Your AI agent's behavior comes down to four things: what it says, how it sounds, what it knows, and what it can do. This guide covers each configuration option so you can fine-tune your agent's performance.

To edit an existing agent, go to Settings → AI Agents and click on the agent you want to modify.

Name and Greeting#

Every agent needs a name and a greeting message. The name is for your internal reference — it shows up in your agent list, reports, and call logs. The greeting message is what the agent says first when it picks up a call.

• Name — Up to 100 characters. Pick something descriptive like "After Hours Reception" or "Sales Qualifier."
• Greeting message — Up to 500 characters. This is the agent's opening line, spoken before the caller says anything.

A good greeting is short and clear. Something like: "Hi, thanks for calling Acme Corp. How can I help you today?" works well. Avoid long intros — callers want to get to the point quickly.

Instructions: The Four-Part Prompt#

dialnote uses a structured 4-section prompt system. Each section serves a specific purpose, and together they create consistent, predictable agent behavior.

Identity (required)#

This tells the agent who it is and why it's answering the call. A good identity includes three things:

• Name and role - "You are Sam, a Customer Support Assistant at Acme Corp"
• Context - Why is the AI answering? "You're picking up because all human agents are busy"
• Vibe - The personality: "Professional, empathetic, and efficient"

You are Sam, a Customer Support Assistant at Acme Corp.
Context: You are picking up this call because all human agents are currently busy.
Vibe: Professional, empathetic, and efficient.

Interaction Style (optional)#

This controls how the agent speaks, not what it says. Good interaction styles address:

• Tone - Warm, calm, formal, casual
• Pacing - Keep responses under 20 words for natural conversation
• Turn-taking - Stop talking when the caller interrupts
• Filler phrases - Use natural words like "Got it" or "I understand"

Conversation Flow (required)#

This is the step-by-step workflow your agent follows. Be specific and include exact phrases.

1. Greeting: "Hi, this is Sam from Acme Corp. How can I help you today?"
2. Capture name: Ask "Who am I speaking with?"
3. Capture reason: Ask "What's the main reason for your call?"
4. Acknowledge: Confirm what you heard back to the caller
5. Next steps: Let them know someone will follow up, or offer to transfer

The more specific your flow, the more consistent your agent behaves. Vague instructions lead to unpredictable responses.

Guardrails (optional)#

Rules that prevent the agent from making mistakes. Think of these as "never do this" statements:

• Don't promise specific callback times
• Don't share other employees' personal information
• Don't provide legal or medical advice
• If unsure about something, offer to transfer to a human

Voice and Language#

Voice selection affects how callers perceive your business. dialnote offers voices from multiple providers including ElevenLabs, OpenAI, Deepgram, and PlayHT.

Filtering voices#

Use the filters in Step 2 of the wizard to narrow down options:

• Gender - Male or female voices
• Accent - American, British, Australian, Indian, and more

Click the play button to preview any voice before selecting it.

Language selection#

Choose from 20+ language options:

The agent responds in the selected language. If a caller speaks a different language, the agent will attempt to help but may default to the configured language.

Knowledge Bases#

Knowledge bases give your agent specific information to reference during calls. Without one, the agent can only use what's in your instructions.

To attach a knowledge base:

1. Go to Step 4 (Capabilities) in the agent wizard
2. Check the boxes next to the knowledge bases you want to attach
3. The agent will search this content when answering questions

You can attach multiple knowledge bases to a single agent. The agent searches all attached sources when looking for answers.

See Knowledge Bases for details on creating and managing content.

Tools and Actions#

Tools let your agent take actions during calls. Every new agent starts with a default "End Call" tool.

Available tool types#

Adding tools#

1. Go to Step 4 (Capabilities) in the agent wizard
2. Click Add Tool
3. Select the tool type
4. Configure the tool settings (each type has different options)
5. Write a description so the AI knows when to use this tool

The description matters. "Use this when the caller wants to schedule an appointment" tells the AI when to trigger the booking tool.

See Custom Tools for detailed setup instructions for each tool type.

Saving Changes#

Changes to your agent take effect immediately for new calls. Any calls already in progress continue with the original configuration.

After saving, consider testing your agent to verify the changes work as expected.

What's Next#

• Add knowledge bases to train your agent
• Set up custom tools for scheduling, SMS, and webhooks
• Test your agent before going live