Traditional automation is rigid. Define rules, set triggers, hope nothing changes. Agentic workflows bring intelligence to automation, handling the variability that breaks conventional systems.

How Agentic Workflows Differ

Rule-based workflows follow predetermined paths: if X, then Y. Agentic workflows define goals and let agents determine the path. The agent reasons about the best approach, executes steps, evaluates results, and adjusts. This handles edge cases that would break scripted automation.

Components of Agentic Workflows

Effective agentic workflows combine goal definition (what success looks like), agent capabilities (what tools and skills are available), guardrails (boundaries and checkpoints), and feedback loops (how agents learn from outcomes). Missing any component creates problems.

Where Agentic Workflows Excel

Agentic workflows shine for tasks with variability: content that needs different approaches by topic, SEO that adapts to competitive landscapes, research that follows threads wherever they lead. They struggle with tasks requiring strict compliance or deterministic outputs.