Summary
This guide explains how actions work in Astra and provides a clear overview of the available actions you can use when building your AI agent. Actions allow your agent to perform tasks like updating contacts, sending messages, posting to Slack, or fetching information from the web - all based on simple, natural language instructions.
Instructions
Astra Vibe makes it easy to build AI agents without needing technical skills. You simply explain what you want your agent to do, and the system generates it for you. Actions are an important part of this setup because they help your agent work with external tools such as HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, or your own internal systems.
How actions work
Actions let your Astra agent perform tasks beyond basic conversation. You can describe:
When an action should be triggered
What information the agent should use (including variables)
Which tool or platform the action should interact with
Once configured, Astra helps connect these tools so your agent can carry out the task automatically.
Want to add actions to your AI agent? Just describe what you need in plain text, and Astra Vibe will configure the actions automatically in the agent instructions.
When the action is added, approved, and saved, it will automatically show up in your Agent Instructions section.
Important note
When you add a new action to your agent, you may see it appear as a placeholder at first. This simply means the action hasn’t been fully created yet. To complete the setup, select the placeholder action and follow the creation flow.
If the action relies on an external platform that you haven’t connected before, you’ll be prompted to complete the connection. This step ensures Astra can securely perform tasks on your behalf.
Once the platform is connected, you’ll need to fill in the action-specific details. The required information depends on the type of action. For example:
For Slack send message, you’ll need to choose the channel where the message should be delivered.
For update/create contact, you’ll need to map the fields so the agent knows how to store or update the contact information.
After completing these details, your action will be fully created and ready for use in the agent’s workflow.
Note: When setting up an action, make sure to review and update the action description if necessary, so the agent clearly understands its purpose. Describe what the action is expected to do and when it should be triggered. This is especially important for actions that rely on specific events.
Available actions in the Actions library
Below is a list of the actions currently available in Astra. You can mix and match them based on your agent’s goals and workflow.
Web search
Find real-time information from the web and deliver relevant results.
Lead qualification criteria
Assign weightage to your lead scoring criteria and calculate scores automatically.
Use this action to build smarter qualification flows.
Custom forms
Configure custom lead forms with fields and behavior settings to collect user information.
Helpful for capturing structured data during conversations.
Assign to user in Wati
Handoff a conversation from your Astra agent to a human operator in Wati.
Ideal for scenarios where human support is needed.
Create/update contacts in Wati
Create or update contact information directly in your Wati business account.
Use it to enrich or correct customer details.
Send a session message in Wati
Send a session message via WhatsApp to your customer.
Great for follow-ups or reminders within the allowed messaging window.
Create/update contacts (Salesforce)
Create or update a contact in your Salesforce CRM account.
Supports syncing lead or customer details automatically.
Create/update contacts (HubSpot)
Create or update a contact in your HubSpot CRM account.
Keeps your CRM updated with the latest data collected by your agent.
Send message to channel (Slack)
Send instant updates to your selected Slack channel.
Useful for notifications, alerts, or team updates.
Add row in Google Sheets
Insert one or more new rows into a specific spreadsheet.
Update row in Google Sheets
Modify one or more existing rows in a specific spreadsheet.
Search and find row in Google Sheets
Retrieve data from specific rows based on a selected column or value.
Astra’s actions library continues to grow, making it easier to build agents that can automate tasks, update systems, and support your workflows - all through natural language instructions. If you’re creating an agent for the first time, these actions are a great place to start.