diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/actions.ts b/apps/rowboat/app/actions.ts
index a785b261..c42c15a3 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/actions.ts
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/actions.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use server';
 
 import { redirect } from "next/navigation";
-import { SimulationData, EmbeddingDoc, GetInformationToolResult, DataSource, PlaygroundChat, AgenticAPIChatRequest, AgenticAPIChatResponse, convertFromAgenticAPIChatMessages, WebpageCrawlResponse, Workflow, WorkflowAgent, CopilotAPIRequest, CopilotAPIResponse, CopilotMessage, CopilotWorkflow, convertToCopilotWorkflow, convertToCopilotApiMessage, convertToCopilotMessage, CopilotAssistantMessage, CopilotChatContext, convertToCopilotApiChatContext, Scenario, ClientToolCallRequestBody, ClientToolCallJwt, ClientToolCallRequest, WithStringId, Project } from "./lib/types";
+import { SimulationData, EmbeddingDoc, GetInformationToolResult, DataSource, PlaygroundChat, AgenticAPIChatRequest, AgenticAPIChatResponse, convertFromAgenticAPIChatMessages, WebpageCrawlResponse, Workflow, WorkflowAgent, CopilotAPIRequest, CopilotAPIResponse, CopilotMessage, CopilotWorkflow, convertToCopilotWorkflow, convertToCopilotApiMessage, convertToCopilotMessage, CopilotAssistantMessage, CopilotChatContext, convertToCopilotApiChatContext, Scenario, ClientToolCallRequestBody, ClientToolCallJwt, ClientToolCallRequest, WithStringId, Project, WorkflowTool, WorkflowPrompt } from "./lib/types";
 import { ObjectId, WithId } from "mongodb";
 import { generateObject, generateText, tool, embed } from "ai";
 import { dataSourcesCollection, embeddingsCollection, projectsCollection, webpagesCollection, agentWorkflowsCollection, scenariosCollection, projectMembersCollection } from "@/app/lib/mongodb";
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { SignJWT } from "jose";
 import { Claims, getSession } from "@auth0/nextjs-auth0";
 import { revalidatePath } from "next/cache";
 import { baseWorkflow, callClientToolWebhook, getAgenticApiResponse } from "./lib/utils";
+import { assert, error } from "node:console";
 
 const crawler = new FirecrawlApp({ apiKey: process.env.FIRECRAWL_API_KEY || '' });
 
@@ -522,6 +523,67 @@ export async function getCopilotResponse(
         content: json.response.replace(/^```json\n/, '').replace(/\n```$/, ''),
     });
 
+    // assert that msg.content is a CopilotAssistantMessage
+    assert(msg.role === 'assistant');
+    if (msg.role === 'assistant') {
+        for (const part of msg.content.response) {
+            if (part.type === 'action') {
+                switch (part.content.config_type) {
+                    case 'tool': {
+                        const test = {
+                            name: 'test',
+                            description: 'test',
+                            ...part.content.config_changes,
+                        } as z.infer<typeof WorkflowTool>;
+                        const result = WorkflowTool.safeParse(test);
+                        if (!result.success) {
+                            part.content.error = result.error.message;
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case 'agent': {
+                        const test = {
+                            name: 'test',
+                            description: 'test',
+                            type: 'conversation',
+                            instructions: 'test',
+                            prompts: [],
+                            tools: [],
+                            model: 'gpt-4o',
+                            ragReturnType: 'chunks',
+                            ragK: 10,
+                            connectedAgents: [],
+                            controlType: 'retain',
+                            ...part.content.config_changes,
+                        } as z.infer<typeof WorkflowAgent>;
+                        const result = WorkflowAgent.safeParse(test);
+                        if (!result.success) {
+                            part.content.error = result.error.message;
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    case 'prompt': {
+                        const test = {
+                            name: 'test',
+                            type: 'base_prompt',
+                            prompt: "test",
+                            ...part.content.config_changes,
+                        } as z.infer<typeof WorkflowPrompt>;
+                        const result = WorkflowPrompt.safeParse(test);
+                        if (!result.success) {
+                            part.content.error = result.error.message;
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    default: {
+                        part.content.error = `Unknown config type: ${part.content.config_type}`;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     return {
         message: msg as z.infer<typeof CopilotAssistantMessage>,
         rawRequest: request,
diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/lib/types.ts b/apps/rowboat/app/lib/types.ts
index f7f11043..6d00e283 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/lib/types.ts
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/lib/types.ts
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ export const CopilotAssistantMessageActionPart = z.object({
         name: z.string(),
         change_description: z.string(),
         config_changes: z.record(z.string(), z.unknown()),
+        error: z.string().optional(),
     })
 });
 
diff --git a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/workflow/copilot_actions.tsx b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/workflow/copilot_actions.tsx
index f52a1894..5a603aaa 100644
--- a/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/workflow/copilot_actions.tsx
+++ b/apps/rowboat/app/projects/[projectId]/workflow/copilot_actions.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ import { z } from "zod";
 import { Workflow, CopilotAssistantMessage, CopilotAssistantMessageActionPart } from "@/app/lib/types";
 import { PreviewModalProvider, usePreviewModal } from './preview-modal';
 import { getAppliedChangeKey } from "./copilot";
-import { CheckCheckIcon, CheckIcon, ChevronsDownIcon, ChevronsUpIcon, EyeIcon, PencilIcon, PlusIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { AlertTriangleIcon, CheckCheckIcon, CheckIcon, ChevronsDownIcon, ChevronsUpIcon, EyeIcon, PencilIcon, PlusIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { Tooltip } from "@nextui-org/react";
 
 const ActionContext = createContext<{
     msgIndex: number;
@@ -51,12 +52,16 @@ export function Action({
     return <div className={clsx('flex flex-col rounded-sm border border-t-4', {
         'bg-gray-50 border-gray-400 border-t-blue-500 shadow': !stale && !allApplied && action.action == 'create_new',
         'bg-gray-50 border-gray-400 border-t-orange-500 shadow': !stale && !allApplied && action.action == 'edit',
-        'bg-gray-100 border-gray-400 border-t-gray-400': stale || allApplied,
+        'bg-gray-100 border-gray-400 border-t-gray-400': stale || allApplied || action.error,
     })}>
         <ActionContext.Provider value={{ msgIndex, actionIndex, action, workflow, handleApplyChange, appliedFields, stale }}>
             <ActionHeader />
             <ActionSummary />
             {expanded && <PreviewModalProvider>
+                {action.error && <div className="flex flex-col gap-1 px-1 text-xs bg-red-50 rounded-sm">
+                    <div className="text-red-500 font-medium text-xs">This configuration is invalid and cannot be applied:</div>
+                    <div className="text-xs font-mono">{action.error}</div>
+                </div>}
                 <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 px-1">
                     {Object.entries(action.config_changes).map(([key, value]) => {
                         return <ActionField key={key} field={key} />
@@ -64,8 +69,14 @@ export function Action({
                 </div>
             </PreviewModalProvider>}
             <div className="flex items-center">
-                <button
-                    className="grow rounded-l-sm bg-blue-100 text-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-200 disabled:bg-gray-100 disabled:text-green-500 flex flex-col items-center justify-center h-8"
+                {action.error && <div className="grow rounded-l-sm bg-red-100 text-red-500 flex flex-col items-center justify-center h-8">
+                    <div className="flex items-center gap-2 justify-center">
+                        <AlertTriangleIcon size={16} />
+                        <div className="font-medium text-xs">Error</div>
+                    </div>
+                </div>}
+                {!action.error && <button
+                    className="grow rounded-l-sm bg-blue-100 text-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-200 disabled:bg-gray-100 disabled:text-gray-300 flex flex-col items-center justify-center h-8"
                     onClick={applyChangeHandler}
                     disabled={stale || allApplied}
                 >
@@ -73,7 +84,7 @@ export function Action({
                         <CheckCheckIcon size={16} />
                         <div className="font-medium text-xs">{allApplied ? 'Applied' : 'Apply'}</div>
                     </div>
-                </button>
+                </button>}
                 <button
                     className="w-10 shrink-0 flex flex-col items-center h-8 rounded-r-sm bg-gray-100 text-gray-600 hover:bg-gray-200 justify-center"
                     onClick={() => setExpanded(!expanded)}
@@ -190,7 +201,7 @@ export function ActionField({
                 >
                     <EyeIcon size={16} />
                 </button>
-                {action.action === 'edit' && <button
+                {action.action === 'edit' && !action.error && <button
                     className={clsx("text-gray-500 hover:text-black", {
                         'text-green-600': applied,
                         'text-gray-600': stale,