Create an agent

For agents

Guide: Create an agent

This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/create-an-agent

Topic: AI agents

Time: about 4 minutes

Who can do it: Owner, Administrator or Manager

Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)

Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/agents

Result when done: You have an agent that knows your business, and you have watched it answer a question before it answers anyone.

Context: An agent is what your business knows and how it speaks. You set it up once, on one screen: Knowledge and How it replies on the left, a live Preview on the right where you ask it questions as a customer would. An agent answers nobody by itself. An automation puts it to work on a page, on comments, in messages, or both, and that is a separate step you take when the preview answers well. AI agents are included from Starter.

Before you start

1. An agent belongs to your account, not to one page: the same agent can answer on several pages, on comments and in messages.

2. It answers nothing until you place it. Creating and testing it sends nothing to anyone.

3. Setting up and testing use AI credits in ones: 1 per try, 1 per message to Build with AI, 1 per page or file read. A real answer or draft uses 5 AI credits, whichever agent writes it; a question nobody could answer uses none.

Steps

Step 1 of 5: Open AI agents and press New agent.

Where: Settings, then the AI agents tab. New agent is the green button at the top right of the list. On a phone: the menu, the profile row, Settings, then AI agents. With no agent yet, the button on the empty screen reads Create your first agent.

Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/agents (Open AI agents)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agents.en.webp (AI agents: the list, with New agent.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agents-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)

You should see: A new agent, with a place for its name and two ways to set it up: Build with AI, or Set it up myself.

Step 2 of 5: Name it, then choose how to set it up.

Where: Type the name where it says Name your agent. Customers never see it, so call it what it does: Northwind barista, or Ads replies. Under the name, Build with AI asks you about your business in a chat and fills the agent in as you talk; Set it up myself opens the form. Either way you can switch later.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-new.en.webp (A new agent: its name, then Build with AI or Set it up myself.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-new-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)

You should see: With Set it up myself: an empty Knowledge card, How it replies under it, and the Preview beside them.

Step 3 of 5: Give it something to know.

Where: The Knowledge card. Drop a PDF or a document on it, paste a link to your pricing, shipping or FAQ page, or press Add for Upload files, Add a web page, Write text and Add a question and answer. Files open on Growth; web pages, text and questions work on every plan that has agents. The first thing you add creates the agent.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-knowledge.en.webp (Knowledge: every source the agent answers from, and Add.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-knowledge-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)

You should see: Each source as a row with its size, and How ready it is above the card, with the topics it covers and the ones still missing.

Step 4 of 5: Ask it a question in the Preview.

Where: The Preview, on the right of Set up. Type a question where it says Ask as a customer would, or press one of the suggested questions above the box. Comment and Message switch between a reply under a post and a DM. On a phone the Preview opens from the Try it button at the bottom. A try uses 1 AI credit, and nothing is posted or sent.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-try.en.webp (The Preview after a question: the answer as it would appear under your post.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-try-phone.en.webp (The Preview on a phone, opened with Try it.)

You should see: The answer it would give, written from what is on screen. When nothing it knows answers the question, a card says This one goes to you, with Teach it the answer.

Step 5 of 5: Put it to work when the answers are right.

Where: Use this agent, at the top right of the agent. On a phone it is on the Where it answers tab, as Use this agent somewhere. Choose Comments or Messages, then the page. That opens a new automation with this agent already picked; it starts by writing drafts you approve.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-where.en.webp (Use this agent, at the top right of the agent.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-where-phone.en.webp (On a phone: Use this agent somewhere, under the places.)

You should see: The automation that places the agent. Until one is live, the agent reads Not answering anywhere yet.

If something is off

Problem: New agent has a lock on it

Fix: Your plan's agents are all in use; the count beside the button says so. Delete one, or move to a plan with more. Starter runs 1 agent, Growth 3, Pro 10 and Elite as many as you like; Mini and Lite have none.

Problem: There is no New agent button at all

Fix: You are a moderator. Creating and editing agents needs an owner, administrator or manager.

Problem: The Preview says See how it answers and the box is greyed out

Fix: The agent knows nothing yet. Add one source or one question and answer, and the box opens.

Problem: It reads Not answering anywhere yet

Fix: No live automation uses it. Press Use this agent, pick Comments or Messages and a page, and switch that automation on.

Common questions

Question: How many AI agents does each plan include?

Answer: Starter runs 1 agent, Growth 3, Pro 10 and Elite as many as you like; Mini and Lite have none. At the limit, New agent shows a lock and the plan that has more.

Question: Does creating an AI agent mean it starts replying on its own?

Answer: No. An agent answers nothing until an automation places it on a page, and that automation starts on drafts you approve. Creating it and asking it questions in the Preview posts and sends nothing.

Question: Do customers see the name I give my AI agent?

Answer: No. The name is for you and your team. Replies are posted as your page.

Question: What does it cost to set up and test an agent?

Answer: AI credits, in ones: a try in the Preview uses 1, a message to Build with AI uses 1, and each web page, file or image read into Knowledge uses 1. A real answer or draft uses 5 AI credits, whichever agent writes it; a question nobody could answer uses none.

Question: Where are AI agents in the CommentWatchDog phone app?

Answer: Open the menu, then the profile row, Settings, then AI agents. On a computer it is Settings, then the AI agents tab.

Related guides

Give the agent knowledge: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/give-the-agent-knowledge

Set how it replies: who it is, tone and rules: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/write-the-persona

Drafts first, or replies by itself: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/draft-mode-or-auto-mode

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/create-an-agent.md

All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt