Intro to AI Automation

Updated October 20, 2026

For office staff and owners who want to see what AI automation is before learning one tool in depth, this is free, hands-on AI automation training. You practise each step in a practice copy of the real tool, ChatGPT, n8n or Lovable, in your browser. Nothing touches your real accounts, and you can start without signing up. The business case is simple: fewer hours spent writing and copying data by hand. You build three things in order. First, a Custom GPT that writes in your brand voice. Next, an n8n AI agent that saves its own work to a spreadsheet. Last, a Lovable web form that hands each submission to that agent. Each module builds on the one before.

Work through them in order: each step builds on the one before it, and every module runs in a practice copy of ChatGPT, n8n and Lovable right in your browser. It is free, and no experience is needed.

Beginner 4 modules about 47 minutes Free Start the path free

The path: 4 steps

1. Step 1: Get On-Brand Social Posts Every Time using a ChatGPT Custom GPT✓ Done Beginner

   See why generic prompts give generic results, then build a Custom GPT loaded with your brand voice and watch the output transform.

   Free · about 8 minutes · Next up: n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets

2. Step 2: n8n AI Agent Tutorial: Save Social Media Ideas to Google Sheets✓ Done Intermediate

   Build an AI agent for BrightPath Marketing that generates social media post ideas and saves them to Google Sheets — chat trigger, AI Agent, system prompt, model, memory, and the Sheets tool.

   Free · about 12 minutes · Watch the video · Next up: Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI Backend

3. Step 3: Lovable + n8n: Build a Web App with an AI Backend✓ Done Advanced

   Build a contact form in Lovable and connect it to an n8n workflow — webhook trigger, AI Agent, Google Sheets, Gmail, and a Respond node that ties it all together.

   Free · about 15 minutes · Watch the video · Next up: AI Workflow Automation for Beginners: Sort Every Client Inquiry and Draft the Reply using n8n

4. Step 4: AI Workflow Automation for Beginners: Sort Every Client Inquiry and Draft the Reply using n8n✓ Done Beginner

   AI workflow automation for beginners: a form catches each client inquiry, an AI step sorts it and drafts the reply, and an If rule flags the urgent ones. Real n8n, free OpenAI credits, no keys.

   Free · about 12 minutes · Last step

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free hands-on intro to AI automation for beginners?

Yes. This path is three free lessons that run in practice copies of ChatGPT, n8n and Lovable in your browser. You build a Custom GPT, then an n8n AI agent, then a web form that feeds the agent. No experience is needed, and you can start the first lesson without signing up.

Should a beginner learn ChatGPT or n8n first for automation?

Start with ChatGPT. Writing the instructions for a Custom GPT teaches you how to tell AI exactly what you want. Then move to the n8n AI agent, where the same skill drives an automation that saves its own work. The path puts them in that order for this reason.

Do I need an account or a credit card to try AI automation on Stepthrough?

No. Every lesson runs in a practice copy of the real app inside your browser, so nothing is billed and nothing connects to your real Gmail, Google Sheets or ChatGPT. You can start without signing up. When you want to build the same thing for real, you will need your own account with each tool.

How long does the Intro to AI Automation path take?

It is three beginner modules, and most people finish each one in a single sitting. You can stop at any step and come back later. Take them in order, because the web form in the last module sends its entries to the agent you build in the second, and the agent uses the prompt skills from the first.

What can a small business automate with an AI agent and a web form?

A common first job is lead intake. A visitor fills in a form on your site, the form sends the details to an n8n AI agent, and the agent writes a reply or a summary and saves a row to a spreadsheet. The Lovable and n8n lesson builds that flow in a practice copy.

Related

All free tutorials