8 ways indie hackers can use AI agents (setup instructions included)

When it comes to scaling a bootstrapped business, AI agents are a game changer. They can actually take action for you, which is where most AI tools currently fall short.

Here are all the ways I've found that AI agents can help indie hackers scale — and compete with the big dogs.

1. Automate customer support

• Regular AI → Chatbots can answer FAQs but can't resolve real issues.

• AI agents → Can handle entire support interactions without human input.

What AI agents can do:

• Instantly answer common questions without sounding robotic.

• Process refunds, reset passwords, and update orders automatically.

• Guide users through troubleshooting before escalating.

• Detect frustration and prioritize high-value conversations.

For example, if a customer asks for a refund, a regular chatbot could tell them how to request one. But an AI agent could look up their transaction, process the refund, and send a confirmation email.

How to set it up:

1. Pick a platform that integrates with your tools: Use AI agent platforms like Relevance AI, Kong.ai, or Loman that easily connect with your CRM, email, and chat systems.

2. Train it with real data: Feed it past support tickets, emails, and FAQs so it knows how to respond. Set up rules for when it should escalate issues to a human.

3. Deploy it on key channels: Hook it up to live chat, email, WhatsApp, or wherever your customers are.

4. Test it yourself or internally: Ask it real customer questions, refine responses, and tweak automation rules.

5. Roll it out slowly: Start with a small percentage of customers before expanding.

6. Monitor & improve: Track how many tickets it resolves and where it gets stuck. Keep training it over time.

At Jotform, AI agents handle thousands of customer support requests every day. They run across multiple channels — WhatsApp, email, and even phone support. In fact, our phone agent sounds so human that some customers refuse to believe they're not talking to a real person.

2. Capture and qualify leads

• Regular AI → Can generate a sales pitch but won't engage or qualify leads.

• AI agents → Can actively interact, qualify leads, and follow up.

What AI agents can do:

• Answer pre-sales questions instantly so visitors don't bounce.

• Ask qualifying questions and sort leads by priority.

• Book calls or demos automatically without any back-and-forth.

• Follow up via email or SMS so leads don't go cold.

For example, if a visitor lands on a pricing page and asks a question, a regular AI chatbot answers the question and stops there. But an AI agent can ask follow-up questions, identify a high-intent lead, book a demo, and add them to an email sequence.

How to set it up:

1. Deploy an AI agent on high-intent pages and train it with your most common sales questions and objections: Your pricing, checkout, and landing pages are some of the most important places to capture leads.

2. Train it with your most common sales questions and objections.

3. Integrate it with your CRM, booking system, and email follow-ups.

4. Set up automatic follow-ups: If a lead engages but doesn't book, have your AI agent follow up via email or SMS.

5. Monitor and refine: Track the number of leads it qualifies and how many calls it books, and refine its responses based on performance.

At Jotform, AI agents handle pre-signup questions. If a user visits the pricing page, an agent answers their questions instantly — explaining features, comparing plans, and clearing up confusion. If they leave without signing up, it follows up with helpful info to bring them back. No friction, no wasted time — just seamless, automated support.

3. Automate onboarding and activation

• Regular AI → Can explain onboarding steps but won't guide users dynamically.

• AI agents → Can guide new users based on their specific needs.

What AI agents can do:

• Answer setup and integration questions instantly.

• Identify inactive users and nudge them via chat, email, or SMS.

• Provide personalized onboarding sequences based on behavior.

• Track friction points and suggest improvements.

For example, if a user signs up but gets stuck, regular AI explains what to do. But an AI agent can detect where they dropped off, send a personalized follow-up, and guide them through the next step.

How to set it up:

1. Deploy an AI agent inside your app or website: Make sure the AI is integrated where users will need it the most — whether that's during onboarding, after sign-up, or when they're stuck.

2. Train it with onboarding FAQs, user journey insights, and best practices: Feed it data from your existing onboarding processes to help the AI guide new users effectively. This will make it faster and smarter at answering questions and leading users through each step.

3. Set up automated nudges for inactive users: If a user shows signs of inactivity or gets stuck, have the AI send gentle reminders or helpful nudges to keep them engaged.

At Jotform, when new users sign up but don't complete their first form, our AI agents step in automatically. They send friendly nudges, answer setup questions, and guide users through the process — whether via email, live chat, or WhatsApp.

4. Automate busy work

• Regular AI → Can summarize emails but won't take action beyond that.

• AI agents → Can sort, prioritize, and act on tasks.

What AI agents can do:

• Sort and prioritize emails so you only see what matters.

• Auto-schedule meetings based on availability.

• Pull, categorize, and summarize data from emails, forms, and spreadsheets.

• Generate reports and extract key insights.

For example, a regular AI suggests a meeting time and leaves scheduling to you. But an AI agent can check both calendars, find availability, book the meeting, and send invites.

How to set it up:

1. Choose an AI agent that integrates with your inbox: Our internal AI agent connects to our email systems and it sorts and manages our messages.

2. Define priorities: Set rules for categorizing emails — urgent requests, routine inquiries, and low-priority messages.

3. Enable automation: The AI agent should flag important emails that need immediate attention, draft responses for common questions, and route support requests to the right team.

4. Sync with your tools: Connect it to calendars for auto-scheduling, CRMs for updating customer interactions, and project management tools for assigning tasks.

5. Refine over time: Monitor how well it sorts emails and tweak its rules based on real-world use.

5. Automating market research and data processing

• Regular AI → Can summarize reports but won't track ongoing trends.

• AI agents → Can continuously monitor, extract, and analyze data.

What AI agents can do:

• Scrape and analyze competitors' pricing, features, and user feedback.

• Summarize long-form content (news, industry reports) into actionable insights.

• Tag and categorize customer feedback to uncover trends.

• Monitor trends and alert you to important insights.

For example, regular AI gives a one-time competitor analysis when prompted. But an AI agent monitors competitors weekly, categorizes updates, and alerts you to key trends.

How to set it up:

1. Deploy an AI agent to extract and summarize key data: Set up the AI to pull in data from sources like competitor analysis, customer feedback, or industry reports.

2. Train it to categorize and flag actionable insights: Teach the AI to recognize important patterns and highlight what matters most.

3. Automate weekly reports: Set the AI to send you regular updates so you can stay on top of key trends without manual effort.

6. Automating content creation

• Regular AI → Can generate blog drafts but won't automatically optimize or repurpose content.

• AI agents → Can create, refine, and distribute content across multiple channels.

What AI agents can do:

• Generate blog post outlines and drafts in your brand's voice.

• Summarize long-form content into tweets, LinkedIn posts, and emails.

• Auto-respond to blog comments and social media inquiries.

• Analyze content performance and suggest improvements.

For example, regular AI writes a Twitter thread when prompted. However, an AI agent pulls key insights from blog posts, formats them into multiple social media posts, and schedules them automatically.

How to set it up:

1. Train an AI agent on your past content, brand tone, and key topics: Feed it your past work to match your voice.

2. Use it to generate ideas and drafts and repurpose content. Let the AI help create new content or repurpose existing material.

3. Automate responses to blog comments and DMs: Set it up to automatically reply to comments or messages, keeping engagement high.

7. Automating outreach and follow-ups

• Regular AI → Can draft outreach emails but won't track responses or adjust follow-ups.

• AI Agents → Can send, track, and personalize follow-ups based on lead behavior.

What AI agents can do:

• Auto-personalize cold outreach emails.

• Follow up with leads based on activity or lack of response.

• Send reminders for unpaid invoices or abandoned checkouts.

• Score and segment leads based on intent signals.

For example, a regular AI writes a cold email when you ask it to. But an AI agent sends the email automatically, detects if it was opened, follows up if there's no response, and notifies you when a lead is warm.

How to set it up:

1. Use an AI agent for email follow-ups: Let the AI send and track emails for you automatically.

2. Teach the AI to understand responses: Show it how to change its approach based on how people react to your emails.

3. Connect it to your tools: Link the AI to your CRM and email system so everything works together smoothly.

At Jotform, our agents ensure that no follow up slips through the cracks. If an email goes unanswered, the AI follows up. If a lead engages, it adjusts messaging or flags the team to step in

8. AI for workflow and task automation

• Regular AI → Can generate task lists but doesn't manage workflows.

• AI agents → Can detect repetitive tasks and automate them end-to-end.

What AI agents can do:

• Identify repetitive tasks and automate them.

• Generate tasks and assign them based on priority.

• Auto-update spreadsheets, CRMs, and databases.

• Route tasks to the right person based on context.

For example, a regular AI suggests a to-do list. But an AI agent creates tasks in Trello, assigns team members, updates deadlines, and alerts you when something is overdue.

How to set it up:

1. Identify repetitive tasks: Pinpoint the tasks that take up most of your time.

2. Set up the AI to automate workflows: Let the AI handle those tasks automatically.

3. Integrate with your tools: Connect it to Zapier, Notion, Airtable, or other tools you use.

Our AI agents handle workflow automation behind the scenes. They update internal databases, assign tasks, and keep projects on track with little to no human input. They also pull data from emails, update CRMs, and notify the right team members when action is needed, making sure nothing falls through the cracks.