Guidelines take effect when you publish the agent. See Publishing your changes.
What the agent already does on its own
You don’t need to write anything about ordinary conversation. The agent sounds like a person, is honest about what it knows and doesn’t know, and keeps a natural rhythm. Use the guidelines for what’s specific to your business.The agent adapts to the channel
The same agent can take phone calls and chats. It knows on its own how to behave:- On the phone it speaks naturally with pauses. It reads numbers, dates, and prices out loud the way you’d say them yourself. “Thursday the 14th of May”, not “14/05”.
- In chat it splits the answer into short paragraphs with bold words and links.
Languages
If you’ve set up several languages under Turn on → General, the agent switches between them on its own as it goes. If the user starts in English halfway through a Danish call, it continues in English without asking. You don’t need to write anything about switching languages.General instructions
At the top of the page is General instructions. Click Edit, and write what the agent can’t know on its own:- Who the agent works for, and what role it plays
- What you sell or help with
- Things it must not do or promise
- The words you use for your products
You work as a receptionist for Acme Dental. Be friendly and a little formal. Never promise a price without checking with a dentist first. If the user has acute pain, transfer them to the on-call dentist right away.Keep it short. Three to five sentences usually works best. If the list keeps growing, some of it probably belongs in Agent knowledge and training.
Individual guidelines
Below the general instructions are three groups. Click New to create one, or choose the group from the menu next to the New button at the top.
Each guideline has a Title and a text. Under Applies to you choose All conversations or Chat conversations.
If you type
@ in the text, you can refer to a workflow, a data connector, a built-in tool, or an integration action.
What you shouldn’t write
- “Be friendly”. It already is.
- “Listen before you answer”. It already does.
- “Don’t say you’re an AI”. The agent is honest about what it is if someone asks. Guidelines can’t change that.
- Long explanations of your products. Those belong in Agent knowledge and training.
- Word-for-word scripts. Guidelines are guidelines, not lines to read out.
Adjust the tone
You write the tone in the same place. One sentence is often enough:- More warmth: “Be warm and welcoming.”
- Shorter answers: “Keep answers short, at most two sentences.”
- More formal: “Be professional and a little formal.”
- More calm: “Take your time, and let the user finish talking.”
How to test your way there
- Go to Test → Live test on the agent.
- Start a phone or chat conversation, and ask three or four realistic questions.
- Listen for the feel, not just for mistakes. Does it sound like you?
- Fix one thing at a time, and try again.
If something still doesn’t work
Next steps
- Make sure the agent knows what it’s talking about: Agent knowledge and training
- Get it to say names correctly: Pronunciation