> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.codewords.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.codewords.ai/~/revisions/2IgKSsIuX4bzBsMZVaMc/get-started/build-your-first-automation.md). # Build your first automation Welcome to CodeWords! This tutorial will guide you through building your first workflow automation. You’ll create a workflow that scrapes content from a web page, summarizes it with AI, and sends the summary to your Gmail inbox. {% embed url="" fullWidth="false" %} Building Your First Automation: Web Scraper & Gmail Summarizer {% endembed %} ### Building your first automation: web scraper and Gmail summarizer #### Step 1: Describe your automation idea **Goal:** Scrape a web page → summarize content with AI → send summary via Gmail. **User prompt example:** > “Build a workflow that scrapes data from a URL and emails the summary to my Gmail.” **Cody’s planning process:** 1. Cody checks for the available automation templates to see if any are similar. 2. Cody confirms whether you've already linked to the necessary app integrations. 3. An automation plan is generated: * **Web scraping:** Extract main text content from a target URL. * **AI summarization:** Generate a concise, easy-to-read summary. * **Email composition:** Create a formatted email with the summary. * **Gmail delivery:** Send the email directly to the user’s inbox. Once you've given approval, Cody begins building. #### Step 2: Cody builds the extraction module **What Cody builds:** * Accepts a public URL as input. * Navigates to the web page and extracts the main text content. * Ignores ads, navigation, and sidebars for clean data. **Test Example:** * Input: `https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/ancient-dna-reveals-woolly-mammoths-final-years` **Results:** * Valid URL recognized * Page scraped successfully * 1,200 words extracted * Content relevance #### Step 3: Add AI summarization and Gmail delivery **What Cody adds:** * Processes the extracted text with an AI summarization model. * Generates a 4-point summary of the article’s key findings. * Connects securely to Gmail using OAuth authentication. * Composes and sends an email with the title as the subject and the summary in the body. **Testing tesults:** * Summary generated successfully * Gmail connection verified (`your.email@gmail.com`) * Email formatted and delivered correctly #### Step 4: Final workflow test **Goal:** Validate the full automation end-to-end. Cody runs the workflow: * The website is scraped successfully. * The AI-generated summary is concise and accurate. * The Gmail message is delivered with correct formatting and source link. **User confirmation:** You can tell Cody whether you're happy with the results, or whether there are still adjustments you'd like to make. 1. "Yes, it’s exactly what I wanted." 2. "I’d like to make adjustments." Once confirmed, Cody deploys your automation. #### Step 5: Deployment and automation URL Cody provides a unique URL so you can access the run page of your automation: > `https://codewords.agemo.ai/run/web-summarizer-automation-xyz789` You can run or modify your automation anytime by clicking `Remix` #### Step 6: Troubleshooting guide **Website scraping issues** * Invalid URL: Ensure the link is public and accessible. * Blocked content: Some sites prevent scraping. Try a simpler article-based site. * Empty results: The page might be image- or video-heavy. **AI summary issues** * Low quality summary: Use more structured or factual content. * Adjust prompt: Ask for “3 bullet summary” or “1-paragraph summary.” **Gmail delivery issues** * Permission error: Re-authenticate Gmail integration. * Email missing: Check spam/junk folder and whitelist sender. ### Summary You’ve successfully built your first end-to-end workflow automation with CodeWords, congratulations! Here's what it does: * It accepts any public article URL as an input. * Next, it extracts the core text content automatically through web scraping. * Then, it generates an AI-powered summary highlighting the key insights. * Finally, it delivers the summary directly to your Gmail inbox, fully formatted and ready to read. Your automation now combines real-time web data extraction, AI summarization, and email delivery — all created through natural language in just a few steps. ### FAQs
Do I need coding experience to follow this tutorial? No. Everything in this guide can be done with plain English prompts. CodeWords automatically builds the logic, connects integrations, and handles deployment behind the scenes.
How long will this building tutorial take to complete? Most users finish this in under 10 minutes. The workflow setup is intentionally short: add your URL, let CodeWords summarize the content with AI, and send the results to your inbox.
What kind of web pages work best? You can use any publicly accessible, text-based website — like blog posts, articles, or documentation pages. Avoid paywalled or login-protected pages. If you would like to run it on paywalled or login-protected pages you can use the CodeWords[ Chrome extension](https://docs.codewords.ai/web-automation/chrome-extension) or [Web Agent](https://docs.codewords.ai/web-automation/web-agent) to access these data.
Can I customize what gets summarized or how the output looks? Yes. You can adjust the AI prompt to change what the output looks like. For example: “write a short summary,” “list three key points,” etc. You can also change the details according to your workflow type. For example, if your workflow output is an email, you can change the email recipient, subject, or format from the workflow chat.
What if something doesn’t work as expected? Check that your connected apps and integrations (Gmail, Web Agent) are authorized and active. \ \ You can also ask Cody, the CodeWords AI automation assistant, to check what's not working. Provide the context about the error, and ask Cody to fix it from the chat interface.
### Next steps Now that you’ve finished the Quickstart, you can: * Meet [Cody, the AI Assistant](https://docs.codewords.ai/fundamentals/introduction-to-cody) * Learn how [Triggers](https://docs.codewords.ai/fundamentals/triggers) work * Explore [Templates](https://docs.codewords.ai/use-cases/templates) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.codewords.ai/~/revisions/2IgKSsIuX4bzBsMZVaMc/get-started/build-your-first-automation.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.