How to tell your bot what to do
Rules that should stay true go in the bot's description. The task for today goes in the message you send. A clear task says what finished looks like, where to look, what to avoid, what to hand back, and when to stop.
- 01
Write the description as standing rules
Put rules that should outlast today's chat in the bot profile. Put the live assignment in the message box. The profile might say the bot never sends mail without your yes.
- 02
Name one job
A clear job has its own goal, tools, style, approval line, or schedule. An approval is a stop where the bot waits for your yes. A vague do-everything role gives the bot little to reuse.
- 03
Put today's task in the message
Say what finished looks like, which files or apps matter, what it must not change, what it should hand back, and when it should stop. Those five parts are the get-started page's strong request.
- 04
Correct facts in the chat
Memory is what the bot keeps so it does not need every old message replayed. It is not a substitute for the source of truth. If an assumption is stale, say the correction in the conversation.
Questions
- What belongs in the description?
- Rules that should stay true. The bots page's example is a description that never sends external messages without approval, and a message that drafts follow-ups for a specific list.
- What should a first task include?
- The get-started page lists five parts: the outcome, the sources, the constraints, the deliverable, and the point where the bot should stop for you.
- Can I hide a secret in the description?
- No. If you later share the bot, a public link shows the description. Take out keys, private links, and customer data before you share.