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Instructions are the system prompt that controls how your agent behaves — its personality, tone, what it should and shouldn’t do, and how it should handle questions it can’t answer. Knowledge tells the agent what it knows; instructions tell it how to act. Open Expertise → Instructions from the agent sidebar.

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Prerequisites

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Write instructions

1

Open Instructions

In the agent sidebar, go to Expertise → Instructions.
2

Create a new instruction

Select Create New Instruction. You can start from a role template — pick a role to preview suggested default instructions — then edit to fit your needs.
3

Write the prompt

Describe the agent’s persona, tone, scope, and rules in plain language (see examples below).
4

Save as a version

Saving stores the instruction as a new version (V1, V2, …). Your version history is preserved so you can compare and roll back.
The Instructions editor with a role template selected and version controls.
The Instructions screen is available on desktop. On smaller screens you’ll be asked to switch to a larger display.

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Versions

Every saved change creates a new version. This lets you iterate safely:
CapabilityDetail
Version historyEach save is stored as V1, V2, V3, …
Active versionOne version is live and powers your agent’s answers.
Switch active versionPromote any version to active; your agent uses it immediately.
Roll backRe-activate an earlier version if a change made answers worse.
The currently active instruction is shown on the Sandbox under Instructions, with a shortcut to Manage instructions.
Use the Improve the instruction helper to refine wording, then save it as a new version so you can always compare against the previous one.

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What to put in instructions

“You are a friendly support assistant for Acme. Be concise and warm. Use plain language and avoid jargon.”
“Only answer questions about Acme products. If asked about anything else, politely say it’s outside your scope.”
“If you can’t find the answer in the knowledge base, say so and offer to connect the user with the team at support@acme.com — don’t guess.”
“Use short paragraphs and bullet points. Include links when they’re in the source material.”

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Tips

  • Be explicit about what not to do — telling the agent not to guess is one of the highest-impact rules you can add.
  • Change one thing at a time and save a new version, so you can tell what improved answers.
  • Test every change in the Sandbox or compare versions in the Playground before going live.

Choose a model

Test in the Sandbox

Compare in the Playground

Add knowledge