No-code AI sounds like a dream for customer support teams, right? The idea of building smart automation without having to constantly bug your developers is pretty appealing. Freshworks is definitely in on this with its Freddy AI platform, and the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder is their main tool for creating these automated workflows.
But does it live up to the hype? We're going to take an honest look at the Skills Builder, what it does well, where it falls short, and how it compares to more flexible tools built for teams that can't afford to be locked in.
What is the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder?
Think of the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder as Freshworks’ drag-and-drop tool for building "Skills" for its AI agents. In Freshworks-speak, a "Skill" is just an automated workflow that can do things beyond simply answering a question. We're talking about actions like processing a refund, checking an order status, or updating a subscription, all from inside the helpdesk.
The tool uses different "blocks" that you connect to map out how the AI should kick off a workflow, ask for more info, talk to other apps, and make decisions. It looks good on paper, but it’s built to keep you firmly inside the Freshworks world.
How the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder actually works
Let's get into the nuts and bolts of what you can actually do with the tool.
Kicking off a workflow
It all starts with a "Trigger Block." This is what listens for a customer's message and tries to understand what they want using natural language processing (NLP). If someone says, "I need to cancel my order," the AI is supposed to recognize that and start the right cancellation workflow.
Here's the catch, though: Freshworks points out in its own documentation that this block only reacts to customer messages. It can't be triggered by system events, like a new ticket being created or a bad satisfaction rating. That's a pretty big blind spot for any team looking to build proactive automation.
Getting info and talking to other tools
Once a workflow is triggered, the "Collect Info" block lets the AI agent ask for more details, like an order number or email. From there, the "API Action" block can connect to other systems to get or send data. To make things a bit easier, Freshworks does provide a library of pre-built Skills for common tools like Shopify and Stripe, which is a decent starting point for e-commerce teams.
Making decisions and crafting replies
The "Condition Path" block lets you build out branching, "if-this-then-that" logic so the agent knows how to handle different situations. For example, if an order has already shipped, the AI can be told to inform the customer it's too late to cancel. If it hasn't, it can move forward with the cancellation.
graph TD
A[Start: Customer Message Trigger] --> B{Recognize Intent};
B --> C[Collect Info: Order Number];
C --> D[API Action: Check Order Status];
D --> E{Condition: Shipped?};
E -- Yes --> F[Custom Response: 'Too late to cancel'];
E -- No --> G[API Action: Process Cancellation];
G --> H[Custom Response: 'Cancellation confirmed'];
F --> I[End Workflow];
H --> I;
You can use the "Custom Response" block to control exactly what the AI says and drop in an "Agent Handoff" block whenever you want to bring in a human. While these visual builders seem powerful, they’re ultimately limited by the data they can reach and the platform they're built on.
The problem with the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder's 'walled garden'
The Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder might look impressive at first glance, but because it's so tightly woven into the Freshworks ecosystem, it creates some real headaches for teams that need flexibility.
You're stuck with Freshworks
When you pour hours into building automation with Freddy, you're not just building workflows; you're building them on Freshworks' platform. That means if you ever decide to switch to a different helpdesk like Zendesk or Intercom, you can't take any of that work with you. It's gone. You're back to square one, rebuilding everything from scratch.
It's much safer in the long run to use a tool that isn't tied to one platform. With a solution like eesel AI, your AI agent and workflows are portable. It connects to your existing tools, so you can change your helpdesk without having to scrap your entire automation setup.
It only learns from a fraction of your knowledge
A smart AI needs to know everything your business knows, not just what's in your public help center. Freddy AI mostly learns from your Freshdesk articles and can do a basic crawl of your website, but that’s about it.
This is a huge miss. Your real company knowledge is scattered everywhere. A tool like eesel AI connects to everything at once. It doesn't just look at your help center; it plugs into your internal wikis in Confluence, project docs in Google Docs, and team chats in Slack. It can even learn from your past support tickets to get your tone of voice right from the start.
Why the 'no-code' promise gets complicated
While it’s a visual tool, once you start building out dozens of workflows with different branches and rules, it can turn into a tangled web that’s a nightmare to manage and debug. It can easily become a full-time job for someone on your team. You're also limited to the building blocks Freshworks gives you, forcing you to solve problems their way.
What a more flexible AI tool looks like
Instead of getting boxed into a complicated system, many support teams are looking for platforms that give them more control with a lot less work.
Up and running in minutes
A lot of enterprise AI tools want to drag you through sales calls and long onboarding processes. With a self-serve platform like eesel AI, you can just sign up, connect your helpdesk with one click, and have an AI agent ready to go in a few minutes. No waiting, no demos, no developers needed.
Simple prompts, powerful actions
You shouldn't need a massive flowchart to build smart workflows. eesel AI takes a different approach with a simple prompt editor. You just tell the AI what its personality is, how it should talk, and what custom actions it can take.
The AI figures out on its own when to do something (like look up an order or tag a ticket), so you don't have to map out every single 'if-then' scenario. It makes setup incredibly fast and much easier to maintain.
Test it safely before going live
Launching a new AI can be nerve-wracking. How will it actually perform with real customer questions? Before you flip the switch, eesel AI lets you run a simulation on thousands of your past tickets in a safe sandbox. You get a clear forecast of its resolution rate and can see exactly where your knowledge base has gaps, all without a single customer being affected.
Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder pricing vs. a straightforward alternative
Freshdesk's pricing for Freddy AI is... confusing. It’s an add-on that needs an expensive base plan, and it uses a "session-based" model that’s hard to predict. Your costs can jump unexpectedly, especially if you get a lot of emails. In contrast, other tools just give you clear, predictable pricing.
| Feature | Freddy AI Agent (Freshworks) | eesel AI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per "session" (1 email reply or 24h chat). Sold in blocks. | Per AI interaction (reply or action). Clear monthly tiers. |
| Predictability | Low. Costs can vary wildly based on channel and ticket complexity. | High. Fixed monthly cost based on your chosen plan. |
| Hidden Costs | Requires specific Freshdesk plans ($49+/agent/mo) + add-ons. | All core products are included in one plan. No per-resolution fees. |
| Flexibility | Tied to Freshdesk's ecosystem and pricing structure. | Standalone platform with month-to-month plans you can cancel anytime. |
Should you use the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder?
Look, the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder can work if your team is 100% committed to the Freshworks ecosystem for the long haul. But its "walled garden" approach, the surprisingly complex workflow management, and the unpredictable pricing are serious drawbacks for most teams.
If you want automation that can scale and adapt with your business, you need a tool that's flexible, connects to all your knowledge, and lets you deploy with confidence.
Ready to try an AI agent that plays nice with your existing tools? Give eesel AI a look. You can get set up in just a few minutes and see what a difference it makes.
Frequently asked questions
The Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder is Freshworks' visual, drag-and-drop tool for creating automated workflows, referred to as "Skills," for their AI agents. These Skills allow the AI to perform actions beyond answering questions, such as processing refunds or checking order statuses, all within the helpdesk environment.
Workflows in the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder are initiated by a "Trigger Block" that uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand a customer's message. It currently only reacts to customer messages and cannot be triggered by system events like a new ticket being created.
While the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder can connect to some common applications using its API Action block, it is deeply integrated into the Freshworks ecosystem. This means that workflows built using this tool are not easily portable to other helpdesks like Zendesk or Intercom.
The Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder primarily learns from your Freshdesk articles and can perform a basic crawl of your public website. It generally does not access broader internal company knowledge bases such as Confluence or Google Docs for learning.
While the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder is a visual tool, as you build out numerous workflows with different branches and rules, it can become quite complex and difficult to manage or debug. You are also limited to the specific building blocks provided by Freshworks, which can restrict flexibility.
The pricing for the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder is session-based, meaning costs can fluctuate significantly based on factors like email volume or chat interactions, making it difficult to predict. It also requires an existing, often expensive, Freshdesk base plan as an add-on.
If your team decides to switch from Freshworks, all the automation built using the Freddy AI Agent Skills Builder will be lost. The workflows are tied to the Freshworks platform and cannot be migrated, requiring you to rebuild everything from scratch on a new system.
