Why does the workflow editor report missing build assets?

The workflow editor depends on compiled JavaScript assets. If the builder has not been built, the plugin displays an admin notice instead of leaving the editor blank. The distributed ZIP inspected for version 0.1.3 includes the compiled builder files; a source checkout may not.

Confirm which installation you have

• If you installed a released plugin ZIP, check that it is the complete release package and that the assets/builder/build/ directory was included when the ZIP was created.
• If you are working from a source checkout, use the package scripts in the plugin directory to build the editor assets.
• Do not assume that installing Composer dependencies builds the JavaScript editor. The builder uses the npm scripts in package.json.

Screenshot to add: [Workflow Editor missing build assets notice]

Build the editor from source

The project README documents this build sequence from the plugin directory:

npm install
npm run build

The build script runs wp-scripts build. The builder source is under assets/builder/src/, and the compiled output is written to assets/builder/build/. The plugin uses the compiled asset manifest to load the builder script and its declared dependencies.

The plugin declares PHP 7.4+ and WordPress 5.8+ as its minimum requirements. The package defines npm build scripts and pins @wordpress/scripts to the 27.x line for its WordPress compatibility target. The project files inspected do not specify a minimum Node.js version, so check the installed npm and Node.js versions against your package manager’s requirements rather than guessing a version.

Check the compiled files

• Confirm assets/builder/build/index.asset.php exists. The editor checks this file and displays the missing-build notice when it is absent.
• Confirm assets/builder/build/index.js exists. The editor enqueues this compiled JavaScript file when the asset manifest is present.
• Confirm assets/builder/build/style-index.css exists if the editor styles are missing. The stylesheet is optional in the enqueue code, so a missing CSS file does not trigger the same missing-build notice.
• After building or replacing the ZIP, reload the editor and confirm the notice is gone and the builder interface appears.

If the notice remains

• Check that you ran the commands from the plugin directory containing package.json.
• Check that the files were generated in assets/builder/build/, not in a different project or output directory.
• If you distribute the plugin to another site, rebuild or repackage it with the compiled files included. Do not ask the production site to build assets unless that is part of your deployment process.
• If the files exist but the editor still does not load, follow the separate workflow editor not loading guide. The asset notice checks the manifest file; it does not diagnose every JavaScript or REST API failure.

The source inspection confirms the expected paths and commands. It does not establish that a particular hosting environment has a broken cache or a missing file; verify the installed ZIP and actual files first.