Operating Protocols

Agents Configuration

What are operating protocols?

Operating protocols are multi-phase workflows that control how an agent responds, when it should use tools, and how it should move from one phase to the next.

Each protocol is made up of phases. A phase typically contains:

• A phase name or key — the label used in the editor.
• Instructions — what the agent should do during that phase.
• An optional attached tool — the tool the phase may call.
• Transitions — the conditions that determine the next phase.

Note

A phase does not define its own entry conditions. Entry into a phase is controlled by the transition conditions of the start phase or the previous phase that routes into it.

The platform also applies built-in communication principles when the agent responds. Those are not configured manually in the current UI.

Creating a protocol manually

1. Open the agent detail view and navigate to the Operating Protocol tab.

2. Click Add Phase to create a new phase in the workflow.

3. For each phase, configure:

   • Phase name — a short label (e.g., “Greeting”, “Diagnosis”, “Resolution”).
   • Instructions — what the agent should do during this phase.
   • Attached tool — optionally connect one tool to that phase.
   • Transitions — define which condition leads to which next phase.

4. Mark the correct start phase and connect each phase to the next relevant phase or output.

5. Click Save to apply the protocol to the agent.

Generate with AI

Instead of building a protocol by hand you can let the platform generate one from a natural-language prompt.

1. Open the agent detail view and navigate to the Operating Protocol tab.

2. Click Generate with AI.

3. Describe the behavior you want in plain language, for example: “Greet the customer, ask for their account number, run diagnostics on their line, and either resolve the issue or escalate to a human technician.”

4. Select a change intensity to control how the generator treats any existing protocol.

5. Review the generated phases and adjust as needed, then Save.

Change intensity

When generating or regenerating a protocol, the change intensity determines how much of the existing protocol is preserved.

Intensity	Behavior
PRESERVE	Minimal changes. Keeps the existing phase structure intact and only patches the sections affected by the prompt. Best when you want to tweak a working protocol.
BALANCE	Moderate rewrite. Merges the existing protocol with the new prompt, restructuring phases where necessary while retaining proven patterns. Good default for iterative refinement.
REWRITE	Full overhaul. Discards the current protocol and builds a new one entirely from the prompt. Use when the agent’s purpose has fundamentally changed.

Tip

Keep protocols focused on a single workflow. If the flow becomes too broad, split it across multiple agents and hand off between them.

Best practices

Start Simple Keep early protocols short and focused. Add branches only when you need them.

Attach Tools Deliberately Give a phase the one tool it needs instead of trying to script a tool order.

Test Transitions Run varied scenarios to confirm the right conditions move the agent to the right next phase.

Next steps

Managing Agents Create, edit, and delete agents.

Tools & Memory Assign tools, connect knowledge, and configure handoffs.

Persona Templates & Model Options Choose a persona starting point and tune workflow model settings.