diff --git a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStep.java b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStep.java
index e17bf2aa0..533d82c1e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStep.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStep.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.exception.FlowFrameworkException;
 import org.opensearch.ml.client.MachineLearningNodeClient;
 import org.opensearch.ml.common.connector.ConnectorAction;
+import org.opensearch.ml.common.connector.ConnectorAction.ActionType;
 import org.opensearch.ml.common.transport.connector.MLCreateConnectorInput;
 import org.opensearch.ml.common.transport.connector.MLCreateConnectorResponse;
 
@@ -24,8 +25,10 @@
 import java.security.PrivilegedActionException;
 import java.security.PrivilegedExceptionAction;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
@@ -84,39 +87,44 @@ public void onFailure(Exception e) {
         String description = null;
         String version = null;
         String protocol = null;
-        Map<String, String> parameters = new HashMap<>();
-        Map<String, String> credentials = new HashMap<>();
-        List<ConnectorAction> actions = new ArrayList<>();
-
-        for (WorkflowData workflowData : data) {
-            Map<String, Object> content = workflowData.getContent();
-
-            for (Entry<String, Object> entry : content.entrySet()) {
-                switch (entry.getKey()) {
-                    case NAME_FIELD:
-                        name = (String) content.get(NAME_FIELD);
-                        break;
-                    case DESCRIPTION_FIELD:
-                        description = (String) content.get(DESCRIPTION_FIELD);
-                        break;
-                    case VERSION_FIELD:
-                        version = (String) content.get(VERSION_FIELD);
-                        break;
-                    case PROTOCOL_FIELD:
-                        protocol = (String) content.get(PROTOCOL_FIELD);
-                        break;
-                    case PARAMETERS_FIELD:
-                        parameters = getParameterMap((Map<String, String>) content.get(PARAMETERS_FIELD));
-                        break;
-                    case CREDENTIALS_FIELD:
-                        credentials = (Map<String, String>) content.get(CREDENTIALS_FIELD);
-                        break;
-                    case ACTIONS_FIELD:
-                        actions = (List<ConnectorAction>) content.get(ACTIONS_FIELD);
-                        break;
+        Map<String, String> parameters = Collections.emptyMap();
+        Map<String, String> credentials = Collections.emptyMap();
+        List<ConnectorAction> actions = Collections.emptyList();
+
+        try {
+            for (WorkflowData workflowData : data) {
+                for (Entry<String, Object> entry : workflowData.getContent().entrySet()) {
+                    switch (entry.getKey()) {
+                        case NAME_FIELD:
+                            name = (String) entry.getValue();
+                            break;
+                        case DESCRIPTION_FIELD:
+                            description = (String) entry.getValue();
+                            break;
+                        case VERSION_FIELD:
+                            version = (String) entry.getValue();
+                            break;
+                        case PROTOCOL_FIELD:
+                            protocol = (String) entry.getValue();
+                            break;
+                        case PARAMETERS_FIELD:
+                            parameters = getParameterMap(entry.getValue());
+                            break;
+                        case CREDENTIALS_FIELD:
+                            credentials = getStringToStringMap(entry.getValue(), CREDENTIALS_FIELD);
+                            break;
+                        case ACTIONS_FIELD:
+                            actions = getConnectorActionList(entry.getValue());
+                            break;
+                    }
                 }
-
             }
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
+            createConnectorFuture.completeExceptionally(new FlowFrameworkException(iae.getMessage(), RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST));
+            return createConnectorFuture;
+        } catch (PrivilegedActionException pae) {
+            createConnectorFuture.completeExceptionally(new FlowFrameworkException(pae.getMessage(), RestStatus.UNAUTHORIZED));
+            return createConnectorFuture;
         }
 
         if (Stream.of(name, description, version, protocol, parameters, credentials, actions).allMatch(x -> x != null)) {
@@ -145,21 +153,48 @@ public String getName() {
         return NAME;
     }
 
-    private static Map<String, String> getParameterMap(Map<String, String> params) {
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    private static Map<String, String> getStringToStringMap(Object map, String fieldName) {
+        if (map instanceof Map) {
+            return (Map<String, String>) map;
+        }
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + fieldName + "] must be a key-value map.");
+    }
 
+    private static Map<String, String> getParameterMap(Object parameterMap) throws PrivilegedActionException {
         Map<String, String> parameters = new HashMap<>();
-        for (String key : params.keySet()) {
-            String value = params.get(key);
-            try {
-                AccessController.doPrivileged((PrivilegedExceptionAction<Void>) () -> {
-                    parameters.put(key, value);
-                    return null;
-                });
-            } catch (PrivilegedActionException e) {
-                throw new RuntimeException(e);
-            }
+        for (Entry<String, String> entry : getStringToStringMap(parameterMap, PARAMETERS_FIELD).entrySet()) {
+            AccessController.doPrivileged((PrivilegedExceptionAction<Void>) () -> {
+                parameters.put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
+                return null;
+            });
         }
         return parameters;
     }
 
+    private static List<ConnectorAction> getConnectorActionList(Object array) {
+        if (!(array instanceof Map[])) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + ACTIONS_FIELD + "] must be an array of key-value maps.");
+        }
+        List<ConnectorAction> actions = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (Map<?, ?> map : (Map<?, ?>[]) array) {
+            String actionType = (String) map.get(ConnectorAction.ACTION_TYPE_FIELD);
+            if (actionType == null) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + ConnectorAction.ACTION_TYPE_FIELD + "] is missing.");
+            }
+            @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+            ConnectorAction action = ConnectorAction.builder()
+                .actionType(ActionType.valueOf(actionType.toUpperCase(Locale.ROOT)))
+                .method((String) map.get(ConnectorAction.METHOD_FIELD))
+                .url((String) map.get(ConnectorAction.URL_FIELD))
+                .headers((Map<String, String>) map.get(ConnectorAction.HEADERS_FIELD))
+                .requestBody((String) map.get(ConnectorAction.REQUEST_BODY_FIELD))
+                .preProcessFunction((String) map.get(ConnectorAction.ACTION_PRE_PROCESS_FUNCTION))
+                .postProcessFunction((String) map.get(ConnectorAction.ACTION_POST_PROCESS_FUNCTION))
+                .build();
+            actions.add(action);
+        }
+        return actions;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStepTests.java b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStepTests.java
index b54b2a27c..63855f7bd 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStepTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/opensearch/flowframework/workflow/CreateConnectorStepTests.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import org.opensearch.core.action.ActionListener;
 import org.opensearch.core.rest.RestStatus;
+import org.opensearch.flowframework.common.CommonValue;
 import org.opensearch.flowframework.exception.FlowFrameworkException;
 import org.opensearch.ml.client.MachineLearningNodeClient;
 import org.opensearch.ml.common.connector.ConnectorAction;
@@ -27,7 +28,6 @@
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doAnswer;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
@@ -44,38 +44,30 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception {
 
         Map<String, String> params = Map.ofEntries(Map.entry("endpoint", "endpoint"), Map.entry("temp", "7"));
         Map<String, String> credentials = Map.ofEntries(Map.entry("key1", "value1"), Map.entry("key2", "value2"));
+        Map<?, ?>[] actions = new Map<?, ?>[] {
+            Map.ofEntries(
+                Map.entry(ConnectorAction.ACTION_TYPE_FIELD, ConnectorAction.ActionType.PREDICT.name()),
+                Map.entry(ConnectorAction.METHOD_FIELD, "post"),
+                Map.entry(ConnectorAction.URL_FIELD, "foo.test"),
+                Map.entry(
+                    ConnectorAction.REQUEST_BODY_FIELD,
+                    "{ \"model\": \"${parameters.model}\", \"messages\": ${parameters.messages} }"
+                )
+            ) };
 
         MockitoAnnotations.openMocks(this);
 
-        ConnectorAction.ActionType actionType = ConnectorAction.ActionType.PREDICT;
-        String method = "post";
-        String url = "foot.test";
-
         inputData = new WorkflowData(
             Map.ofEntries(
-                Map.entry("name", "test"),
-                Map.entry("description", "description"),
-                Map.entry("version", "1"),
-                Map.entry("protocol", "test"),
-                Map.entry("params", params),
-                Map.entry("credentials", credentials),
-                Map.entry(
-                    "actions",
-                    List.of(
-                        new ConnectorAction(
-                            actionType,
-                            method,
-                            url,
-                            null,
-                            "{ \"model\": \"${parameters.model}\", \"messages\": ${parameters.messages} }",
-                            null,
-                            null
-                        )
-                    )
-                )
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.NAME_FIELD, "test"),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.DESCRIPTION_FIELD, "description"),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.VERSION_FIELD, "1"),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.PROTOCOL_FIELD, "test"),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.PARAMETERS_FIELD, params),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.CREDENTIALS_FIELD, credentials),
+                Map.entry(CommonValue.ACTIONS_FIELD, actions)
             )
         );
-
     }
 
     public void testCreateConnector() throws IOException, ExecutionException, InterruptedException {
@@ -83,6 +75,7 @@ public void testCreateConnector() throws IOException, ExecutionException, Interr
         String connectorId = "connect";
         CreateConnectorStep createConnectorStep = new CreateConnectorStep(machineLearningNodeClient);
 
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
         ArgumentCaptor<ActionListener<MLCreateConnectorResponse>> actionListenerCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(ActionListener.class);
 
         doAnswer(invocation -> {
@@ -104,6 +97,7 @@ public void testCreateConnector() throws IOException, ExecutionException, Interr
     public void testCreateConnectorFailure() throws IOException {
         CreateConnectorStep createConnectorStep = new CreateConnectorStep(machineLearningNodeClient);
 
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
         ArgumentCaptor<ActionListener<MLCreateConnectorResponse>> actionListenerCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(ActionListener.class);
 
         doAnswer(invocation -> {