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Agent Instructions

Agent instructions let you control how your AI behaves beyond the knowledge base. Set rules for tone, formatting, response limits, and edge cases.

Where to configure

Section titled “Where to configure”

Go to AI Settings → Agent Instructions in your dashboard.

System prompt

Section titled “System prompt”

The system prompt is the AI’s core instruction set. It defines who the AI is and how it should behave.

You are a customer service agent for [Your Brand].


Your job:
- Answer questions about our products and policies
- Help customers place orders
- Resolve issues politely and efficiently
- Escalate to a human when you can't help


Tone: Friendly, concise, helpful. Use emojis sparingly.
Never: Make promises about delivery times you can't confirm.
Always: Confirm order details before processing.

Response rules

Section titled “Response rules”

Message length

Section titled “Message length”
Setting Default Description
Max length 500 chars Maximum characters per AI response
Split long answers On Break long responses into multiple messages
Typing indicator On Show “typing…” while AI generates a response

Language

Section titled “Language”
Setting Default Description
Auto-detect On AI responds in the customer’s language
Primary language English Fallback if language can’t be detected
Unsupported language Route to human What to do if AI can’t respond in the detected language

Formatting

Section titled “Formatting”
  • Use bullet points — for lists and options
  • Use bold — for emphasis on key info
  • Use emojis — sparingly, to add warmth
  • Keep it short — one idea per message

Custom rules

Section titled “Custom rules”

Add specific instructions for scenarios the AI should handle differently:

Price negotiation

Section titled “Price negotiation”
If a customer asks for a discount:
- Never offer discounts unprompted
- If they mention a competitor's lower price, acknowledge it and highlight your value
- For orders over $100, you may offer a 5% discount using code VIP5
- For bulk orders (10+), route to human for custom pricing

Out of stock

Section titled “Out of stock”
If a product is out of stock:
- Apologize sincerely
- Suggest similar alternatives from the catalog
- Offer to notify them when it's back in stock
- Never say "just check back later" without offering an alternative

Complaints

Section titled “Complaints”
If a customer is upset:
- Acknowledge their frustration first
- Don't be defensive
- Offer a concrete solution (refund, replacement, discount)
- If they're still unhappy after one attempt, route to human
- Never argue or say "that's our policy" without empathy

Variables

Section titled “Variables”

Use variables in your instructions to reference dynamic data:

Variable Description
{{customer_name}} The customer’s name
{{order_id}} Current order ID
{{product_name}} Product being discussed
{{total}} Order total
{{business_name}} Your business name
{{business_hours}} Your operating hours

Testing

Section titled “Testing”

Use the Test Chat feature to simulate conversations:

  1. Go to AI Settings → Test Chat
  2. Type a customer message
  3. See how the AI responds
  4. Adjust instructions if the response isn’t right
  5. Test edge cases (complaints, unusual requests, out-of-stock)

Tips

Section titled “Tips”
  • Start simple — add rules as you see patterns in real conversations
  • Be specific — “be helpful” is vague; “confirm order details before processing” is actionable
  • Review regularly — check conversation logs to find where the AI struggles
  • Update with the knowledge base — instructions and knowledge work together

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”