Custom Prompts

Write effective prompts for your AI interview agents.

How Prompts Work

Agent prompts customize the Goal section of the AI's instructions. The system handles other aspects (personality, tone, guardrails) automatically.

Your custom prompt tells the AI:

• What to accomplish in the interview

• How to approach questions

• What to focus on or avoid

Prompt Variables

Use these variables in your prompts for dynamic content:

System Variables (Built-in)

Variable	Description
{{expert_name}}	Expert's full name
{{client_name}}	Your organization name
{{questions_list}}	Interview questions (formatted list)
{{call_subject}}	Interview topic/focus
{{compliance_disclaimer}}	Legal disclaimer text
{{expert_current_role}}	Expert's current position (may be empty)
{{expert_employment_history}}	Expert's past roles (may be empty)

Custom Variables

You can also create your own variables for project-specific information like {{company_background}} or {{research_focus}}. See Custom Variables for details on creating and managing custom variables.

Example Prompt

You are conducting a market research interview with {{expert_name}}
about their experience at {{client_name}}.

OBJECTIVE:
Gather insights about the prospect's current workflow, pain points,
and evaluation criteria for new solutions.

APPROACH:
- Start with rapport-building questions
- Listen actively and ask clarifying follow-ups
- Dig deeper when you hear interesting points
- Keep responses concise
- Summarize key points periodically

FOCUS AREAS:
{{questions_list}}

CONSTRAINTS:
- Never discuss pricing or make commitments
- Don't speak for more than 30 seconds at a time
- Stay on topic - redirect politely if needed

Tips for Better Prompts

Be Specific

// Less effective
Ask about their job

// More effective
Ask about their specific responsibilities in evaluating
and purchasing software solutions

Define Boundaries

If asked about pricing, politely explain that a sales
representative will follow up with that information.

Set the Pace

After each expert response, pause briefly before responding.
Keep your responses under 3 sentences when possible.

Handle Edge Cases

If the expert seems rushed, offer to schedule a follow-up.
If they go off-topic, gently redirect with "That's interesting,
and I'd love to hear more about [original topic]..."

Use Context Variables

Given {{expert_name}}'s background as {{expert_current_role}},
focus on questions about {{call_subject}}.

Prompt Limits

• Maximum length: 6,000 characters for the Goal section

• The persona name you set replaces the default name in the prompt

Iterating on Prompts

1. Create your initial prompt

2. Run a test interview

3. Review the transcript

4. Note where the AI could improve

5. Update the prompt

6. Each edit creates a new version you can compare

Viewing Prompt History

When editing an agent:

1. Click on a previous version in the sidebar

2. Click Compare to see differences

3. Click Restore to revert to that version