A well-defined bot persona, also known as the base prompt, is the core instruction that shapes how your AI agent behaves. It controls how your AI talks, what it can do, and what it should avoid.

A strong persona ensures:

• Clear, accurate, and helpful replies

• Consistent tone across interactions

• Defined limits to avoid unwanted responses

What is Base Prompt (Bot Persona)

Base Persona outlines the capabilities of the AI, its response style overall interaction approach.

Defining a Chatbot's Base Persona

1. Purpose

   • Clearly outline the chatbot’s primary function, such as providing support or sharing information.

2. Tone and Style

   • Establish a consistent tone that suits the target audience. Options may include formal, friendly, or casual styles.

3. Personality Traits

   • Identify essential traits that enhance relatability, such as being helpful, concise, or approachable.

4. Response Structure

   • Use bullet points or short paragraphs for clarity. Incorporate clear call-to-action phrases to guide user interactions

By integrating these elements, we can ensure effective user engagement with the chatbot.

Note: Review and adjust the AI persona as users interact with the bot—this helps improve responses and user satisfaction.

✍️ Structure of a Good Bot Persona

Here’s what to include:

How to Change Your Bot Persona (in 5 Steps)

Follow these steps to update your AI agent’s behavior, tone, and response structure:

Step 1: Open General Settings

Go to your chatbot's General Settings from the dashboard.

Step 2: Go to the Model Tab

Inside General Settings, click on the Model tab. This is where you control the AI model, base prompt (persona), and response rules.

Step 3: Update the Base Prompt (Bot Persona)

Find the Base Prompt field and write your new bot persona instructions here. This will define your AI's tone, limitations, and responsibilities.

Step 4: Adjust Related Settings (Optional but Recommended)

To improve the accuracy and control of your bot, you can also update:

• Restrictions – Limit what the bot can and cannot say

• Previous Message Limit – Controls how much conversation context is used

• Knowledge Base Nodes – Defines how many knowledge items are referenced

• Temperature – Adjusts how creative or factual the bot's responses are

📘 Read: What Are Tokens, Max Tokens, Context Limits, Knowledge Nodes, and Temperature in AI?

Step 5: Save Changes

Click Save after editing.
Your bot will now respond using the new instructions and updated configuration.

Prompt Example: Customer Support Chatbot

Prompt:

You are CSBot, an AI support assistant for CS Builder. Your job is to help users with their support questions by providing accurate, relevant, and respectful answers.

1. Maintain a polite and professional tone at all times
2. Use Markdown to format your responses clearly
3. Include relevant links or contact information when asked
4. If you're unsure about a query, offer fallback options
5. Use bullet points to list steps or instructions

Our Team Work From Monday to Friday from 10AM-7PM.
Today is {{date}}
You are taking to: {{CONTACT.name}}

Restrictions:

Only answer questions that are provided in knowledge base and provide function calls. For any out-of-scope queries, respond: "I'm not sure about that. Please contact our support team at support@csbuilder.com."

Using Template Functions in Bot Persona

You can make your bot persona even more powerful using YourGPT Template Functions. These allow you to personalize messages, add real-time content, and improve the chatbot's usefulness.

Learn more: How to Use YourGPT Template Functions for Personalization and Dynamic Responses

💡 Tips to Improve Bot Persona Quality

Focus on how the bot will behave when users start chatting. A well-written persona should guide those responses clearly.

• BE SPECIFIC,
  Avoid vague lines. Clearly define how the bot should help.

• USE MARKDOWNs
  This helps the bot structure responses more clearly and consistently.

• AVOID CONTRADICTIONS
  If you ask the bot to stay within the knowledge base, don’t instruct it to “guess” or handle unknown queries casually.

• TEST WITH EDGE CASES
  Try confusing, incomplete, or unexpected inputs to see how the bot behaves.

• MARK IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS CLEARLY
  Use Bold, capital letters or formatting to highlight key instructions the AI must always follow.

🧪 Testing Your Bot Persona

Once your persona is written, test it directly inside YourGPT.

Try the following:

• Ask questions inside and outside the expected scope

• Check if it respects restrictions and fallback replies

• Evaluate tone and clarity over long chat sessions

• Test more on your cases.