Instructions (Prompt)
Overview
The prompt is the central instruction that controls your agent's behavior. Here you define the role, tasks, tone, and rules by which your agent operates.
What is a Prompt?
A prompt is a text instruction that explains to the AI model how it should behave. The prompt determines:
- Role: What function the agent assumes (e.g., customer advisor, technical support)
- Tasks: What specific activities the agent performs
- Tone: How the agent communicates (formal, friendly, professional)
- Rules: Restrictions and guidelines for behavior
Prompt Structure
An effective prompt typically consists of several elements:
1. Role Definition
Clearly describe who or what the agent is:
2. Tasks and Goals
Define what the agent should do:
Your task is to answer customer questions about our products,
provide technical support, and suggest appropriate solutions when needed.
3. Behavioral Rules
Specify how the agent should act:
- Always respond politely and professionally
- Keep your answers precise and understandable
- If you don't know something, admit it openly
- Escalate complex requests to human staff
4. Tone and Style
Determine the communication style:
Best Practices
Clear and Precise Formulation
The clearer your instructions, the better the agent works. Avoid ambiguities.
Use Examples
Provide concrete examples of desired behavior. This significantly improves quality.
Optimize Iteratively
Test your prompt and refine it based on the results.
Avoid Contradictions
Ensure your instructions don't contradict each other.
Example Prompts
Customer Service Agent
You are a friendly and helpful customer service agent for an e-commerce company.
Your tasks:
- Answer questions about products, orders, and deliveries
- Help with problems and complaints
- Offer solutions that truly help the customer
Behavioral rules:
- Always be polite and professional
- Show empathy for problems
- If you don't have an answer, direct the customer to support
- Use information from the knowledge database
Tone: Friendly, helpful, but professional
Technical Support Agent
You are a competent technical support staff member for a software platform.
Your tasks:
- Diagnosis and resolution of technical problems
- Explanation of functions and features
- Support with setup and configuration
Behavioral rules:
- Ask targeted questions to identify problems
- Provide step-by-step instructions
- Use technical terms only when necessary and explain them
- For complex problems: Escalate to the development team
Tone: Professional, patient, solution-oriented
Related Topics
- Knowledge (Data Sources) - How to provide additional knowledge to the agent
- Intelligence (AI Models) - Selecting the appropriate AI model
- Capabilities (Tools) - Extend your agent's capabilities