awork Agent or custom agent: when should you use each?

The awork Agent is your built-in AI assistant for one-off and recurring tasks. You can use it in chat, start it from tasks and projects, mention it in comments, or run it through schedules and automations, without creating a custom agent first.

Custom agents are useful when you want to create a specialized configuration that your team can reuse.

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Key benefits and use cases

Agents in awork are suitable for both one-off tasks and recurring workflows.

The key difference:

• awork Agent: Use the built-in agent without setting up a custom agent. For recurring work, you can save personal settings and have tasks run through schedules or automations.
• Custom agent: Create your own configuration for a specific purpose. For example, you can add instructions, skills, and connectors, and share the agent with your team.

The AI thread is where you work with the awork Agent or a custom agent.

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What is the awork Agent?

The awork Agent is the built-in agent in awork. It's especially useful for tasks that come up on the fly or vary from case to case.

For example, you can:

• Search for information in awork

• Analyze data from awork

• Ask a question about a project

• Summarize content

• Translate content

• Prepare or make a specific change in awork

• Search the web

• Generate images

• Access connected external tools, if the relevant connectors are available

• Process files

You can include customers, projects, or other awork objects directly in your prompt as context.

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What is a custom agent?

A custom agent is a saved, named, and versioned agent for a specific task, role, or workflow.

You define once how this agent should work and which capabilities it can use.

You can configure things such as:

• Name and description

• Instructions and personality

• Model

• Tools

• Skills

• Connectors

• Avatar

• Sharing permissions

This lets the custom agent use the same available capabilities in a targeted way for a specific purpose.

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When should I use the awork Agent?

Use the awork Agent when you want to get started right away without setting up a custom agent.

It's especially useful when you:

• Have a one-off question
• Want to research information or analyze data
• Want to summarize or translate content
• Want to complete a specific task in awork
• Need help in a task or project comment
• Want to set up a recurring report, such as a weekly project status update

You can also use the awork Agent for recurring or automatically triggered tasks. You can do this with personal settings, schedules, and project automations.

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When should I create a custom agent?

A custom agent is useful when you want to save a specialized way of working as a reusable configuration.

Common reasons include:

• A fixed role or clearly defined area of responsibility
• Standardized workflows with custom instructions
• Specific company requirements
• A tailored set of skills and connectors
• A named and versioned configuration
• An agent that multiple people on your team can use

A schedule or automation on its own doesn't require a custom agent. You can use the awork Agent for these too.

You set up the workflow once, so you don't have to describe it in full every time you use it.

You can then reuse a custom agent, share it with other users, or run it automatically.

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From your first chat to a custom agent

A good way to get started is to use the awork Agent to handle a new task in an AI thread.

If you find yourself repeatedly:

• using the same instructions

• needing the same information

• following the same steps

• needing the same skills or connectors

you can turn that workflow into a custom agent.

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Use custom agents in an AI thread

Custom agents aren't limited to automated workflows.

When you create a new thread, you can select a custom agent and work with it directly in AI chat.

This lets you combine the benefits of both:

• AI thread: The specific workflow and current conversation
• Custom agent: The instructions, skills, connectors, and other configuration saved for ongoing use

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Run agents in tasks and projects

You can run both the awork Agent and custom agents directly in a task or project.

This is especially useful when you want the agent to take the specific work context into account.

For example, an agent can:

• Run a project health check

• Analyze a task

• Handle tasks using a defined process

The agent runs for that task. It isn't permanently added as an assignee.

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Run agents outside of chat

Both the awork Agent and custom agents can work outside a manually started chat.

You can:

• Run them in tasks

• Run them in projects

• Start them from comments

• Use them as an action in an automation

• Run them on a schedule

This is especially helpful when you want a workflow to run automatically on a regular basis.

Examples include:

• Weekly project health checks

• Regular project reviews

• Recurring project comments

• Automatic notifications

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awork Agent and custom agent compared

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What both agents have in common

The main difference between the general awork Agent and a custom agent is how much of the workflow is defined in advance.

• The awork Agent is flexible.
• A custom agent is specialized and reusable.

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A simple way to decide

Ask yourself: "Do I need a specialized custom agent, or is a prompt for the awork Agent enough?"

• Use the awork Agent if you want to get started without setting up a custom agent or want to create a personal recurring task.
• Create a custom agent if you need a specialized configuration or want to reuse it with your team.

Both can run through schedules and automations.

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FAQ

Is AI chat the same as the awork Agent?

Not quite. AI chat is the interface, or AI thread, where you work with an agent. By default, you work with the awork Agent there, but you can also select a custom agent.

Can I use a custom agent in AI chat?

Yes. You can select a custom agent when you start a new thread.

When should I create a custom agent?

Especially when you want to use a task, role, or workflow regularly and in a consistent way.

Can a custom agent run automatically?

Yes. Custom agents can run as part of an automation or on a schedule.

Do I need to create a custom agent if I only use AI occasionally?

No. The awork Agent is the easiest way to get started with one-off tasks.

Do I need to create a custom agent for a schedule or automation?

No. You can select the awork Agent for these too. For a schedule, enter the task, repeat interval, and time zone. For a project automation, select the awork Agent in the agent action and enter the prompt.