Automation and agents

What automation tools do

Automation tools move information between the apps you already use so you stop copying and pasting. A typical example: when a form is submitted, add the person to your email list, create a row in a spreadsheet and send a Slack or email alert. Newer tools add AI steps, so a workflow can also summarize a message, sort it by topic or draft a reply before a person reviews it.

AI agent builders such as Lindy go a step further. Instead of a fixed sequence of steps, you describe the job in plain language and the agent decides which steps to take, which is handy for email and scheduling but needs closer watching.

How to choose

If you have never built an automation, start with Zapier: it is the easiest to learn and has a free plan. If your workflows branch a lot (different paths for different kinds of customers or orders), Make's visual builder is usually clearer and often cheaper for complex flows. If someone on your team is comfortable with technical setup, n8n can be self-hosted for free and is strong for AI agent workflows. If you want a ready-made assistant rather than building flows yourself, look at Lindy.

Each tool bills differently: Zapier counts tasks, Make counts credits, n8n Cloud counts workflow executions and Lindy uses credits. Before paying, estimate how many times a month each workflow will run, then compare that against the plan limits on each vendor's pricing page.

Tips before you start

Automate one small, frequent job first and let it run for a week. Add error alerts so you hear about failed runs. Keep a person in the loop for anything that sends money, issues refunds or emails customers on your behalf.

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