---
title: '10-Minute Guide to Building Dify Plugins'
description: 'Learn how to build a functional Dify plugin that connects with Flomo note-taking service in just 10 minutes'
language: en
standard_title: 10-Minute Guide to Building Dify Plugins
---

## 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

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Time required" icon="clock">
    10 minutes
  </Card>
  <Card title="Prerequisites" icon="list-check">
    Basic Python knowledge and a Flomo account
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Step 1: Install the Dify CLI and create a project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install Dify CLI">
    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Mac">
        ```bash
        brew tap langgenius/dify
        brew install dify
        ```
      </Tab>
      <Tab title="Linux">
        Get the latest Dify CLI from the [Dify GitHub releases page](https://github.com/langgenius/dify-plugin-daemon/releases)
        
        ```bash
        # Download appropriate version
        chmod +x dify-plugin-linux-amd64
        mv dify-plugin-linux-amd64 dify
        sudo mv dify /usr/local/bin/
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
    
    Verify installation:
    ```bash
    dify version
    ```
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Initialize a plugin project">
    Create a new plugin project using:
    
    ```bash
    dify plugin init
    ```
    
    Follow the prompts to set up your plugin:
    - Name it "flomo"
    - Select "tool" as the plugin type
    - Complete other required fields
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Navigate to the project">
    ```bash
    cd flomo
    ```
    
    This will create the basic structure for your plugin with all necessary files.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Define your plugin manifest

<Info>
The manifest.yaml file defines your plugin's metadata, permissions, and capabilities.
</Info>

Create a `manifest.yaml` file:

```yaml
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:

```yaml
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:

<CodeGroup>
```python 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}")
```
</CodeGroup>

## Step 5: Implement the Tool Provider

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

<CodeGroup>
```python 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)}")
```
</CodeGroup>

## Step 6: Implement the Tool

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

<CodeGroup>
```python 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,
        })
```
</CodeGroup>

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

## Step 7: Test your plugin

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set up debug environment">
    Copy the example environment file:
    ```bash
    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".
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Install dependencies and run">
    ```bash
    pip install -r requirements.txt
    python -m main
    ```
    
    Your plugin will connect to your Dify instance in debug mode.
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="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>
</Steps>

## Step 9: Package and distribute

When you're ready to share your plugin:

```bash
dify plugin package ./
```

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

## FAQ and Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup title="Common issues and troubleshooting">
<Accordion title="Plugin doesn't appear in debug mode">
    Make sure your `.env` file is properly configured and you're using the correct debug key.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="API authentication errors">
    Double-check your Flomo API URL format. It should be in the form: `https://flomoapp.com/iwh/{token}/{secret}/`
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Packaging fails">
    Ensure all required files are present and the manifest.yaml structure is valid.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## 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.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Documentation" icon="book">
    Write your README.md in English (en_US) describing functionality, setup, and usage examples
  </Card>
  <Card title="Localization" icon="language">
    Create additional README files like `readme/README_zh_Hans.md` for other languages
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<CheckList>
  <CheckListItem id="privacy">
    Add a privacy policy (PRIVACY.md) if publishing your plugin
  </CheckListItem>
  <CheckListItem id="documentation">
    Include comprehensive examples in documentation
  </CheckListItem>
  <CheckListItem id="testing">
    Test thoroughly with various document sizes and formats
  </CheckListItem>
</CheckList>

{/*
Contributing Section
DO NOT edit this section!
It will be automatically generated by the script.
*/}

---

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