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

# Introduction | Getting Started with Gumloop

> AI agents handle recurring tasks, speed up critical work, and free you to focus on what matters. This course shows you how to build and deploy them step by step.

<div id="gumloop-auth" data-token={user?.accessToken || ''} data-email={user?.email || ''} style={{display: 'none'}} />

<div className="lesson-page">
  <div className="lesson-breadcrumb">
    <a href="/">University</a>

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" className="chevron">
      <path d="m9 18 6-6-6-6" />
    </svg>

    <a href="/getting-started-with-gumloop/what-is-gumloop">Getting Started with Gumloop</a>

    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" className="chevron">
      <path d="m9 18 6-6-6-6" />
    </svg>

    <span className="current">Introduction</span>
  </div>

  <div className="lesson-video">
    <div className="lesson-video-aspect">
      <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1190842556?h=4dc802d277" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />
    </div>
  </div>

  <div className="lesson-transcript">
    <input type="checkbox" id="transcript-toggle" className="transcript-toggle" />

    <label htmlFor="transcript-toggle" className="transcript-header">Video transcript</label>

    <div className="lesson-transcript-body">
      <p>AI agents handle your recurring tasks, speed up crucial ones, so you can focus on the important stuff in your business.</p>
      <p>You'd be surprised at the work you do today that could be taken care of by an agent if only you could build one. Well, in this course, we're going to build that agent step by step.</p>
      <p>We'll cover how to think about using agents and where they can be useful in your business. How to set up an agent with the right tools, models, and skills. Now, these may be words today that you don't know, and that's totally fine. We'll cover all of them one by one.</p>
      <p>And then how to deploy that agent for your team to use in Slack, in email, or even have it run in the background to accomplish work for you.</p>
      <p>So join me in the next lesson where we build our first agent. As you get there, think of something in your business you wish could be taken care of for you. And I'll see you there.</p>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div className="lesson-card">
    <h1 className="lesson-title">Introduction</h1>

    <p className="lesson-desc">AI agents handle recurring tasks, speed up critical work, and free you to focus on what matters. This course shows you how to build and deploy them step by step.</p>

    <div className="lesson-content">
      <p>An AI agent is a tool that does work for you. It connects to the apps you already use, follows the instructions you give it, and handles tasks so you don't have to. Some tasks it handles completely. Others it speeds up so you can focus on the parts that actually need you.</p>

      <h2>What You'll Learn</h2>

      <p>This course walks you through building and deploying an agent from scratch. By the end, you'll have a working agent that your whole team can use.</p>

      <p>Here's what we'll cover:</p>

      <ul>
        <li><strong>Build your first agent.</strong> Pick the right tools, choose a model, and write instructions that shape how your agent works.</li>
        <li><strong>Bring it where you work.</strong> Deploy your agent to Slack and email so your team can use it without leaving the tools they're already in.</li>
        <li><strong>Teach it skills.</strong> Give your agent reusable procedures so it does things your way, every time.</li>
        <li><strong>Set up triggers.</strong> Schedule your agent to run on its own or fire it from events in your apps.</li>
        <li><strong>Use Chat.</strong> Handle ad hoc work with Gumloop's built-in generalist agent that has access to all your connected apps.</li>
      </ul>

      <h2>Before You Start</h2>

      <p>Think of something in your business you wish could be taken care of for you. A report you pull every week. A set of emails you triage every morning. A process that takes too long because you're bouncing between tabs.</p>

      <p>Keep that in mind as you go through the course. By the end, you'll know how to build an agent that handles it.</p>

      <form className="quiz-widget">
        <h3>Quiz: What is an AI agent?</h3>

        <input type="radio" name="q-quiz" id="q-q0" className="quiz-input" />

        <input type="radio" name="q-quiz" id="q-q1" className="quiz-input" />

        <input type="radio" name="q-quiz" id="q-q2" className="quiz-input" />

        <input type="checkbox" id="q-check" className="quiz-check-input" />

        <label htmlFor="q-q0" className="quiz-option quiz-correct">
          <span className="quiz-circle" />

          <span>A tool connected to your apps that follows instructions to do work for you.</span>
        </label>

        <label htmlFor="q-q1" className="quiz-option">
          <span className="quiz-circle" />

          <span>A chatbot that answers general knowledge questions.</span>
        </label>

        <label htmlFor="q-q2" className="quiz-option">
          <span className="quiz-circle" />

          <span>A pre-built automation that runs the same steps every time, no matter what.</span>
        </label>

        <div className="quiz-explain-correct quiz-explanation">
          Correct! An agent connects to the apps you use and follows your instructions to handle tasks. It's not just a chatbot, and it's more flexible than a rigid automation.
        </div>

        <div className="quiz-explain-wrong quiz-explanation">
          Not quite. Think about what makes an agent different from a regular chatbot or a fixed automation. What two things does it need to do work for you?
        </div>

        <div className="quiz-actions">
          <label htmlFor="q-check" className="quiz-check-btn">Check</label>
          <button type="reset" className="quiz-reset-btn">↺ Reset</button>
        </div>
      </form>
    </div>
  </div>

  <div className="lesson-nav-grid">
    <div className="lesson-nav-spacer" />

    <a href="/getting-started-with-gumloop/building-your-first-agent" className="lesson-nav-card lesson-nav-next">
      <span className="nav-label">
        Next Lesson

        <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round">
          <path d="M5 12h14" />

          <path d="m12 5 7 7-7 7" />
        </svg>
      </span>

      <span className="nav-title">Build Your First Agent</span>
    </a>
  </div>
</div>