Lindy Core Workflow A: Agent Creation
Overview
Complete workflow for creating, configuring, and testing Lindy AI agents.
Agents consist of four components: Prompt (behavioral instructions),
Model (AI engine), Skills (available actions), and Exit Conditions
(completion criteria).
Prerequisites
- Lindy account at
- Use case defined (support bot, email triage, data processor, etc.)
- Required integrations identified (Slack, Gmail, Sheets, etc.)
Instructions
Step 1: Define Agent Specification
Before building, document:
- Purpose: What the agent does (one sentence)
- Trigger: What wakes it up (webhook, email, schedule, chat, etc.)
- Actions: What it does (send email, update sheet, post to Slack, etc.)
- Model: GPT-4 (smart, expensive), Claude Sonnet (balanced), Gemini Flash (fast, cheap)
Step 2: Create the Agent
Option A — Natural Language (recommended):
-
Click New Agent at
-
Describe your agent in plain English:
When a customer emails support@company.com, classify the email as
billing/technical/general, draft a response using our knowledge base,
and post the classification to #support-triage in Slack
-
Agent Builder auto-generates trigger + action nodes
Option B — Manual Build:
- Click New Agent > Start from scratch
- Add trigger: Click "+" > Select trigger type
- Add actions: Click "+" > Search for action
- Connect nodes by dragging arrows between steps
Step 3: Configure the Prompt
Open Settings > Prompt. Structure it with clear sections:
## Identity
You are a customer support classifier and responder for [Company].
## Instructions
1. Read the incoming email carefully
2. Classify into: billing, technical, or general
3. Search the knowledge base for relevant answers
4. Draft a professional response using the KB results
5. If no KB match found, escalate to human
## Constraints
- Never promise refunds or credits without human approval
- Keep responses under 200 words
- Always include ticket reference number
Prompt best practices (from Lindy docs):
- Use action-oriented language (imperatives)
- Break complex logic into numbered steps
- Include few-shot examples for consistent formatting
- Add constraints to prevent unwanted behavior
Step 4: Add Conditions (Branching Logic)
- Click "+" > Condition
- Write natural language condition:
"Go down this path if the email is about billing"
- Add multiple branches for different classifications
- Enable "Force the agent to select a branch" for deterministic routing
Step 5: Configure Actions
For each action, set field modes:
Auto mode — Agent infers the value from all previous step data:
Best for: predictable mappings where field names align
AI Prompt mode — Give natural language instructions:
Summarize the email in 2 sentences, then include the classification.
Reference: {{email_received.body}}
Set Manually mode — Exact value, no AI:
Channel: #support-triage
Step 6: Add Knowledge Base (Optional)
- Go to Settings > Knowledge Base
- Add sources: PDF, DOCX, Google Drive, Notion, websites
- Configure search:
- Max Results: 4 (default) to 10
- Search Fuzziness: 0 (keyword) to 100 (semantic, recommended)
- Agent auto-searches KB when relevant to the task
Step 7: Test the Agent
- Use the Test button in the workflow editor
- Provide sample input matching your trigger type
- Review each step's output in the task detail view
- Iterate on prompt and action configuration
Trigger Types Reference
| Trigger | Use Case | Configuration |
|---|
| Webhook Received | External API calls | URL + secret key |
| Email Received | Inbox automation | Gmail/Outlook + label filters |
| Schedule | Recurring tasks | Cron-style: daily, weekly, custom |
| Chat Message | Interactive bot | Lindy Chat or Embed widget |
| Slack Message | Team automation | Channel + keyword filters |
| Agent Message | Multi-agent delegation | Receives from other Lindies |
| Calendar Event | Meeting automation | Minutes offset (-30 = 30 min before) |
| Form Submission | Lead capture | Connected form integration |
Action Categories
| Category | Actions |
|---|
| Email | Send Email, Draft Reply, Search Inbox, Add Label |
| Slack | Send Channel Message, Send DM, Thread Reply |
| Sheets | Update Spreadsheet, Get Document |
| Calendar | Create Event, Reschedule, Cancel |
| Knowledge | Search Knowledge Base, Resync KB |
| Code | Run Code (Python/JS in E2B sandbox) |
| Web | HTTP Request, Web Search, Website Crawler |
| Memory | Read/Create/Update/Delete Memory |
| Phone | Make Call, Transfer Call, End Call |
| Agent | Agent Send Message (delegation) |
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| "No trigger configured" | Agent has no trigger | Add at least one trigger node |
| Action fails silently | Wrong field mode | Switch to AI Prompt or Set Manually |
| KB returns no results | Fuzziness too low | Increase to 100 (semantic search) |
| Condition always picks same path | Ambiguous prompt | Make conditions more specific |
| Agent loops indefinitely | No exit condition | Add measurable exit criteria |
Resources
Next Steps
Proceed to lindy-core-workflow-b for triggers, automation, and multi-agent delegation.
