Create your first assistant
Create a private assistant in the console, describe its job, then talk to it in Conversations. No publishing needed; it takes a few minutes.
Before you start#
You need a workspace with the Studio module. Sign in to the Agent Lab console; if the left navigation has a Studio group, you're ready.
This page creates a private assistant: only you can use it, it works as soon as it's created, and it never needs publishing. To make one for the whole workspace, see Share it with the workspace.
Create the assistant#
- Open Assistants In the Studio group of the navigation, choose Assistants, then Create an assistant at the top of the page.
- Choose who can use it Under Who can use it?, pick Only me (private) and choose Next.
- Choose a starting point Under How do you want to start?, choose Start from blank. To begin from a worked example instead, pick one under Or start from a template and choose Use template.
- Open its page The console creates an Untitled private assistant and opens its page. The header says Only you · live.
Describe its job#
Section 1. What it does on the assistant's page is where you set it up. Answer in your own words, as if you were training a new colleague.
- Name it Fill in Assistant name, for example "Returns helper".
- Describe the job Under What should it help them do?, write what it's responsible for, for example "answer customers' questions about orders, shipping and returns".
- Add detail (optional) Shape of what it hands you sets the form of what it produces. Open More settings for who it's for, its speaking style, and what it must never do or say.
- Save Choose Save. When the "Saved — your next message uses version …" message appears, you're done.
To have it answer from your own material, go to 2. Files it reads, fill in Document title, then paste text into Content or use Choose file to pick a .md, .txt or .pdf file, and choose Upload. A PDF can be up to 5 MB and any other document up to 2 MB. The assistant uses a file once its status shows Ready. Files you add here are visible only to you.
Talk to it#
- Go to the chat box Choose Talk to it in the page header. The page jumps to the Talk to it panel.
- Ask it something Type a question in Ask it something and choose Start a conversation.
- Carry on in Conversations The console opens Conversations with the new conversation and the assistant's reply. Come back to it any time from Conversations in the navigation.
Conversations use saved settings
While you have unsaved settings, the Talk to it panel warns you. Choose Save first if the assistant should follow your edits.
Next time, you don't need the assistant's page. Open Conversations and type into the box under What would you like to ask? The box shows which assistant the message goes to; select it to pick another, or type @ in your message to find any assistant.
Share it with the workspace#
A shared assistant has to be published before members can use it.
- Create a shared assistant Choose Create an assistant, pick The whole workspace (shared) under Who can use it?, then Start from blank. It starts as a draft only you can see.
- Fill in the basics In 1. The basics, fill in Assistant name and What should it help them do?, then choose Save as a new draft.
- Publish Choose Review and publish in the page header, then Publish this draft. When Your assistant is live appears, choose Start a conversation to try it.
Before publishing, you can add a few test questions in 7. Test your assistant and choose Run the tests to check its answers. Tests aren't required unless your workspace requires them. Publishing takes a workspace owner or admin; if you can't publish, your settings stay saved and one of them can publish for you.
You can also share a private assistant later: on its page, open Share or deploy, pick who under Share with, and choose Share.
If you get stuck#
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| "Your role cannot create assistants here. Ask a workspace owner or admin." | Your role can't create assistants. Ask an owner or admin. |
| "This workspace has reached its assistant limit." | Free a slot with Archive assistant on the page of an assistant you no longer use. |
| "There is no assistant to talk to yet. Publish one to start asking." | No assistant in the workspace is published yet. Publish a shared one, or create a private one. |
| "Your role cannot publish. Ask a workspace owner or admin to publish this draft — everything you built is saved and waiting for them." | Ask an owner or admin to open the assistant and choose Publish this draft. |