Practical guide · Orange Ink

How to set up your first useful AI agent

Choose a boring, repeated task where inputs and acceptable outputs are already understood.

  1. 01

    Define the job

    Write the goal, inputs, output, non-goals and human owner.

  2. 02

    Limit tools and actions

    Grant minimum permissions and put irreversible actions behind approval.

  3. 03

    Test before launch

    Run normal, ambiguous and failure cases against explicit acceptance criteria.

Go further with the pack

AI Agents Starter Kit

Use the free checklist to pressure-test the idea, then build it with the paid Useful AI Agents Starter Kit.

Get the free checklist PDF

Free pack starter

Free download

Free: AI Agents Pre-Flight Checklist

An 8-page go/no-go checklist for deciding whether a task needs an agent, setting tool permissions, and defining human review before you build.

Questions, answered

Before you decide

What makes a good first agent?

A frequent, low-risk task with checkable evidence and a cheap recovery path.

More context

Orange Ink is an AI-fluent agency focused on useful agents: bounded systems with evidence, clear permissions and accountable human review.

How to Set Up Your First AI Agent