Create your first agent
Two ways to make an agent in the dashboard: start from one of twelve templates, or describe what you want in a sentence and have the instructions written for you.
5 min readUpdated 26 August 2026
There are two ways to create an agent and they take you to the same place. Pick a ready made template and adjust it, or describe in one sentence what you want the agent to do and let it write the instructions for you.
Neither one asks you to build a call flow or draw a diagram. You get a working agent first, then change what you do not like.
Step 1. Open the Agents page
Go to Agents in the dashboard sidebar. The left hand column lists every agent on the account, with a search box underneath for finding one by name, model or description.
If this is a new account the list is empty. That is expected.
Step 2. Click Add New Agent
The button sits at the top of that left hand column. It opens a dialog headed Create an agent, with the line "Pick a starting point, you can change everything later" underneath.
That line is worth believing. Nothing you choose in this dialog is permanent, including the template.
Step 3. Choose how to start
The dialog has two tabs. Use a template is selected by default.
| Tab | What it does | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Use a template | Fills in a complete agent for a known job, which you then edit | Your use case is close to one of the twelve on offer |
| Describe it | Writes the instructions from a sentence you type | Your use case is specific, or none of the templates fit |
Step 4a. Use a template
There are twelve templates, grouped into six categories. A filter across the top narrows the cards to one category, and All shows everything.
| Category | Templates |
|---|---|
| Receptionist | Dental Front Desk, Medical Clinic Receptionist, After-Hours Answering Service |
| Appointment Booking | Salon & Spa Booking, Home Services Dispatcher |
| Outbound & Reactivation | Lead Reactivation Caller, Speed-to-Lead Caller |
| Lead Qualification | Inbound Lead Qualifier |
| Customer Support | Tier-1 Support & Triage, Order Status & Returns |
| Reminders & Surveys | Appointment Reminder & Confirmation, Survey & Feedback Caller |
Pick the card closest to your job, then fill in Agent name. The placeholder shows the shape of a useful name: "e.g. Front desk, Acme Clinic". Name it after what it does and who it does it for, because this is the name you will be picking from a list once there are ten of them.
There is also a blank option if you would rather start with nothing and write everything yourself.
Click Create agent.
Tip
Do not spend long choosing between two similar templates. The template only decides the starting instructions, and you can rewrite those in the editor in a minute.
Step 4b. Describe it
The second tab asks one question: "In a few words, what should your agent do?" The box under it shows the level of detail that works, with the placeholder "e.g. Answer calls for my dental clinic, share opening hours, and book cleaning appointments."
Notice what that example does. It names the business, lists what the agent should handle, and stops. It does not try to write the instructions. That is the part you are handing over.
Under the box the dialog says it will write the instructions for you and that you can edit them before creating, which is exactly what happens next.
- Type what the agent should do, in a sentence or two.
- It generates a proposal and shows it to you.
- The proposal has three editable fields: Agent name, Instructions, and Welcome message.
- Change anything that is wrong, then click Create agent.
The Instructions field is labelled "generated from your description, edit as you like". Read it before you create. This is the text the agent follows on every call, and it is far easier to fix here than to wonder later why the agent keeps offering something you do not sell.
Careful
The Welcome message is the first thing a caller hears. The generated one is generic. Replacing it with your actual business name is the single highest value edit on this screen.
Step 5. Your agent is already live
An agent created either of these ways is published as it is created. You will see a confirmation saying the agent was published, and the agent appears in the list on the left.
This matters because testing is gated on it. If an agent is not published, trying to test it returns the message "Please publish your agent before testing." Creating from a template or a description skips that problem entirely, so you can talk to your agent straight away.
Step 6. What you can change next
Selecting the new agent opens its settings, grouped into cards. You do not have to touch any of them to make a call, but these are what is there.
Note
Editing an existing agent is not the same as creating one. After changing an agent you have to save and publish before the change reaches a call, and before you can test it.
| Card | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Basics | Agent name, who speaks first, the welcome message, and whether a caller can interrupt the greeting |
| Instructions | The system prompt the agent follows on every call |
| Voice & model | The voice, the language, and quality presets, with an advanced panel for picking models individually |
| Business info | The knowledge base the agent can search during a call |
Common questions
- Do I need a phone number before I can create an agent?
- No. Creating an agent has nothing to do with telephony. A number is only needed when you want the agent to answer calls from the public phone network.
- Can I change the template after creating the agent?
- There is nothing to change back to. The template only supplies the starting instructions and settings, and once the agent exists it is just an agent. Edit it, or create another one from a different template.
- What does the blank option give me?
- An agent with nothing filled in, so you write the instructions and pick the settings yourself. Worth it only if none of the twelve templates is close.
- Can I duplicate an agent I already have?
- Yes. Duplicating an existing agent is a separate action in the agent list, and it is often faster than starting from a template when you already have one you like.
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