--- title: "Build a Custom AI Agent — No Code Required | Certant" description: "Build a custom AI agent without an engineer. Upload your documents, pick a template, set the rules, replay against real data, then ship. Nothing to install." url: "https://certant.ai/build-custom-ai-agent" --- # Build a custom AI agent yourself Drag the steps, connect them, replay against real data, then ship. It runs in your browser and you don't need an engineer. [Start free](https://certant.ai/register) See the templates Drag and drop, with a code step when you need one. Example Drag a step from the library, drop it on the canvas, ship the run. In one sentence A custom AI agent is a workflow you _design_: which documents it reads, what rules it follows, which tools it calls, when it stops for a human. Off-the-shelf chatbots don't know your policy book. Custom-coded agents take a quarter and a senior engineer. Certant gives you your knowledge and your rules on a visual canvas. How to build it ## Five steps, start to production What happens between wanting an agent and running one. 1. **Upload** Point Certant at the documents or systems the agent needs to know. Certant reads them and builds the map. 2. **Pick a template** Approval bot, Triage bot or Research bot. Start from one, change anything. 3. **Set the rules** "Escalate anything over the limit you set." "Always cite the source." "Pause when it isn't sure." Written in plain English. 4. **Replay** Run the agent over data you already have. See every step, and compare it against the previous version. 5. **Ship** One click. Every version is kept and you can roll back. Our cloud, or inside your own walls. Three starter templates ## Pick the closest template Each one is fully editable. The shape is the same; what changes is what it decides. Approve ### Approval bot Reads each incoming item (a contract, a leave request, a purchase), checks it against your policy, and either approves it, redrafts it, or hands it to a human with a citation. - Best for legal, finance, HR - Decision rules in plain English - A person decides when it's unclear Route ### Triage bot Watches an inbox, ticket queue or webhook. Classifies the topic and urgency, routes to the right team, drafts a first response with a citation, and updates the system of record. - Best for support, member services, IT - Puts a first reply in the queue straight away - Routes by topic, language and value Research ### Research bot Given a question, reads a set of documents you choose (your policy library, your case files, a specific archive) and returns a structured answer with citations. Same agent, different question every day. - Best for analysts, advisors, knowledge work - Returns a structured record or a written brief - Always cites the source paragraph Vs hiring a developer ## What this costs against hiring You can hire someone to build this, or you can build it yourself this week. Hire a developer ### A senior hire and a quarter of ramp-up. A senior AI engineer, a backend engineer, and a quarter of integration work. Then the same conversation next year when the policy changes. Build it on Certant ### One platform, and the person who owns the process owns the agent. Build as many agents as you need. The non-engineer on your team owns them, and your engineers go back to the harder problems. See [pricing](https://certant.ai/pricing). FAQ ## What buyers ask The questions teams ask before they start building. Do I need to know how to code to build an AI agent? No, most workflows are built visually: drag a node, connect it, configure it. You can drop in code for the cases that need it: custom logic, or calling an internal system nothing else reaches. How long does it take to build a custom AI agent? Most teams have a first useful agent working in one sitting. A production rollout with integrations and approvals takes a few weeks. What templates are available? Approval bot (review and approve incoming items against your policy), Triage bot (classify and route incoming work), Research bot (read a document set you choose and produce a structured answer). Each one is fully editable. How much does it cost vs hiring a developer? Cheaper than a senior AI engineer, and you don't wait for a hire. Pricing is credit-based and published on the [pricing page](https://certant.ai/pricing). Can I drop in code if I need to? Yes. Any node can be a Python or JavaScript snippet. You keep the canvas, and you can still drop to code when you need to. Can I try it without installing anything? Yes. Sign up free, upload a document set, and build the first agent in the browser. Nothing to install. ## Stop waiting on IT. Build the agent. Free to try, nothing to install, and it runs in your browser. [Start free](https://certant.ai/register) [Talk to an architect](https://certant.ai/contact-sales) In one line If your team can draw the process on a whiteboard, they can build the agent. The whiteboard is the spec.