Custom Agents
Build your own AI specialists with custom instructions, knowledge from your LeanDocs, and conversation starters.
Why Custom Agents?
You can already add LeanDocs to your knowledge base and ask Lana questions. So why create a custom agent?
The short answer: different tools for different jobs.
Lana with your knowledge base is great for general questions and flexible work. Need to find information? Brainstorm an idea? Draft something? Lana handles that well because she can pull from everything available.
Custom agents serve a different purpose: consistent, repeatable workflows.
When you need the same process followed the same way every time, a custom agent shines. It has:
Specific instructions for how to behave
Only the knowledge relevant to its job
Prompts designed for its use case
This focus makes the output more consistent. The agent isn't sorting through your entire knowledge base. It's working from exactly what it needs for this specific task.
This is how AI works best. If you've used ChatGPT's custom GPTs or similar tools, you've seen this pattern. General AI is flexible. Purpose-built AI is consistent. Custom agents let you build purpose-built tools for the workflows that matter most.
When to Use Lana vs. a Custom Agent
You have a question that could touch multiple topics
You're looking for information across your knowledge base
You're brainstorming or exploring an idea
You need help with a one-off task
You're drafting something and want a thought partner
The task is different every time
Lana's strength is flexibility. She adapts to what you need in the moment.
You have a repeatable workflow that should work the same way every time
You want specific questions asked in a specific order
You need consistent output format or structure
Multiple people need to do the same task the same way
You want to guide less experienced team members through a process
Custom agents bring consistency and structure to defined workflows.
What Makes a Good Custom Agent?
The best custom agents share a few characteristics:
Clear purpose. The agent does one thing well. "Help with sales" is vague. "Handle objections by acknowledging the concern and providing 2-3 response options based on our value propositions" is specific.
Right-sized knowledge. Give the agent what it needs, not everything you have. A sales objection agent needs your value propositions and competitive positioning. It doesn't need your employee handbook.
Specific instructions. Tell the agent how to behave. What questions should it ask? What format should it output? What should it do if information is missing? The more specific you are, the more consistent the results.
Useful prompts. Default prompts help users get started. Think about the most common ways someone would use this agent and make those one-click actions.
Examples That Work
Here are patterns that work well as custom agents:
Sales Objection Handler
Knowledge: Common objections, your value propositions, competitive positioning, successful close examples
Instructions: When given an objection, acknowledge it, then provide 2-3 response options based on our messaging. Ask clarifying questions about the prospect's situation before responding.
Why it works: Objection handling benefits from consistent messaging. New salespeople get guidance; experienced ones get reinforcement.
New Hire Onboarding Agent
Knowledge: Employee handbook, first-week checklist, training schedule
Instructions: Walk new employees through their first week day by day. Ask what role they're in and customize accordingly. Check in on whether they've completed each step before moving on.
Why it works: Onboarding is a defined process. The agent ensures nothing gets missed.
Client Communication Agent
Knowledge: Email templates, communication guidelines, brand voice examples
Instructions: Match our brand voice. Keep emails concise. Always include a clear next step. Ask about the situation before drafting.
Why it works: Every client touchpoint reflects your brand. Consistency matters.
Safety Protocol Agent
Knowledge: Safety manual, incident procedures, equipment guidelines
Instructions: Always reference our specific procedures, not general safety advice. If someone describes an incident, walk through our reporting process step by step.
Why it works: Safety isn't a place for generic answers. Your protocols exist for a reason.
Quality Inspection Agent
Knowledge: Quality standards, inspection checklists, photo requirements
Instructions: Walk through our inspection checklist item by item. Ask for confirmation on each point. Flag anything that doesn't meet standard.
Why it works: Inspections need to be thorough and consistent regardless of who's doing them.
Creating an Agent
Click + Create from the Agents page to start building.
About
Name gives your agent a clear identity. Pick something descriptive so your team knows what it's for.
Description explains what the agent does in a sentence or two. Limited to 200 characters.
Category organizes your agent. Choose from the dropdown to help users find it.
Instructions
Tell the agent what it does and how it should behave. This is where you define its expertise and approach.
Good instructions are specific. Instead of "help with sales objections," try "when given a customer objection, first acknowledge the concern, then provide 2-3 response options based on our value propositions. Ask clarifying questions about the prospect's situation before responding. Keep responses conversational, not scripted."
Knowledge
Give your agent context by connecting it to your LeanDocs. The agent will draw on this knowledge when answering questions.
Select LeanDocs that are relevant to what this agent does. A safety agent should have your safety manual. A sales objection agent should have your value propositions and competitive positioning. Don't add everything—add what's relevant.
Files support is coming soon. For now, agents can access LeanDocs you select.
Initial Message
The greeting users see when they start a conversation. Use this to set expectations or prompt the user to share context.
Default is "What can I help you with today?" but you can customize it to guide the conversation. For a sales objection agent: "What objection are you hearing from the customer?" Limited to 500 characters.
Default Prompts
One-click conversation starters that appear below the initial message. Add prompts for common use cases so users can jump right in.
Click + to add prompts. Think about the most common things someone would ask this agent.
Access
Control who can use this agent. By default, agents are set to Only Me.
Team access controls are coming soon. For now, custom agents are private to the person who created them.
Managing Your Agents
Find your agents under the My Agents tab on the Agents page. Click the three-dot menu on any agent card to:
Edit the agent's settings, instructions, or knowledge
Duplicate to create a copy you can modify
Delete to remove the agent
Start Simple
You don't need to build five agents on day one. Pick one workflow that you repeat often and where consistency matters. Build an agent for that. Use it. Refine it. Then consider what else would benefit from the same treatment.
The goal isn't to have lots of agents. It's to have agents that actually help your team do better work.
Related Pages
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