Eko's automation steps, explained.

Fill Input Field#

The Fill Input Field step is one of the most useful building blocks in your automation toolkit. It uses AI vision to find a text field on your screen, type something into it, and even press a key — all without you lifting a finger.

What it does#

When you add this step to your workflow, it automatically locates a specific input field on your screen, types whatever text you define, and optionally presses a key (like Enter) right after. Think of it as a robot that fills out forms for you.

How to set it up#

Once you open the Fill Input Field dialog, you'll see three things to configure:

1. Input Field: Describe the field you want to fill in plain English — for example, "search box", "username field", or "email input". The AI uses vision to find it on screen based on your description.
2. Text to Type: Enter what you want typed into that field. Use fixed text like "hello@example.com", or dynamic variables like @customer_name to personalize it per run.
3. Key After: Choose which key to press after typing. By default it's Enter, which is perfect for submitting searches or forms automatically.

Once configured, click Create → and the step is added to your workflow.

Pro tip#

Need to fill multiple fields in one go? Hit + Add another to stack multiple input fills into a single step. It's great for login forms or multi-field searches.

Click Elements#

Many workflows need to click buttons, open menus, select options, or trigger actions before they can continue. The Click Elements step uses AI vision to locate elements on your screen based on your description and perform the appropriate click automatically — whether that's a Submit button, a navigation menu, a search result, or a confirmation, with no fixed coordinates required.

What it does#

This step scans the current screen, identifies the element you describe, and performs the selected click action. Because it uses AI vision, you can describe elements in plain English rather than specifying exact screen locations, which makes your workflows more flexible and resilient to layout changes.

How to set it up#

When you open the Click Elements dialog, you'll see two fields for each click action:

1. Element to Click: Describe the element you want the workflow to click — for example, "the Submit button", "the menu icon", "the first search result", or "the Save changes button". The AI uses your description to locate the correct element on screen.
2. Click Type: Choose how the click should be performed:
   • Single – a standard click on the selected element.
   • Double – a double-click, useful for opening files, folders, or apps that require it.
   • Right – a right-click to open context menus or additional actions.

Once configured, click Create → to add the step to your workflow.

What happens next#

When the workflow reaches this step, AI analyzes the current screen, locates the element that best matches your description, and performs the selected click. If multiple click actions are configured, they run in the order they appear within the step.

Pro tip#

Need to perform several clicks in sequence? Click + Add another to add multiple click actions within a single step — for example, open a menu, select an option, and confirm the action without creating separate workflow steps.

Read Value from Screen (Precise)#

Ever needed your automation to grab a specific number, code, or ID off your screen and use it later? That's exactly what Read Value from Screen (Precise) is built for. It combines AI vision to locate the value and native OCR to read it with character-perfect accuracy — no guessing, no misreads.

What it does#

This step scans your screen, finds the value you describe, and saves it as a variable you can reference in any later step. It's especially reliable for order IDs, confirmation codes, reference numbers, prices, or any text where getting every character right actually matters.

How to set it up#

When you open the dialog, you'll see two fields to fill in:

1. What to Read: Describe the value you want to capture in plain English. Be specific about where it appears — for example, "the order ID near the top" or "the confirmation code below the payment summary". The more context you give, the better the AI can locate it.
2. Save As: Give your captured value a variable name, like order_id or confirmation_code. This is the name you'll use to reference it in later steps.

Once done, hit Create → and the step is added.

What happens next#

After the step runs, the value is saved to your workflow's context — "The result will be saved to context and available as a variable in later steps." You can immediately use it downstream, whether to fill a form, compose a message, or trigger a condition.

Pro tip#

Need to capture multiple values at once? Click + Add another to read several fields in a single step — perfect for pulling an order ID and a delivery date in one go.

Get Current Date / Time#

Sometimes your automation just needs to know what day it is. The Get Current Date / Time step grabs the current date, time, or both, and makes it available as a variable for the rest of your workflow. No AI needed, no screen reading — just a clean, reliable timestamp ready to use.

What it does#

This step injects the current date or time into your workflow's context the moment it runs. It's perfect for logging entries, labeling exports, filling date fields, or anything else that needs a real-time timestamp.

How to set it up#

The dialog is refreshingly simple — just two things to configure:

1. Date Format: Use the dropdown to choose how the date or time is formatted. By default it's a clean, readable format like Jun 5, 2026, but you can switch to a full timestamp, time only, or a numeric format depending on what your workflow needs.
2. Save As: The variable name the date is stored under. It defaults to current_date, but you can rename it to anything that fits, like today or export_date.

Once you're happy with the settings, click Create → and the step is added.

What happens next#

When the workflow runs, it captures the exact date and time at that moment and saves it under your chosen variable name, for example @current_date. From that point on, any step in your workflow can use it.

Open Application#

Before your automation can do anything useful, it often needs the right app to be open. The Open Application step launches any installed application on your computer at precisely the right moment in your workflow. No AI required — just a simple, reliable trigger.

What it does#

This step tells your workflow to open a specific application the moment it reaches that point in the sequence. Whether you need a spreadsheet tool, a browser, a file manager, or any other installed app, this step takes care of it automatically.

How to set it up#

There's just one thing to configure:

• Application: Click the dropdown and select the app you want to open from the list of installed applications on your machine.

Once you've selected your app, you'll see a preview at the bottom confirming what the step will do, such as Open 'Android File Transfer'. If that looks right, hit Create →.

What happens next#

When the workflow runs and reaches this step, it automatically launches the selected application. From there, your subsequent steps follow.

Compose Message#

Need your workflow to draft an email, customer reply, notification, or any other text automatically? The Compose Message step uses AI to generate a message based on the instructions you provide and any variables available in your workflow — perfect for dynamic, context-aware content without writing it manually every time.

What it does#

This step generates a message based on the information you provide and saves the result as a variable for use later in the workflow. You can create anything from simple notifications to fully personalized customer communications, and the generated message can reference variables captured in earlier steps.

How to set it up#

When you open the Compose Message dialog, you'll see two fields:

1. Template: Describe the message you want to create in plain English, including any variables it should use. For example: "Write a confirmation email for @customer_name about booking reference @booking_reference." The more specific your instructions, the better the result.
2. Save As: Defaults to composed_message, but you can rename it to something more meaningful, such as email_body, customer_reply, or followup_message.

Once configured, click Create → to add the step.

What happens next#

When the workflow runs, AI generates the message based on your template and the available variables, then saves it to your workflow's context under the variable name you selected. From there you can use the message in later actions — sending an email, posting to a chat app, filling a text field, or storing it for later.

Pro tip#

Use variables to make your messages highly personalized. Combining values like @customer_name, @order_id, and @delivery_date lets a single template generate unique messages for every workflow run without any manual editing.

Condition / Branch#

Not every situation deserves the same response — and that's exactly where Condition / Branch comes in. This step uses AI to evaluate what's happening in your workflow and automatically route it down the right path. Think of it as a smart decision-maker sitting in the middle of your automation.

What it does#

When the workflow reaches this step, AI reads the context you provide, evaluates it against your question, and picks the appropriate branch to follow. This lets a single workflow handle multiple scenarios intelligently.

How to set it up#

1. Condition Prompt: Ask the AI your decision question in plain English. Be specific and reference any relevant variables from earlier steps — for example, "Given @email_body, is this urgent?"
2. Branch Labels (comma-separated): List the possible outcomes, separated by commas — for example yes, no or approved, rejected, pending. Each label becomes a separate path; the AI picks exactly one.
3. Default Branch: Choose which branch to fall back to if the AI's response doesn't clearly match any label. Set it to whichever outcome is the safest default for your use case.

Once configured, click Create → to add the step.

What happens next#

When the workflow runs, the AI evaluates your prompt and routes execution to the matching branch — whether that's sending an urgent alert, skipping a step, or triggering a completely different sequence. It all happens automatically.

Pro tip#

If both branches eventually need to do the same thing — like sending a confirmation or logging a result — you don't need to duplicate those steps. Add the shared steps at the end of each branch, and they'll run regardless of which path was taken.

Open URL in Browser#

Need your workflow to visit a specific website before doing anything else? The Open URL in Browser step opens any URL in your chosen browser and can even scroll and capture the full page content for later use.

What it does#

This step launches a URL in a specified browser at the right moment in your workflow. It can work as a simple navigation step, or go further by scrolling through the entire page and extracting specific values into your workflow's context — a powerful starting point for any web-based automation.

How to set it up#

1. URL: Type the full web address you want to open, starting with https://.
2. Browser: Select which browser to use from the dropdown. Safari is selected by default, but you can switch to whichever browser fits your workflow.
3. Scroll and Capture Full Page (optional): Enable this to automatically scroll the entire page and capture its contents. When enabled, you can also set Wait Before Capturing (default 2 seconds), Max Pages to Scroll (default 20), and Delay Between Scroll Iterations for slower-loading pages.
4. Extract to Context (optional): With page capture on, tell it what specific values to pull from the page — like a product name or price — entered comma-separated. Leave it blank if you just need the page open.

Once everything looks right, click Create → to add the step.

Create New Workflow#

This step lets you create a new workflow by giving it a name, making it easy to organize and identify your automations.

What it does#

It creates a new workflow with the name you provide. Once created, you can add steps and build the automation that fits your needs.

How to set it up#

When you open the Create New Workflow dialog, you'll see one field:

• Workflow Name: Enter a descriptive name, such as LinkedIn recruitment posts, Invoice Processing, or Customer Onboarding. Choose a name that clearly describes the workflow's purpose so it's easy to find later.

Once you've entered the name, click Continue to create the workflow.

What happens next#

Eko creates a new workflow with the name you provided and opens it for editing. You can then begin adding predefined steps or custom actions.

Add and Insert Steps#

As your automation grows, you may need to add new actions or insert steps between existing ones. Add New Step and Insert Step let you expand your workflow exactly where you need to.

What it does#

• Add New Step appends a new step to the end of the workflow.
• Insert Step places a new step between two existing steps without changing the rest of the workflow.

How to use it#

1. Add New Step: At the end of the workflow, click the + New Step placeholder to create a step after the last existing one.
2. Insert Step: Hover between any two existing steps and click + Insert Step to add a step at that position.

After selecting either option, choose the type of step you want to create and configure its settings.

What happens next#

A new draft step is added at the selected location. Once configured and saved, it becomes part of the workflow and executes in sequence when the workflow runs.

Pro tip#

Use Insert Step when you need to add validation, data extraction, or another action without rebuilding your workflow — an easy way to update existing automations while keeping the overall flow intact.

Step Builder#

Instead of manually configuring every step, you can describe what you want your next step to do in plain English and let Step Builder create it for you — a faster, more intuitive way to build or refine workflows using natural language.

What it does#

Step Builder uses AI to interpret your description and generate a configured workflow step. It determines the appropriate step type, fills in the required settings, and prepares the step for review before adding it to your workflow.

How to set it up#

When you open Step Builder, type a description of the action you want to automate. For example:

• "Read the order number from the screen and save it as @order_id."
• "Type @customer_email into the email field and press Enter."
• "Compose a follow-up message using @customer_name and @ticket_summary."

The more specific your description, the more accurately Step Builder can generate the step.

What happens next#

Step Builder creates a draft step based on your description and shows a summary of what it will do. Review it to ensure it matches your intent, then click Add Step to insert it into your workflow. To make changes, describe the adjustment in the chat and Step Builder updates the draft accordingly.

Pro tip#

Not sure what Step Builder can create? Ask "What can you do?" to see examples and supported actions. You can also describe changes to an existing step in chat to update its configuration without opening its settings manually.