How to Build Your Own Autonomous Agent: A Zero-Code Guide Using Lindy AI

You can build and deploy a fully functional autonomous AI agent in under 15 minutes using Lindy AI—no coding required. This tutorial will walk you through creating an email management agent that triages your inbox, drafts responses, and schedules follow-ups automatically.

What You’ll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a working AI agent that:

Monitors your Gmail inbox every 5 minutes
Categorizes incoming emails (urgent, action needed, FYI, spam)
Drafts reply templates for common query types
Creates calendar events for emails that require meetings
Sends you a daily digest summarizing actions taken

This agent would take a developer several days to code from scratch. With Lindy, you’ll have it running before your coffee gets cold.

Why Lindy AI for No-Code Agents?

I’ve tested a dozen no-code agent platforms, and Lindy stands out for several reasons:

Truly no-code: Drag-and-drop interface, no “low-code” compromises
Pre-built integrations: Gmail, Slack, Notion, Calendar, and 50+ more
Natural language configuration: Describe what you want in plain English
Generous free tier: 100 agent runs per month
Production-ready: Used by companies like Notion and Linear

Step 1: Create Your Lindy Account (2 minutes)

Visit lindy.ai and click “Get Started Free”
Sign up with Google for easy Gmail integration
Complete the onboarding questionnaire (helps personalize suggestions)

You’ll land on your Lindies Dashboard—this is command central for all your agents.

Step 2: Create a New Agent (1 minute)

Click the purple ”+ Create Lindy” button
From the template gallery, select “Email Assistant”
Name your agent: “Email Triage Bot”

Lindy will pre-configure basic email handling capabilities. We’ll customize everything next.

Step 3: Connect Your Gmail (2 minutes)

In the agent editor, click “Connections” in the left sidebar
Select “Gmail” from the integration list
Click “Connect” and authorize Lindy to access your Gmail
Choose permissions:
- ✅ Read emails
- ✅ Send emails (for drafts)
- ✅ Modify labels
- ❌ Delete emails (keep this off for safety)

Security Note: Lindy uses OAuth and doesn’t store your password. You can revoke access anytime from your Google account settings.

Step 4: Define Your Triage Rules (5 minutes)

This is where the magic happens. Click “Instructions” and describe your triage logic in plain English:

Email Triage Rules:

1. URGENT (apply "🔴 Urgent" label, send Slack notification):
   - Emails from my boss ([email protected])
   - Subject contains "urgent", "asap", or "emergency"
   - Emails from clients in my VIP list

2. ACTION NEEDED (apply "🟡 Action" label):
   - Emails asking questions or requesting something
   - Calendar invites requiring response
   - Emails with deadlines mentioned

3. FYI ONLY (apply "🟢 FYI" label, no notification):
   - Newsletter subscriptions
   - CC'd emails where I'm not the primary recipient
   - Automated notifications from tools

4. SPAM/PROMOTIONAL (archive immediately):
   - Marketing emails not in my safe sender list
   - Cold outreach and sales pitches

Lindy’s AI interprets these natural language rules and converts them into actionable logic.

Step 5: Set Up Auto-Responses (3 minutes)

Under “Actions”, configure response drafts:

Click “Add Action” → “Draft Email”
Set the trigger: “When email requires simple response”
Configure the template:

For meeting requests:
"Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out! I'd be happy to connect. 
Here's my calendar link for scheduling: [CALENDAR_LINK]

Looking forward to it,
[MY_NAME]"

For general questions:
"Hi [Name],

Thanks for your email. I've received your [QUESTION_TOPIC] 
and will get back to you within [RESPONSE_TIME].

Best,
[MY_NAME]"

Enable “Save as draft” (recommended) or “Auto-send” (only for simple confirmations)

Step 6: Configure Calendar Integration (2 minutes)

Go to “Connections” → “Google Calendar” → “Connect”
Return to “Actions” and add:
- Trigger: “Email mentions a meeting or call”
- Action: “Create calendar event”
- Settings:
  - Default duration: 30 minutes
  - Add email sender as attendee
  - Include email thread link in description

Step 7: Set Up Daily Digest (2 minutes)

Add a new action: “Scheduled Summary”
Configure:
- Time: 8:00 AM your timezone
- Delivery: Email to yourself
- Include:
  - Count of emails processed
  - List of URGENT items
  - Pending actions from yesterday
  - Link to full activity log

Step 8: Test Your Agent (2 minutes)

Before going live:

Click “Test Run” in the top right
Lindy will process your 10 most recent emails (read-only)
Review the proposed categorizations and actions
Adjust rules if anything looks wrong

Pro Tip: Send yourself a test email with “URGENT” in the subject to verify the priority detection works.

Step 9: Activate Your Agent (30 seconds)

Toggle the “Active” switch to ON
Set the checking frequency: Every 5 minutes (recommended)
Click “Save and Deploy”

🎉 Congratulations! Your autonomous email agent is now live.

Monitoring and Optimization

Activity Dashboard

Lindy provides a real-time dashboard showing:

Emails processed (with before/after states)
Actions taken (labels applied, drafts created, events scheduled)
Errors or uncertain cases requiring review

Weekly Performance Report

Every Sunday, you’ll receive a summary:

Total emails triaged
Time saved estimate
Accuracy score (based on your corrections)
Suggested rule improvements

Continuous Learning

When you manually recategorize an email that Lindy got wrong:

Lindy detects the correction
Asks if you want to create a new rule
Automatically adds edge cases to its understanding

Advanced: Connecting to Slack and Notion

Once your email agent is running, extend it:

Slack Notifications

Connect Slack in “Connections”
Add action: “Send message to #urgent-channel when URGENT email arrives”
Include: Sender, subject, and one-line summary

Notion Database

Connect Notion and select a database
Add action: “Create task in Notion when ACTION NEEDED email arrives”
Map fields: Sender → Assignee, Subject → Task Name, Body → Description

Comparison: Lindy vs. Other No-Code Agent Platforms

Feature	Lindy AI	Zapier AI	Make (formerly Integromat)
Natural Language Config	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Pre-built Agents	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
AI Understanding	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Learning from Corrections	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐
Free Tier	100 runs/mo	100 tasks/mo	1000 ops/mo
Ease of Setup	Very Easy	Easy	Moderate

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Agent not processing new emails?

Check Gmail connection status in “Connections”
Verify OAuth permissions haven’t expired
Ensure agent is toggled to “Active”

Incorrect categorization?

Review your natural language rules for ambiguity
Add more specific examples to edge cases
Use the feedback button on incorrect items

Drafts not appearing in Gmail?

Check “Drafts” folder (not inbox)
Verify “Create draft” permission was granted
Try reconnecting Gmail integration

FAQ

1. Is my email data safe with Lindy?

Lindy is SOC 2 Type II certified and doesn’t store email content permanently. Data is processed in memory and only metadata (sender, subject, actions taken) is logged. You can request complete data deletion at any time.

2. Can I use Lindy with Outlook instead of Gmail?

Yes! Lindy supports Microsoft 365 / Outlook with the same feature set. The connection process is similar—authorize via Microsoft OAuth.

3. What happens when Lindy makes a mistake?

Lindy saves drafts rather than auto-sending by default. For categorization mistakes, simply move the email to the correct label—Lindy learns from these corrections automatically.

4. Can I create multiple agents for different purposes?

Absolutely. Most users have 3-5 Lindies: email triage, meeting scheduler, research assistant, social media monitor, etc. Each operates independently.

5. How does Lindy compare to custom-coded solutions?

For 90% of use cases, Lindy is faster to set up and equally reliable. Custom code wins when you need very specific integrations or processing logic that can’t be expressed in natural language.

This is just the beginning of your automation journey. At NullZen, we believe everyone should have access to AI-powered productivity tools. Check out our other tutorials on building more advanced autonomous workflows.