--- title: Create your first assistant description: Create a private assistant in the console, describe its job, then talk to it in Conversations. No publishing needed; it takes a few minutes. url: https://agentlab.cresclab.com/docs/en/studio/quickstart language: en updated: 2026-11-06 --- # 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](https://app.agentlab.cresclab.com/); 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](https://agentlab.cresclab.com/docs/en/studio/quickstart.md#shared). ## Create the assistant 1. **Open Assistants** In the **Studio** group of the navigation, choose **Assistants**, then **Create an assistant** at the top of the page. 2. **Choose who can use it** Under **Who can use it?**, pick **Only me (private)** and choose **Next**. 3. **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**. 4. **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. 1. **Name it** Fill in **Assistant name**, for example "Returns helper". 2. **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". 3. **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. 4. **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 1. **Go to the chat box** Choose **Talk to it** in the page header. The page jumps to the **Talk to it** panel. 2. **Ask it something** Type a question in **Ask it something** and choose **Start a conversation**. 3. **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. > [!NOTE] 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. 1. **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. 2. **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**. 3. **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**. | ## Next - [Assistants](https://agentlab.cresclab.com/docs/en/studio/assistants.md): Every setting on an assistant's page, plus test questions, versions and publishing. - [Knowledge](https://agentlab.cresclab.com/docs/en/studio/knowledge.md): Put documents and Q&A in the workspace so several assistants can use them. - [Conversations](https://agentlab.cresclab.com/docs/en/studio/conversations.md): Start conversations, pick an assistant, pin and search.