--- title: "Lead Agent" description: "An inbound lead qualification and research agent built with Next.js, AI SDK, Workflow SDK, and the Vercel Slack Adapter." url: "https://vercel.com/templates/next.js/lead-processing-agent" links: repository: "https://github.com/vercel-labs/lead-agent" demo: "https://lead-agent.vercel.sh" deploy: "https://vercel.com/new/clone?demo-title=Lead+Agent&demo-description=An+inbound+lead+qualification+and+research+agent+built+with+Next.js%2C+AI+SDK%2C+Workflow+SDK%2C+and+the+Vercel+Slack+Adapter.&demo-url=https%3A%2F%2Flead-agent.vercel.sh&demo-image=%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fe5382hct74si%2F3sHsZID8p7hqoUupwEr2eu%2Fff01edd7dab52aab03c92c97e4528a21%2FCleanShot_2025-10-22_at_20.02.12_2x.png&project-name=Lead+Agent&repository-name=lead-processing-agent&repository-url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fvercel-labs%2Flead-agent&from=templates&skippable-integrations=1&env=AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY%2CEXA_API_KEY&project-names=Comma+separated+list+of+project+names%2Cto+match+the+root-directories" --- # Lead Agent An inbound lead qualification and research agent built with Next.js, AI SDK, Workflow SDK, and the Vercel Slack Adapter. # Lead Agent hero An inbound lead qualification and research agent built with [Next.js](http://nextjs.org/), [AI SDK](https://ai-sdk.dev/), [Workflow SDK](https://workflow-sdk.dev/), and the [Vercel Slack Adapter](https://github.com/vercel-labs/slack-bolt). Hosted on the [Vercel AI Cloud](https://vercel.com/blog/the-ai-cloud-a-unified-platform-for-ai-workloads). **_This is meant to serve as a reference architecture to be adapted to the needs of your specific organization._** ## Overview Lead agent app that captures a lead in a contact sales form and then kicks off a qualification workflow and deep research agent. It integrates with Slack to send and receive messages for human-in-the-loop feedback. - **Immediate Response** - Returns a success response to the user upon submission - **Workflows** - Uses Workflow SDK to kick off durable background tasks - **Deep Research Agent** - Conducts comprehensive research on the lead with a deep research agent - **Qualify Lead** - Uses `generateObject` to categorize the lead based on the lead data and research report - **Write Email** - Generates a personalized response email - **Human-in-the-Loop** - Sends to Slack for human approval before sending - **Slack Webhook** - Catches a webhook event from Slack to approve or deny the email ## Deploy with Vercel [![Deploy with Vercel](https://vercel.com/button)](https://vercel.com/new/clone?repository-url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fvercel-labs%2Flead-agent&env=AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY,SLACK_BOT_TOKEN,SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET,SLACK_CHANNEL_ID,EXA_API_KEY&project-name=lead-agent&repository-name=lead-agent) ## Architecture architecture ``` User submits form ↓ start(workflow) ← (Workflow SDK) ↓ Research agent ← (AI SDK Agent) ↓ Qualify lead ← (AI SDK generateObject) ↓ Generate email ← (AI SDK generateText) ↓ Slack approval (human-in-the-loop) ← (Slack integration) ↓ Send email (on approval) ``` ## Tech Stack - **Framework**: [Next.js 16](https://nextjs.org) - **Durable execution**: [Workflow SDK](http://workflow-sdk.dev/) - **AI**: [Vercel AI SDK](https://ai-sdk.dev/) with [AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/ai-gateway) - **Human-in-the-Loop**: [Slack Bolt + Vercel Slack Bolt adapter](https://vercel.com/templates/ai/slack-agent-template) - **Web Search**: [Exa.ai](https://exa.ai/) ## Slack Integration This repo uses [Slack's Bolt for JavaScript](https://docs.slack.dev/tools/bolt-js/) with the [Vercel Slack Bolt adapter](https://vercel.com/changelog/build-slack-agents-with-vercel-slack-bolt). Slack's Bolt is the recommended way to build Slack apps with the latest platform features. While Bolt was designed for traditional long-running Node servers, Vercel's `@vercel/slack-bolt` adapter allows use of it in a serverless environment. Combining Slack's Bolt with Vercel's adapter reduces complexity and makes it easy to subscribe to Slack events and perform actions in your app. ## Using this template This repo contains various empty functions to serve as placeholders. To fully use this template, fill out empty functions in `lib/services.ts`. Example: Add a custom implementation of searching your own knowledge base in `queryKnowledgeBase`. Additionally, update prompts to meet the needs of your specific business function. ## Getting Started ### Prerequisites - Node.js 20+ - pnpm (recommended) or npm - Slack workspace with bot token and signing secret - Reference the [Vercel Slack agent template docs](https://github.com/vercel-partner-solutions/slack-agent-template) for creating a Slack app - You can set the permissions and configuration for your Slack app in the `manifest.json` file in the root of this repo. Paste this manifest file into the Slack dashboard when creating the app - **Be sure to update the request URL for interactivity and event subscriptions to be your production domain URL** - If Slack environment variables are not set, the app will still run with the Slack bot disabled - [Vercel AI Gateway API Key](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%2Fapi-keys%3Futm_source%3Dai_gateway_landing_page&title=Get+an+API+Key) - [Exa API key](https://exa.ai/) ### Installation 1. Clone the repository: ```bash git clone https://github.com/vercel-labs/lead-agent.git cd lead-agent ``` 2. Install dependencies: ```bash pnpm install ``` 3. Set up environment variables: ```bash cp .env.example .env.local ``` Configure the following variables: ```bash # Vercel AI Gateway API Key AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY # Slack Bot SLACK_BOT_TOKEN SLACK_SIGNING_SECRET SLACK_CHANNEL_ID # Exa API Key EXA_API_KEY ``` 4. Run the development server: ```bash pnpm dev ``` 5. Open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000) to see the application and submit a test lead. ## Project Structure ``` lead-agent/ ├── app/ │ ├── api/ │ │ ├── submit/ # Form submission endpoint that kicks off workflow │ │ └── slack/ # Slack webhook handler (receives slack events) │ └── page.tsx # Home page ├── lib/ │ ├── services.ts # Core business logic (qualify, research, email) │ ├── slack.ts # Slack integration │ └── types.ts # TypeScript schemas and types ├── components/ │ ├── lead-form.tsx # Main form component └── workflows/ └── inbound/ # Inbound lead workflow ├── index.ts # Exported workflow function └── steps.ts # Workflow steps ``` ## Key Features ### Workflow durable execution with `use workflow` This project uses [Workflow SDK](https://workflow-sdk.dev) to kick off a workflow that runs the agent, qualification, and other actions. ### AI-Powered Qualification Leads are automatically categorized (QUALIFIED, FOLLOW_UP, SUPPORT, etc.) using the latest OpenAI model via the Vercel AI SDK and `generateObject`. Reasoning is also provided for each qualification decision. Edit the qualification categories by changing the `qualificationCategorySchema` in `lib/types.ts`. ### AI SDK Agent class Uses the [AI SDK Agent class](https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/agents/overview) to create an autonomous research agent. Create new tools for the Agent and edit prompts in `lib/services.ts`. ### Human-in-the-Loop Workflow Generated emails are sent to Slack with approve/reject buttons, ensuring human oversight before any outbound communication. The Slack message is defined with [Slack's Block Kit](https://docs.slack.dev/block-kit/). It can be edited in `lib/slack.ts`. ### Extensible Architecture - Add new qualification categories in the `qualificationCategorySchema` in `types.ts` - Adjust the prompts and configuration for all AI calls in `lib/services.ts` - Alter the agent by tuning parameters in `lib/services.ts` - Add new service functions if needed in `lib/services.ts` - Follow [Workflow SDK docs](https://workflow-sdk.dev) to add new steps to the workflow - Create new workflows for other qualification flows, outbound outreach, etc. ## License MIT ## Related Templates ### [eve Sanity Copilot](https://vercel.com/templates/eve/eve-sanity-copilot) Give your team a Sanity copilot in Slack. It runs GROQ, edits schemas, manages releases, and asks before it touches production. ### [eve Marketing Team](https://vercel.com/templates/eve/eve-marketing-team) Marketing team in Slack: one lead, five specialists. Blog drafts in Notion, posts in Typefully, campaigns in Resend, on approval. ### [eve Content Agent](https://vercel.com/templates/eve/eve-content-agent) Turn your style guide into a Slack agent. Drafts blogs, social posts, release notes, and newsletters in your house voice, lint-enforced. --- ## Additional documentation The [Vercel Knowledge Base](https://vercel.com/kb) contains guides and answers to common questions about Vercel, including deployment, framework configuration, domains, caching, and troubleshooting.