Set Guardrails for Your AI Chat Behavior

Guardrails let you add custom instructions that shape how your AI responds, layered on top of the platform’s built-in safety rules.

Guardrails are custom instructions you write to control the tone, style, and boundaries of your AI chat. They help the AI stay on-brand and avoid answers that do not match how you want to represent your business.

How guardrails work

Guardrails layer on top of your knowledge base. When a visitor asks a question, the AI considers the knowledge you have added, then applies your guardrails to shape the final response. For example, a guardrail can instruct the AI to always recommend a consultation before quoting a price.

Add a guardrail

1. Open the Guardrails tab

   In your dashboard, go to Chat → Guardrails.

2. Write your instruction

   Type any extra instructions (e.g. Always recommend scheduling a consultation before quoting a price).

   
3. Save

   Click Save behavior. Changes take effect immediately for the next visitor chat session.

Example guardrail

Always recommend scheduling a consultation before quoting a price.

With this guardrail in place, if a visitor asks “How much does this cost?”, the AI will explain that pricing depends on the specific project and suggest booking a consultation rather than giving a fixed number.

Guardrails work alongside the platform’s core safety rules, not instead of them. You cannot remove built-in safety behaviors here.

The [render] and [contact] placeholders work inside chat messages you send to visitors (like a greeting or suggested question). Placing them in Guardrails instructions has no effect. They are stripped before the AI sees them.

Next steps

• Add knowledge sources
• Configure the greeting message