What each Build with AI assistant can do, and why triggers belong on workflows rather than agents.
Automate has two Build with AI assistants. They look similar in chat, but they use different tools for different jobs.
Assistant
Where you use it
Job
Agent builder
Agent Build chat while you configure an agent
Shape the agent: instructions, actions, MCP, skills, knowledge, drive, starters
Workflow builder
Workflow canvas Build with AI panel
Shape the workflow: trigger, steps, field values, and draft agents for Message Agent
They do not share the same tool list. Enabling a platform tool on an agent does not give those tools to the workflow builder, and the reverse is also true.
Side-by-side
Capability
Agent builder
Workflow builder
Place or change a trigger
No
Yes
Add or rearrange workflow steps
No
Yes
Draft or update agent instructions
Yes
No (can create a draft agent, then you finish it on the agent)
Discover and propose actions / MCP / skills / knowledge for the agent
Yes
No
List project apps, connections, triggers, actions, and agents
Via discovery tools for the agent
Yes, to choose what to put on the canvas
Create a draft project agent for Message Agent
No
Yes
Workflow builder tools
Used in Chat to workflow. These tools edit the canvas and project resources. They are not the checkboxes under agent AI settings.
Discovery and planning
Kind of tool
What it does
List project resources
Shows apps, connections, triggers, actions, and project agents you can reuse
Graph summary
Summarises the current canvas before editing existing nodes
Recommend apps
Suggests apps for a described step, preferring ones you already connected
Build recurring schedule values
Turns a schedule description into Recurring Schedule field values
Canvas edits
Kind of tool
What it does
Set trigger
Places or replaces the workflow trigger type
Append / insert / replace step
Adds or changes action nodes on the graph
Add placeholder
Adds a named step when the process is clear but the app action is not
Update node
Changes a node's display name or description
Configure node
Sets field values on a trigger or action (for example schedule times)
Update workflow
Updates the workflow name or description
Agent handoff
Kind of tool
What it does
Create draft agent
Creates a project agent (name, description, instructions), then you wire Message Agent and finish tools/knowledge on the agent
For schedules: the builder sets the Recurring Schedule trigger type first, then configures start time and recurrence with the schedule helper and configure-node tools. It does not use the old agent-trigger platform tools.
Agent builder tools
Used while you chat with an agent in Build mode. These are the platform tools under Configure → AI settings (and related dynamic discovery switches). They help the assistant maintain the agent. They do not edit a workflow canvas.
Actions and apps
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Search Available Actions
Finds workflow-app actions the agent does not have yet
List Available Actions
Lists actions for a specific app
MCP
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Search Available MCP Servers
Finds MCP integrations the user can access and the agent does not have attached
Skills
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Search Available Skills
Finds workspace skills not yet enabled on the agent
Propose Skill Attachment
Proposes enabling a skill (you apply it in chat)
Knowledge
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Search Attached Knowledge
Searches notebooks already linked to the agent
Propose Knowledge Attachment
Proposes linking a notebook
Instructions and starters
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Propose Agent Instructions
Proposes a full instruction document after guided discovery
Propose Instruction Addition
Appends a rule to one instruction section
Propose Instruction Section Update
Replaces one instruction section body
Propose Suggested Prompts
Proposes welcome starter prompts for end users
Drive and memory
Tool (UI name)
What it does
Propose Drive Mount
Proposes a Google Drive or OneDrive working folder
Drive save / list / read / share tools
Work with files after a drive is mounted
Remember Fact / Recall Relevant Memories
Store and search memories when memory is enabled
Many of these turn on automatically when Agent-maintained instructions (dynamic discovery) is on. Details: Configuration reference.
Not used anymore on the agent builder
Tool (UI name)
Status
Search Available Triggers
Removed. Ignore if it still appears under Other
Propose Agent Trigger
Removed. Ignore if it still appears under Other
Those entries may linger under Other → Additional platform tools as leftovers. They do nothing useful for agent build chat. Triggers belong on workflows.
How the two builders work together
Use the workflow builder when the process needs a trigger and a sequence of steps.
If a step needs a reusable agent with tools or knowledge, the workflow builder can create a draft agent and place Message Agent.
Open that agent and use the agent builder to finish instructions, tools, MCP, skills, and knowledge.
Keep the trigger on the workflow. Do not look for an agent-level trigger.
