AI Vocabulary · 04 Building with AI
What is Workflow Automation?
Connecting apps so tasks run automatically: when something happens in one tool, actions follow in others, now often with AI steps.
Workflow automation connects your tools so routine work happens on its own: a form is submitted, a contact is created in the CRM, a summary is drafted by AI and a message goes to the right person. Tools like Zapier, Make and n8n let you build these flows visually, often with a webhook or an API behind the scenes.
Adding AI steps makes automations far more flexible: they can classify emails, extract data from documents or draft replies. When the AI starts deciding which step comes next, it becomes an agentic workflow.
Why it matters for you
Automations save hours every week on repetitive work. They are also one of the easiest ways for a small team to become AI-native without building software.
Own it
Every automation is a small system you are responsible for. Know what data flows where, which accounts it uses and who gets notified when it breaks. Keep a simple list of your automations and their owners.
Where it comes from
Automating business workflows goes back to office software of the 1980s and 1990s. The modern "connect your apps" wave came with consumer-friendly tools in the early 2010s, such as Zapier, founded in 2011 (Y Combinator), followed by tools like Make and n8n. Adding AI steps to these flows is the newest chapter.
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