# Build your first agent

<TLDR>
Open **Agents**, select **New agent**, pick a project and describe the task. The AI builds a draft. Select **Try it**, check the run, then a workspace admin selects **Go live**. It then runs on its own and asks before changing anything important.
</TLDR>

## What you will build [#what-you-will-build]

An <Term id="agent">agent</Term> that reads new rows in a <Term id="table">table</Term>, uses AI to label each one, asks you before saving, and writes the labels back. You will try the draft, read its <Term id="run">run</Term> step by step, and take it live.

## Before you start [#before-you-start]

- A <Term id="project">project</Term> you can edit. Agents work inside a project. See [Your first project](/docs/guides/first-project).
- A table the agent can read. See [Turn a spreadsheet into a table](/docs/guides/spreadsheet-to-table).
- To take it live: the Owner or Admin role. Anyone who can edit the project can build and try the draft.

<Callout type="warn" title="A live agent spends credits">
A live agent runs on its own and spends the workspace's <Term id="credits">credits</Term>, so only owners and admins take agents live. **Try it** never goes live.
</Callout>

## Steps [#steps]

<Steps>
<Step>
### Start a new agent [#start-a-new-agent]
Go to <AppLink to="agents" /> and select **New agent**. Pick the project it works in.
</Step>
<Step>
### Describe the task in plain words [#describe-the-task-in-plain-words]
Say what it should do, when, and what it should ask you. For example:

> Every morning, read yesterday's new rows in the support_tickets table. Give each ticket a priority from 1 to 5 based on its text. Ask me before saving, then write the priority into a ticket_priority column.

The AI builds the agent as a draft. You see its steps: when it **Starts**, what each step **Does**, what it **Uses** and where it **Saves to**.

<Screenshot src="/docs/_media/demp-bakery-business-data-agent-flow-page.png" alt="A draft agent's steps: Starts, Does, Uses and Saves to" />
</Step>
<Step>
### Adjust the steps [#adjust-the-steps]
Click a step to change when it starts (a schedule, when files arrive, when rows load, when a webhook calls, or only when started), the query it runs, or the AI's instruction. Or describe the change in words and let the AI make it.
</Step>
<Step>
### Try the draft [#try-the-draft]
Select **Try it**. The draft runs once, now; nothing goes live.
</Step>
<Step>
### Follow the run [#follow-the-run]
Open the run from **Runs**. Each step shows how it went, its log and its files. At the step that asks you, choose **Yes, continue** to save, or **No, stop here**. The **Result** shows what the run produced and what it cost.

If a step failed, fix it and choose **Run again from here** on it. Earlier steps are reused, not run again.
</Step>
<Step>
### Take it live [#take-it-live]
When the draft does what you want, a workspace admin selects **Go live** and confirms. If you are not an admin, ask one.
</Step>
</Steps>

<Screenshot src="/docs/_media/demp-bakery-business-data-agent-flow-page.png" alt="An agent's steps and a run waiting for approval" />

## Check that it worked [#check-that-it-worked]

- The agent's page shows it as live, with when it starts next.
- On <AppLink to="agents" />, the board shows its runs today and the credits they used.
- After a run, the table has the new column filled in.

## Common variations [#common-variations]

- **Start from a template.** Select **Browse templates** for ready-made agents, such as a daily summary of a table or copying a web API into a table. See [Templates](/docs/agents/templates) and [Send a daily report](/docs/guides/daily-report).
- **Change a live agent.** Edit it: your changes stay a draft (**Live, with draft changes**) until you try them and take them live. Earlier versions are kept, and **Make live again** restores one.
- **Stop it for a while.** Select **Pause**. It stops starting; runs in progress finish. Go live again any time.
- **Stop one run.** Open the run and select **Stop**.

## If something goes wrong [#if-something-goes-wrong]

<Accordions>
<Accordion title="New agent says there is no project I can edit">
Create a project, or ask to be made an editor of one.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="I cannot select Go live">
Only workspace owners and admins take agents live. Ask one to do it.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="A run is waiting">
The agent is asking you something. Open the run and answer. The **Agents** board lists every run waiting for approval.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="A step was retried and a service may have been called twice">
A step that was interrupted is retried. If it called an outside service, check that service for a duplicate.
</Accordion>
</Accordions>

## Next steps [#next-steps]

- [Send a daily report](/docs/guides/daily-report): a scheduled agent from a template.
- [Create an agent](/docs/agents/create-an-agent): every option in the agent builder.
- [Runs](/docs/agents/runs): reading, stopping and re-running runs.
- [Go live](/docs/agents/go-live): who can take agents live and what it costs.