Docs/Agents

Core Concepts

Agents

An Agent is the core entity in Talknex. It defines how your AI behaves, what it sounds like, and what it can do during a call.

Agent anatomy

Every agent has five configuration areas:

PersonaName, role description, and conversational style (formal, casual, empathetic).
System PromptThe core instruction set that shapes how the agent reasons and responds. Supports Markdown and variable interpolation.
VoiceProvider (ElevenLabs or OpenAI), voice ID, speed, pitch, and stability. See the Voice docs for full options.
LLM SettingsModel (GPT-4o default), temperature, max tokens, and custom function tools.
Knowledge BaseOne or more document collections the agent can query via RAG before responding.

Writing effective system prompts

The system prompt is the most impactful configuration. A well-written prompt produces consistent, on-brand responses. A poorly-written one leads to hallucinations and off-script behavior.

Best practices:

  • 1State the agent's role and company in the first sentence.
  • 2List what the agent CAN and CANNOT do explicitly.
  • 3Specify how to handle edge cases: angry callers, out-of-scope questions, silence.
  • 4Include escalation instructions: "If the caller asks for a manager, say X and transfer."
  • 5Keep it under 800 tokens. Longer prompts add latency.

Built-in tools

Every agent has two built-in function tools that the LLM can call during a conversation:

book_appointmentBuilt-in

Checks calendar availability and creates an appointment. Requires Google Calendar or Outlook to be connected. Returns a confirmation number that the agent reads back to the caller.

transfer_to_humanBuilt-in

Warm-transfers the live call to a destination phone number. The AI session ends immediately after transfer. Configure the destination number in the agent's Transfer settings.

You can add custom function tools under Agent → Developer → Custom Tools. See the LLM Configuration docs for schema format.

Agent limits by plan

PlanAgentsConcurrent callsCustom tools
Free11
Pro2510Unlimited
EnterpriseUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Agents — Talknex Docs