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How to Set Up Make.com and Build Your First AI Automation Workflow

  • Writer: John Stephenson
    John Stephenson
  • Jul 4
  • 5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

For small business owners ready to stop wasting time on repetitive tasks.


As a small business owner, you're juggling countless tasks every day. Between customer service, marketing, operations, and administration, it feels like there's never enough time to focus on what actually grows your business. What if I told you that you could automate many of these repetitive tasks in just a few hours?


That's where Make.com comes in. This powerful automation platform lets you connect your favorite business apps and create workflows that handle routine tasks automatically. Today, I'll walk you through setting up your account and building your first automation workflow.


Before You Begin: What You'll Need


Setting up your first automation doesn't require technical expertise, but a little preparation goes a long way. Here's what you should gather before diving in:


Essential Items:


  • A working email address

  • Login credentials for your business apps (Gmail, Slack, Notion, Airtable, Stripe, etc.)

  • API keys from any specialized tools you plan to connect

  • A clear idea of what task you want to automate


The Most Important Step: Identify Your Pain Point


Before you create any automation, ask yourself these questions:

  • Which business task takes up too much of your time?

  • What would you love to automate and never touch again?

  • What repetitive task makes you think, "There has to be a better way"?


Common examples that work well for first-time automations include:

  • Moving new leads from Facebook ads directly into your CRM

  • Automatically adding Shopify order details to a Google Sheet

  • Sending Slack notifications when you receive new Stripe payments


Write down your chosen task. This will be your roadmap for creating your first "scenario" (Make.com's term for an automation workflow).


Creating Your Make.com Account


Getting started with Make.com is straightforward. Here's the step-by-step process:


  1. Navigate to Make.com in your web browser

  2. Click the "Sign up" button in the top right corner

  3. Choose to sign up with your email or connect via Google

  4. Fill in your name, email, and create a secure password

  5. Check your email and click the verification link Make.com sends you

  6. Log in and explore your new dashboard


Once you're logged in, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the interface:


  • Dashboard: Your command center for managing all workflows

  • Scenarios: Where you build and monitor your actual automations

  • Connections: The hub for all your API keys and app integrations

  • Templates: Pre-built workflows you can customize for your needs


    man setting up a make.com account on his computer

Building Your First Workflow: A Real Example


Let's create a practical automation that many small businesses find valuable. We'll build a workflow that automatically processes new leads from email.


The Goal: When a new Gmail email arrives with "New Lead" in the subject line, automatically send a Slack message to your team and add the contact information to a Google Sheet.


Step 1: Set Up the Email Trigger


  1. Click "Create a new scenario" from your dashboard

  2. In the scenario canvas, click the large "+" icon

  3. Search for and select "Gmail"

  4. Choose "Watch Emails" as your trigger

  5. Connect your Gmail account by granting permission through Google

  6. Set up filters to only trigger on emails with "New Lead" in the subject


Step 2: Add the Slack Notification


  1. Click the next "+" icon in your workflow

  2. Search for "Slack" and select it

  3. Choose "Send a Message"

  4. Connect your Slack account through the authorization process

  5. Select your desired channel and customize the message content

  6. Use dynamic data from the email to personalize the notification


Step 3: Create the Google Sheets Entry


  1. Click the final "+" icon

  2. Search for "Google Sheets" and select it

  3. Choose "Add a Row"

  4. Connect your Google account

  5. Select your target spreadsheet

  6. Map the email data (sender, subject, body) to the appropriate columns


Step 4: Test Your Workflow


Before going live, always test your automation:

  1. Click "Run Once" to test the entire workflow

  2. Make.com will guide you through each connection

  3. Send yourself a test email with "New Lead" in the subject

  4. Verify that the Slack message appears and the Google Sheet updates correctly


Connecting APIs and Third-Party Apps


While many popular apps connect with simple login authorization, some require API keys. Think of an API key as a digital password that allows Make.com to communicate with your other tools.


Understanding API Connections


What's an API key? It's a unique identifier that grants Make.com permission to access and interact with your other business tools securely.


How to connect APIs:


  1. Navigate to your third-party app's settings

  2. Locate the API or Developer section

  3. Generate or copy your API key

  4. Return to Make.com and paste the key when prompted


Common API Setup Examples


Airtable:


  • Visit airtable.com/account

  • Copy your personal API key

  • In Make.com, select Airtable > Connect > Paste API key


Stripe:


  • Go to dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys

  • Use the secret key (not the publishable key) for Make.com

  • Keep this key secure and never share it publicly


Notion:


  • Create an internal integration in your Notion workspace

  • Grant it access to the pages you want to automate

  • Use the integration token in Make.com


If you ever need to update or reconnect an integration, visit the Connections tab in your Make.com dashboard to manage all your linked accounts.


Practical Automation Ideas for Small Businesses


Not sure where to start? Here are some simple yet powerful automation ideas that can save you hours each week:


E-commerce Automations:


  • Auto-save Gmail attachments to Google Drive

  • Post new Shopify orders to a Slack channel

  • Add new WooCommerce orders directly to QuickBooks


Customer Management:


  • Create ClickUp tasks from new Calendly bookings

  • Send welcome emails to new CRM contacts

  • Update customer records when they complete a survey


Content and Marketing:


  • Schedule social media posts from a content calendar

  • Add new blog subscribers to your email marketing list

  • Generate weekly reports from your Google Analytics data


Pro tip: Start with Make.com's template library. These pre-built workflows can save you significant setup time and provide inspiration for your own custom automations.


Congratulations! You've just learned how to set up Make.com, build your first automation workflow, and connect your essential business apps. But this is just the beginning.


man celebrating after setting up his make.com account

To maximize your automation success:


  1. Start small - Pick one repetitive task that happens daily or weekly

  2. Track your time savings - Note how long the task used to take you manually

  3. Iterate and improve - Refine your workflows based on real-world usage

  4. Scale gradually - Add new automations as you become more comfortable


Weekly Review Questions:


  • What task am I still doing manually that could be automated?

  • Which automation saved me the most time this week?

  • What new workflow could I build to solve my current pain points?


Remember, every automation you create gives you more time to focus on growing your business instead of managing it. The goal isn't to automate everything at once, but to consistently reclaim your time from repetitive tasks.


If you get stuck, Make.com offers excellent support resources. and Knowbie is here to help.


The more you automate, the more hours you get back. And in small business, time truly is money.


Ready to take the next step? Start by identifying one task you do repeatedly this week, then use Make.com to take it off your plate forever.

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