Agents
An Agent is an automated workflow that performs specific tasks based on predefined logic, actions, and conditions. It helps users complete processes without manual intervention by guiding steps, collecting information, making decisions, and triggering actions automatically.
In simple terms, an agent works like a smart assistant inside the system that can interact with users, process inputs, validate conditions, call external services, and navigate workflows based on the configured steps.
For example, an agent can:
• Answer user queries
• Validate information
• Trigger API calls
• Capture page details
• Route users to different paths based on conditions
• Interact with Knowly for guidance
• Handle document-based processes
About this guide set. The Agents documentation is split into four articles so you can go straight to the task you need to complete.
| Article | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Agents (this article) | You are new to agents and want to understand what they are, how a flow is built, and which actions and connectors are available. |
| Agent Actions Reference | You are configuring a specific action in the Flow Builder and need its settings, options and examples. |
| Agent Connector Setup Guides | You are connecting an agent flow to an n8n or Zapier workflow through a webhook. |
| Agent Troubleshooting and Logs | An agent does not behave as expected, or you need to review its execution history. |
How agents are built
Agent Actions are the individual steps used to build an agent workflow and define how the agent performs tasks. Each action is designed for a specific purpose, such as collecting user input, calling APIs, making decisions, capturing data, or guiding users through processes. These actions work together to automate business flows and reduce manual effort. By arranging different actions in sequence, users can create smart and dynamic workflows based on business requirements. Agent Actions help ensure the agent responds accurately and follows the correct process from start to finish.
Building an agent follows the same pattern regardless of what it automates:
- Open the Flow Builder and click Add Activity to add an action to the flow.
- Configure the action in its settings panel. Every action has a Node Title and an Active toggle; disabled nodes are saved but skipped during execution.
- Reuse data from the initial input or from earlier steps with {$.input} and {$.steps.stepId}. See Dynamic Data Referencing in the Agent Actions Reference.
- Connect the steps in sequence to form the complete flow.
- Run the agent in debug mode to test it and check the output of each step. If something fails, see Agent Troubleshooting and Logs.
- Make the agent available to users with an agent trigger. See Agent Triggers.
Available actions
Each action below is described in full, with its settings and examples, in the Agent Actions Reference.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Prompt | Processes input with an instruction you write and returns the result as Text or JSON. |
| Document | Uploads documents so their content can be read, extracted or validated in the flow. |
| Web Service Call | Calls an external API (GET, POST, PUT or DELETE) and passes the response to later steps. |
| Teams Activity | Posts an Adaptive Card or Message Card to a Microsoft Teams channel through an incoming webhook. |
| Branching | Routes the flow down different paths based on branch rules, with a default fallback branch. |
| Knowly Interaction | Shows an answer, asks a follow-up question, or requests confirmation from the user in Knowly. |
| HTML Capture | Extracts content from a page element identified by a CSS selector. |
| Outlook Email Send | Sends email from a connected Microsoft account. |
| Outlook Email Read | Retrieves emails from a connected or shared mailbox using filters. |
| Outlook Calendar Create Event | Creates an Outlook calendar event, optionally with an online meeting link. |
| Loop | Repeats a set of child actions for each item in a JSON array. |
Available connectors
Connectors send data from an agent flow to an external automation platform. Setup steps and examples are in the Agent Connector Setup Guides.
| Connector | What it does |
|---|---|
| n8n Connector | Sends a JSON payload to an n8n webhook. Supports Fire-and-Forget and Synchronous execution. |
| Zapier Connector | Sends a JSON payload to a Zapier webhook trigger, so the flow can start any Zap. |
Related articles
• Agent Actions Reference
• Agent Connector Setup Guides
• Agent Troubleshooting and Logs
• Agent Triggers
• Knowly
• Knowly Actions
• Route Execution in Loops
Updated about 3 hours ago