Step reference

When you build an agent in the visual builder, you assemble it from steps (also called nodes) on the canvas. The node library groups them into four categories: Triggers, AI Steps, By Connector (actions), and Utility. This page is a reference to what each step does so you can pick the right one.

Every agent needs exactly one trigger to start it, and most pipeline agents end with an End step. AI steps and actions go in between.

If you are choosing between AI steps rather than looking up a specific step, start with Choosing AI steps.

Triggers

A trigger decides how an agent starts. Add one from the Triggers group; it becomes the start of the agent. See Triggers for setup details, including Run As for automated triggers.

Step	Starts the agent when…
Chat Trigger	Someone sends a message in chat (Chat message). Forces the agent into a chat-first shape.
Form Input Trigger	A form is submitted (Form submission) with the fields you define.
Schedule Trigger	A recurring schedule fires (Scheduled event) — minutes, hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.
Webhook Trigger	An external system calls the agent’s webhook URL.
Email Trigger	An inbound email arrives at the agent’s address.

In the library, trigger filters label these as Chat message, Form submission, Scheduled event, Webhook, Email, and Manual. A Chat Trigger always makes the agent a Chat agent; Form and Schedule triggers are typical of Automation (pipeline) agents.

AI Steps

AI steps are where the model reasons, responds, loops, and branches. Add them from the AI Steps group.

Step	What it does
AI Respond	Generates a reply to the user. The default step for an Assistant after its Chat Trigger.
AI Think	Reasons over the input and produces an intermediate result for later steps, without replying to the user.
AI Agent	Runs another saved agent as a step, then returns its result. Used by Workforce agents to delegate to teammates.
AI Plan & Execute	Breaks a goal into a plan and works through it, calling tools and skills as needed.
AI Wait for User Input	Pauses the run and asks the person for more information before continuing.
AI Branch	Picks one of several paths based on the model’s read of the situation.
AI While	Repeats a set of steps while a condition the model evaluates stays true.
AI For Each	Runs the same steps once for each item in a list (for example, each overdue invoice).
AI Approval	Pauses for a person to Approve or Reject before the run continues. This is the human-in-the-loop step.

AI Approval is how you put a human in the loop before consequential work. Use it ahead of any step that writes to NetSuite, and keep it in place rather than relying on Auto-approve writes. See Approvals.

Actions (By Connector)

The By Connector group lists actions exposed by your connectors — read and write operations against external systems. The exact actions you see depend on which connectors are connected to your workspace.

Source	Examples of what an action can do
Erstan	Load files, analyze datasets, create or update documents and files, send Erstan email, and work with tasks and projects.
NetSuite	Read records and run SuiteQL; create or update records such as invoices, vendor bills, and sales orders.
Other connectors	Post a Slack message, call an MCP server tool, or use provider tools such as web search.

See Tools overview, Tools by Erstan, and Tools by connector for the tool catalog.

NetSuite actions that create or update records are writes. Each write tool has a write policy of Allow, Require approval, or Deny, and runs use per-user authorization. Gate writes behind Require approval or an AI Approval step. See NetSuite and Tools, skills & connections.

Logic and Utility

The Utility group holds structural and logic steps that shape the flow without calling the model directly.

Step	What it does
Note	A comment on the canvas to document the agent for builders. Does nothing at run time.
End	Marks where a run finishes. Pipeline (Automation) agents typically end here.
Rule-Based Decision	Routes the flow down a path using fixed, deterministic rules you define (not the model).
HTTP	Calls an external HTTP endpoint and returns the response.
Transform	Reshapes data between steps — map, rename, or format fields.
Extract	Pulls structured fields out of text or a document (for example, fields from an invoice).
Guardrail	Checks output against a rule and blocks or flags it when the rule is violated.
Skill	Loads a skill so the agent follows its packaged instructions for a task.

Use Rule-Based Decision when the choice is clear-cut and should always behave the same way, and AI Branch when the path depends on judgment about messy input.

Next steps

The visual builder

Place these steps on the canvas and connect them.

Triggers

Set up how each agent starts, including Run As.

Tools, skills & connections

Give actions the connectors and skills they need.

Choosing AI steps

Compare AI Think, AI Respond, AI Plan & Execute, AI Agent, approvals, branches, and loops.

Approvals

How human-in-the-loop checks gate NetSuite writes.

Get started

Chat

Agents

Skills & prompts

Marketplace

Tasks & teams

Documents & files

Playbooks

Administration

Security & trust

Troubleshooting

Step reference

Triggers

AI Steps

Actions (By Connector)

Logic and Utility

Next steps

The visual builder

Triggers

Tools, skills & connections

Choosing AI steps

Approvals

​Triggers

​AI Steps

​Actions (By Connector)

​Logic and Utility

​Next steps

The visual builder

Triggers

Tools, skills & connections

Choosing AI steps

Approvals

Triggers

AI Steps

Actions (By Connector)

Logic and Utility

Next steps