What are Make AI Agents?
Quick answer
Make AI Agents is Make's feature for building AI agents inside the Make platform. You choose an AI model, write the agent's instructions, and give it tools, such as Make scenarios or app modules. For each request the agent decides which tools to call and in what order, instead of following one fixed path like a normal scenario.
Last updated
Take the free module →Module 6 of the free Make & Zapier Jump Start course, about 18 minutes. No account needed.
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
A normal scenario does the same steps every time, which is exactly right for logging form responses. Some jobs vary too much for fixed steps: a request might need a calendar check, a lookup in a sheet, or a handoff to a person. An agent handles that variety by choosing its own steps, using the tools you allow.
The trade is control. A scenario is predictable; an agent makes judgment calls. For a small business that means the same habits as any AI agent: give it only the tools it needs, keep anything customer-facing behind a person's approval, and check its runs. Teams already on Make can reuse scenarios they trust as the agent's tools.
Where you'll use it: in Make, agents are set up with a model connection, instructions (a system prompt) and a list of tools. Make's help center documents the current setup screens, which have changed as the feature developed, so follow the vendor's own guide for the exact clicks.
In a real lesson: Add AI to Make.com: ChatGPT Writes a Personal Reply, Gmail Sends It
The free Add AI to Make lesson adds AI to a scenario, not an agent. Brookside Dental's routine route gets an OpenAI Generate a response module that writes a reply from the patient's own words, every time, in the same place in the flow. The AI writes; the scenario decides the steps.
That difference is the point of the AI Agent vs Chatbot vs Automation lesson. An agent version of the same front desk might decide on its own whether to look up the patient, offer a time, or pass the request to staff.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
AI agent vs AI step in a scenario
An AI step does one fixed job at one point in the flow. An agent decides which steps to take for each request.
Make AI Agents vs Zapier Agents
Both build agents on top of their own app connections. Zapier Agents lives in Zapier; Make AI Agents lives in Make and can use Make scenarios as tools.
Tips
- Start with one or two tools and add more only when the agent clearly needs them.
- Turn trusted scenarios into tools rather than giving the agent raw access to every app.
- Read the agent's run history for the first week of real use.
Related terms
More AI agents terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Add AI to Make.com: ChatGPT Writes a Personal Reply, Gmail Sends It (Make, 18 min)
- AI Agent vs Chatbot vs Automation: One Job Done Three Ways (ChatGPT, 7 min)
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a Make AI Agent to use AI in Make?
- No. For one fixed AI job, such as drafting a reply, an AI module inside a normal scenario is simpler and more predictable.
- How is a Make AI Agent different from an n8n AI Agent?
- The idea is the same: a model, instructions and tools. n8n builds it as an AI Agent node on the workflow canvas; Make builds it in its own agent setup.