---
title: Getting Started
---

import { Callout } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/callout'
import { Card, Cards } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/card'
import { File, Files, Folder } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/files'
import { Step, Steps } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/steps'
import { Tab, Tabs } from 'fumadocs-ui/components/tabs'
import {
  AgentIcon,
  ApiIcon,
  ChartBarIcon,
  CodeIcon,
  ConditionalIcon,
  ConnectIcon,
  ExaAIIcon,
  FirecrawlIcon,
  GmailIcon,
  NotionIcon,
  PerplexityIcon,
  SlackIcon,
} from '@/components/icons'
import { Video } from '@/components/ui/video'
import { Image } from '@/components/ui/image'
import { FAQ } from '@/components/ui/faq'

Build your first AI workflow in 10 minutes. In this tutorial, you'll create a people research agent that uses advanced LLM-powered search tools to extract and structure information about individuals.

<Callout type="info">
  This tutorial covers the essential concepts of building workflows in Sim. Estimated completion time: 10 minutes.
</Callout>

## What You'll Build

A people research agent that:
1. Accepts user input through a chat interface
2. Searches the web using AI-powered tools (Exa and Linkup)
3. Extracts and structures information about individuals
4. Returns formatted JSON data with location, profession, and education

<Image
  src="/static/getting-started/started-1.png"
  alt="Getting Started Example"
  width={800}
  height={500}
/>

## Step-by-Step Tutorial

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a workflow and add an AI agent">
    Click **New Workflow** in the dashboard and name it "Getting Started".
    
    Every new workflow includes a **Start block** by default—this is the entry point that receives user input. Since we'll trigger this workflow via chat, no configuration is needed for the Start block.
    
    Drag an **Agent Block** onto the canvas from the left panel and configure it:
    - **Model**: Select "OpenAI GPT-4o"
    - **System Prompt**: "You are a people research agent. When given a person's name, use your available search tools to find comprehensive information about them including their location, profession, educational background, and other relevant details."
    - **User Prompt**: Drag the connection from the Start block's output into this field to connect `<start.input>` to the user prompt
    
    <div className="mx-auto w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
      <Video src="getting-started/started-2.mp4" width={700} height={450} />
    </div>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Add search tools to the agent">
    Enhance your agent with web search capabilities. Click on the Agent block to select it.
    
    In the **Tools** section:
    - Click **Add Tool**
    - Select **Exa** and **Linkup** from the available tools
    - Provide your API keys for both tools to enable web search and data access
    
    <div className="mx-auto w-3/5 overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
      <Video src="getting-started/started-3.mp4" width={700} height={450} />
    </div>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Test your workflow">
    Test your workflow using the **Chat panel** on the right side of the screen.
    
    In the chat panel:
    - Click the dropdown and select `agent1.content` to view the agent's output
    - Enter a test message: "John is a software engineer from San Francisco who studied Computer Science at Stanford University."
    - Click **Send** to execute the workflow
    
    The agent will analyze the person and return structured information.
    
    <div className="mx-auto w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
      <Video src="getting-started/started-4.mp4" width={700} height={450} />
    </div>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Configure structured output">
    Configure your agent to return structured JSON data. Click on the Agent block to select it.
    
    In the **Response Format** section:
    - Click the **magic wand icon** (✨) next to the schema field
    - Enter the prompt: "create a schema named person, that contains location, profession, and education"
    - The AI will automatically generate the JSON schema
    
    <div className="mx-auto w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
      <Video src="getting-started/started-5.mp4" width={700} height={450} />
    </div>
  </Step>
  
  <Step title="Test with structured output">
    Return to the **Chat panel** to test the structured response format.
    
    With the response format configured, new output options are now available:
    - Click the dropdown and select the structured output option (the schema you just created)
    - Enter a test message: "Sarah is a marketing manager from New York who has an MBA from Harvard Business School."
    - Click **Send** to execute the workflow
    
    The agent will now return structured JSON output with the person's information organized into location, profession, and education fields.
    
    <div className="mx-auto w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
      <Video src="getting-started/started-6.mp4" width={700} height={450} />
    </div>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What You've Built

You've successfully created an AI workflow that:
- ✅ Accepts user input through a chat interface
- ✅ Processes unstructured text using AI
- ✅ Integrates external search tools (Exa and Linkup)
- ✅ Returns structured JSON data with AI-generated schemas
- ✅ Demonstrates real-time testing and iteration
- ✅ Showcases the power of visual, no-code development

## Key Concepts You Learned

### Block Types Used

<Files>
  <File
    name="Start Block"
    icon={<ConnectIcon className="h-4 w-4" />}
    annotation="Entry point for user input (auto-included)"
  />
  <File
    name="Agent Block"
    icon={<AgentIcon className="h-4 w-4" />}
    annotation="AI model for text processing and analysis"
  />
</Files>

### Core Workflow Concepts

**Data Flow**  
Connect blocks by dragging connections to pass data between workflow steps

**Chat Interface**  
Test workflows in real-time with the chat panel and select different output options

**Tool Integration**  
Extend agent capabilities by integrating external services like Exa and Linkup

**Variable References**  
Access block outputs using the `<blockName.output>` syntax

**Structured Output**  
Define JSON schemas to ensure consistent, formatted responses from AI

**AI-Generated Schemas**  
Use the magic wand (✨) to generate schemas from natural language prompts

**Iterative Development**  
Build, test, and refine workflows quickly with immediate feedback

## Next Steps

<Cards>
  <Card title="Explore Workflow Blocks" href="/blocks">
    Discover API, Function, Condition, and other workflow blocks
  </Card>
  <Card title="Browse Integrations" href="/tools">
    Connect 160+ services including Gmail, Slack, Notion, and more
  </Card>
  <Card title="Add Custom Logic" href="/blocks/function">
    Write custom functions for advanced data processing
  </Card>
  <Card title="Deploy Your Workflow" href="/execution">
    Make your workflow accessible via REST API or webhooks
  </Card>
</Cards>

## Resources

**Need detailed explanations?** Visit the [Blocks documentation](/blocks) for comprehensive guides on each component.

**Looking for integrations?** Explore the [Tools documentation](/tools) to see all 160+ available integrations.

**Ready to go live?** Learn about [Execution and Deployment](/execution) to make your workflows production-ready.

<FAQ items={[
  { question: "How long does the getting started tutorial take?", answer: "About 10 minutes. The tutorial walks you through creating a people research agent with web search tools and structured output. You will have a fully working workflow by the end." },
  { question: "Do I need API keys to follow this tutorial?", answer: "You need API keys for the search tools (Exa and Linkup) used in this tutorial. For the AI model, you can either use Sim's hosted keys (included with your plan credits) or bring your own OpenAI API key. If you prefer not to set up search tool keys, you can still build a basic agent workflow without them." },
  { question: "Do I need coding experience to complete this tutorial?", answer: "No. The entire tutorial uses the visual drag-and-drop interface. You will connect blocks, configure settings, and test through the chat panel without writing any code." },
  { question: "Can I use a different AI model instead of GPT-4o?", answer: "Yes. The Agent block supports models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Groq, Cerebras, DeepSeek, Mistral, xAI, and more. You can select any available model from the dropdown. If you self-host, you can also use local models through Ollama." },
  { question: "Can I import workflows from other tools?", answer: "Sim does not currently support importing workflows from other automation platforms. However, you can use the Copilot feature to describe what you want in natural language and have it build the workflow for you, which is often faster than manual recreation." },
  { question: "What if my workflow does not produce the expected output?", answer: "Use the Chat panel to test iteratively and inspect outputs from each block. You can click the dropdown to view different block outputs and pinpoint where the issue is. The execution logs (accessible from the Logs tab) show detailed information about each step including token usage, costs, and any errors." },
  { question: "Where do I go after completing this tutorial?", answer: "Explore the Blocks documentation to learn about Condition, Router, Function, and API blocks. Browse the Tools section to discover 160+ integrations you can add to your agents. When you are ready to deploy, check the Execution docs for REST API, webhook, and scheduled trigger options." },
]} />
