Guide
Writing agent instructions in plain English
Good agent instructions read like a handover note to a new teammate. Here is the template we use.
Priya Nair
The best agent instructions we have seen are short, specific and written like a note to a new hire. They say what the job is, where the limits are, and who to ask when something looks off.
A simple template
The job: one sentence on what done looks like
The tools: which apps it can read and change
The limits: amounts, accounts and topics that need a human
The handoff: who gets escalations and in which channel
Test with real history
Replay last week’s work through the agent in draft mode. You will find the gaps in your instructions in an afternoon.
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