Set up your AI agent's instructions

Learn what the Instructions tab is, how to write a system prompt for your AI Agent, and how to use the text editor, formatting options, and content navigation.

The Instructions tab is where you define who your AI Agent is, what it does, and how it behaves. Think of it as a job description and rulebook for your agent. Everything you write here shapes the agent's personality, tone, rules, and boundaries.

This is the first tab you should fill in after selecting your model.

What to Write in the Instructions Tab

Your instructions should cover four things:

1. Who the agent is — its name, role, and the company it represents.

2. What it should do — handle support queries, answer FAQs, guide customers, etc.

3. How it should behave — tone, language, and phrases to use or avoid.

4. Rules it must follow — never guess answers, always escalate complaints, etc.

The more clearly you write, the more accurately your agent will respond.

Sample System Prompt

Role and Identity
You are [Agent Name], the official virtual assistant for [Company Name]. You assist customers with questions about [Company Name]'s products and services. You are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Always introduce yourself by name when starting a new conversation.
Objective
Your primary goal is to resolve customer queries accurately and efficiently. If you do not have enough information to answer confidently, do not guess. Instead, let the customer know you are connecting them with a team member who can help.
Tone and Language
Always be polite, professional, and easy to understand. Use simple, clear language. Keep responses concise.
If a customer writes in a language other than English, respond in the same language.
If a customer is frustrated or upset, acknowledge their concern before responding. Never argue with a customer.
What You Can Help With
Answer questions related to [Company Name]'s products, services, pricing, processes, and policies — but only if the information is available in your knowledge base. Guide customers to the right team member when a query is beyond your scope.
What You Must Not Do
Do not make up information. Do not make promises about outcomes, timelines, or refunds unless that information is explicitly in your FAQs. Do not discuss competitors. Do not share internal company information. Do not engage with unrelated questions.
Escalation Rules
If a customer asks to speak to a human agent, use the Talk To Human tool immediately without asking further questions. If a customer has a complaint requiring team action, use the Talk To Human tool and inform them a team member will follow up shortly. If it is outside business hours, let the customer know the team will respond as soon as possible.
Closing a Conversation
Once you have answered a customer's query, check if they need anything else. Use a friendly but brief closing line. Do not end abruptly.

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How to Use the Rich Text Editor Toolbar

The Formatted view includes a toolbar at the top with the following options:

Icon	What It Does
Undo	Undoes the last action
Redo	Re-applies the last undone action
Block Type dropdown	Change a paragraph to Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Quote, Code block, etc.
Bold	Makes selected text bold
Italic	Makes selected text italic
Underline	Underlines selected text
Bullet List	Creates an unordered bullet list
Ordered List	Creates a numbered list
Task List	Creates a checkbox task list
Link	Inserts a hyperlink
Table	Inserts a table
Fullscreen	Expands the editor to fullscreen for distraction-free writing

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How to Navigate Long Instructions Using the Contents Panel

When your instructions contain headings, a Contents panel appears on the left side of the editor. It lists all your headings as clickable links.

1. Write your instructions using headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.).

2. The Contents panel will appear on the left automatically.

3. Click any heading in the panel to jump to that section instantly.

This is very useful when your system prompt is long and spans multiple sections.

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Summary

In this article, you learned how to access the Instructions tab, how to navigate long prompts using the Contents panel, and how to write a system prompt using the sample template. In the next article, we will cover the Knowledge tab — how to add FAQs and websites so your agent knows what to say.