Understanding Instructions

The instructions below are for desktops and laptops only.

Instructions are the default set of guidance your AI agent uses when responding to customers on your behalf. Instructions form the foundation for how your AI agent behaves during conversations — helping define tone, priorities, and the type of support it provides.

By customizing Instructions, you can shape your AI agent’s behavior to align with your brand voice, support workflows, and business goals.

If you have multiple AI agents, you can use different Instructions to tailor responses for each channel.

This article explains how Instructions work and how to use them effectively.

Instructions tell your AI agent how to respond to incoming chats. They work behind the scenes to help your AI agent:

• Respond in the right tone and style

• Decide when to ask follow-up questions

• Guide conversations in a way that supports your objectives

For example, you might tell your AI agent to focus on lead generation, maintain a friendly and professional tone, or provide quick answers with minimal small talk.

Customizing Instructions helps you get the most value from your AI agent. Every business has different goals, whether you're offering customer support, driving sales, or collecting leads. 

Well-written instructions help your AI agent support those goals in every conversation.

You can tailor your AI agent to:

• Follow your specific support workflows

• Ask the right questions at the right time

• Match your brand’s tone and voice

• Handle different situations appropriately

Here are some examples you can use to guide your AI agent’s behavior:

• Define your AI agent’s personality
  "You are a friendly and helpful assistant for a tech support company."
  
  

• Create a lead capture script
  “If a customer is interested in our products/services, ask them the following questions: What are you looking for? What’s your budget? When do you plan to get started?”
  
  

• Set a greeting
  “Include this in your initial greeting: ‘Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. How can I help you today?’”
  
  

• Influence different stages of the conversation
  “If the customer expresses gratitude, reply with: ‘You're welcome! Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.’” or
  “After answering the customer's initial query, ask if they need help with anything else.”

1. Log in to your tawk.to account, and select the correct property.

2. Click Automation in the left navigation bar.

3. Click Agents in the left submenu.

4. Select your AI agent.

5. The Instructions page will open. Edit the instructions and click Save. Preview your agent’s responses using the widget preview on the right.

To learn more about modifying your AI agent’s instructions, see this guide:

Modifying your AI agent's Instructions

• Be specific
  The more detailed your instructions, the better your AI agent will perform.
  
  

• Use simple language
  Avoid complex sentence structures and technical terms that your target audience (and your AI agent) might not understand.

• Keep it conversational
  Use natural language so your AI agent can better interpret your intent.

• Avoid jargon
  Jargon specific to your industry or technical fields can confuse both your visitors and your AI agent. Stick to commonly understood terms.
  
  

• Provide specific examples
  Examples grounded in real customer interactions are the most effective. Think about the common questions and requests you receive.

• Test and refine
  After setting your Instructions, test them thoroughly. Interact with your AI agent as a visitor would and adjust the instructions based on its performance. This is an ongoing process.

You can add “[option]” to your Instructions, followed by the relevant action, to offer customers suggested messages and guide the conversation. The suggested messages will appear as buttons in chats.

Example:

- When a customer starts a chat, say this

“Hello! How can we help you?
[option] Make an order
[option] Check my order status

[option] Return an item”

The suggested messages will appear as buttons in the conversation, like this:

This is a useful way to get your AI agent to guide the conversation toward a specific direction or goal.

To learn more about suggested messages, see these guides:

An introduction to suggested messages

Suggested Messages and AI Questions

Using Suggested Message and AI Assist to create scripted chat sequences

• AI agent isn't responding correctly
  Review your Instructions for clarity. Are your instructions specific enough? Try rephrasing or adding more examples.
  
  

• AI agent is giving generic answers
  This usually means your Instructions are too broad. Add more specific instructions related to common customer queries.
  
  

• AI agent is getting stuck in loops
  Check for conflicting instructions or poorly defined "if-then" statements. Make sure there are no logical contradictions.
  
  

• Changes aren't reflected
  Ensure you're saving your changes after editing the Instructions. A browser refresh or clearing your cache might also be necessary.

• Start simple
  Begin with basic instructions and gradually add complexity.

• Focus on key interactions
  Prioritize the most common customer queries and tailor your instructions accordingly.

• Regularly review and update
  As your business evolves, your instructions should too. Test your instructions regularly and update it as your business needs change.

• Update and maintain data sources
  Instructions are not a replacement for training or FAQs. It works best when paired with a well-maintained Knowledge Base and other data sources.

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