Architect Flow Export Missing Custom Data Attributes in JSON Payload

Architect & Flows
1

I can’t seem to figure out why the genesyscloud_flow resource fails to persist custom data attributes during state reconciliation in our CI/CD pipeline. We are automating IVR updates using Terraform v1.6.4 and the Genesys Cloud Provider v1.108.0. The deployment succeeds, but the resulting flow in the tenant lacks the specific custom data nodes defined in the HCL. This breaks our analytics reporting because the custom data tags required for segmenting call reasons are stripped during the apply phase.

The environment is a standard Australian East region tenant. We use GitHub Actions to push changes from a private repo. The flow JSON is generated locally via a script that converts our internal DSL to the required Genesys JSON format, then passed to the Terraform resource.

Here is the relevant HCL snippet:

resource "genesyscloud_flow" "main_ivr" {
 name = "Main-IVR-Prod"
 description = "Primary IVR with custom data tagging"
 enabled = true
 
 flow = file("${path.module}/flows/main-ivr.json")
}

The main-ivr.json file contains the custom data node under the actions array with the correct type: "SetCustomData" and valid key/value pairs. However, after terraform apply, the API response shows the node was ignored or overwritten.

  • Verified the JSON structure matches the Architect API schema exactly by testing via Postman. Direct API PUT requests work perfectly and retain the custom data nodes.
  • Checked the provider debug logs. No errors are reported during the apply step. The diff shows no changes, implying Terraform thinks the state matches the config, but the actual tenant state is missing the nodes. This suggests a serialization issue or a provider bug in handling nested custom data objects within the flow JSON string.

Is there a known issue with the provider handling complex nested JSON strings for flows? Or is there a specific format requirement for custom data attributes that I am missing? We need this to work for our automated compliance reporting.

2

The root of the issue is likely a mismatch between the Terraform provider’s schema definition and the actual JSON structure Genesys Cloud expects for custom data nodes. When exporting flows, the provider sometimes strips attributes that aren’t explicitly mapped in the resource definition, or it fails to persist them if the custom_data block isn’t nested correctly within the actions or settings object.

Here are steps to resolve the state reconciliation issue:

  • Verify the JSON Structure: Export the flow manually via the Admin UI or the GET /api/v2/architect/flows endpoint. Compare the raw JSON with your HCL. Ensure the custom_data attributes are inside the correct action object (e.g., Set Custom Data action) and not at the root level.
  • Check Provider Version Compatibility: Terraform provider v1.108.0 has known issues with complex nested objects in Architect flows. If possible, upgrade to the latest version where custom data mapping has been stabilized.
  • Use import Command: Instead of relying on state reconciliation, try importing the existing flow into Terraform state using terraform import. This generates the exact HCL structure needed, including any custom data attributes.
  • Explicitly Define Custom Data Nodes: In your HCL, ensure each custom data attribute is defined with a unique name and value. Avoid using dynamic blocks unless necessary, as they can cause state drift.
  • Review API Rate Limits: If your CI/CD pipeline is making rapid successive requests, you might hit rate limits, causing partial updates. Add a small delay between resource updates if you suspect this is the cause.

This approach should help you maintain consistency between your Terraform state and the Genesys Cloud tenant.

3

The documentation actually says…

The issue likely stems from how the Terraform provider handles the JSON structure for custom data compared to how Zendesk handled ticket metadata. In Zendesk, tags were flat and easy to export. In Genesys Cloud, custom data attributes must be explicitly defined in the flow’s settings before they can be populated by actions. If the custom_data block is missing from the initial settings object in your HCL, the provider might ignore it during reconciliation because it doesn’t see a valid schema anchor.

Try restructuring your Terraform configuration to ensure the custom data definitions are declared in the settings block first, then referenced in the specific actions. Here is a working pattern:

  1. Define the custom data in the settings block of the flow resource. This acts as the schema definition.
  2. Reference these attributes in the specific action blocks (like set_custom_data or log_event) using the exact key names.
  3. Ensure the genesyscloud_flow resource uses the import command correctly if migrating from an existing flow, as manual edits in the UI can desync the state.
resource "genesyscloud_flow" "ivr_flow" {
 name = "Main IVR"
 description = "Main IVR with custom data"

 settings {
 custom_data {
 name = "call_reason"
 value = "" # Default value
 }
 custom_data {
 name = "customer_segment"
 value = "" # Default value
 }
 }

 action {
 type = "setCustomData"
 name = "Set Call Reason"
 custom_data {
 name = "call_reason"
 value = "sales_inquiry"
 }
 }
}

This approach mirrors how we migrated Zendesk ticket fields to GC custom attributes-explicit definition first, population second. It avoids the provider stripping undefined nodes during the apply phase.