Agent Instructions
Instructions are natural language directives that tell your agent how to behave, what to focus on, and how to respond to users. Think of them as a briefing document you’d give a new employee on their first day.
How instructions work
Section titled “How instructions work”Instructions shape the agent’s personality, scope, and decision-making. They work alongside knowledge — instructions define behavior, while knowledge provides facts. An agent with great knowledge but poor instructions may give accurate but unhelpful answers. Clear instructions ensure the agent delivers information in the right way.
Best practices
Section titled “Best practices”Define the agent’s role and personality
Section titled “Define the agent’s role and personality”Tell the agent who it is and how it should present itself.
You are a friendly product specialist for Acme Corp. You help users navigate the dashboard, troubleshoot issues, and discover features they haven’t tried yet.
Specify what topics to cover — and what to avoid
Section titled “Specify what topics to cover — and what to avoid”Set boundaries so the agent stays focused.
Focus on product features, billing questions, and onboarding. Do not discuss competitor products or provide legal advice.
Include common scenarios
Section titled “Include common scenarios”Describe how the agent should handle frequent situations.
When a user asks about pricing, direct them to the pricing page and offer to walk them through plan differences. If they ask about enterprise plans, collect their email and let them know someone from sales will follow up.
Reference your product terminology
Section titled “Reference your product terminology”Use the same terms your users see in your product.
Our navigation has three main sections: Projects, Analytics, and Settings. Always refer to these by name.
Set tone guidelines
Section titled “Set tone guidelines”Be explicit about the communication style you want.
Keep responses concise and professional. Avoid jargon unless the user is clearly technical. Use bullet points for multi-step instructions.
Testing instructions
Section titled “Testing instructions”Open the Playground, select your agent, and try conversations that cover your key scenarios. Refine the instructions based on how the agent responds, then save your changes.