# AI-powered student assistant for course information: n8n workflow

> Started by an event in a connected app, and works across Airtable and Twilio. It puts OpenAI behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents...

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/ai-powered-student-assistant-for-course-information (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [Data collection](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=Data+collection#library)

# AI-powered student assistant for course information

Started by an event in a connected app, and works across Airtable and Twilio. It puts OpenAI behind a retrieval step, so answers are drawn from documents you supply rather than from the model alone. 11 steps: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium Calls a model: OpenAI Retrieval

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fai-powered-student-assistant-for-course-information)

**11 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**0** Branches: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**2** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 1 Model 3 Logic 1 Service 6

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

- 1 **Twilio Trigger** Twilio trigger *Starts it*
- 2 **Search Available Courses** Airtable Tool *Service*
- 3 **Get Course Database Schema** Airtable Tool *Service*
- 4 **Get List of Professors** Airtable Tool *Service*
- 5 **Get List of Departments** Airtable Tool *Service*
- 6 **Model** Lm Chat Open Ai *Model*
- 7 **Memory** Memory Buffer Window *Model*
- 8 **Get User Message** Set *Logic*
- 9 **Course Assistant Agent** Agent *Model*
- 10 **Append to Call Log** Airtable *Service*
- 11 **Send SMS reply** Twilio *Service*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An event in a connected app
- **Steps:** 11
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Airtable, Twilio
- **Model:** OpenAI
- **Retrieval:** Answers are drawn from documents you supply, not from the model alone

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Airtable and Twilio accounts, and a key for OpenAI. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an event in a connected app.

Does it use AI?

Yes. It calls OpenAI. Its answers draw on documents you give it, not on the model alone. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 11 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

**Before you run it**

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 11 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fai-powered-student-assistant-for-course-information)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Airtable#library)[Twilio](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Twilio#library)

## Workflows like it

Also data collection, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**Generate AI prompts with Gemini** 11 steps · calls a model · Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/generate-ai-prompts-with-gemini)
- [**Find LinkedIn professionals with Google Search and Airtable** 11 steps · Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/find-linkedin-professionals-with-google-search-and-airtable)
- [**Generate natural voices with Google Text-to-Speech and Drive** 11 steps · Airtable, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/generate-natural-voices-with-google-text-to-speech-and-drive)
- [**Manage IT asset requests and inventory with Airtable** 11 steps · Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/manage-it-asset-requests-and-inventory-with-airtable)
- [**Track Amazon best seller ranks in Airtable with ScraperAPI** 11 steps · Airtable, Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/track-amazon-best-seller-ranks-in-airtable-with-scraperapi)
- [**Update contacts & accounts from Airtable with Dropcontact** 11 steps · Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/update-contacts-and-accounts-from-airtable-with-dropcontact)