diff --git a/packages/builder/src/components/automation/SetupPanel/AutomationBlockSetup.svelte b/packages/builder/src/components/automation/SetupPanel/AutomationBlockSetup.svelte
index 8a9d1e59ea0..c6f760bd0ea 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/components/automation/SetupPanel/AutomationBlockSetup.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/components/automation/SetupPanel/AutomationBlockSetup.svelte
@@ -869,6 +869,7 @@
                 options={value.enum}
                 getOptionLabel={(x, idx) =>
                   value.pretty ? value.pretty[idx] : x}
+                disabled={value.readonly}
               />
             {:else if value.type === "json"}
               <Editor
@@ -877,6 +878,7 @@
                 mode="json"
                 value={inputData[key]?.value}
                 on:change={e => onChange({ [key]: e.detail })}
+                readOnly={value.readonly}
               />
             {:else if value.type === "boolean"}
               <div style="margin-top: 10px">
@@ -884,6 +886,7 @@
                   text={value.title}
                   value={inputData[key]}
                   on:change={e => onChange({ [key]: e.detail })}
+                  disabled={value.readonly}
                 />
               </div>
             {:else if value.type === "date"}
@@ -897,6 +900,7 @@
                 allowJS={true}
                 updateOnChange={false}
                 drawerLeft="260px"
+                disabled={value.readonly}
               >
                 <DatePicker
                   value={inputData[key]}
@@ -908,6 +912,7 @@
                 on:change={e => onChange({ [key]: e.detail })}
                 value={inputData[key]}
                 options={Object.keys(table?.schema || {})}
+                disabled={value.readonly}
               />
             {:else if value.type === "attachment" || value.type === "signature_single"}
               <div class="attachment-field-wrapper">
@@ -1021,6 +1026,7 @@
                 {isTrigger}
                 value={inputData[key]}
                 on:change={e => onChange({ [key]: e.detail })}
+                disabled={value.readonly}
               />
             {:else if value.customType === "webhookUrl"}
               <WebhookDisplay value={inputData[key]} />
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/stores/builder/automations.js b/packages/builder/src/stores/builder/automations.js
index b2335ff7e52..a2ee4b3cccf 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/stores/builder/automations.js
+++ b/packages/builder/src/stores/builder/automations.js
@@ -308,7 +308,9 @@ const automationActions = store => ({
     if (!automation) {
       return
     }
-    delete newAutomation.definition.stepNames[blockId]
+    if (newAutomation.definition.stepNames) {
+      delete newAutomation.definition.stepNames[blockId]
+    }
 
     await store.actions.save(newAutomation)
   },
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/crud.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/crud.ts
index 90fe6c16c42..59b6b5dc2a0 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/crud.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/crud.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ export async function update(automation: Automation) {
   const db = getDb()
 
   const oldAutomation = await db.get<Automation>(automation._id)
+
+  guardInvalidUpdatesAndThrow(automation, oldAutomation)
+
   automation = cleanAutomationInputs(automation)
   automation = await checkForWebhooks({
     oldAuto: oldAutomation,
@@ -251,3 +254,30 @@ async function checkForWebhooks({ oldAuto, newAuto }: any) {
   }
   return newAuto
 }
+function guardInvalidUpdatesAndThrow(
+  automation: Automation,
+  oldAutomation: Automation
+) {
+  const stepDefinitions = [
+    automation.definition.trigger,
+    ...automation.definition.steps,
+  ]
+  const oldStepDefinitions = [
+    oldAutomation.definition.trigger,
+    ...oldAutomation.definition.steps,
+  ]
+  for (const step of stepDefinitions) {
+    const readonlyFields = Object.keys(
+      step.schema.inputs.properties || {}
+    ).filter(k => step.schema.inputs.properties[k].readonly)
+    readonlyFields.forEach(readonlyField => {
+      const oldStep = oldStepDefinitions.find(i => i.id === step.id)
+      if (step.inputs[readonlyField] !== oldStep?.inputs[readonlyField]) {
+        throw new HTTPError(
+          `Field ${readonlyField} is readonly and it cannot be modified`,
+          400
+        )
+      }
+    })
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/tests/index.spec.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/tests/index.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..124a5d9276e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/automations/tests/index.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { sample } from "lodash/fp"
+import { Automation } from "@budibase/types"
+import automationSdk from "../"
+import { structures } from "../../../../api/routes/tests/utilities"
+import TestConfiguration from "../../../../tests/utilities/TestConfiguration"
+
+describe("automation sdk", () => {
+  const config = new TestConfiguration()
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await config.init()
+  })
+
+  describe("update", () => {
+    it.each([
+      ["trigger", (a: Automation) => a.definition.trigger],
+      ["step", (a: Automation) => a.definition.steps[0]],
+    ])("can update input fields (for a %s)", async (_, getStep) => {
+      await config.doInContext(config.getAppId(), async () => {
+        const automation = structures.newAutomation()
+
+        const keyToUse = sample(Object.keys(getStep(automation).inputs))!
+        getStep(automation).inputs[keyToUse] = "anyValue"
+
+        const response = await automationSdk.create(automation)
+
+        const update = { ...response }
+        getStep(update).inputs[keyToUse] = "anyUpdatedValue"
+        const result = await automationSdk.update(update)
+        expect(getStep(result).inputs[keyToUse]).toEqual("anyUpdatedValue")
+      })
+    })
+
+    it.each([
+      ["trigger", (a: Automation) => a.definition.trigger],
+      ["step", (a: Automation) => a.definition.steps[0]],
+    ])("cannot update readonly fields (for a %s)", async (_, getStep) => {
+      await config.doInContext(config.getAppId(), async () => {
+        const automation = structures.newAutomation()
+        getStep(automation).schema.inputs.properties["readonlyProperty"] = {
+          readonly: true,
+        }
+        getStep(automation).inputs["readonlyProperty"] = "anyValue"
+
+        const response = await automationSdk.create(automation)
+
+        const update = { ...response }
+        getStep(update).inputs["readonlyProperty"] = "anyUpdatedValue"
+        await expect(automationSdk.update(update)).rejects.toThrow(
+          "Field readonlyProperty is readonly and it cannot be modified"
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rowActions.ts b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rowActions.ts
index 6a6e5670f47..df5625cce3a 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rowActions.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/sdk/app/rowActions.ts
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export async function create(tableId: string, rowAction: { name: string }) {
     definition: {
       trigger: {
         type: AutomationStepType.TRIGGER,
-        id: "TODO id",
+        id: "trigger",
         tagline: "TODO tagline",
         name: "Row Action",
         description: "TODO description",
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ export async function create(tableId: string, rowAction: { name: string }) {
                 type: AutomationIOType.STRING,
                 customType: AutomationCustomIOType.TABLE,
                 title: "Table",
+                readonly: true,
               },
             },
             required: ["tableId"],
diff --git a/packages/types/src/documents/app/automation.ts b/packages/types/src/documents/app/automation.ts
index 3407b1a6fd9..f29a2241cd4 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/documents/app/automation.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/documents/app/automation.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ interface BaseIOStructure {
     [key: string]: BaseIOStructure
   }
   required?: string[]
+  readonly?: true
 }
 
 export interface InputOutputBlock {