---
title: Multi-Step Workflows and Autonomous Agents
summary: Design reliable multi-step automations, build them in Make, and deploy autonomous agents safely as a lean operator.
est_minutes: 20
sort: 5
---

#### LESSON 1: Designing Multi-Step Workflow Logic

The most common reason multi-step automations fail is not a technical error. It is a design error. The builder started in Make without thinking through the logic, hit a problem mid-build, and either abandoned it or shipped something unreliable.

Multi-step workflows require upfront design. The more branches and decision points in a workflow, the more important it is to map it completely before building a single module.

**The Four Workflow Design Patterns**

Every multi-step business automation falls into one of four patterns. Identifying your pattern first determines which Make tools you need.

**Pattern 1: Linear Chain**

Each step flows directly to the next with no branching. Best for: sequential processes with predictable inputs and outputs where every trigger follows the same path.

Example: New client pays → Create ClickUp project → Send onboarding email → Add to ActiveCampaign sequence → Notify team in Slack.

**Pattern 2: Conditional Router**

A decision point routes the workflow to one of two or more different paths based on data. Best for: processes where different inputs require different responses.

Example: New lead score received → If score is above 70, route to sales rep assignment and call booking → If score is 40-70, route to email nurture sequence → If score is below 40, route to free resource delivery only.

**Pattern 3: Parallel Processor**

Multiple actions execute simultaneously from a single trigger rather than sequentially. Best for: processes where independent actions need to happen at the same time without waiting for each other.

Example: New proposal signed → Simultaneously: create project in ClickUp, send onboarding email, create invoice in QuickBooks, post celebration in team Slack.

**Pattern 4: Iterator**

A single trigger processes multiple items in a list or dataset, applying the same steps to each one. Best for: bulk processing of records, sending personalized messages to a list, or processing multiple rows of data.

Example: Every Monday, get all contacts tagged 'nurture' in CRM → For each contact, generate a personalized check-in email using Claude → Send each email individually.

**Multi-Step Workflow Design Exercise**

Select your Automation Priority #2 from Module 2 and design the full workflow using this checklist.

- Process name defined
- Workflow pattern chosen (Linear Chain, Conditional Router, Parallel Processor, or Iterator)
- Decision points listed: for every if/then branch, capture the condition, the "then" action, and the "else" action
- Full module sequence mapped: trigger, each step, and every branch path through to the final output
- Human touchpoints identified: every point where a person needs to stay in the loop

**Workflow Design Quality Check**

Before building, answer these five questions:

1. Does every branch have a defined path, including the else condition? If not, define it before building.
2. Have you identified every decision point? If not, add the missing ones.
3. Is the final output clearly defined for every possible path? If not, define it for each branch.
4. Are human touchpoints documented and assigned? If not, assign them before building.
5. Can you explain this workflow verbally from start to finish without pausing? If not, redesign until you can.

#### LESSON 2: Building Multi-Step Scenarios in Make

You already know how to build a basic scenario, trigger, Claude module, action. In this lesson you are adding the three Make tools that unlock conditional logic: Routers, Filters, and Iterators.

**Tool 1: The Router**

A Router is a Make module that splits a scenario into multiple branches. Each branch runs independently based on filter conditions you define. The scenario evaluates the conditions and runs only the matching branch.

How to add a Router:

1. Click + after any module.
2. Search for and add Flow Control > Router.
3. The Router creates two default branches, add more by clicking + on the Router.
4. Attach your next module to each branch.
5. Add a filter to each branch defining when that branch runs.

Router best practices:

- Always add an else branch that catches anything that does not match your primary conditions, this prevents records from silently disappearing.
- Name each branch clearly (right-click the route path and rename) so the scenario is readable.
- Test each branch independently using Make's partial run feature before testing the full scenario.

**Tool 2: Filters**

A Filter is a condition that controls whether a module or branch runs. If the filter condition is not met, Make skips that module or branch entirely.

How to add a Filter between two modules:

1. Click the arrow (connection line) between two modules.
2. Click Set up a filter.
3. Define the condition using the field selector and operator.

Common filter operators:

- Equal to / Not equal to, exact match checks
- Contains / Does not contain, partial text matching
- Greater than / Less than, numeric comparisons (use for scores, amounts, counts)
- Exists / Does not exist, checks whether a field has any value

Filter exercise, define the filter conditions for your workflow decision points. For each decision point, record:

- Decision Point 1: field, operator, value, and the branch it routes to
- Decision Point 2: field, operator, value, and the branch it routes to
- Decision Point 3: field, operator, value, and the branch it routes to

**Tool 3: Iterators**

An Iterator splits an array of items and processes each one individually through the subsequent modules. Use this whenever your trigger delivers multiple records and you need to do something unique to each one.

How to add an Iterator:

1. Click + after the module that delivers your array of items.
2. Search for Flow Control > Iterator.
3. Map the array field from the previous module to the Iterator's Array field.
4. All modules after the Iterator run once per item in the array.

When to use an Iterator:

- Processing multiple rows from a Google Sheet
- Sending personalized emails to a list of contacts
- Generating individual reports for multiple clients
- Processing multiple line items in an order

**Build Exercise: Extend Your Automation**

Take your Module 4 automation and extend it into a multi-step sequence using at least one Router or Filter. Follow these steps:

1. Open your existing Module 4 scenario in Make.
2. Add a Router after your trigger module.
3. Define filter conditions for at least two branches based on your workflow design.
4. Build the action sequence for each branch.
5. Add an else branch for records that match no primary condition.
6. Run module-by-module tests for each branch.
7. Run a full scenario test for each possible path.

Verify before moving on:

- Router added
- All branches defined, including the else branch
- Each branch tested independently
- Full scenario tested on all paths

#### LESSON 3: Introduction to Autonomous Agents

You have been using Claude as a text generator inside your Make workflows. That is one mode. An autonomous agent is a different mode, and it represents a significant leap in what AI can do for your business without your involvement.

Here is the difference.

A prompt-based automation runs a fixed sequence. You define every step. Claude fills in a specific output. The sequence is predictable because you designed it.

An autonomous agent receives a goal and figures out the steps itself. It uses tools, web browsing, email, document reading, database access, to gather what it needs, make decisions along the way, and complete a multi-step task end to end without being told each step in advance.

**What Agents Can Do for a Lean Business**

The most powerful agent use cases for small operators right now:

**Lead Research Agent**

Give the agent a company name and a contact. It browses the web, pulls relevant company information, checks LinkedIn for the contact's role and history, finds recent news about the company, and delivers a fully formatted research brief, ready for a sales call. What used to take 30-45 minutes now takes 3 minutes with no human in the loop.

**Inbox Management Agent**

The agent reads your email, categorizes each message by type and urgency, drafts responses to routine inquiries, flags anything requiring your direct attention, and archives messages that need no response. You review the drafted responses and send the ones that look correct. From 90 minutes of inbox management to 15 minutes of reviewing and approving.

**Competitive Intelligence Agent**

Scheduled weekly or monthly, the agent browses competitor websites and social media, compiles changes in pricing, messaging, or product offerings, and delivers a structured competitive update. You get market intelligence without spending any time gathering it.

**Content Repurposing Agent**

Give the agent a long-form piece of content, a blog post, podcast transcript, webinar recording transcript. It reads the full content, extracts the key points, and produces five platform-specific versions: LinkedIn post, email newsletter, two social media captions, and a summary. One input. Five outputs. No additional prompting.

**The Agent Operating Model**

Agents are powerful. They are also capable of making mistakes at scale, and unlike a single bad email, an agent mistake can repeat across dozens of tasks before you catch it. The operating model below defines how to use agents safely as a solo operator or small team.

Step 1: Define the goal precisely. Agents perform better with a specific, bounded goal than a vague objective. Bad goal: Research my leads. Good goal: For each contact in the attached list, find their current job title and company size and return a structured row with Name, Current Title, Company, Estimated Headcount, and Source URL.

Step 2: Define the tools the agent can use. Limit the agent to the specific tools it needs for the task. An agent that only needs to read web pages should not have access to your email. Minimum necessary access reduces risk.

Step 3: Define the output format. Tell the agent exactly what the deliverable should look like. Structured outputs are easier to review and easier to route to the next step in your workflow.

Step 4: Build in a human review gate. For any agent that takes external-facing actions, sending emails, posting content, making purchases, always add a human review step before those actions execute. Agents that only read, research, and compile can run fully autonomously. Agents that act on your behalf in the external world need oversight, at least until you have seen enough outputs to trust the pattern.

Step 5: Start small and expand. Run your first agent task on a batch of 5 items, not 500. Review every output. Identify any consistent errors or gaps. Refine the goal or instructions. Then scale.

**Your First Agent Use Case**

Define your first autonomous agent task based on your automation priority stack. Capture the following:

- Agent goal (specific and bounded)
- Tools the agent needs access to: web browsing, email reading, document reading, CRM or database access, or other
- Output format (exactly what the agent delivers)
- Whether this agent takes external-facing actions: if yes, add a human review gate; if no, it can run fully autonomously
- First batch size to test with
- Who reviews the first batch outputs
- What success looks like for this agent

**Module 5 Completion Checklist**

Before taking the Module 5 Test, verify:

- Mapped Automation Priority #2 using the four workflow design patterns
- Completed the Workflow Design Quality Check, all five questions answered yes
- Added a Router or Filter to the Module 4 automation, creating a multi-step scenario
- Defined and tested filter conditions for each branch
- Tested every branch of the multi-step scenario independently and as a full run
- Defined my first autonomous agent use case with goal, tools, output format, and review gate
- Agent first batch is planned and ready to run
