AI Agents

What Are AI Agents?

AI Agents are your intelligent assistants that work automatically in the background to help with various marketing tasks. Think of them as specialized workers that handle specific jobs like researching prospects, creating content, managing emails, or finding leads - all without you having to do it manually.

Why Use AI Agents?

• Save Time: Automate repetitive tasks so you can focus on strategy
• Work 24/7: Agents work even when you're not logged in
• Consistent Results: Get reliable, consistent output every time
• Scale Your Efforts: Handle more work without hiring more people

Getting Started

Finding the Agents Page

• Log into your OutreachBox account
• Look for Agents in the main navigation menu (usually on the left sidebar)
• Click on Agents to see all your available agents

Types of Agents Available

Here are the different types of agents you can use, each designed for specific tasks:

Research Agent

Best for: Finding information about companies, competitors, or market trends

What it does:

• Researches companies and industries
• Gathers market intelligence
• Analyzes competitor data
• Compiles research reports

Example use: "Research all SaaS companies in San Francisco with 50-200 employees"

Web Search Agent

Best for: Finding specific information on the internet

What it does:

• Searches the web for information
• Finds relevant articles and resources
• Retrieves data from websites
• Compiles search results

Example use: "Find the latest news about email marketing trends"

Email Agent

Best for: Automating email-related tasks

What it does:

• Sends emails automatically
• Processes incoming emails
• Manages email workflows
• Handles email responses

Example use: "Send follow-up emails to all contacts who opened but didn't click"

Content Agent

Best for: Creating written content automatically

What it does:

• Generates blog posts and articles
• Creates marketing copy
• Writes product descriptions
• Develops content ideas

Example use: "Generate 5 blog post ideas about digital marketing"

Social Media Agent

Best for: Managing your social media presence

What it does:

• Creates social media posts
• Schedules content
• Engages with followers
• Monitors mentions

Example use: "Create and schedule 10 LinkedIn posts for this week"

Lead Generation Agent

Best for: Finding new potential customers

What it does:

• Discovers new leads
• Finds contact information
• Identifies prospects
• Builds lead lists

Example use: "Find 100 marketing directors at tech companies in New York"

Analytics Agent

Best for: Understanding your performance data

What it does:

• Analyzes campaign performance
• Generates reports
• Identifies trends
• Provides insights

Example use: "Analyze last month's email campaign and identify top performers"

How to Create Your First Agent

Step-by-Step Guide

• Click the "New Agent" Button

• You'll find this button at the top right of the Agents page
• It's usually a blue or primary-colored button with a "+" icon

• Choose What Type of Agent You Need

• A dropdown menu will show all available agent types
• Select the one that matches your task (e.g., "Lead Generation Agent" to find leads)

• Give Your Agent a Name

• Use a descriptive name so you remember what it does
• Example: "Tech Company Lead Finder" instead of just "Agent 1"

• Describe What This Agent Should Do

• Write a brief description of the agent's purpose
• Example: "Finds marketing directors at SaaS companies in California"

• Configure the Agent Settings

• Each agent type has different settings
• For a Lead Generation Agent, you might set:
• Target industry
• Job titles to search for
• Geographic location
• Company size

• Decide if It Should Start Immediately

• Enabled: Agent starts working right away
• Disabled: Agent is created but won't run until you enable it

• Click "Create Agent"
• Your agent is now created and ready to use!

Real-World Example

Let's say you want to find leads for your B2B software product:

• Click New Agent
• Select Lead Generation Agent
• Name it: "SaaS CMO Finder"
• Description: "Finds Chief Marketing Officers at SaaS companies with 50-500 employees"
• Configure:
• Industry: Software/SaaS
• Job Title: CMO, VP Marketing, Marketing Director
• Company Size: 50-500 employees
• Location: United States
• Enable it
• Click Create

Your agent will now start finding relevant leads automatically!

Understanding Agent Status

When you look at your agents list, you'll see different status indicators. Here's what they mean:

Status Colors and Meanings

• 🟢 ACTIVE (Green): Your agent is working and processing tasks. Everything is running smoothly!

• ⚪ INACTIVE (Gray): The agent is turned off. It won't do anything until you enable it.

• 🟡 BUSY (Yellow): The agent is currently working on a task. This is normal - just wait for it to finish.

• 🔴 ERROR (Red): Something went wrong. Click on the agent to see what the error is and how to fix it.

• 🔵 INITIALIZING (Blue): The agent is starting up. This usually takes just a few seconds.

• 🟣 IDLE (Purple): The agent is ready and waiting for work. It's active but has no tasks right now.

• ⚫ OFFLINE (Black): The agent can't connect. Check your internet connection or contact support.

What to Do Based on Status

• If ACTIVE: Great! Your agent is working. Check back later for results.

• If INACTIVE: Click the toggle switch to enable it if you want it to start working.

• If BUSY: Be patient - it's working. You can check back in a few minutes.

• If ERROR: Click on the agent to see error details. Usually, it's a configuration issue you can fix.

• If OFFLINE: Check your internet connection first. If that's fine, contact support.

Managing Your Agents

Turning Agents On and Off

To Enable an Agent:

• Find the agent in your list
• Look for a toggle switch (usually on the right side)
• Click the switch to turn it ON (it should turn green or show "Active")
• The agent will immediately start working

To Disable an Agent:

• Find the agent you want to stop
• Click the toggle switch to turn it OFF
• The agent will stop processing new tasks
• Any task it's currently working on will finish, then it stops

Why disable an agent?

• You want to pause it temporarily
• You're updating its configuration
• You don't need it running right now
• You want to save resources

Editing an Agent's Settings

Sometimes you need to change what an agent does:

• Find the agent in your list
• Click on the agent's name or the Edit button (usually a pencil icon)
• You'll see all the agent's current settings
• Make your changes:
• Update the name or description
• Change search criteria
• Modify target parameters
• Adjust any other settings
• Click Save to apply your changes

Example: If your lead generation agent was finding "Marketing Directors" but you want "CMOs" instead, edit it and change the job title filter.

Removing an Agent

If you no longer need an agent:

• Find the agent you want to delete
• Click the Delete button (usually a trash icon)
• A confirmation popup will appear asking "Are you sure?"
• Click Confirm or Yes to delete it
• The agent is permanently removed

Note: Make sure you really want to delete it - you can't undo this action. If you might need it later, consider just disabling it instead.

Configuring Your Agents

Basic Information Every Agent Needs

When creating or editing an agent, you'll always need to fill in:

• Name: What you want to call this agent (make it descriptive!)
• Description: A brief explanation of what this agent does
• Type: What kind of agent it is (you select this when creating)
• Status: Whether it's currently running or paused

Settings That Vary by Agent Type

Different agents need different information. Here's what to expect:

For Lead Generation Agents:

• Target Industry: What industry to search (e.g., "Technology", "Healthcare")
• Job Titles: What positions to find (e.g., "CMO", "VP Sales")
• Company Size: Number of employees (e.g., "50-200")
• Location: Geographic area (e.g., "United States", "California")
• Keywords: Any specific terms to include or exclude

For Content Agents:

• Content Type: Blog post, article, social media post, etc.
• Topic: What to write about
• Tone: Professional, casual, technical, etc.
• Length: How long the content should be
• Keywords: SEO keywords to include

For Email Agents:

• Email Account: Which email account to use
• Template: Which email template to use
• Recipients: Who to send to (contacts, groups, etc.)
• Schedule: When to send emails

For Research Agents:

• Research Topic: What to research
• Sources: Where to look (websites, databases, etc.)
• Depth: How thorough the research should be
• Output Format: How you want the results (report, summary, etc.)

Viewing Agent Details and Results

When you click on an agent, you'll see a detailed view with several tabs:

Overview Tab

Shows you a quick summary:

• What the agent is doing
• Current status
• Recent activity
• Quick stats

Tasks Tab

See what your agent has been working on:

• List of all tasks the agent has completed
• When each task ran
• Whether it succeeded or failed
• Results or outputs from each task

Example: If it's a Lead Generation Agent, you'll see "Found 25 leads" with a timestamp.

Performance Tab

Understand how well your agent is working:

• Tasks Completed: How many tasks it's finished
• Success Rate: Percentage of tasks that succeeded
• Average Time: How long tasks typically take
• Errors: Number of problems encountered

This helps you know if your agent is working efficiently.

Configuration Tab

Review and edit the agent's settings:

• All the parameters you set when creating it
• Ability to modify settings
• Save changes here

Logs Tab

For troubleshooting - shows technical details:

• Detailed execution logs
• Error messages
• System information
• Useful when something isn't working

Keeping an Eye on Your Agents

Daily Check-In Routine

Morning Check (5 minutes):

• Open the Agents page
• Quickly scan the status column
• Look for any red ERROR indicators
• Check if agents that should be running are ACTIVE

What to Look For:

• ✅ Green/Active = Good, working normally
• ⚠️ Yellow/Busy = Normal, just working on something
• ❌ Red/Error = Needs your attention

Understanding Performance Metrics

When you check an agent's performance, you'll see numbers like:

• Tasks Completed: "150 tasks" - This shows how much work it's done
• Success Rate: "98%" - Higher is better! If it's below 90%, investigate why
• Average Time: "2.5 minutes" - How long each task takes
• Errors: "3 errors" - If this number is high, check the logs

Good Performance Indicators:

• Success rate above 95%
• Consistent task completion
• No recent errors
• Tasks completing in reasonable time

Reviewing Task History

Check your agent's task history regularly to:

• See what it's been doing
• Verify it's finding the right results
• Spot any patterns (good or bad)
• Export results if needed

Example: Your Lead Generation Agent shows "Task completed: Found 25 leads matching criteria" - click on it to see the actual leads it found.

Finding Agents Quickly

As you create more agents, you'll need ways to find them easily.

Using the Search Bar

• Look for the search box at the top of the Agents page
• Type part of an agent's name
• Results filter instantly as you type
• Example: Type "lead" to find all your lead generation agents

Filtering Your Agents

Use the filter dropdowns to narrow down your list:

Filter by Type:

• Show only Lead Generation Agents
• Show only Content Agents
• Show only Email Agents
• etc.

Filter by Status:

• Show only Active agents (see what's currently working)
• Show only Inactive agents (see what's paused)
• Show only agents with Errors (find problems quickly)

Why use filters?

• When you have 20+ agents, filters help you find specific ones
• Quickly see which agents are having problems
• Focus on agents that are currently working

Agent Best Practices

• Name Clearly: Use descriptive names
• Configure Properly: Set correct parameters
• Monitor Regularly: Check agent status
• Handle Errors: Review error logs
• Test First: Test agents before full deployment
• Document: Document agent purpose
• Optimize: Tune agent configurations

Common Problems and Solutions

"My Agent Isn't Doing Anything"

Check these things in order:

• Is it enabled?

• Look at the status - is it INACTIVE?
• If yes, click the toggle to enable it
• Wait a minute and check again

• Is it the right type of agent?

• Make sure you selected the correct agent type
• A Content Agent won't find leads, and a Lead Agent won't write blogs

• Are the settings correct?

• Review the configuration
• Make sure all required fields are filled
• Check that filters aren't too restrictive (might find zero results)

• Is there an error?
• Check the status - if it shows ERROR, click on the agent
• Read the error message - it usually tells you what's wrong
• Common errors: "Invalid configuration", "No results found", "Permission denied"

"My Agent Shows an Error"

Step 1: Read the Error Message

• Click on the agent to see details
• The error message usually explains the problem
• Common messages and what they mean:

"Invalid Configuration"

• One of your settings is incorrect
• Check all dropdown menus and fields
• Make sure numbers are in valid ranges
• Verify email addresses are correct

"No Results Found"

• Your search criteria might be too specific
• Try broadening your filters
• Example: Instead of "CMO at SaaS companies in San Francisco with exactly 100 employees", try "Marketing executives at tech companies in California"

"Permission Denied"

• You might not have access to a required feature
• Check your subscription plan
• Verify you have the right permissions
• Contact your account admin if needed

"Connection Failed"

• Check your internet connection
• Verify any connected services (email accounts, etc.) are working
• Try disabling and re-enabling the agent

Step 2: Check the Logs

• Go to the Logs tab in the agent details
• Look for recent error messages
• The logs show exactly what went wrong and when

Step 3: Fix and Retry

• Fix the issue based on the error message
• Save your changes
• The agent should automatically retry, or you can disable/enable it

"My Agent is Too Slow"

Possible causes and fixes:

• Too many tasks at once

• The agent might be overwhelmed
• Consider creating multiple agents to split the work
• Or adjust the task frequency

• Complex configuration

• Very specific searches take longer
• Simplify your criteria if possible
• Or be patient - thorough results take time

• System load
• During peak times, agents might run slower
• This is usually temporary
• Check back in an hour

If it's consistently slow:

• Review the agent's performance metrics
• Compare with other similar agents
• Contact support if it's unusually slow

"My Agent Found Wrong Results"

This usually means the configuration needs adjustment:

• Review your filters

• Are they too broad or too narrow?
• Example: If searching for "Marketing Director" but getting "Sales Director", add "Marketing" as a required keyword

• Check your keywords

• Make sure keywords are relevant
• Add negative keywords to exclude unwanted results
• Example: Add "-sales" to exclude sales-related results

• Refine your criteria

• Be more specific about what you want
• Add more filters to narrow results
• Test with a small sample first

• Update and retry
• Make your changes
• Save the agent
• It will use new criteria for future tasks

Real-World Use Cases

Use Case 1: Finding Leads for Your Sales Team

Scenario: You need 50 new leads every week for your sales team.

Solution:

• Create a Lead Generation Agent
• Configure it to find your ideal customer profile
• Set it to run weekly
• Enable it and let it work
• Review results each week and export to your CRM

Result: Your sales team gets fresh leads automatically every week without you doing manual research.

Use Case 2: Creating Content Consistently

Scenario: You want to publish 3 blog posts per week but don't have time to write them all.

Solution:

• Create a Content Agent
• Configure it to generate blog posts on your topics
• Set it to create 3 posts per week
• Review and edit the generated content
• Publish when ready

Result: You have a steady stream of content ideas and drafts, saving hours of writing time.

Use Case 3: Following Up with Prospects

Scenario: You want to automatically follow up with prospects who haven't responded.

Solution:

• Create an Email Agent
• Configure it to send follow-up emails
• Set conditions (e.g., "if no reply after 3 days")
• Use a professional follow-up template
• Enable it

Result: Prospects get timely follow-ups automatically, improving your response rates.

Next Steps

Now that you understand AI Agents, here's what to do:

• Start Simple: Create one agent for a task you do regularly
• Monitor It: Check on it daily for the first week
• Optimize: Adjust settings based on results
• Scale Up: Create more agents as you see value
• Automate More: Look for other repetitive tasks

Related Features

Learn more about features that work well with AI Agents:

• Workflows - Combine agents with automated workflows
• Content Generation - Use Content Agents effectively
• Leads Search - Understand how Lead Agents find prospects

Need More Help?

• Check the agent's logs for detailed error information
• Review the agent's configuration to ensure settings are correct
• Contact support if problems persist
• Visit the Help Center for more resources

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AI Agents work for you 24/7. Set them up once, and they'll keep working to help you achieve your marketing goals.