Getting My Hands Dirty: Building a Simple Chat-Based Agent with n8n
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been exploring ways to make my life easier by creating small AI agents. The idea is simple: instead of switching between apps or Googling every little thing, I wanted a chat-based agent that feels like a friendly companion who can help me with daily tasks.
Why n8n?
n8n is an open-source workflow automation tool. Think of it as the “Lego blocks” of automation—you can connect services, APIs, and logic flows without writing tons of code. Since I’m still learning, I wanted something that could give me quick wins without being overwhelming.
Here’s why n8n clicked for me:
Visual Workflows: Drag, drop, connect. No heavy coding needed.
Integrations: From Slack to OpenAI to custom webhooks, n8n has a wide range of nodes.
Flexibility: I can start simple and then scale up as I learn.
My First Agent Idea
The first agent I’m working on is a chat helper. The vision: I type in a message, and it replies like a friend—whether I need a quick reminder, a motivational nudge, or even a small piece of information.
The Setup
Trigger Node: A webhook to capture my chat messages.
AI Node: OpenAI connected in n8n to process the text and generate a response.
Response Node: Send the answer back to me via email, chat app, or even Telegram.
It’s really that simple! The first time I got a reply back felt magical—it wasn’t just automation, it felt like a small AI buddy I created myself.
What’s Next?
Add memory so it “remembers” past conversations.
Connect it with my to-do list.
Experiment with Azure DevOps integration, so one day it can remind me about pipeline status or errors.
Final Thoughts
This is just the beginning. I know the agent is basic right now, but that’s the beauty of it—hands-on learning. Every small improvement feels rewarding. Over time, I want SmartAgent Forge (my project brand) to grow into a place where automation, AI, and creativity blend to make life easier.
Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing more of my journey, including successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way!