diff --git a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowDialog.tsx b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowDialog.tsx
index 06d10051f7..99bf2a0b32 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowDialog.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowDialog.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import { ChannelCombobox } from "./ChannelCombobox";
 import {
   WorkflowFormBuilder,
   type WorkflowEditorMode,
+  type WorkflowFormBuilderHandle,
 } from "./WorkflowFormBuilder";
 import { WorkflowWebhookSecretDialog } from "./WorkflowWebhookSecretDialog";
 import type { WorkflowEditorPane } from "./workflowEditorPane";
@@ -155,6 +156,8 @@ function WorkflowNameEditor({
       <div className="flex h-6 items-center gap-1.5">
         <Input
           aria-label="Workflow name"
+          autoCapitalize="off"
+          autoCorrect="off"
           className="h-6 w-72 px-2 font-mono text-sm"
           disabled={disabled}
           onChange={(event) => setDraft(event.target.value)}
@@ -217,6 +220,7 @@ export function WorkflowDialog({
   pane,
   workflow,
 }: WorkflowDialogProps) {
+  const formBuilderRef = React.useRef<WorkflowFormBuilderHandle>(null);
   const channelId =
     mode === "edit" && workflow?.channelId ? workflow.channelId : "";
 
@@ -255,6 +259,14 @@ export function WorkflowDialog({
 
   const selectedChannel =
     channels.find((c) => c.id === selectedChannelId) ?? null;
+  const parsedDefinition = yamlDefinition.trim()
+    ? yamlToFormState(yamlDefinition)
+    : null;
+  const isAddingFirstStep =
+    mode === "create" &&
+    editorMode === "form" &&
+    (parsedDefinition === null ||
+      (parsedDefinition.ok && parsedDefinition.state.steps.length === 0));
 
   const workflowChannelId = workflow?.channelId ?? null;
   const resetCreate = createMutation.reset;
@@ -489,6 +501,7 @@ export function WorkflowDialog({
               }}
               onSelectedNodeChange={onEditorPaneChange}
               parseError={editorParseError}
+              ref={formBuilderRef}
               scopeField={
                 showChannelSelector ? (
                   <div className="space-y-1">
@@ -563,19 +576,32 @@ export function WorkflowDialog({
               >
                 Cancel
               </Button>
-              <Button
-                disabled={
-                  !selectedChannelId ||
-                  !yamlDefinition.trim() ||
-                  mutation.isPending
-                }
-                onClick={handleSubmit}
-                type="button"
-              >
-                {mutation.isPending
-                  ? PENDING_LABELS[mode]
-                  : SUBMIT_LABELS[mode]}
-              </Button>
+              {isAddingFirstStep ? (
+                <Button
+                  aria-label="Add first step"
+                  data-testid="workflow-dialog-primary-action"
+                  disabled={!selectedChannelId || mutation.isPending}
+                  onClick={() => formBuilderRef.current?.addFirstStep()}
+                  type="button"
+                >
+                  Add step
+                </Button>
+              ) : (
+                <Button
+                  data-testid="workflow-dialog-primary-action"
+                  disabled={
+                    !selectedChannelId ||
+                    !yamlDefinition.trim() ||
+                    mutation.isPending
+                  }
+                  onClick={handleSubmit}
+                  type="button"
+                >
+                  {mutation.isPending
+                    ? PENDING_LABELS[mode]
+                    : SUBMIT_LABELS[mode]}
+                </Button>
+              )}
             </div>
           </div>
         </DialogContent>
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowFormBuilder.tsx b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowFormBuilder.tsx
index b75c956a92..49ade0d93f 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowFormBuilder.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowFormBuilder.tsx
@@ -158,6 +158,10 @@ type WorkflowFormBuilderProps = {
   workflowChannelId?: string | null;
 };
 
+export type WorkflowFormBuilderHandle = {
+  addFirstStep: () => void;
+};
+
 export type WorkflowEditorMode = "form" | "yaml";
 
 function nodePosition(node: Exclude<WorkflowEditorPane, null>): number {
@@ -362,19 +366,25 @@ function WorkflowNode({
   );
 }
 
-export function WorkflowFormBuilder({
-  channels,
-  disabled,
-  mode,
-  nameLeadingContainer,
-  onChange,
-  onSelectedNodeChange,
-  parseError,
-  scopeField,
-  selectedNode: selectedRouteNode,
-  yaml,
-  workflowChannelId,
-}: WorkflowFormBuilderProps) {
+export const WorkflowFormBuilder = React.forwardRef<
+  WorkflowFormBuilderHandle,
+  WorkflowFormBuilderProps
+>(function WorkflowFormBuilder(
+  {
+    channels,
+    disabled,
+    mode,
+    nameLeadingContainer,
+    onChange,
+    onSelectedNodeChange,
+    parseError,
+    scopeField,
+    selectedNode: selectedRouteNode,
+    yaml,
+    workflowChannelId,
+  },
+  ref,
+) {
   // Parse once on mount instead of calling yamlToFormState three times
   const initialParseRef = React.useRef(yaml ? yamlToFormState(yaml) : null);
   const [formState, setFormState] = React.useState<WorkflowFormState>(
@@ -470,6 +480,14 @@ export function WorkflowFormBuilder({
     [formState, selectNode, updateFormState],
   );
 
+  React.useImperativeHandle(
+    ref,
+    () => ({
+      addFirstStep: () => insertStep(0, "send_message"),
+    }),
+    [insertStep],
+  );
+
   const removeStep = React.useCallback(
     (index: number) => {
       updateFormState({
@@ -838,4 +856,4 @@ export function WorkflowFormBuilder({
         : null}
     </>
   );
-}
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/workflowFormTypes.ts b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/workflowFormTypes.ts
index 131d862396..f01e96892b 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/workflowFormTypes.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/workflows/ui/workflowFormTypes.ts
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ export type ActionType = (typeof ACTION_TYPES)[number];
 // Keep every recognized schema action above so existing YAML remains editable,
 // but only offer actions that can complete successfully in form selectors.
 export const SELECTABLE_ACTION_TYPES = [
-  "delay",
   "send_message",
+  "delay",
   "call_webhook",
 ] as const satisfies readonly ActionType[];
 
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
index 87ac01a7aa..f4ca16bb03 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ async function createWorkflow(
   name: string,
 ) {
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Create Workflow" }).click();
-  const dialog = page.getByRole("dialog");
+  const dialog = page.getByRole("dialog", { name: "Create workflow" });
   await expect(dialog).toBeVisible();
   await dialog.getByRole("combobox", { name: "Channel" }).click();
   await dialog
@@ -32,10 +32,15 @@ async function createWorkflow(
     .getByRole("button")
     .first()
     .click();
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Workflow name").fill(name);
-  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step" }).click();
-  await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Delay" }).click();
-  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Create workflow" }).click();
+  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Edit workflow name" }).click();
+  await dialog.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Workflow name" }).fill(name);
+  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Save workflow name" }).click();
+  const primaryAction = dialog.getByTestId("workflow-dialog-primary-action");
+  await expect(primaryAction).toHaveText("Add step");
+  await primaryAction.click();
+  await expect(primaryAction).toHaveText("Create workflow");
+  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("Test workflow message");
+  await primaryAction.click();
   await expect(dialog).not.toBeVisible();
 }
 
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
index 96cf5ae684..5d8bb43761 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/workflows.spec.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,8 @@ async function expectUnsupportedActionWarnings(
   menu: import("@playwright/test").Locator,
 ) {
   await expect(menu.getByRole("menuitem")).toHaveText([
-    "Delay",
     "Send message",
+    "Delay",
     "Call webhook",
     "Send DM",
     "Request approval",
@@ -100,15 +100,19 @@ async function createWorkflow(
   },
 ) {
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Create Workflow" }).click();
-  const dialog = page.getByRole("dialog");
+  const dialog = page.getByRole("dialog", { name: "Create workflow" });
   await expect(dialog).toBeVisible();
   await expect(dialog.getByText("Choose a channel")).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(
-    dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Create workflow" }),
-  ).toBeDisabled();
+  const primaryAction = dialog.getByTestId("workflow-dialog-primary-action");
+  await expect(primaryAction).toHaveText("Add step");
+  await expect(primaryAction).toBeDisabled();
   await selectFirstChannel(dialog);
+  await expect(primaryAction).toHaveText("Add step");
+  await expect(primaryAction).toBeEnabled();
 
-  await dialog.getByLabel("Workflow name").fill(name);
+  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Edit workflow name" }).click();
+  await dialog.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Workflow name" }).fill(name);
+  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Save workflow name" }).click();
   if (options?.description) {
     await dialog.getByLabel("Description (optional)").fill(options.description);
   }
@@ -131,8 +135,13 @@ async function createWorkflow(
     await dialog.getByLabel("Custom expression").fill(options.triggerCondition);
   }
 
-  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step" }).click();
-  await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Delay" }).click();
+  await primaryAction.click();
+  await expect(primaryAction).toHaveText("Create workflow");
+  await expect(dialog.getByLabel("Action")).toHaveAttribute(
+    "data-value",
+    "send_message",
+  );
+  await dialog.getByLabel("Message text").fill("Test workflow message");
   if (options?.stepName) {
     await dialog.getByLabel("Name (optional)").fill(options.stepName);
   }
@@ -140,7 +149,7 @@ async function createWorkflow(
     await dialog.getByLabel("Timeout (seconds)").fill(options.stepTimeoutSecs);
   }
 
-  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Create workflow" }).click();
+  await primaryAction.click();
 
   await expect(
     page.getByRole("heading", { name: "Create workflow" }),
@@ -172,10 +181,10 @@ test("disables autocapitalization in the workflow form", async ({ page }) => {
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Create Workflow" }).click();
   const dialog = page.getByRole("dialog");
 
-  await expect(dialog.getByLabel("Workflow name")).toHaveAttribute(
-    "autocapitalize",
-    "off",
-  );
+  await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Edit workflow name" }).click();
+  await expect(
+    dialog.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Workflow name" }),
+  ).toHaveAttribute("autocapitalize", "off");
 
   await dialog.getByRole("button", { name: "Add step" }).click();
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Delay" }).click();