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Use an AI research agent to autonomously search the web, gather information, and synthesize findings into a comprehensive report. Unlike more predefined actions, the Research Agent can navigate the internet, find and analyze information, and adapt to deliver the results you need — whether that’s competitor analysis, lead generation, or market research.
There are two ways to use the Research Agent action: pre-built agents and custom agents.
  • Pre-built Research Agents come with predefined instructions designed for common use cases, making them easy to set up and use.
  • Custom Research Agents let you provide your own instructions, giving you more flexibility and control over the agent’s behavior.

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Pre-built Research Agents

Pre-built agents handle common research tasks out of the box. In this example, we’ll use the “Find LinkedIn Company Profile” agent.
1

Add the action

In the Workflow builder, click + between blocks and select Research Agent from the action library. Choose a pre-built agent from the list.
Action library with Research Agent selected
Selecting a pre-built Research Agent from the list
2

Input required fields

Enter the information required by the specific pre-built agent. For the LinkedIn Company Profile example, input the Company Name and Company Website. You can reference variables from previous steps using #.
Input fields for the pre-built Research Agent showing Company Name and Company Website
The agent instructions are pre-populated and will automatically use the inputs you provided. To see what steps the agent will take, open the Advanced Options tab to view the Instructions for the Research Agent field. You can also select a different AI Model from this tab.
Advanced Options tab showing pre-populated instructions and AI model selection
If you want to modify the default instructions, click Convert to custom Research Agent (Advanced). This creates a custom research agent that you can fully edit — see the custom agent steps below.
3

Configure structured output fields

Optionally, use structured output fields to have the AI return data in a specific format. Define field names, data types, and formats to get consistent, structured results.
Structured output fields configuration for the pre-built Research Agent
4

Review the output

When you run the Workflow, the Research Agent output displays the information you requested. Open the Research Agent Details to see the confidence level, reasoning behind the result, and the steps the agent took to obtain the information.
Research Agent output showing confidence level and reasoning details

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Custom Research Agents

Custom agents let you write your own instructions for full control over the research task.
1

Add the action

In the Workflow builder, click + between blocks and select Research Agent from the action library. Choose Custom Research Agent.
Action library showing Research Agent selection
Selecting the Custom Research Agent option
2

Enter instructions for the agent

Provide detailed instructions describing the task you want the agent to perform. The agent can search the internet, scrape webpages, and perform multiple steps autonomously.When writing instructions:
  • Be specific about the desired response and potential information sources
  • Reference variables using # to provide necessary context
  • Include the order of operations and directions
  • Specify when assumptions can be made and what the agent shouldn’t do
  • Define the expected output format (e.g., “valid domain” for a positive case or “no results found” for a negative case)
Instructions field for the custom Research Agent with detailed task description
3

Select the AI model

Choose the AI Model to customize the Research Agent’s performance based on your specific needs.
AI model selection dropdown for the custom Research Agent
4

Configure structured output fields

Optionally, set up structured output fields to have the AI return data in a specific format with defined field names, data types, and formats for consistent results.
Structured output fields configuration for the custom Research Agent
5

Review the output

Run the Workflow and review the output to ensure it meets your expectations. Check the Research Agent Details for the confidence level, reasoning, and the steps taken. Refine the instructions if needed for better results.
Custom Research Agent output with confidence level and step details