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How do I create a Custom AI Employee?

Custom AI Employees in AI Workforce are AI workers you build for a specific business function, such as job estimation or payment coordination. To create one in Partner Center, go to AI → Workforce, click Create, and set up its profile, channels, knowledge sources, and capabilities.

Custom AI Employees use the same framework as pre-built AI Employees, and you control their behavior, knowledge, and capabilities.

What are Custom AI Employees?​

Custom AI Employees are AI workers you create from scratch to handle specialized roles in your business. They use the same framework as pre-built AI Employees, sharing the same structure: Profile, Channels, Capabilities, Tools, and Knowledge Sources. The difference is that you have complete control over every aspect of their configuration.

When to use Custom AI Employees:

  • You need an AI Employee specialized for a specific business function
  • Pre-built AI Employees don't fit your exact use case
  • You want complete control over conversation flows and responses without creating additional complexity in your current AI Employees
Availability based on your plan subscription

To create a Custom AI Employee in Partner Center, your account must be on a Professional plan or higher, as well as equivalent legacy subscriptions.

How do I create a Custom AI Employee?​

Step 1: navigate to Workforce​

  1. Navigate to AI → Workforce
  2. Click Create
  3. You'll see the configuration interface for your new Custom AI Employee

Step 2: configure profile​

Set up the basic identity and behavior of your Custom AI Employee:

Name & Avatar:

  • Choose a friendly, memorable name that reflects the AI Employee's role
  • Upload a photo or icon that helps identify this AI Employee
  • Example: "Job Estimator" or "Project Manager"

Role:

  • Write clear instructions about what this AI Employee should do
  • Define their tone, greeting, and key tasks
  • Be specific about their role and responsibilities
Writing Effective Role Instructions

Use bullets or numbered lists to make instructions clear. Be specific about what you want, not just general goals.

Good example:

  • "You are a job estimator for a home services business."
  • "When customers ask about pricing, provide accurate quotes based on our service tiers."
  • "Always ask about the scope of work before providing estimates."
  • "If a customer asks about a service we don't offer, politely redirect them to our available services."

Avoid vague instructions:

  • ❌ "Be helpful and professional."
  • ✅ "Greet customers warmly and ask how you can help with their project today."

For more guidance on writing effective instructions, see the AI Workforce Overview section on Profile configuration.

Step 3: set up channels​

Choose where your Custom AI Employee will work:

Available Channels:

  • Website chat: Deploy on one or multiple website chat widgets. Custom AI Employees on Web Chat receive the visitor's current page URL with every message. See Make responses page-aware with the visitor's URL for how to tune prompts to use it.
  • In-platform chat: Chat directly in Partner Center (automatically available after creation)
In-platform chat assignment

You do not need to assign an AI Employee to in-platform chat; the Chat button will appear automatically on AI Employees that you can chat with

For detailed information on channels, see the AI Workforce Overview section.

Step 4: add knowledge sources​

Teach your Custom AI Employee about your business:

Knowledge Sources Available:

  • Business Profile: Automatically included (business hours, services, contact info)
  • Website: Fetch your website for product/service information
  • File Upload: Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, documents (pricing sheets, service catalogs, policies)
  • Text: Add custom Q&A or specific information manually

What to Add:

  • Pricing information and service tiers
  • Product catalogs or service descriptions
  • Policies and procedures
  • FAQs specific to the AI Employee's role
  • Any business-specific information relevant to their function

For guidance on knowledge sources, see the Knowledge Base documentation.

Step 5: configure capabilities​

Define what your Custom AI Employee can do:

Built-in Capabilities:

  • Lead capture: Collect customer contact information
  • Book appointments: Schedule meetings or service calls
  • Answer FAQs: Respond to common questions

Custom Capabilities:

  • Create specialized capabilities for unique business functions
  • Connect to external APIs and systems
  • Define custom workflows and processes

For detailed information on creating custom capabilities, see Creating Custom Capabilities.

Step 6: deploy your Custom AI Employee​

Once tested, deploy your Custom AI Employee:

In-Platform Chat:

  • Automatically available in the AI Workforce tab after creation
  • Team members can chat directly with the AI Employee

Web Chat:

Assign your Custom AI Employee to a web chat widget so it handles conversations with website visitors:

  1. Go to Conversations → Settings, then click Manage widgets on the Web Chat card.
  2. On the Web Chat configuration page, click New Web Chat (or open an existing widget to edit it).
  3. In the AI employee card, click Select employee, choose your Custom AI Employee, and click Ok.
  4. Click Next to save, then install the widget on your site.

Requires Conversations AI Standard, Pro, or Premium. See Web Chat Setup for details.

Automations:

  • Add "Send a prompt to an AI Employee" step to automation workflows
  • Use Custom AI Employees for decision-making in automated processes
  • See Reusable workflows for details

Use case examples​

Explore these examples to see how Custom AI Employees can be tailored for specific business functions:

Provide instant, accurate answers about products, pricing, and processes for internal teams.

Basic Configuration Required:

  • Knowledge Sources: Product catalogs, pricing sheets, sales processes, SOPs
  • Channels: In-platform chat (internal use)
  • Role: "You are a sales enablement assistant. Help team members find accurate information about products, pricing, and processes quickly. Always reference official documentation when answering questions."

Use Cases:

  • "What's the pricing for our premium package?"
  • "What's our process for handling refunds?"
  • "Which products are best for small businesses?"

How do I deploy a Custom AI Employee?​

In-platform chat​

Your Custom AI Employee is automatically available in the AI Workforce tab after creation. Team members can chat directly with the AI Employee for internal assistance and decision support.

Benefits:

  • No additional setup required
  • Immediate availability after creation
  • Great for internal processes and knowledge navigation

Web Chat​

Assign your Custom AI Employee to a web chat widget to provide specialized chat experiences for website visitors. Go to Conversations → Settings → Manage widgets, open a widget, then use Select employee in the AI employee card to assign it. A widget uses one AI employee at a time, but the same employee can be assigned to multiple widgets.

Benefits:

  • Specialized AI chat experiences vs. generic chatbot responses
  • Interactive knowledge navigation for website visitors
  • Lead capture and resource discovery

For setup instructions, see Web Chat Setup.

Automations​

Add Custom AI Employees to automation workflows using the "Send a prompt to an AI Employee" step.

Use Cases:

  • LLM-powered decision making in automated processes
  • Contextual responses based on customer data
  • Intelligent routing and qualification

Benefits:

  • Enhances existing automation with AI intelligence
  • Contextual decision making based on customer information
  • Reduces manual intervention in workflows

For details on automation integration, see Reusable workflows.

Framework consistency​

Custom AI Employees use the same framework as pre-built AI Employees. All AI Employees share:

  • Profile: Name, avatar, role
  • Channels: Where they can interact
  • Capabilities: What they can do
  • Tools: API integrations
  • Knowledge Sources: Business information

This consistency means:

  • Skills learned with one AI Employee apply to all
  • Custom capabilities can be shared across AI Employees
  • Knowledge sources can be reused
  • The same testing and optimization strategies work for all

For detailed information on the AI Employee framework, see the AI Workforce Overview.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)​

What's the difference between Custom AI Employees and pre-built AI Employees like Chat Receptionist?

Custom AI Employees use the same framework as pre-built AI Employees but give you complete control over their configuration. Pre-built AI Employees come with default settings optimized for specific use cases (like customer-facing chat), while Custom AI Employees allow you to create specialized roles tailored to your exact business needs. Both types share the same structure: Profile, Channels, Capabilities, Tools, and Knowledge Sources.

Can I use Custom Capabilities with Custom AI Employees?

Yes! Custom Capabilities work with Custom AI Employees. You can create custom capabilities specifically for your Custom AI Employee, or reuse custom capabilities across multiple AI Employees (both pre-built and custom). This allows you to build specialized workflows that combine multiple capabilities.

How many Custom AI Employees can I create?

There's no hard limit to the number of Custom AI Employees you can create. You can create as many specialized AI Employees as you need for different business functions, departments, or use cases.

Can I assign the same Custom AI Employee to multiple channels?

A Custom AI Employee can work across multiple channels simultaneously. For example, you can deploy the same Custom AI Employee to web chat, automations, and in-platform chat. The AI Employee will maintain consistent behavior and knowledge across all channels.

Assigning to multiple web chat widgets

While you can assign an AI Employee to multiple web chat widgets, you can't assign multiple AI Employees to the same web chat widget.

Can I use Custom AI Employees in automation workflows?

Yes! You can add Custom AI Employees to automation workflows using the "Send a prompt to an AI Employee" step. This allows you to use AI-powered decision-making in your automated processes. For more details, see Reusable workflows.

Can a custom AI agent read a PDF that an end user uploads in chat?

No. Custom AI agents cannot read PDFs that end users upload during a chat. You can use a PDF as a knowledge source for the agent, but chat attachments are not read as input. Submit the request through the AI Workforce feedback page if you want the product team to consider it.

Which plan do I need to create a Custom AI Employee?

To create a Custom AI Employee in Partner Center, your account must be on a Professional plan or higher, or an equivalent legacy subscription.

How do I add knowledge sources to a Custom AI Employee?

In the Custom AI Employee's configuration, add knowledge sources such as your website, uploaded files (PDFs, spreadsheets, documents), or custom text. Your Business Profile is included automatically. Add pricing, service descriptions, policies, and FAQs relevant to the AI Employee's role.

How do I put a Custom AI Employee on my website chat?

Go to Conversations → Settings, click Manage widgets on the Web Chat card, and open or create a widget. In the AI employee card, click Select employee, choose your Custom AI Employee, and click Ok. This requires Conversations AI Standard, Pro, or Premium.

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