How to Create a Chat Assistant in AI Studio Follow

A Chat Assistant is a conversational AI agent that users can invoke from the internal assistant or chat experience. It can help users summarize CRM records, answer questions, draft replies, and provide recommendations.

Topics Covered:

• Create a Chat Assistant
• Configure the Chat Assistant

Create a Chat Assistant

To create a Chat Assistant, follow the steps below:

• Navigate to AI Studio > Team Agents > Browse Agents.
  
•  Click Create From Scratch
• Select Build a Chat Assistant.
  

When to Use a Chat Assistant

A Chat Assistant is designed for conversational use inside the internal assistant. It can be useful when users need information or assistance through a conversation.

Some common use cases include:

• Summarizing a contact, company, or deal.
• Explaining deal risk.
• Drafting a follow-up email.
• Answering questions using CRM data and knowledge sources.
• Helping users work faster inside the assistant.

Example scenarios:

• A sales representative can ask the Chat Assistant to summarize a deal, explain the current risks, and suggest the next follow-up action.
• A sales representative can ask the Chat Assistant to review a contact's information and draft a follow-up email based on the available CRM data.

Configure the Chat Assistant

After selecting Build a Chat Assistant, configure the agent using the Agent Builder.

• Agent Avatar: Choose an avatar for the Chat Assistant. The avatar provides the visual identity of the agent across AI Studio and the assistant experience.
• Agent Name: Enter the name of the Chat Assistant. The agent name is required.
• Short Description: Add a short description explaining what the Chat Assistant does.
• Agent Instructions: Enter instructions that define what the Chat Assistant should handle, what it should check before making a decision, and what result it should provide.
  For example:
  • Review the required CRM information.
  • Explain why a deal needs attention.
  • Recommend the next best action.
  • Do not guess missing information.
    
• Add Skills: Agent Skills are optional reusable capabilities that can help you build the Chat Assistant faster. Click Add Skill to add a skill. To learn more about Agent Skills, see Skills.
  Examples include:
  • Deal Health Analysis
  • Lead Qualification
  • Account Risk Review
  • Follow-up Email Writer
  • Meeting Summary
  • Loss Reason Analysis
    
    

You can add up to 8 skills to an agent.

• Add Tools: Tools determine what the Chat Assistant can use to access data, perform CRM actions, run custom functions, search external sources, or work with connected apps. Click Add Tool to add the required tools. 
  Tools can include:
  • Workspace Tools
  • Connected App Tools
  • Custom Tools
    
    

For each selected tool, configure its policy to either Allow the agent to use the tool or Require Approval before the action is executed.

• Add CRM Data: CRM Data Access determines which live CRM data the Chat Assistant can read. Click Add CRM Data and select the required CRM data. The agent can only access the CRM data configured for it, subject to AI Studio Setup and the run user's CRM permissions. You can add data from modules such as:
  • Contacts
  • Companies
  • Deals
  • Activities
  • Tickets
  • Custom modules
    To learn more about configuring CRM Data, see Configure CRM Data.
    
    
     
• Add Knowledge Sources: Knowledge Sources provide reference material for the Chat Assistant. They can be used for approved materials such as playbooks, policies, rules, and product documentation. Click Add Knowledge Source and add the required source.
  Examples include:
  • Sales playbook
  • Qualification rules
  • Renewal playbook
  • Email guidelines
  • Product comparison guide
  • Support troubleshooting guide
    
    
     

• Configure Greetings: Greetings are available for Chat Assistants. Use the **Welcome Message** to provide the message shown when users select the assistant.
  For example:

  Hi, I can review deal risk, explain what changed, and suggest the next best action. A welcome message is required for a Chat Assistant.
  You can also configure **Suggested Questions** that appear below the welcome message as quick-start prompts.
  Examples include: 

  • Which deals need attention today?
  • Summarize risk for this deal.
  • Draft a follow-up email.
  • What changed on this account?
    
    
     
• Configure User Access: Configure who can access the Chat Assistant after it is published. User Access determines who can use the published agent. Profile permissions continue to control other actions such as editing, publishing, or deleting the agent.
  
  
   
• Configure Model Settings: Configure the available model settings for the Chat Assistant as required. The workspace default model is used unless a specific model override is required and allowed by AI Studio Setup. To learn more about AI model configuration, see Configure AI Models.
• Before publishing, click Test to run the Chat Assistant in preview mode.
  
• Click Save to save the Chat Assistant as a draft. You can continue editing the draft before publishing it.
• Once the Chat Assistant is configured and tested, click Publish.
   
  AI Studio validates the agent before publishing. The validation checks the required configuration, including fields, skills, tools, CRM data, knowledge, action policies, approvals, User Access, permissions, model settings, and other required setup restrictions.
   
• Once the validation is successful, the agent is published and becomes available based on the configured User Access.