Agent systems

Claude Routines: Your Automation Replacement Playbook

Claude Routines turns Claude into a dedicated automation platform where you can run scheduling, web hook triggers, and API calls.

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Overview

Claude Routines turns Claude into a dedicated automation platform where you can run scheduling, web hook triggers, and API calls.

This guide walks you through setting up routines from scratch, demoing real-world use cases like inbox triage and proposal generation, and converting existing n8n workflows into routines using natural language.

How does this help?

Replaces no-code drag-and-drop builders (n8n, Make.com) with natural language instructions, saving hours of setup per workflow
Automates non-client-facing steps in your agency (inbox triage, proposal generation, onboarding emails) so you reclaim time without adding headcount

Apps and tools

Claude.ai (claude.ai/code/routines)
Gmail connector (via Claude connectors settings)
Slack connector (via Claude connectors settings)
Fireflies (or any transcript service), optional
n8n or Make.com, optional, only if converting existing workflows
Claude Code (for API-triggered routine testing)

Main steps: building and running Claude Routines

Step 1: Understand what routines are and why they matter

Claude Routines run on a standardised cloud container, not your local machine, and can be triggered via schedule, web hook, or API call
They replace the logic layer in tools like n8n: you get the same trigger-then-action structure, but you write instructions in plain language instead of building node chains
Routines are Claude's direct one-to-one overlap with no-code automation platforms. They handle scheduling, orchestration, and multi-step agentic task execution out of the box

Pro Note: Think of routines as the enterprise version of agentic workflows. The key difference from running Claude locally: because everything is hands-off on the cloud, your instructions need to be precise. Leave no ambiguity, the routine can't ask you to clarify mid-run.

Step 2: Set up your first routine in the Claude UI

Navigate to claude.ai/code/routines, click New Routine, and give it a clear name (e.g. “Daily Mailbox Drafter”)
Write your routine description like a structured SOP: spell out each step, reference which connectors to use, and define what “done” looks like (e.g. “send me a Slack update once complete”)
Select your model (Opus recommended for complex tasks), choose or create a cloud environment, then set your trigger, e.g. schedule, GitHub event, or API call

Tip: Be more detailed in your routine description than you would in a skill prompt. Unlike a live Claude session where you can course-correct, routines run entirely autonomously, so the more context you give upfront, the fewer mistakes it makes.

Step 3: Connect Gmail and Slack as connectors

Go to Claude Code settings, Connectors, click the connect button next to Gmail, then authenticate via OAuth in the new browser tab
Repeat the process for Slack. Search for it in the connectors search bar, click the plus button, and complete the OAuth flow
Once connected, add both connectors directly to your routine from the routine's settings page. Claude will then have permission to read emails and send Slack messages on your behalf

Pro Note: After OAuth completes, you'll receive an API token. Copy and store it somewhere safe immediately. You'll need it if you plan to trigger the routine via API calls from Claude Code or any external service.

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Step 4: Test your routine live using the Run Now feature

Click Run Now in the top-right corner to trigger an immediate test run, no need to wait for a scheduled time
Use the Runs view to watch tool calls execute in real time and verify outputs before setting a live schedule
Check your connected Slack DMs for the output notification. That's where the routine will deliver its summary and any email drafts it has created

Step 5: Trigger routines via API for event-based workflows

Switch the trigger type to Call via API to get a cURL snippet you can send from Claude Code or any external system, useful for event-driven flows like “run this routine when a new transcript arrives from Fireflies”
Pass your payload as a text input in the API call body; the routine picks it up and processes it as if it were typed directly into the session
This pattern unlocks multi-routine pipelines: a sales call ends, Fireflies sends a transcript, a web hook triggers the proposal routine, the proposal is generated and sent, all without you touching anything

Pro Note: Web hooks and API triggers are where routines get really powerful for agencies. Map out your client touchpoints, e.g. discovery call, proposal, contract signed, onboarding, and build a routine for each handoff. Chain them with web hooks so the output of one automatically fires the next.

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Step 6: Convert existing n8n workflows into routines

In n8n, select your workflow nodes (Shift + Command + C or right-click, Copy), then paste the JSON into Claude Code alongside the instruction: “Use the routine generator to turn this n8n workflow into a routine”
The routine generator interprets the JSON logic and creates an equivalent routine using natural language
After creation, you can modify the routine in plain English (e.g. “Update this so it sends me a Slack message with the scraped data when it's done”). Here, changes apply in seconds, with no drag-and-drop required

Tip: Don't port every workflow. Token-based execution costs more than compute-based n8n runs for simple logic chains. Use routines for workflows you'd build today from scratch, or for anything where the natural language instruction approach saves you two or more hours of setup time.

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Final checklist

Set up at least one routine in the Claude UI with a clear, SOP-style description and both Gmail and Slack connectors attached
Test your routine using the Run Now feature and verify the Slack output before activating a live schedule
Configure an API or web hook trigger for any event-driven use case (e.g. post-call transcript, proposal generation)
Identify two to three high-frequency agency workflows (inbox triage, proposal drafting, onboarding sequences) and build dedicated routines for each
Audit your existing n8n or Make.com workflows and convert any that would take two or more hours to rebuild into routines using the JSON import method

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