容。

Step 4: Implement core utility functions

Create a utility module in utils/flomo_utils.py for API interaction:

utils/flomo_utils.py

import requests

def send_flomo_note(api_url: str, content: str) -> None:
    """
    Send a note to Flomo via the API URL. Raises requests.RequestException on network errors,
    and ValueError on invalid status codes or input.
    """
    api_url = api_url.strip()
    if not api_url:
        raise ValueError("API URL is required and cannot be empty.")
    if not api_url.startswith('https://flomoapp.com/iwh/'):
        raise ValueError(
            "API URL should be in the format: https://flomoapp.com/iwh/{token}/{secret}/"
        )
    if not content:
        raise ValueError("Content cannot be empty.")
    
    headers = {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}
    response = requests.post(api_url, json={"content": content}, headers=headers, timeout=10)
    
    if response.status_code != 200:
        raise ValueError(f"API URL is not valid. Received status code: {response.status_code}")

Step 5: Implement the Tool Provider

The Tool Provider handles credential validation. Create provider/flomo.py:

provider/flomo.py

from typing import Any
from dify_plugin import ToolProvider
from dify_plugin.errors.tool import ToolProviderCredentialValidationError
import requests
from utils.flomo_utils import send_flomo_note

class FlomoProvider(ToolProvider):
    def _validate_credentials(self, credentials: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
        try:
            api_url = credentials.get('api_url', '').strip()
            # Use utility for validation and sending test note
            send_flomo_note(api_url, "Hello, #flomo https://flomoapp.com")
        except ValueError as e:
            raise ToolProviderCredentialValidationError(str(e))
        except requests.RequestException as e:
            raise ToolProviderCredentialValidationError(f"Connection error: {str(e)}")

Step 6: Implement the Tool

The Tool class handles actual API calls when the user invokes the plugin. Create tools/flomo.py:

tools/flomo.py

from collections.abc import Generator
from typing import Any
from dify_plugin import Tool
from dify_plugin.entities.tool import ToolInvokeMessage
import requests
from utils.flomo_utils import send_flomo_note

class FlomoTool(Tool):
    def _invoke(self, tool_parameters: dict[str, Any]) -> Generator[ToolInvokeMessage]:
        content = tool_parameters.get("content", "")
        api_url = self.runtime.credentials.get("api_url", "")
        
        try:
            send_flomo_note(api_url, content)
        except ValueError as e:
            yield self.create_text_message(str(e))
            return
        except requests.RequestException as e:
            yield self.create_text_message(f"Connection error: {str(e)}")
            return
            
        # Return success message and structured data
        yield self.create_text_message(
            "Note created successfully! Your content has been sent to Flomo."
        )
        yield self.create_json_message({
            "status": "success",
            "content": content,
        })

Always handle exceptions gracefully and return user-friendly error messages. Remember that your plugin represents your brand in the Dify ecosystem.

Step 7: Test your plugin

1. Set up debug environment

   Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env
   

   Edit the .env file with your Dify environment details:

   INSTALL_METHOD=remote
   REMOTE_INSTALL_HOST=debug-plugin.dify.dev
   REMOTE_INSTALL_PORT=5003
   REMOTE_INSTALL_KEY=your_debug_key
   

   You can find your debug key and host in the Dify dashboard: click the “Plugins” icon in the top right corner, then click the debug icon. In the pop-up window, copy the “API Key” and “Host Address”.

2. Install dependencies and run

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   python -m main
   

   Your plugin will connect to your Dify instance in debug mode.

3. Test functionality

   In your Dify instance, navigate to plugins and find your debugging plugin (marked as “debugging”). Add your Flomo API credentials and test sending a note.

Step 8: Package and distribute

When you’re ready to share your plugin:

dify plugin package ./

This creates a plugin.difypkg file you can upload to the Dify Marketplace.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Plugin doesn't appear in debug mode

Make sure your .env file is properly configured and you’re using the correct debug key.

API authentication errors

Double-check your Flomo API URL format. It should be in the form: https://flomoapp.com/iwh/{token}/{secret}/

Packaging fails

Ensure all required files are present and the manifest.yaml structure is valid.

Summary

You’ve built a functioning Dify plugin that connects with an external API service! This same pattern works for integrating with thousands of services - from databases and search engines to productivity tools and custom APIs.

Documentation

Write your README.md in English (en_US) describing functionality, setup, and usage examples

Localization

Create additional README files like readme/README_zh_Hans.md for other languages

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