Configuring the agent's behavior

In IBM watsonx Orchestrate, configuring the agent behavior refers to the process of defining how an agent should act, respond, and adapt during interactions with users. This configuration ensures that agents are not only functional but also intelligent, context-aware, and aligned with business goals.

Behavior configuration is a foundational step in agent development. It determines how the agent interprets inputs, runs tasks, handles exceptions, and maintains consistency across workflows. Without proper behavior settings, even a well-designed agent might fail to deliver meaningful or reliable outcomes.

Before you begin

Before you set up your agent’s behavior, consider the following key points:

  • Define the agent’s purpose: What should the agent do?
  • Understand user expectations: Should the agent sound formal, friendly, quick, or detailed?
  • Assess task complexity: Will the agent handle simple questions or more complex, multi-step tasks?
  • Check integration needs: Does the agent need to connect to tools, databases, or documents?
  • Review compliance requirements: Is there privacy, security, or legal rules the agent must follow?

Clear planning helps you create behavior settings that meet user needs and adapt to future demands.

Ways to configure agent behavior

Configure how your agent behaves in different scenarios by using one or more of the following methods. Each method focuses on a different aspect of the agent’s decision-making and response behavior.

  1. Add instructions to guide agent actions

Use instructions to define how your agent should act, respond, or trigger tools when interacting with users. For example, you can specify that the agent must escalate unresolved issues to a human or always summarize long responses. For detailed steps, see Adding instructions to agents.

  1. Add guidelines to manage conditional behavior

Use guidelines to control your agent’s behavior based on specific conditions. For example, you can create a guideline that prevents the agent from sharing personal information when handling customer requests or instructs it to use a specific tool for finance-related queries. For detailed steps, see Adding guidelines to agents.

  1. Enable document-based interactions in chat

Enable document-based interactions to allow users to upload documents that the agent can reference during chat conversations. For example, HR agents can review resumes, finance agents can extract data from invoices, and support agents can analyze logs. For detailed steps, see Enabling document-based interactions in chat.