fix(workflows): stop flagging whole-field references in JSON fields and correct the quoting advice

[waleedlatif1]

Summary

• The unquoted-JSON-reference lint no longer flags a field made only of references (e.g. Response data or an API body set to <agent.content>). The block receives that text as-is: Response returns text it can't parse unchanged, API sends it as a raw body. Quoting it would only turn JSON text into a JSON string.
• A reference inside JSON text ({"note": <agent.content>}, [<agent.content>]) still flags, as do the Table row cases.
• Rewrote the advice. References are inserted raw and there's no JSON-aware escaping outside Function code, so quoting is only safe for text with no ", \ or line break (ids and the like). For free text it now says to build the JSON in a Function block and set the field to that block's result reference.
• Deploy warnings come from the same lint report, so they pick this up unchanged.

Type of Change

• Bug fix

Testing

• New cases in json-literal-refs.test.ts: whole-field and references-only fields don't flag, references inside JSON still flag, advice text. The behavior tests fail on the previous code and pass now.
• Probed against the real block registry: Response/API whole-field <agent.content> flagged before, clean after; API {"text": <agent.content>} and Table v2 Insert Row {"name": <agent.content>} flag both before and after.
• bun run lint, bun run type-check, bun run check:audits, vitest on lib/workflows/editing, lib/workflows/application, executor/variables.

Checklist

• Code follows project style guidelines
• Self-reviewed my changes
• Tests added/updated and passing
• No new warnings introduced
• I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms outlined in the Contributor License Agreement (CLA)

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1 Skipped Deployment

Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
docs	Skipped		Oct 9, 2026 5:26am UTC

[cubic-dev-ai]

1 issue found across 2 files

Confidence score: 3/5

• In apps/sim/lib/workflows/editing/lint.ts, the blanket exemption also covers table_v2.data and rows, whose handlers parse them as JSON, so malformed <agent.content> can still fail at runtime without a warning. Restrict the exemption to raw paths.

Prompt for AI agents (unresolved issues)

Check if these issues are valid — if so, understand the root cause of each and fix them. When an issue isn't valid or won't be fixed in this PR, reply in its thread with the reason and then resolve the thread. If appropriate, use sub-agents to investigate and fix each issue separately.


<file name="apps/sim/lib/workflows/editing/lint.ts">

<violation number="1" location="apps/sim/lib/workflows/editing/lint.ts:775">
P2: `table_v2.data` and `rows` also reach this helper, but their handlers parse them as JSON, so `<agent.content>` can still fail at runtime while this blanket exemption hides the warning. Restrict the exemption to raw pass-through fields such as `api.body` and `response.data`.</violation>
</file>

<sub>Reply with feedback, questions, or to request a fix.

Turn on auto-fix | Re-trigger cubic</sub>

[greptile-apps]

Confidence Score: 5/5

[Medium impact] The changes since the previous review appear safe to merge.

Summary

The PR stops warning about reference-only JSON fields and gives safer advice for inserting text into JSON.

• The latest changes add control characters to the quoting warning and update the matching test.
• No new actionable issues or repository-rule violations were found.
• No previous review threads were supplied. Tests were not run during this review.

_{Reviews (2) · Last reviewed commit: "fix(workflows): name JSON control charac..." · Reviewed by Greptile}

[waleedlatif1]

@greptile

[waleedlatif1]

@cubic-dev-ai review this PR

[cubic-dev-ai]

@cubic-dev-ai review this PR

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[cubic-dev-ai]

No issues found across 2 files

Confidence score: 5/5

• Automated review surfaced no issues in the provided summaries.
• No files require special attention.

_{Turn on auto-fix | Re-trigger cubic}