Agent Studio - FAQ ​

Agent Studio is where you build and configure AI agents (genies). These genies perform actions, call workflows, understand context, and execute pre-defined skills to achieve your defined goals.

Genies are AI-powered agents built in Agent Studio that pursue goals you define, adapt to context, and act across apps and data systems.

Genies operate through the following key components:

• AI model and job description combine to form the brain and instructions of the genie. These components use LLMs to interpret requests, analyze context, make decisions, generate responses, and define your genie's behavior, persona, and constraints. Genies use Anthropic Claude by default. You can switch your LLM to OpenAI GPT or your own LLM connection.
• Chat interface provides the user interface where users can converse with the genie. You can use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Workato GO as your chat interface.
• Knowledge base stores company-specific information, conversation history, and metadata.
• Skills enable interaction with various applications and systems.

Genies are an Agentic feature available to customers on specific pricing plans. Genies are available in the US, EU, AU, SG, and JP data centers. Genie models are hosted in the US, EU, and APAC regions and respect data residency requirements where possible.

You must ensure that genies are enabled in your account before using this feature. Contact your Customer Success representative to enable genies if you don't see the genies option in your workspace or require additional information. Refer to your pricing plan and contract to learn more.

No. Agent Studio becomes available to all child workspaces when it's enabled on an AHQ parent workspace. You can't enable Agent Studio for specific child workspaces without enabling the parent first.

You can use collaborator permissions to control which users can access Agent Studio in each workspace.

You can view and configure genies by going to AI Hub and clicking the Genies tab. Refer to Getting started with genies for more information.

Agent Studio supports three LLM options for genies:

• Anthropic Claude (default)
• OpenAI GPT
• Use your own LLM connection (BYOLLM)

Note that the AI model can only be changed after you stop your genie.

You can deploy genies to the following chat interfaces:

• Slack
• Microsoft Teams
• Workato GO

Note that you can't change the chat interface after a genie is created.

Genies support file and image uploads up to 25MB.

Common document file types are supported, including .pdf,.doc and .csv. Refer to Files for a complete list of supported file types.

Common image formats are supported, including .jpg and .png. Video files aren't supported. Refer to Images for a complete list of supported image formats.

Refer to Create your first genie for detailed instructions.

Configure the following components to get your genie working:

• Job description: Define your genie's role and goals.
• Chat interface: Choose where users interact with the genie. Options are Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Workato GO.
• AI model: Select the LLM that powers the genie. Options are Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, or your own LLM connection.
• Knowledge base: Configure knowledge sources for your genie.
• Skills: Enable your genie to take actions.

Refer to Create your first genie for a step-by-step walkthrough of creating all components together.

The genie Overview page tracks:

• Total Conversations: Distinct conversations initiated each day
• Total End-User Messages: Message volume to gauge engagement
• Unique Users: Distinct users for measuring adoption
• Response Time: Average, median, and 90th percentile response times
• Conversation Volume: Conversations over time
• Skills Usage Heat Map: Skill execution frequency and success rates

You can filter metrics by time range.

Note: Genies using Workato GO can also track custom business KPIs. Refer to the Action Board section for more information.

A knowledge base serves as the genie's memory and provides the following capabilities:

• Stores any data and information that is crucial as a contextual reference for the genie to perform its role.
• Can be updated in real-time to ensure the genie always has the most current information.
• Can access metadata to filter by attributes such as created date, source, or knowledge base ID.

Complete the following steps to create a knowledge base:

Complete the following steps to add a knowledge base to a genie:

Yes. Knowledge bases can be shared across multiple genies, even when genies are in different projects. This allows you to reuse the same knowledge base across different genies without duplication.

The following file formats are supported when using the Store document in a knowledge base action in knowledge recipes:

• PDF (.pdf)
• Microsoft Word (.docx)
• Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx)

Use knowledge bases for semantic search over unstructured content, such as policies, guides, or descriptions. Use databases (accessed through skills) for exact lookups, counts, and filtered queries over structured data.

Refer to Knowledge bases and databases for more information.

Knowledge bases use semantic search, which struggles with structured formats like JSON or CSV. Raw structured data creates poor search results because semantic search can't effectively parse key-value pairs and repetitive field names.

Solution: Transform structured data into readable prose before adding it to knowledge bases. For example, convert:

• Raw: {"ticket_id": "12345", "status": "open"}
• Prose: "Support Ticket #12345 for Acme Corp - Login timeout issue (Status: Open)"

When to use knowledge bases vs. databases:

• Use knowledge bases for semantic search, such as finding similar issues or discovering patterns.
• Use databases accessed through skills for structured queries, such as counting, filtering, or exact lookups.

Refer to Prepare JSON and API application data for format examples.

Knowledge bases are designed for semantic search, not comprehensive queries. Each query returns only the 10 most relevant documents. This means that when you ask how many invoices are overdue?, your genie sees only 10 matches even if hundreds exist.

Solution: Use databases accessed through skills for counting, aggregations, or comprehensive lists. Databases query all matching records and return exact counts.

Refer to Knowledge bases versus databases for guidance on when to use each option.

Knowledge bases split documents into 8,000-character chunks with no overlap. This means your genie may not find information if a chunk boundary splits mid-concept, or if key content is buried deep in a document.

Quick fixes:

• Structure documents with headings so chunks break at natural divisions rather than mid-paragraph.
• Front-load important information in the first 2,000 characters of documents.
• Keep related concepts together within 8,000-character sections.

Refer to Knowledge base document preparation for more information.

Agent Studio provides several security controls:

Access control:

• Use end-user groups to control who can use specific genies.
• Configure Verified User Access (VUA) so skills execute with individual user permissions.

Auditing:

• Genie logs track skill executions and user interactions.
• VUA-enabled skills show which user performed each action in audit trails.

Governance:

• Genies can only execute skills you explicitly add to them.
• Skills respect connected app permissions and access controls.

Verified User Access (VUA) allows skills to execute with each end user's own credentials, rather than the recipe builder's credentials. End users authenticate once when first using a VUA-enabled skill and can manage their connections using the !list_connections keyword in chat.

Connection types:

Skills support two approaches:

End user's connection (individual credentials with VUA):

• Actions run with each end user's identity and permissions
• Provides user-level audit trails
• Respects individual access rights in connected apps
• Requires OAuth 2.0 authorization code grant connections

This recipe's connection (the builder's credentials):

• Actions run with the recipe builder's connection
• Works like standard Workato recipes

When to use VUA: Use individual credentials when you need user-level auditing, permission enforcement, or want to eliminate security risks of shared credentials. Use the builder's credentials when individual user permissions aren't required.

Refer to Add verified user access to skills.

App events enable genies to act proactively by responding to triggers from external systems (like Salesforce or Zoom) instead of waiting for users to start conversations.

For example, when a NetSuite access request is approved, an IT Genie can automatically process next steps without user input.

App events automate complex tasks, surface relevant work at the right time, and give genies context earlier in the process.

Agent orchestration enables genies to work autonomously within recipes. Recipes can assign tasks to genies without user input, and genies can delegate subtasks to other genies.

When a recipe uses the Assign task to genie action, the recipe job pauses while the genie processes the task autonomously, then resumes when the genie returns its response. This enables complex multi-agent workflows like compliance audits where one genie delegates evidence collection to another specialized genie.

Agent orchestration has the following limitations:

• Genies using verified user access skills can't be used with the Assign task to genie action.
• Genies requiring Business approvals can't process autonomous tasks.

Yes. You can share and use skills, knowledge bases, and genies across multiple projects.

• Skills: You can add a skill from one project to genies in other projects. This lets teams reuse skills without duplicating recipes.
• Knowledge bases: You can assign a knowledge base from one project to genies in other projects. Recipes in any project can also store knowledge to a knowledge base and send app events to a genie regardless of which project they belong to.
• Genies: You can assign tasks to genies from recipes in other projects. Genies can also delegate subtasks to genies in other projects using agent orchestration.

Skills, knowledge bases, and genies can also be moved between projects freely without losing their configuration or connections.

Verify the following if users can't access your genie or the genie isn't responding:

• The genie is started: Check status in AI Hub > Genie.
• End user access is configured: Add user groups in AI Hub > Genie > End user access.
• Workato Identity accounts are activated: Users should receive an email invitation.
• The correct user group is assigned to the genie.
• Genie is properly connected to the chat interface.

This applies to genies in Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workato GO.

Refer to Create a user group for step-by-step instructions.