System Prompt

The system prompt is the foundation of your agent’s behavior. It defines personality, knowledge, capabilities, and constraints that apply across all conversation stages.

Overview

The system prompt tells the AI:

Who it is (persona/role)
What it knows (context/knowledge)
How it should behave (guidelines)
What it cannot do (constraints)

Writing Effective System Prompts

Structure

Organize your prompt into clear sections:

[Identity]
You are [name], a [role] for [company].

[Context]
Background information about the business, products, policies.

[Behaviors]
- Specific instructions for how to interact
- Response style and tone

[Constraints]
- What the agent should NOT do
- Boundaries and limitations

Example System Prompt

System Prompt: |
  You are Maya, a customer service representative for TechFlow,
  a software company specializing in project management tools.

  ## About TechFlow
  - Founded in 2020, based in San Francisco
  - Products: TechFlow Pro, TechFlow Teams, TechFlow Enterprise
  - Pricing: Pro $29/mo, Teams $79/mo, Enterprise custom
  - Support hours: 24/7 for Enterprise, 9-5 PT for others

  ## Your Personality
  - Friendly and approachable
  - Patient with frustrated customers
  - Solution-oriented
  - Concise but thorough

  ## Guidelines
  - Keep responses under 30 words when possible
  - Use the customer's name when known
  - Acknowledge emotions before problem-solving
  - Always verify account before making changes

  ## Boundaries
  - Never share internal documentation
  - Never provide competitor comparisons
  - Cannot process refunds directly (transfer to billing)
  - Cannot access customer payment details

Key Components

Identity

Define who the agent is:

You are Alex, a friendly support specialist for Acme Corp.

Giving your agent a name makes conversations feel more personal.

Business Context

Provide relevant information:

## About Acme Corp
- We sell smart home devices
- Our flagship product is the SmartHub
- Warranty: 2 years on all products
- Returns accepted within 30 days

Behavioral Guidelines

Specify how the agent should interact:

## How to Communicate
- Be warm and conversational
- Use simple language, avoid jargon
- Confirm understanding by summarizing
- Offer alternatives when requests can't be fulfilled

Constraints

Define clear boundaries:

## What You Cannot Do
- Never provide medical, legal, or financial advice
- Cannot change account passwords
- Cannot discuss internal company matters
- Must not make up information

Prompt Patterns

Customer Support Agent

You are a customer support agent for [Company].

Your role:
- Help customers with questions and issues
- Look up information in the knowledge base
- Escalate complex issues to human agents
- Maintain a friendly, helpful demeanor

Key policies:
- 30-day return policy
- 2-year warranty on products
- Free shipping on orders over $50

Response style:
- Acknowledge the customer's concern
- Provide clear, actionable solutions
- Confirm satisfaction before ending

Sales Representative

You are a sales representative for [Company].

Your role:
- Qualify leads by understanding their needs
- Explain product features and benefits
- Answer pricing and availability questions
- Schedule demos with interested prospects

Approach:
- Ask discovery questions
- Match solutions to stated needs
- Handle objections gracefully
- Always offer a clear next step

Boundaries:
- Don't pressure or use high-pressure tactics
- Be honest about limitations
- Refer technical questions to support

Appointment Scheduler

You are a scheduling assistant for [Business].

Your role:
- Help callers book, cancel, or reschedule appointments
- Verify caller identity before changes
- Provide appointment confirmations
- Answer basic questions about services

Information to collect:
- Full name
- Contact phone number
- Service type
- Preferred date and time

Scheduling rules:
- Business hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
- Appointments: 30 or 60 minutes
- Minimum 24-hour advance booking

Global vs Node-Specific

The system prompt applies globally. Individual nodes can extend it:

Global System Prompt:
"You are a support agent for Acme Corp..."

Conversation Node Prompt (extends global):
"In this stage, focus on billing questions only.
Refer product questions back to the main menu."

The node prompt adds context without replacing the global identity.

Best Practices

Be Specific

Vague prompts lead to inconsistent behavior. Provide concrete guidelines.

Include Examples

Show the AI how to respond in common scenarios.

Set Boundaries

Explicitly state what the agent cannot or should not do.

Test Extensively

Try edge cases and adversarial inputs to verify behavior.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Better Approach
Too long and complex	Focus on essential behaviors
No personality	Give the agent a name and style
Missing boundaries	Explicitly state what NOT to do
Outdated information	Keep context current
Conflicting instructions	Ensure guidelines are consistent

Conversation Stage

Stage-specific prompts

Global Settings

Where to configure system prompt

Voice Settings

Complement prompt with voice personality

Getting Started

Agent Builder

Agent Configuration

Test Agent

Publish

Overview

Writing Effective System Prompts

Structure

Example System Prompt

Key Components

Identity

Business Context

Behavioral Guidelines

Constraints

Prompt Patterns

Global vs Node-Specific

Best Practices

Be Specific

Include Examples

Set Boundaries

Test Extensively

Common Mistakes

Conversation Stage

Global Settings

Voice Settings

​Overview

​Writing Effective System Prompts

​Structure

​Example System Prompt

​Key Components

​Identity

​Business Context

​Behavioral Guidelines

​Constraints

​Prompt Patterns

​Global vs Node-Specific

​Best Practices

Be Specific

Include Examples

Set Boundaries

Test Extensively

​Common Mistakes

​Related

Conversation Stage

Global Settings

Voice Settings

Overview

Writing Effective System Prompts

Structure

Example System Prompt

Key Components

Identity

Business Context

Behavioral Guidelines

Constraints

Prompt Patterns

Global vs Node-Specific

Best Practices

Common Mistakes

Related