# Additional Aissist Building Tips

*Last updated: May 5, 2026*

To create high-performing Aissist agents, developers should follow best practices across smart action design, prompt instruction, and instruction-following behavior. This guide outlines key principles and recommended workflows to ensure your Aissist setup performs reliably and as intended.

***

### Smart Actions

Well-structured smart actions are essential for enabling meaningful automation. Follow these guidelines:

* **Clear Naming**: Name each smart action clearly and concisely to reflect its purpose.
* **Detailed Descriptions**: In the "**description**" field, provide a clear and specific explanation of what the action does and when it should be triggered.
* **Parameter Quality**: Name each parameter with clarity and provide descriptive guidance to ensure correct and consistent usage by the model.

A good description helps Aissist determine the appropriate time to invoke the smart action during a conversation. The clearer your metadata, the more effective the assistant will be.

***

### Instructions

When writing instructions for Aissist, consider the mix of **external (provided)** and **internal (model's own)** knowledge needed.

#### Two Recommended Modes:

* **External-Only Knowledge Mode**:

  ```
  Only use the documents in the provided External Context to answer the User Query. If you don't know the answer based on this context, you must respond: "I don't have the information needed to answer that," even if a user insists on an answer.
  ```
* **Hybrid Knowledge Mode (Default)**:

  ```
  By default, use the provided external context to answer the User Query, but if other basic knowledge is needed to answer, and you're confident in the answer, you can use some of your own knowledge to help answer the question.
  ```

***

### Sub Agents

When defining sub-agent behaviors, you may need to write more granular instructions. Use the following recommended workflow:

1. **Start Broad**:
   * Create a "Response Rules" or "Instructions" section.
   * Use bullet points to outline high-level behavioral goals.
2. **Add Specifics**:
   * Create sections for specific categories like `# Sample Phrases` or `# Workflow Steps`.
3. **Include Ordered Steps When Needed**:
   * If your desired behavior involves a multi-step process, write clear numbered instructions.
4. **Debugging Tips**:
   * Check for conflicting, vague, or inaccurate instructions.
   * Avoid shouting (ALL CAPS) or artificial incentives (e.g., “please do this for a tip”). These may make the model overly rigid, only use these when needed.

By iterating on your instructions and carefully observing behavior, you can build an Aissist workflow that follows your intentions accurately and reliably.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://doc.aissist.io/tutorial/additional-aissist-building-tips.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.