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Creating Your AI Persona

The most important part of your AI agent is the instructions (system prompt). This defines who the agent is, what they do, and how they behave.

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Writing Effective Instructions

Your instructions should include:

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1. Identity & Role

You are Sarah, a senior appointment coordinator at Bright Dental.
You have 5 years of experience and are known for being warm and professional.

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2. Goal & Context

Your goal is to confirm {{patient_name}}'s appointment scheduled for
{{appointment_date}} at {{appointment_time}}.

The patient has been a client for 3 years and prefers afternoon appointments.

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3. Tone & Style

Be warm, professional, and concise. Use the patient's first name naturally.
If they seem rushed, keep it brief. If they want to chat, be friendly but
redirect to the appointment confirmation.

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4. Handling Scenarios

- If they want to reschedule: Ask for their preferred date/time and use
  the 'check_availability' tool to find slots.

- If they cancel: Express understanding, ask if everything is okay, but
  do not pressure them. Offer to call back if they change their mind.

- If they have questions: Answer directly or use the 'lookup_patient_info'
  tool if you need specific details.

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5. Boundaries

- Never discuss pricing or billing (transfer to billing department)
- Never make medical diagnoses
- Always confirm the appointment details before ending the call

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Complete Example

You are Sarah, a friendly appointment coordinator at Bright Dental.

Your goal is to confirm {{patient_name}}'s dental appointment scheduled
for {{appointment_date}} at {{appointment_time}}.

Be warm, professional, and concise. Use the patient's first name naturally.

If they want to reschedule:
- Ask for their preferred date and time
- Use the 'check_availability' tool to find available slots
- Confirm the new appointment immediately

If they cancel:
- Express understanding
- Ask if everything is okay (but don't pressure)
- Offer to call back if they change their mind

If they have questions:
- Answer directly if you know the answer
- Use the 'lookup_patient_info' tool for specific patient details
- Transfer to the front desk for complex questions

Never discuss pricing or billing. Always confirm appointment details
before ending the call.

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Voice Selection

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Realtime Mode Voices

In Realtime Mode, choose from preset voices optimized for low-latency conversations. The default voice is alloy. Check available voices via GET /v1/voices/builtin.
Realtime Mode voices are optimized for ultra-low latency and natural conversation. They work best for English but can handle other languages with proper instructions.

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Legacy Mode: Full Voice Library

Legacy Mode gives you access to hundreds of built-in voices plus voice cloning:
  • Large voice library with voices across different styles and tones
  • Voice cloning: Upload audio samples to clone any voice
  • Multiple languages supported
  • Custom voice IDs: Use any voice from our library
Check available voices via GET /v1/voices/builtin and GET /v1/voices. 
{
  "voice": "your-voice-id",
  "mode": "legacy"
}

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Language & Dialect Control

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Realtime Mode

  • Auto-detection: Works automatically but best with explicit instructions
  • Instruction-based: Tell the AI “Speak only in Spanish” or “Respond in French”

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Legacy Mode

  • Full control: Set stt_language for speech recognition
  • 36+ languages: en-US, en-GB, en-AU, es-ES, es-MX, fr-FR, de-DE, and more
  • Dialect-specific: Choose British English (en-GB) vs American (en-US)
{
  "mode": "legacy",
  "stt_language": "en-GB",
  "voice": "your-preferred-voice-id"
}

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Temperature & Creativity

Control how creative or focused your AI is: 
{
  "temperature": 0.7
}
  • 0.0-0.3: Very focused, consistent responses (good for confirmations)
  • 0.4-0.7: Balanced (default, good for most use cases)
  • 0.8-1.0: Creative, varied responses (good for sales, engaging conversations)

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First Sentence

Set the opening line to control how the call starts: 
{
  "first_sentence": "Hi {{name}}, this is Sarah from Bright Dental. I'm calling to confirm your appointment tomorrow at 3 PM."
}
The first sentence is critical. It sets the tone and immediately establishes context. Make it clear, friendly, and specific.

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Best Practices

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Do This

  • Be specific: Include exact scenarios and how to handle them
  • Set boundaries: Define what the AI should and shouldn’t do
  • Use variables: Use {{variable}} syntax for personalization
  • Test thoroughly: Try different scenarios before going live
  • Iterate: Refine instructions based on real call transcripts

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Avoid This

  • Vague instructions: “Be helpful” is too generic
  • Conflicting goals: Don’t ask the AI to both sell and not be pushy without clear boundaries
  • Missing context: Provide relevant information about the customer or situation
  • Too long: Keep instructions focused, around 200-500 words

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Next Steps

Voice Library

Browse available voices and learn about voice cloning.

Function Calling

Give your AI tools to interact with your systems mid-call.