# Why your AI agent needs Askpilot

On this page you can learn why your AI agent might need Askpilot to run your company’s workflows, and what Askpilot adds to it.

## Long-running workflows, without flowcharts

Askpilot’s harness is built around executing [PROCESS.md](https://askpilot.com/docs/process-md.html), a format that replaces flowchart-based workflow tools with a more intelligent way to automate - instead of predefining every step in a complex flowchart sequence that can only work in a limited way, you give instructions to an agent that can reason and work the way a person would. Askpilot is built to work with AI agents, as [their extension](#extends), while flowchart tools were built as a tool for people to draw flowcharts. [Learn more in our blog post](https://askpilot.com/blog/what-is-agentic-workflow-automation/).

It has all the elements to execute long-running workflows that you would usually automate with a flowchart-based tool like Zapier, such as:

- **Step-by-step execution:** runs long-running workflows automatically, step by step, from the PROCESS.md format.
- **Third-party event triggers:** sets up triggers on events in your tools, such as a new lead in your CRM, that start a workflow.
- **Event monitoring:** monitors events in your tools, such as a customer’s reply, and continues the workflow when one arrives.
- **Scheduled follow-ups:** continues a workflow at a set time, such as following up by email after 3 days.
- **Approvals:** checks with you before a sensitive action, such as sending a quote.
- **Your tools as sources:** reads and acts in your existing tools, connected as [sources](https://askpilot.com/docs/sources.html).
- **A record of every run:** shows what each run did and which actions need your input or approval, in [sessions](https://askpilot.com/docs/sessions.html).

## An extension of your AI agent

AI agents such as Claude or ChatGPT are, at their core, built to help you work faster as your copilot. Out of the box, they lack what it takes to become a workflow execution engine that runs your company’s workflows across your organization on its own, in a structured way, such as:

- **[Starting workflows from your tools](https://askpilot.com/docs/workflows.html#run-trigger):** an event in a tool you use starts a workflow. For example, a new lead in your CRM or a finished call.
- **[Continuing workflows on events from your tools](https://askpilot.com/docs/continuing-a-session.html#events):** a waiting workflow picks up where it stopped when something happens. For example, a customer replies on WhatsApp two days later.
- **[Scheduling its own follow-ups](https://askpilot.com/docs/continuing-a-session.html#auto-run):** a workflow wakes itself up only when the work needs it, so nothing runs on a schedule for no reason. For example, to chase an unpaid invoice every 3 days until it is paid.
- **[Running autonomously](https://askpilot.com/docs/ask-agent.html#how-it-operates):** every workflow runs on its own, from start to finish, without anyone keeping a chat open.
- **[A central place for every workflow](https://askpilot.com/docs/workflows.html#workflows-list):** manage, preview and review each workflow and its runs in one place.
- **[Connecting any specialised or niche tool](https://askpilot.com/integrations.html):** if a tool your industry runs on is not supported yet, the Askpilot team builds the integration for you, on demand and for free. For example, [Street CRM](https://askpilot.com/integrations/street.html), a popular CRM for UK estate agents.

To connect Askpilot to your AI agent, see [Connect your AI agent (MCP)](https://askpilot.com/docs/mcp.html).

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This is the Markdown version of https://askpilot.com/docs/why-askpilot.html. The whole documentation as one file: https://askpilot.com/docs/llms-full.txt