Voice agent
Instructions
Write effective instructions for the voice agent
In the prompt and first message, type {{ to open the variable menu. Keep typing to filter, use arrow keys and Enter, or click an item. The panel shows a description and example; the real value is resolved during the call. Escape closes the menu without changing the text.
Instructions guide the agent's behaviour in every situation. Clear, well-structured instructions deliver consistent and appropriate responses.
Three core principles
- Clarity. Write simple, direct sentences. Avoid ambiguity, technical jargon, and circumlocutions. The agent must understand exactly what to do.
- Specificity. Don't say 'be polite': explain how and when. For example, 'if the customer asks about hours, reply with the exact time and add: we want to make sure everything is perfect for you'.
- Completeness. Anticipate edge cases and exceptions. Specify what to do if the agent doesn't know the answer or if the customer becomes rude.
What to include in the instructions
- Role and purpose
- Who you are and what your main mission is (e.g. booking support, service information).
- Available information
- Data the agent can provide: rates, hours, available services, business rules.
- Actions you can take
- What you can do: accept bookings, change dates, give information about packages.
- Situations requiring an operator
- Which requests must be transferred to a human operator (complaints, complex requests).
- Security protocols
- How to handle sensitive data: never ask for passwords, never share confidential information.
- Behaviour when misunderstanding occurs
- How to react when you don't understand: ask the customer to repeat, suggest alternatives, offer human support.
Dynamic variables
You can personalize every call by inserting variables wrapped in double curly braces: during the call they are automatically replaced with the contact's real data. They work both in the instructions and in the first message. Type {{ in the editor and choose a variable from the suggestions.
- {{first_name}}
- The contact's first name.
- {{last_name}}
- The contact's last name.
- {{full_name}}
- First and last name together.
- {{phone}}
- The contact's phone number.
- {{email}}
- The contact's email.
- {{business_name}}
- Your business name.
- {{custom.field_name}}
- A contact custom field (e.g. {{custom.preferred_room}}).
Hello {{first_name}}, this is Anna and I'm calling about...Default value (fallback): if a value might be missing, add a default after a pipe. It is only used when the variable is empty.
Hello {{first_name | "there"}}!Was this page helpful?