Getting Started
Your First Agent
Let’s build a practical agent that can help with daily tasks. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a working agent that can search the web and answer questions about Scout.
Step 1: Create Your Agent
Navigate to studio.scoutos.com/agents/new to start building.
Name Your Agent
Choose a clear, descriptive name:
- ✅ “Research Assistant”
- ✅ “Customer Support Agent”
- ❌ “Agent 1” or “Test”
Add a Description
Write a brief description of what your agent does. This helps you and your team understand its purpose:
Write Instructions (System Prompt)
This is where you define your agent’s personality and behavior. Be specific about:
- Its role and expertise
- How it should communicate
- What it should and shouldn’t do
Example Instructions:
Step 2: Add Tools
Click on the Tools tab to give your agent capabilities.
Native Tools
These are available immediately:
- Web Search: Enables your agent to search the internet for current information
- Scout Knowledge Base Search: Searches your internal documents and knowledge base
Toggle these on to start with basic capabilities.
Add More Tools
To expand your agent’s abilities:
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Connect your accounts:
- Google Workspace for Calendar, Drive, Gmail access
- Slack for message reading and sending
- GitHub for code repository access
- And many more…
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Once connected, return to your agent’s Tools tab
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Your connected integrations will now appear as available tools
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Toggle on the ones you want this agent to use
Create Custom Tools
Need your agent to do something specific? You can create custom tools using Scout workflows:
- Build any logic in the visual workflow builder
- Enable the workflow as a tool by toggling the option in the top right of the workflow builder screen
- Your agent can now use it like any other tool
For example, create tools for checking inventory, calculating metrics, or any multi-step process specific to your business.
Pro tip: Start with just 2-3 tools. You can always add more later as you understand what your agent needs.
Step 3: Configure Settings
Click the Settings tab to fine-tune your agent’s behavior.
Select LLM Model
Choose the language model that powers your agent. Each model has different strengths - select based on your specific needs for speed, accuracy, or task complexity.
Set Response Style
Choose how your agent communicates:
- Precise: Delivers focused, reliable answers with minimal variation (best for data/research tasks)
- Balanced: A helpful mix of structure and creativity for everyday tasks (recommended for most use cases)
- Creative: Generates expressive, open-ended responses for writing and ideation
- Experimental: Pushes boundaries with unexpected, freeform outputs
Configure Max Steps
Set the maximum number of steps your agent will take to fulfill a request. Each tool use counts as one step.
What are steps?
- A step is any action your agent takes: searching the web, reading a document, calling an API, etc.
- For example: Web search (step 1) → Scrape webpage (step 2) → Summarize content (step 3) = 3 steps
Recommended settings:
- 5-10 steps: Good for simple tasks and quick responses
- 15-20 steps: Better for research tasks that might require multiple searches and document reads
- 25+ steps: For complex workflows involving multiple tools and data sources
Important: Higher step limits allow more thorough work but may increase response time and costs. Start with 10-15 steps and adjust based on your agent’s typical tasks.
Add Conversation Starters
Help users understand what your agent can do with example prompts:
Set Visibility
Control who can access your agent:
- Private: Only you can use it
- Team: Anyone in your workspace
Step 4: Test Your Agent
Your agent is now ready! Click Save to create it.
Starting a Test Chat
- After saving, look for the New Chat button in the top right
- Click it to start a chat session with your agent
- Try one of your conversation starters
- Test different types of requests to see how your agent responds
Test Prompts to Try
What to Look For
- Is the agent using the right tools for each request?
- Are the responses in the style you configured?
- Does it follow your instructions properly?
If something isn’t working as expected, go back to your instructions or settings and refine them.
Step 5: Use Your Agent
Once you’re happy with your agent’s performance, use it where your team works:
Scout Dashboard
Chat with your agent directly in the Scout Studio dashboard. This is the primary way to interact with your agent.
- Click on your agent from the agents list
- Start a new chat session
- Share the agent with your team members
Scout Copilot (Beta)
Embed an agent chat widget directly in your app or website.
Currently in beta - email info@scoutos.com for access
Slack Integration (Beta)
Add your agent to Slack channels for team collaboration.
Currently in beta - email info@scoutos.com for access
API Access (Beta)
Use your agent programmatically in your applications.
Currently in beta - email info@scoutos.com for access
What’s Next?
Make Your Agent Smarter
- Add more specific instructions based on real usage
- Connect additional tools as needs arise
- Create custom tools using Scout workflows
Build Specialized Agents
Now that you understand the basics, create agents for specific tasks:
- Sales Agent: CRM + Email + Calendar
- Support Agent: Help desk + Knowledge base + Slack
- Data Agent: Database + Analytics + Reporting tools
Common Questions
My agent isn’t using the right tool Adjust your instructions to be more specific about when to use each tool. For example: “Always check the knowledge base first before searching the web.”
The responses are too long/short Add length preferences to your instructions: “Provide concise summaries of 2-3 sentences unless asked for more detail.”
Can I edit my agent after creating it? Yes! All settings can be changed anytime. Just remember to save your changes.
How do I see what my agent is doing? Check the Logs tab to see tool usage, decision-making, and full execution traces.