Agents get chat-first redesign with sidebar navigation
n8n agents now have a dedicated sidebar section, a guided creation flow with templates, and a redesigned chat-first builder layout with a collapsible settings panel.
n8n agents previously lived behind a code-editor-centric, tabbed interface that required navigating multiple panels to configure even basic settings. The new experience puts conversation first.
Users can now access agents directly from the main sidebar, which displays a global cross-project list. A first-visit coachmark explains what agents can do. The creation flow starts with a "Let's build something" page where users describe what they want, pick from three suggestion templates (SEO Audit, Recruiting Sourcer, Inbox Sorter), or start blank. Submitting a description routes to the builder with the prompt pre-loaded, auto-triggering the AI build process.
The agent builder itself has been redesigned. The old tabbed sidebar (Code/Overview/Tools/Prompts/Memory/Integrations) is gone. The center column now shows the agent home with icon, name, description, and chat input. A toggleable settings sidebar on the right handles model selection, instructions, and collapsible sections for Triggers, Tools, Advanced, and Code. Unsaved changes are tracked with a visual indicator and Save/Cancel buttons.
This work supports two Linear tickets (AGENT-16, AGENT-1) and is part of a larger initiative to make agents first-class citizens in the n8n platform.
View Original GitHub Description
Summary
- Add Agents section to main sidebar with global cross-project agent list, "New" badge, and first-visit coachmark
- Create "New agent" creation page with "Let's build something" heading, description input, 3 suggestion templates, and "Create blank" option
- Redesign agent builder from tabbed code-first layout to Figma chat-first 2-column layout (center chat + right settings sidebar)
- Add settings sidebar with collapsible Model, Instructions, Triggers, Tools, Advanced, and Code sections with unsaved changes tracking
- Add inline mode to AgentChatPanel for center-column rendering
- Add 24 i18n keys for all new agent UI strings
- Auto-trigger AI build from creation flow prompt param
Linear tickets
Test plan
- Enable agents module → verify sidebar shows Agents section with "New" badge and agent list
- Click "+ New agent" → verify creation page renders with heading, input, suggestions
- Click "Create blank" → verify agent is created and builder opens
- Type description + submit → verify builder opens with prompt auto-triggering chat
- Click suggestion card → verify input is populated with template prompt
- Verify agent builder shows chat-first layout with toggleable settings sidebar
- Toggle settings sidebar → verify it shows/hides
- Verify settings sidebar sections (Model, Instructions, Triggers, Tools, Advanced, Code) expand/collapse
- Verify Code section is collapsed by default
- Modify settings → verify "Unsaved changes" indicator appears, Save/Cancel work
- Verify coachmark tooltip appears on first visit and dismisses on "Got it" click
- Disable agents module → verify no agents UI appears anywhere
Review / Merge checklist
- PR title and summary are descriptive. (conventions) <!-- **Remember, the title automatically goes into the changelog. Use `(no-changelog)` otherwise.** -->
- Docs updated or follow-up ticket created.
- Tests included. <!-- A bug is not considered fixed, unless a test is added to prevent it from happening again. A feature is not complete without tests. -->