Creating Guidelines

This guide helps you create guidelines that shape your agent’s communication effectively.

Navigate to Guidelines

Go to Train → Guidelines in your dashboard.

Create a Section

Click Create Section to start a new guideline section.

Name the Section

Give it a descriptive name:

Good: “Tone & Voice”, “Response Format”, “Technical Support”
Avoid: “Guidelines 1”, “Rules”

Write Guidelines

Use the rich text editor to write your guidelines.

Save

Click Save to save your guidelines.

Writing Effective Guidelines

Be Specific

Vague:

Be nice to customers.

Specific:

Acknowledge the customer’s situation in your first sentence. Use their name if available. Express understanding before jumping into solutions.

Use Examples

Show what good looks like:

## Examples of Good Responses

✅ "Hi Sarah! I understand how frustrating it is when your password 
won't work. Let me help you get back into your account."

✅ "Thanks for reaching out! I can see why that error message 
would be confusing. Here's what it means and how to fix it..."

❌ "Your password reset request has been received. Please check 
your email for further instructions."

❌ "Unfortunately, I cannot assist with that request at this time."

Be Actionable

Give instructions the agent can follow:

## Response Structure

Acknowledge the question (1 sentence)
Provide the direct answer (1-2 sentences)  
Give context or explanation if needed (1-2 sentences)
Offer next steps or additional help (1 sentence)
End with a friendly closing

Use Positive Framing

Instead of rules about what not to do, describe what to do: Negative:

Don’t use corporate jargon or technical terms.

Positive:

Use simple, everyday language. If you must use a technical term, explain what it means.

Organizing Sections

By Purpose

Create separate sections for different aspects:

Section	Content
Tone & Voice	Personality, empathy, language style
Response Format	Structure, length, lists
Brand Standards	Terminology, phrases, voice
Technical Writing	How to explain technical topics

By Scenario

Create sections for different contexts:

Section	Content
Complaints	How to handle unhappy customers
Billing Questions	Specific billing language
Technical Issues	Troubleshooting approach

Assigning Guidelines to Agents

Once created, assign guidelines to agents:

Open Agent Configuration

Go to Build → Agents and click on an agent.

Go to Guidelines Tab

Select the Guidelines tab.

Select Sections

Check the sections that apply to this agent.

Save

Save the agent configuration.

Combining Sections

Selecting multiple sections combines their guidelines. The agent follows all selected guidelines together. Example:

General Agent: Tone + Format + Brand
Technical Agent: Tone + Format + Brand + Technical Writing
Billing Agent: Tone + Format + Brand + Billing Specifics

Testing Guidelines

In the Playground

Assign guidelines to an agent
Open Test → Playground
Select the agent
Send test messages
Check that responses follow guidelines

What to Test

Tone: Does it sound right?
Format: Is the structure correct?
Terminology: Are brand terms used correctly?
Length: Are responses the right length?

Iterating

Guidelines often need refinement:

Test → Identify issues
Update guidelines with clearer instructions
Test again
Repeat until satisfied

Common Patterns

The Friendly Professional

## Tone
- Be warm and personable, like a knowledgeable friend
- Use contractions (it's, you're, we'll)
- Keep sentences short and readable
- Express empathy without being overly apologetic

## Language
- Use "I" when possible for personal touch
- Avoid jargon — if you must use it, explain it
- Never say "unfortunately" — find positive alternatives
- End conversations with genuine offers to help more

The Technical Expert

## Approach
- Be clear and precise
- Explain the "why" not just the "what"
- Use technical terms when helpful, but define them
- Provide step-by-step instructions with numbered lists

## Format
- Use code blocks for commands or technical content
- Break complex explanations into digestible sections
- Include relevant links to documentation
- Anticipate follow-up questions

The Support Specialist

## Structure
Every response should:
1. Acknowledge the customer's situation
2. Provide a clear solution or next step
3. Confirm understanding or success
4. Offer additional assistance

## Escalation
If you cannot fully resolve:
- Clearly explain what you've done
- Set expectations for next steps
- Provide a timeline if possible
- Thank them for their patience

Best Practices

Do

Keep it concise — Agents need clear, actionable guidance
Include examples — Show what good looks like
Be consistent — Use the same terminology throughout
Test thoroughly — Verify guidelines work in practice
Update regularly — Refine based on actual results

Don’t

Don’t contradict — Ensure sections don’t conflict
Don’t over-specify — Leave room for context adaptation
Don’t forget edge cases — Consider unusual scenarios
Don’t set and forget — Review and update periodically

Next Steps

Guidelines Overview

Learn more about guidelines

Test in Playground

Test your guidelines

Getting Started

Building Agents

Training Your Agent

Tagging & Classification

Deploying

Self-Hosting

Testing

Analytics

Security

Settings

Creating Guidelines