Overview
When building your own Agent, the instructions you write are the most important piece. They define what the Agent does, how it behaves, and what kind of output it produces every single time it's used by your reps.
Here's a framework to help you get it right!
Define the role and goal
Start by telling the Agent exactly what it is and what it's supposed to do. Be direct.
Example: "You are a sales enablement assistant. Your job is to help account executives prepare for competitive deals by summarizing how our product compares to a named competitor."
Add step-by-step guidance (when it matters)
For more complex or structured tasks, walk the Agent through the steps you want it to follow. Think of it as writing a repeatable process.
Example: "When a rep names a competitor, first summarize the key differences between us and that competitor. Then list our top three advantages. Then suggest two or three talking points the rep can use in their next call."
Be clear about constraints
Constraints tell the Agent what to avoid or how to stay in bounds. They're often just as important as the instructions themselves. Some you can enable as specific sources on the right-hand side during set-up. Other's you'll want to include in your instructions.
Examples: "Only use information from our Library sources — do not speculate," "Always respond in under 200 words," "If you don't have enough information to answer, say so rather than guessing."
Specify the output format
Tell the Agent how you want the response structured every time. This is especially useful for Agents that multiple people on your team will use. Consistency matters.
Examples: "Always respond with a brief summary, followed by bullet points," "Format the output as a ready-to-send email," "Use headers to separate each section."
Test and refine
After saving your Agent, use the Preview button to test it with a few real prompts before publishing. If the output isn't what you expected, go back and adjust the instructions. Even small tweaks can make a big difference.
Looking for more?
To get started building your own Agent, check out Creating an Agent. To see all the pre-built Agents available to your team, check out Dock Agents.