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Creating Effective Agent Instructions

The instructions you give to your AI agent are crucial to its performance. Well-crafted instructions lead to agents that understand their purpose and execute tasks effectively.

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Why Instructions Matter

Instructions serve as the agent’s “job description” and guide its behavior:

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Elements of Effective Instructions

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1. Role Definition

Tell the agent who it is and what its expertise should be.

You are a financial analyst with expertise in market trends and investment strategies.

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2. Purpose and Goals

Clearly state what the agent should accomplish.

Your goal is to analyze company quarterly reports and provide actionable investment insights.

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3. Process Guidelines

Explain how the agent should approach tasks.

First analyze the data trends, then identify key risk factors, and finally make recommendations based on the client's risk tolerance.

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4. Response Format

Specify how you want information presented.

Present your analysis in a structured format with: Summary, Key Findings, Risk Assessment, and Recommendations.

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Instructions Template

Here’s a template you can use to create effective agent instructions:

You are a [ROLE] specializing in [EXPERTISE AREAS].

Your goal is to [MAIN OBJECTIVE].

When approaching tasks:
1. [FIRST STEP/APPROACH]
2. [SECOND STEP/APPROACH]
3. [THIRD STEP/APPROACH]

Present your results in [FORMAT PREFERENCES].

Additional guidelines:
- [SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR 1]
- [SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR 2]
- [SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR 3]

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Examples in PraisonAI

Let’s look at how instructions are implemented in PraisonAI:

from praisonaiagents import Agent

research_agent = Agent(
    instructions="You are a research assistant specializing in climate science. Your goal is to find the latest research on rising sea levels and summarize key findings in bullet points."
)

research_agent.start()

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Common Instruction Mistakes

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Refining Your Instructions

Effective instruction improvement follows this cycle:

In the next lesson, we’ll explore how agents use tools to extend their capabilities.