> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://flowi.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Agents

> Step-by-step guide to creating your first automated agent

## Before You Start

To create an agent, you'll need:

* At least one **saved search** (from your Search conversations)
* (Optional) Past **research questions** you want to automate
* (Optional) **HubSpot connection** for CRM filtering

<Warning>No saved searches? Run a search conversation first and save it before creating an agent.</Warning>

## Step-by-Step Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Agent Creation">
    Navigate to the **Agents** dashboard (accessible from the main navigation) and click the **+ Create Agent** button in the top-right corner.

    <Info>You can also create agents from the Filters panel by clicking the + in the Agents section.</Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name Your Agent">
    Choose a descriptive name that clearly identifies what the agent does.

    **Examples:**

    * "Boston Cafes • Weekly Contact Research"
    * "Phoenix HVAC • Qualified Leads > \$1M"
    * "Austin Vegan Restaurants • Daily Monitor"

    This name becomes both the View name and appears in your Agents dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Saved Search">
    Pick from your previously saved searches. These are searches you've run in the past and saved for reuse.

    The saved search determines what types of leads your agent will find.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Research Filters (Optional)">
    Add column-based filters to narrow down which leads will be researched.

    **Example filters:**

    * Revenue > \$500K
    * Employee count between 10-50
    * State = "California"

    These filters save research credits by focusing only on qualifying leads.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable HubSpot CRM Filtering (Optional)">
    If you've connected HubSpot, toggle this on to automatically skip leads already in your CRM.

    **Choose a filter mode:**

    * **Companies with Deals** - Only skip companies that have active deals (default)
    * **All Companies** - Skip any company that exists in HubSpot

    <Tip>Learn more in the [HubSpot Filtering](/user-guide/agents/hubspot-filtering) guide.</Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Research Questions (Optional)">
    Select one or more of your past questions. After the search completes, the agent runs these for every qualifying lead.

    **Common research questions:**

    * "What is the owner or GM's name and contact email?"
    * "What's the estimated annual revenue?"
    * "What are their delivery or distribution channels?"
    * "Who is the decision maker for \[your product category]?"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Schedule & Limits">
    Configure when and how often your agent runs:

    * **Cadence:** Daily, Weekdays, Weekly, Monthly, or Custom cron
    * **Time:** Choose specific time (uses your local timezone)
    * **Results per run:** 10, 25, 50, or 100 leads

    <Info>Start conservative (daily or weekly) and adjust based on lead volume.</Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Email Exports (Optional)">
    Enable email exports to automatically send results to your team:

    * Toggle "Enable email exports"
    * Add recipient email addresses (comma-separated)
    * Optionally add export filters to only send specific leads

    Emails are sent after all research completes.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review & Create">
    Review the summary of your agent configuration and click **Create Agent**.

    Flowi automatically creates:

    * A dedicated View with your filters
    * A search schedule on your chosen cadence
    * Follow-up schedules for each research question
    * Export settings (if enabled)
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What Happens Next?

Once created, your agent:

1. **Appears in the Agents dashboard** with "Active" status
2. **Waits for the first scheduled run** (or you can run it manually)
3. **Executes the workflow** when triggered:
   * Finds leads via saved search
   * Applies research filters
   * Checks HubSpot (if enabled)
   * Runs AI research questions
   * Applies export filters
   * Sends email exports

## Best Practices

### Start Small

Begin with conservative settings:

* 10-25 leads per run
* Weekly or daily cadence
* 1-2 research questions

Scale up once you verify the agent works as expected.

### Use Descriptive Names

Follow a naming convention for easy identification:

**Format:** `[Territory/Vertical] • [Research Type] • [Cadence]`

**Examples:**

* "Boston Cafes • Contact Research • Weekly"
* "West Coast HVAC • Qualified Leads • Daily"
* "National Dentists • Insurance Check • Monthly"

### Layer Your Filters

Maximize efficiency by filtering at multiple stages:

1. **Research Filters** - Remove unqualified leads before research
2. **HubSpot Filter** - Skip known CRM contacts
3. **Export Filters** - Only email the best leads

### Test Before Automating

Before setting a recurring schedule:

1. Create the agent with "One-time" cadence
2. Run it manually to verify results
3. Adjust filters and questions as needed
4. Update to recurring cadence once satisfied

***

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="View Your Agents" icon="grid" href="/user-guide/agents/dashboard">
    Explore the Agents dashboard and monitor performance
  </Card>

  <Card title="HubSpot Filtering" icon="link" href="/user-guide/agents/hubspot-filtering">
    Set up CRM filtering to skip existing contacts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Managing Agents" icon="sliders" href="/user-guide/agents/managing">
    Learn how to edit, pause, and monitor your agents
  </Card>
</CardGroup>