Here's a frustrating experience a lot of business owners have with AI agents: the agent works fine in testing, then in real use it sounds generic, gets your tone wrong, or gives answers you'd never give a customer. The fix isn't a better AI tool. It's a better Agent Bible.
An Agent Bible is the document that trains your AI agent on your business — your voice, your boundaries, your audience, your preferences, your knowledge base. It's the difference between an agent that could belong to any business and one that's unmistakably yours.
Here's the full template, section by section, with examples from a real service business so you can see what "good" actually looks like.
What an Agent Bible Is (and Isn't)
It's a plain text document — or Google Doc, or Notion page — that you paste into your AI agent's system prompt or knowledge base. It doesn't need to be formatted. It doesn't need to be beautiful. It just needs to be thorough and honest.
It is not a one-time setup. Every time your agent does something slightly off — uses a word you'd never use, gives an incorrect policy answer, responds to a complaint in a way that doesn't feel like you — you add a note to the Bible and update the agent. It compounds over time.
How long should it be?
Start with 1–2 pages. Most mature Agent Bibles end up at 5–10 pages after a few months of iteration. Longer is generally better — more context means more accurate behavior. But a short, honest Bible beats a long, vague one every time.
The Full Template
Agent Bible Template — Copy & Customize
1. Business Overview
Business name: [YOUR BUSINESS NAME]
What we do: [1–2 sentence description of your offer]
Who we serve: [Target audience — be specific]
How we're different: [What makes you distinct from competitors]
Our core values: [2–4 values that guide how you operate]
This is your agent's foundation. Write it like you'd explain your business to a smart friend who knows nothing about it.
2. Voice & Tone
Our tone is: [e.g. warm, direct, and conversational — like a knowledgeable friend, not a corporate rep]
We never sound: [e.g. robotic, overly formal, sycophantic, salesy]
Words/phrases we use: [e.g. "here's the thing," "honest answer," "real talk"]
Words/phrases we avoid: [e.g. "leverage," "synergy," "circle back," "per my last email"]
Sentence style: [e.g. short and punchy, active voice, no jargon, contractions are fine]
3. Products & Services
List each product/service with:
- Name:
- What it is (2 sentences):
- Price:
- Who it's for:
- Link or where to get it:
- What NOT to say about it:
Add one entry per product. Include the things people get wrong — "do not describe this as a course, it's a guide."
4. Policies & FAQs
Refund policy: [Your exact policy]
Turnaround time: [e.g. 5 business days for client deliverables]
How to book/contact: [e.g. clients email hello@yourbusiness.com or book at calendly.com/...]
What we don't do: [Services or requests you don't take on]
Common questions + approved answers:
Q: [FAQ 1]
A: [Your answer — write it in your voice]
Q: [FAQ 2]
A: [Your answer]
5. Customer Context
Our customers typically feel: [e.g. overwhelmed, time-poor, skeptical of tech]
Their biggest fear about working with us: [e.g. wasting money, it being too complicated]
What they care most about: [e.g. speed, results, not being talked down to]
How to handle frustration or complaints: [e.g. validate first, never be defensive, offer a solution]
Things that have upset customers before: [list specific situations]
6. Hard Rules
Always do:
- [e.g. End every customer interaction with a clear next step]
- [e.g. Use the customer's first name once at the start]
Never do:
- [e.g. Promise a specific ROI or outcome]
- [e.g. Discuss pricing beyond what's on the website]
- [e.g. Engage with trolls or hostile messages — flag for human review]
If unsure: [e.g. Say "great question — let me check on that and get back to you" and flag for human follow-up]
7. Brand & Visual (if relevant)
Brand colors: [if agent generates visual content]
Approved hashtags: [list]
Handle/username: [so agent tags correctly]
Image style: [e.g. bright and natural, no stock-photo stiffness]
8. Escalation Rules
Always escalate to a human when:
- Customer expresses legal concern or threatens action
- Request falls outside the agent's defined scope
- Customer is very upset and a generic response would make it worse
- [Any other triggers specific to your business]
How to escalate: [e.g. say "I want to make sure [NAME] can give you the best answer on this — I'll flag it now and you'll hear back within X hours"]
A Real Example: Service Business
Here's what a filled-in Agent Bible looks like for a social media management agency — just the Voice & Tone and Hard Rules sections, so you can see the level of specificity that actually works:
Example — Voice & Tone (Social Media Agency)
Our tone is: Direct, warm, and a little spicy. We know what we're talking about and we're not afraid to say so — but we're never condescending. Think: confident friend who happens to be a marketing expert.
We never sound: Corporate, wishy-washy, or overly enthusiastic (no "Absolutely!" or "Great question!"). We don't use exclamation points in every sentence.
Words we use: "here's the truth," "real talk," "the short version," "worth knowing"
Words we avoid: "leverage," "maximize ROI," "game-changer," "synergy," anything that sounds like it came from a consultant deck.
Sentence style: Short. Active voice. We start sentences with "and" or "but" when it sounds natural. Contractions always.
Example — Hard Rules (Social Media Agency)
Always do:
- Reference the client's specific platform (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok) — never say "social media" generically
- If asked about pricing, direct to the pricing page rather than quoting numbers
- End every response to an inquiry with a question to keep the conversation going
Never do:
- Promise specific follower growth numbers or engagement rates
- Compare us favorably to named competitors
- Respond to DMs that contain phone numbers or ask us to "text instead" — flag immediately
If unsure: Use "Let me check on that and get back to you within one business day." Never guess on policy questions.
How to Load It Into Your Agent
Once you've written your Bible, getting it into your agent depends on which tool you're using:
- OpenClaw: Paste it into your agent's workspace or SOUL.md file — your agent reads it at the start of every session
- ChatGPT Custom GPTs: Paste into the "Instructions" field when building your GPT
- Claude Projects: Upload as a document in your Project's knowledge base
- Any tool with a system prompt: Paste the full Bible as the system prompt before your first message
The iteration loop
After each week of using your agent, do a quick audit: What did it get wrong? What responses felt slightly off? What did a customer push back on? Add those answers to your Bible. A month in, you'll be amazed at the difference in output quality — and you'll be glad you kept notes.
Want the full setup guide?
The AI Agent Guide walks you through every step.
From identifying your first automation to building a full AI team — with the Agent Bible, training, tools, and real workflows built for service businesses. No coding. No tech background required.
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