Creating and configuring an Agent
Create an agent, configure it, give it knowledge, test it and put it live.
This guide takes you from nothing to a live agent. It assumes you're signed in to app.rundispatch.ai.
Create the agent
From Agents, create an agent. In What should your custom agent do?, describe the job in a sentence or two, for example:
Answer guests' questions about our restaurant: opening hours, the menu, reservations and how to pay.
Send it, and Dispatch drafts the agent for you. Prefer to start elsewhere? Choose Use a template, or Create blank to fill everything in yourself.
The new agent opens in the Playground, in Draft.
Set its identity
Open the editor with Edit agent and stay on Details. Under Identity & Persona:
- Name: what it calls itself, e.g. Milly.
- Title: its role, e.g. Guest Assistant.
- Purpose: the job in one line.
- Tone: a preset, or Custom with your own description.
Write instructions and guardrails
In Instructions, explain how to do the job: what to ask first, how to handle each kind of request, and when to point people elsewhere. In Guardrails, list what it must stay away from.
Click Save in the toolbar at the bottom of the editor. It appears once you change something on Details, and switching tabs hides it, so save before you move on.
Tip
Write instructions the way you'd brief a new colleague. Specific beats general: "Ask for the party size and time before suggesting a table" works better than "Be helpful with reservations".
Add knowledge
Switch to Tools & Knowledge:
- Knowledge Files: upload your menu, policies or price lists. Wait until each shows Ready.
- Frequently Asked Questions: Add FAQ for the questions you get every day, with exact answers.
Back on Details, add Shareable Files the agent can show, such as a payment QR code, and describe what each is for, then click Save. See Knowledge for how each kind is used.
Test in the Playground
Ask the questions your customers ask, including awkward ones. When an answer is off, adjust the instructions, guardrails or knowledge, click Save, and ask again; saved changes apply right away. Use Clear chat for a fresh start.
Go live
Click Go Live, review the channels, and click Save and Go Live. Then connect a channel:
- Embedded Web Widget: copy the snippet into your website, before
</body>. - API: follow the API Reference to start conversations from your own code.
You can keep improving the agent while it's live. To take it offline, click Back to Draft.