Azure / Azure/azure-sdk-for-python
MCP-enabled agents fail as second step in sequential YAML workflows with "Object/Array type mismatch" error
- Dominant language
- Python
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Description
## Environment
- **azure-ai-projects SDK version**: >=2.0.0b1
- **Python version**: 3.x
- **Date observed**: January 2026
## Description
When invoking an agent with MCP tools as the second step in a declarative YAML workflow, the workflow fails with an error indicating a type mismatch between Object and Array.
## Error Message
```
Unhandled workflow failure - #validateuser_agent (InvokeAzureAgent) ->
The requested operation requires an element of type 'Object', but the target element has type 'Array'.
```
## Steps to Reproduce
1. Create a prompt agent without MCP tools (Agent A)
2. Create a prompt agent with MCP tools (Agent B)
3. Create a sequential YAML workflow that invokes Agent A, then Agent B
4. Run the workflow
## Expected Behavior
Both agents execute successfully in sequence.
## Actual Behavior
- Agent A completes successfully
- Agent B fails immediately with the type mismatch error
- The error occurs regardless of input format (text, messages, static text)
## Workaround Verified
Using the same agent (without MCP) twice in sequence works correctly, confirming the workflow syntax is valid.
## Minimal Reproduction Code
```python
from azure.ai.projects import AIProjectClient
from azure.ai.projects.models import WorkflowAgentDefinition
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
workflow_yaml = """
kind: workflow
trigger:
kind: OnConversationStart
id: sequential_workflow
actions:
- kind: CreateConversation
id: create_conversation
conversationId: Local.ConversationId
- kind: InvokeAzureAgent
id: agent_no_mcp
conversationId: "=Local.ConversationId"
agent:
name: AgentWithoutMCP
input:
text: "=System.LastMessageText"
- kind: InvokeAzureAgent
id: agent_with_mcp
conversationId: "=Local.ConversationId"
agent:
name: AgentWithMCPTools # <-- This fails
input:
text: "Process the above."
- kind: EndConversation
id: end
"""
# Create and run workflow
with DefaultAzureCredential() as credential:
with AIProjectClient(endpoint=endpoint, credential=credential) as client:
workflow = client.agents.create_version(
agent_name="test-workflow",
definition=WorkflowAgentDefinition(workflow=workflow_yaml),
)
# Run workflow - second agent fails
```
## Additional Context
- The MCP agent works correctly when invoked standalone
- The MCP agent works correctly when invoked as the first (and only) agent in a workflow
- The issue only occurs when MCP agent is invoked after another agent in a sequential workflow
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