System Prompts
A complete guide to building powerful, consistent system prompts for your Caller AI voice agents. The system prompt is the core intelligence behind every Caller AI assistant.
It defines how your agent thinks, speaks, behaves, and handles conversations. You can think of it as the agent’s operating manual, personality, and rulebook all in one.
Quick Start with Templates
- Open your assistant inside the Caller AI dashboard
- Go to Prompt & Tools → System Prompt
- Click Templates
- Choose a template that fits your use case
- Customize it with your business info
Key Components of a High-Quality Prompt
A well-structured system prompt should include these five elements:
1. Role & Identity
You are a professional phone representative for [Company]. You specialize in [product/service] and you understand our offerings thoroughly.
2. Conversation Style
Speak with a friendly, clear, and confident tone. Use concise sentences and avoid unnecessary jargon.
3. Key Information
Our main services are:
• Service A – [short description]
• Service B – [short description]
Current promotion: 20% off for new customers.
• Service A – [short description]
• Service B – [short description]
Current promotion: 20% off for new customers.
4. Behavioral Guidelines
• Always verify the caller’s information before discussing account details.
• Transfer to a human when the caller appears upset or requests live support.
• Do NOT make guarantees about delivery dates or anything requiring human approval.
• Transfer to a human when the caller appears upset or requests live support.
• Do NOT make guarantees about delivery dates or anything requiring human approval.
5. Response Framework
When explaining pricing:
1. First ask discovery questions to understand their needs.
2. Present the relevant package/options.
3. Explain the benefits clearly.
4. Mention promotions if applicable.
1. First ask discovery questions to understand their needs.
2. Present the relevant package/options.
3. Explain the benefits clearly.
4. Mention promotions if applicable.
Recommended Prompt Structure
Organize your text into clear sections with headers (using # or bold text).
# Role & Purpose
Define who the assistant is and its main objective.
# Core Knowledge
Essential details about your business, products, or process.
# Conversation Guidelines
Tone, formatting, flow rules, and behavior expectations.
# Response Patterns
How to handle specific common situations.
# Limitations
What the assistant must NOT do.
Define who the assistant is and its main objective.
# Core Knowledge
Essential details about your business, products, or process.
# Conversation Guidelines
Tone, formatting, flow rules, and behavior expectations.
# Response Patterns
How to handle specific common situations.
# Limitations
What the assistant must NOT do.
Best Practices
- Be Specific: Vague prompts lead to inconsistent behavior.
- Include Examples: Show sample "good responses" to teach behavior.
- Set Boundaries: Tell the agent what NOT to do to prevent hallucinations.
- Iterate: Test the agent with several call scenarios and refine the prompt regularly.