From Beginner to Expert - Master AI Automation with Practical Examples
Understanding the fundamentals
Features and capabilities
Step-by-step setup guide
Creating scenarios as tools
Bringing agents to life
Memory, multi-agents & more
Business success stories
Expert recommendations
AI agents are sophisticated digital entities designed to autonomously perform tasks based on data inputs or triggers. Unlike traditional automation systems that operate on static, predefined rules, AI agents possess the capacity to adapt to evolving contexts, learn from feedback, and dynamically adjust their actions over time.
Rule-based logic for repetitive tasks
AI models with structured logic flows
Autonomous decision-making and adaptation
Follow simple rules and triggers without adapting to changing environments.
Example: Amazon Alexa turning on smart lights at sunset
Remember past interactions to refine future decisions.
Example: Robot vacuum remembering high-traffic areas
Determine the best way to achieve specific objectives.
Example: Chess AI determining optimal moves to win
Weigh various factors to maximize efficiency.
Example: Uber's surge pricing adjusting costs based on demand
Continuously learn and refine behavior based on experience.
Example: ChatGPT enhancing responses based on user input
Automate repetitive tasks, allowing humans to focus on strategic initiatives
Reduce operational costs through intelligent automation
Generate actionable insights from automated processes
Scale operations without proportional increase in resources
Make.com is an intuitive no-code development platform designed for visual automation, enabling users to connect various applications and design intricate workflows. The platform facilitates rapid visualization and construction of automations, from single processes to comprehensive business model transformations.
Extensive app library with 30,000+ available actions
Drag-and-drop interface for building scenarios
Adaptive decision-making with natural language goals
Reusable AI agents across multiple workflows
Global prompts with scenario-specific customization
Choose from OpenAI, Grok, Anthropic, and more
Convert existing Make scenarios into intelligent tools that AI agents can use. This allows businesses to repurpose their automation investments for the AI landscape.
Seamless integration with business tools like Excel, Gmail, Notion, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, and custom applications via webhooks and APIs.
Visual interface that makes AI agent development accessible to non-technical users, democratizing AI automation capabilities.
There's no change to your Make.com subscription cost. You only pay for the AI model usage (OpenAI, Grok, etc.) through your own API key.
In your Make.com dashboard, click on "AI agents (Beta)" in the left sidebar. You'll see a starter page where you can begin creating your agent.
Before configuring your agent, connect it to an AI model. This gives your agent the ability to understand and reason.
Give your agent a clear, descriptive name that reflects its purpose.
Select the model that best suits your needs, considering speed, cost, and task complexity.
| Provider | Model Options | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-4o, GPT-4.1 | Complex reasoning, writing |
| Grok | Llama-3-8b, Llama-3-70b | Speed, cost-effectiveness |
| Anthropic | Claude models | Analysis, safety |
The system prompt is your agent's job description. It defines who the agent is, what it should do, and how it should behave.
"You are a friendly and helpful customer service agent for Kevin Cookie Company. Your main job is to respond to customer questions about cookie flavors, store hours, shipping, and pricing. Keep your tone warm, polite, and professional. If you can't answer a question, let the customer know and suggest contacting support directly."
"You are a research assistant that helps create detailed content. Your process is: 1) Search Google Sheets to find relevant information, 2) Browse the web using Perplexity to gather additional data, 3) Create comprehensive scripts or documents. Always cite your sources and provide clear, well-structured output."
Once satisfied with your system prompt, click "Save" to create your agent.
You've successfully created your core AI Agent. It now understands its role and is ready to be equipped with tools.
In Make.com, AI agents don't directly perform actions. Instead, they intelligently select and use separate scenarios you build, which act as their "tools".
AI Agent
Smart Manager
Search Tool
Email Tool
Document Tool
Let's create a practical tool that allows your AI agent to access information stored in a Google Doc and use it to answer questions.
Navigate to Scenarios → Create a new scenario
Important: This tells the agent what data it receives when using this tool.
KCC_FAQ (no spaces, use underscores)Create a tool that allows your AI agent to send emails automatically.
Before building, define what information the agent needs to provide:
The recipient's email
Email subject line
Email body content
Use Perplexity AI for web research
Search and retrieve data from spreadsheets
Create Google Docs automatically
Generate content with other AI models
A trigger is the crucial starting point for your AI agent's workflow. Think of it as the event that signals your agent to "get to work". Without a defined trigger, your agent won't be able to autonomously perform tasks.
Chat messages
Form submissions
Transaction events
Time-based triggers
Telegram is highly recommended due to its robust API and support for rich interactions like images and audio.
Go to Scenarios → Create a new scenario. Name it something descriptive like "Jack's AI Agent VA".
Click the plus icon and search for "Telegram Bot: Watch Updates".
In the Telegram module, click "Add" to create a new connection, paste your token, and save.
Send a message to your bot, then run the Telegram module once in Make.com to verify it receives the message.
Start with a fresh scenario in Make.com for handling form submissions.
Search for "Tally" and select "Watch for new responses". Connect your Tally account.
Typical form data might include:
After setting up your trigger, add the bridge that connects your trigger's input to your AI agent.
Choose the AI agent you created earlier from the dropdown menu.
Map the incoming data from your trigger to the agent's "Message" input field. This is critical!
Map the unique chat ID to maintain conversational memory across interactions.
Tools assigned directly to the agent, available in all scenarios where the agent is used.
Best for: FAQ access, general internet search, universal capabilities
Tools added directly within specific scenarios, only available in that context.
Best for: Platform-specific actions (email vs WhatsApp vs Slack)
Maintains conversation history using unique identifiers (chat ID, user ID, etc.)
Additional scenario-specific instructions that modify agent behavior
Controls the maximum length of agent responses.
Prevents infinite loops in agent reasoning.
How many past interactions to consider.
Automated Loan Processing
Manual loan document classification and extraction was time-consuming and error-prone, creating bottlenecks in the approval process.
Implemented AI agents to automatically classify and extract data from loan documents, streamlining the entire approval workflow.
Virtual Shopping Assistant
High volume of customer inquiries overwhelming support team and affecting conversion rates.
AI agent provides personalized product recommendations, handles FAQs, and guides customers through the purchase journey.
AI-powered risk analysis and automated policy decisions with minimal human intervention.
Streamlined leave requests, talent acquisition processes, and employee onboarding workflows.
Automated journal entries, variance explanations, and financial reporting using real-time data.
Use descriptive names that clearly indicate the tool's purpose.
Provide detailed tool descriptions that help the agent understand when and how to use each tool.
Define clear inputs and outputs with appropriate data types and descriptions.
Never include sensitive information in system prompts. Use secure connections and implement proper access controls.
Store API keys securely, rotate them regularly, and use environment-specific keys for different stages.
Implement data retention policies, obtain proper consent, and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.