Your First Assistant¶
Build a fully configured AI assistant with advanced features.
Before You Begin¶
- A Functional AI account (sign up here)
- An idea of what you want your assistant to do
- (Optional) Documents for your assistant to reference
Creating the Assistant¶
- Log in to your Functional AI dashboard
- Click Assistants in the sidebar
- Click Create Assistant
Basic Information¶
Assistant Name¶
Choose a descriptive name (cannot be changed later).
- Good: "Customer Support Bot", "Product Advisor", "FAQ Helper"
- Avoid: "Bot 1", "Test", "Assistant"
Instructions¶
The most important field. Defines how your assistant behaves and responds.
Example 1: E-commerce Support (Shopify Store)
You are a friendly shopping assistant for StyleHub, an online fashion boutique.
Your role:
- Help customers find clothing and accessories
- Answer questions about sizes, materials, and care instructions
- Provide information about our shipping (free over $50) and 30-day return policy
- Suggest products based on customer preferences
Tone and style:
- Friendly and enthusiastic about fashion
- Use emojis occasionally to be approachable
- Keep responses conversational, 2-3 sentences when possible
When you don't know something:
- Say "I'm not sure about that, but let me connect you with our team"
- Direct customers to support@stylehub.com for complex requests
Never:
- Make up product details or inventory information
- Promise specific delivery dates
- Provide medical or safety advice about products
Example 2: SaaS Lead Qualification
You are a sales assistant for CloudSync, a cloud storage solution.
Your role:
- Understand what the visitor is looking for
- Ask qualifying questions about their business size and needs
- Explain our key features: unlimited storage, team collaboration, and 99.9% uptime
- Schedule demos for qualified leads
Conversation flow:
1. Greet warmly and ask how you can help
2. Ask about their current storage solution and pain points
3. Inquire about team size and monthly data volume
4. Suggest the appropriate plan (Starter, Business, or Enterprise)
5. Offer to schedule a demo or free trial
Tone and style:
- Professional but not salesy
- Focus on solving their problems, not pushing features
- Be concise and respect their time
Qualification criteria:
- Teams with 10+ users → Enterprise demo
- Small teams (3-9 users) → Business plan
- Individuals → Self-serve trial
Never:
- Be pushy or aggressive
- Make claims about competitors
- Promise features that don't exist
Example 3: FAQ Knowledge Bot
You are a help desk assistant for the University Student Portal.
Your knowledge:
- Course registration procedures
- Tuition payment options and deadlines
- Campus resources (library, health center, career services)
- Common technical issues with the portal
Your role:
- Answer frequently asked questions accurately
- Provide step-by-step instructions when needed
- Direct students to the right department for complex issues
Tone and style:
- Helpful and patient
- Use clear, simple language
- Provide specific details (dates, URLs, contact info)
When you don't have the answer:
- Be honest: "I don't have that specific information"
- Direct to the appropriate office with contact details
- Suggest checking the official handbook or contacting IT support
Important:
- Never guess about deadlines or policies
- Always cite official sources when available
- Escalate academic or financial aid questions to advisors
Advanced Settings (Optional)¶
Click "Advanced Settings" to reveal additional options.
Temperature¶
Controls creativity/randomness of responses.
| Value | Behavior | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1 - 0.3 | Focused, consistent | FAQ, support, factual queries |
| 0.5 - 0.7 | Balanced | General purpose |
| 0.8 - 1.0 | Creative, varied | Creative writing, brainstorming |
Default: 1.0
Use Case¶
- BASIC: General-purpose assistant
- ECOMMERCE: Optimized for Shopify product queries
SafeGuard¶
Enable for stricter safety constraints to avoid inappropriate content.
Click Create Assistant to save.
Testing Your Assistant¶
- Click Chat in the sidebar
- Select your assistant
- Click New Thread if needed
- Type a message and press Enter
Test Scenarios¶
| Test | What to Try | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | "Hello" | Friendly, on-brand welcome |
| Core question | Your main topic | Accurate, helpful response |
| Off-topic | "What's the weather?" | Polite redirect |
| Unknown info | Something it shouldn't know | Honest "I don't know" |
| Edge case | Unusual question | Graceful handling |
Enhancing Your Assistant¶
Add a Knowledge Base¶
- Go to Stores and create a knowledge base
- Upload relevant documents
- Return to Assistants, select your assistant
- Add your knowledge base in the Stores section
Customize Appearance¶
- Select your assistant
- Go to Appearance tab
- Adjust colors, theme, and avatars
- Save changes
See Customization Guide for details.
Making It Public¶
- Toggle Assistant Privacy to Public
- Go to Sharing tab
- Copy share link or embed code
See Sharing & Embedding for details.
Troubleshooting¶
Assistant Behavior Problems
Doesn't follow instructions - Make instructions more explicit with bullet points - Add specific "Never do X" statements - Lower temperature to 0.3-0.5
Responses too long - Add: "Keep responses under 3 sentences when possible" - Add: "Be concise and get straight to the point"
Makes up information (hallucinations) - Add: "Only state facts you're certain about. If unsure, say so." - Enable SafeGuard in Advanced Settings - Add a knowledge base with accurate information - Lower temperature to 0.3-0.5
Wrong tone - Be more specific in instructions: - Too formal? → "Be casual and conversational, use emojis" - Too casual? → "Be professional and formal, avoid slang"
Knowledge Base Issues
Ignores knowledge base - Verify store is connected in Stores section - Check documents are relevant - Add to instructions: "Use the knowledge base documents as your primary source"
Can't find information in documents - Rephrase question using keywords from document - Break large documents into smaller files - Ensure PDFs are text-based, not scanned images
Platform Problems
Assistant not showing in Chat - Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R) - Clear browser cache
Share link doesn't work - Ensure Assistant Privacy is set to Public - Wait a few seconds after toggling privacy
Knowledge base not connecting - Ensure store upload is complete (100% progress) - Refresh the assistant edit page
Quick Tips for Success¶
E-commerce Assistants
- Set use case to ECOMMERCE in Advanced Settings
- Upload return policy, shipping info, and FAQs to knowledge base
- Use temperature 0.5-0.7 for balanced recommendations
- Connect Shopify integration for real-time product search
Lead Generation
- Use temperature 0.7-0.9 for natural conversation
- Include clear qualification questions in instructions
- Define what makes a "qualified lead" in instructions
FAQ/Support Bots
- Use temperature 0.3-0.5 for consistent answers
- Enable SafeGuard for additional safety
- Upload comprehensive documentation to knowledge base
- Clearly define escalation criteria
General Best Practices
- Start simple, add complexity gradually
- Test with real questions from your audience
- Update instructions based on actual usage
- Keep knowledge base documents up to date
Next Steps¶
Other resources: - Add a knowledge base - Embed on your website - Connect to Shopify