Build Your First Agent in 5 Steps
From idea to working agent in about 80 minutes
Step 1: Define Goal5 min
What should the agent accomplish? Be specific about the desired outcome.
Step 2: Choose Tools10 min
Search, APIs, databases, code execution: what does the agent need access to?
Step 3: Write System Prompt15 min
Define role, rules, available tools, and output format expectations.
Step 4: Build the Loop30 min
Observe → Think → Act → Repeat. Implement the core agent cycle.
Step 5: Test & Evaluate20 min
Run against edge cases. Measure quality. Add guardrails for failures.
Theory is valuable, but nothing beats building something real. This module walks you through the practical steps of creating an AI agent, from defining its purpose to testing it against edge cases. You don't need to be an expert programmer, modern frameworks handle most of the complexity.
Agent Build Checklist
Four-phase workflow for shipping a production agent
Define
Write the agent goal in one sentence
List required tools and APIs
Identify the output format
Build
Set up MCP servers or tool definitions
Write the system prompt with constraints
Test with sample inputs
Harden
Add error handling and retry logic
Set token/cost budgets
Add human review gates for destructive actions
Deploy
Wire to a scheduler (cron, webhook)
Set up monitoring and alerting
Document the pipeline in a README