Writing rules an agent can follow
Good agent rules read like instructions for a careful new hire. Five patterns we see in the teams that get the best results.
Daniel Weber1 min read
An agent is only as good as the rules it works by. After helping a few hundred teams set up their first agents, we see the same patterns in the rules that work well.
1. Write for a new hire, not for a machine
If a new colleague would need to ask a follow-up question, the agent will need it too. "Refund small orders" leaves too much open. "Refund orders under $200 when the customer reports damage within 14 days" does not.
2. Name the person, not the team
Rules that end in "ask finance" create a queue nobody owns. Rules that end in "ask Ana" get answered. When people change roles, update the rule.
3. Put limits in numbers
Amounts, percentages and days are easy to check and easy to audit. Words like "large" or "unusual" are not.
4. Say what to do when the rule doesn't fit
Every rule should have a fallback. Ours is simple: when in doubt, the agent stops and explains why it stopped.
5. Review the log every week
The activity log shows every decision and the rule behind it. Ten minutes a week is enough to spot a rule that is too strict or too loose.
Most teams write their first set of rules in an afternoon. The ones who revisit them after the first month get noticeably better results than the ones who don't.
