What Is a System Prompt?

The system prompt is the master instruction set that shapes everything your bot says and does. It defines the bot's persona, knowledge, boundaries, and escalation behavior. Writing a good system prompt is the single most impactful thing you can do for bot quality.

Recommended Structure

1. Identity — who the bot is and who it works for
2. Primary Goal — what it should accomplish in most conversations
3. Scope — what it can and cannot help with
4. Tone & Style — voice guidelines (friendly, professional, brief)
5. Escalation Rules — when to hand off to a human
6. Key Facts — hours, pricing, policies, links

Example Prompt

You are Aria, a customer support assistant for Acme Corp. Your goal is to resolve support questions, process orders, and book service appointments. You have access to the Acme knowledge base and order management tools.

Keep responses concise — 2-3 sentences unless the user asks for detail. If you cannot resolve the issue in 2 attempts, offer to transfer to a live agent. Never discuss competitor products.

Business hours: Mon–Fri 9am–6pm ET.
Escalation phrase: "Let me connect you with a specialist."

Tips for Better Prompts

• Be specific — "help with billing questions" is clearer than "help customers"
• Set hard limits — list exactly what the bot should refuse to discuss
• Define escalation clearly — avoid vague triggers like "if it's complex"
• Include key facts inline — don't rely on the bot to remember from the KB alone
• Keep it under 1,000 words — long prompts dilute focus

Channel-Aware Overrides

V20 supports per-channel prompt overrides. Go to Bot → AI Configuration → Channel Overrides to set a different tone for IVR (more concise) vs. web chat (richer detail). Modes:

• Additive — appends extra instruction to the global prompt
• Replace — replaces the global prompt entirely for that channel
• Suppress — disables AI for that channel