How to configure an agent’s identity, prompt, and tone of voice
Give the AI agent a name, instructions, and a way of speaking so it can serve customers like someone from your company.
2 min readBasicUpdated on November 12, 2026
Where to find it in Cognizy
Video lesson coming soon. For now, follow the steps below.
The AI agent replies to customers based on what you write on this screen. The name and description identify the agent for the team; the prompt says what it does and what it cannot do; the tone of voice defines how it speaks.
Where to find it in Cognizy
Before you start
- Every account already comes with an agent called Service, marked as Default. That’s the one you configure here.
- Only the owner and administrators can change agents.
- Keep in mind what the agent should reply and when it should hand the conversation over to the team.
Step by step
- Step 1:
In the menu, open .
- Step 2:
Click the agent you want to configure. The Service agent, with the Default label, is the one that replies when the conversation does not have another agent set.
- Step 3:
In Identity, change the Name and the Description so the team can recognize the agent. In Team and Role, leave what best matches its job.
- Step 4:
In System prompt, write who the agent is, what it replies, and what it cannot do. Write as if you were guiding a new support rep, in short sentences.
- Step 5:
In Tone of voice, describe how it speaks. In Display name (optional), enter the name that appears in bold before each AI message, or leave it blank to send only the text.
- Step 6:
Click Save, at the top of the screen.
- Step 7:
The agent goes back to the list with the new name and description. From then on, it already serves with the instructions you wrote.
How to know it worked
The agent appears in with the name and description you gave it. The saved prompt is also stored in the Prompt versions tab.
If something goes wrong
The warning "Name is required" appeared.
The Name field was left blank. Fill it in and click Save again.
I can’t find the Active option to turn off the agent.
The default agent is always on, so the Active option only appears on the other agents. To stop the AI from replying, change the service settings in Settings › AI › General behavior.
The prompt text stopped fitting.
The prompt accepts up to 4,000 characters, and the counter appears below the field. Keep only behavior rules in the prompt and move prices, hours, and policies to the knowledge base.
Next step
Test the agent in Test agents before putting it in service.
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