Your First Agent
This tutorial walks you through creating, configuring, and testing your first AI voice agent. By the end, you'll have a working agent that can answer questions about your business.
What We'll Build
A voice agent that:
- Greets callers professionally
- Answers questions using your business information
- Provides business hours and contact details
- Knows when to transfer to a human
Estimated time: 15-20 minutes
Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure you have:
- Created your Hanc.AI account (Account Setup)
- Logged into the platform
- Basic information about your business ready
Step 1: Create a New Agent
There are two paths to creating an agent: Template-based (recommended for beginners) or From Scratch.
Path A: Template-Based (Recommended)
Templates provide pre-built role configurations that get you started quickly. Hanc.AI offers 24 ready-to-use role templates across two categories.
1.1 Navigate to Voice Agents
- Click "Voice Agents" in the left sidebar
- You'll see an empty list (or existing agents if you have any)
1.2 Start Agent Creation
Click the "Create Voice Agent" button. A modal appears with two options:
- Start from Scratch — creates a blank agent you configure manually (see Path B below)
- Template cards — 24 role templates organized into two categories
1.3 Browse Templates
Templates are organized into two categories:
Customer-Facing (14 roles):
| Template | Best For |
|---|---|
| Sales Agent | Sales calls, pitching, closing deals |
| Receptionist | Greeting callers, routing, general inquiries |
| Consultant | Discovery calls, needs assessment, advisory |
| Support Agent | Customer support, troubleshooting, issue resolution |
| Order Agent | Order placement, tracking, modifications |
| Call Router | Directing callers to the right department or person |
| Reminder Agent | Appointment reminders, follow-ups, notifications |
| Feedback Agent | Collecting customer feedback and surveys |
| Collection Agent | Payment reminders, invoice follow-ups |
| Lead Qualifier | Qualifying inbound leads, gathering prospect info |
| Guide | Step-by-step instructions, onboarding, walkthroughs |
| Promoter | Product awareness, campaigns, top-of-funnel engagement |
| Auto-Answerer | Automatic call answering, basic info delivery |
| Presenter | Product or service presentations, demos |
Employee-Facing (10 roles):
| Template | Best For |
|---|---|
| Secretary | Internal call management, scheduling, message-taking |
| Recruiter | Candidate screening, interview scheduling |
| Onboarder | New employee onboarding, orientation |
| Coordinator | Team coordination, meeting scheduling |
| Controller | Process monitoring, status updates, compliance checks |
| Internal Helpdesk | IT support, internal FAQ, employee assistance |
| Data Collector | Gathering structured data from team members |
| Approval Agent | Routing approvals, collecting sign-offs |
| Procurement Agent | Purchase requests, vendor inquiries |
| Dispatcher | Task assignment, resource allocation, dispatch |
For this tutorial: Select any template that matches your use case.
Templates include pre-written prompts, greeting messages, and conversation protocols optimized for specific roles. You can customize everything after creation.
1.4 View Template Details
Click any template card to open a detail view showing:
- Description of the role and what the agent does
- Benefits of using this template
- Capabilities the agent will have
- Language selector to set the agent's language
1.5 Choose How to Create
From the template detail view, you have two buttons:
- Deploy Agent — Creates the agent instantly with template defaults. You can fill in your business details later using the Setup Wizard. This is the fastest way to get started.
- Guided Setup — Opens a step-by-step wizard where you fill in your business details (company name, services, contact info, etc.) before the agent is created.
Deploy Agent is great if you want to explore the agent first and configure it later. Guided Setup is better if you have your business information ready and want a more complete agent from the start.
1.6 Guided Setup (if chosen)
If you clicked Guided Setup, a wizard walks you through filling in details specific to your business:
- Company name, services, contact details
- Business hours, location, pricing
- Specific instructions and policies
Important: You can skip fields or entire sections that don't apply to your business. However, at least one section must be fully completed before you can proceed.
After completing the wizard, your agent is created with all the details you provided.
Path B: From Scratch
For full control from the start:
- Click "Create Voice Agent"
- Select "Start from Scratch"
- A blank agent is created with a default prompt
- You'll configure everything manually in the next step
Step 2: After Creation
Once your agent is created, you'll see a success banner with suggested next steps.
The Setup Wizard
Look for the glowing wand icon next to your agent's name — this is the Setup Wizard. It helps you fill in remaining details section by section.
How the Setup Wizard works:
- Progress is tracked as "X/Y sections completed" so you always know what's left
- Each section covers a different area of configuration: Agent Configuration, Company Profile, Services, Specialists, Locations, and more
- You can skip fields or entire sections you don't need (minimum 1 field per section)
- Work through sections in any order at your own pace
If you used Deploy Agent, the Setup Wizard is your main way to add business details after creation. If you used Guided Setup, some sections will already be filled in.
Manually editing the prompt or Knowledge Base files disables the Setup Wizard. If this happens, a "Reset to Template" button appears that lets you restore the wizard functionality.
Agent Tabs
Your agent configuration page has these tabs:
| Tab | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | Agent activity overview and statistics |
| Model | Prompt, voice, language, and AI model settings |
| Knowledge Base | Files and information the agent uses to answer questions |
| Settings | Call settings, first message, call duration limits |
| Actions | Post-call actions (email, SMS, webhooks) |
| Widgets | Web widget configuration for embedding on your website |
Step 3: Configure Agent Settings
3.1 Prompt
The prompt defines your agent's personality, behavior, and conversation flow.
If you used a template, the prompt is pre-filled. Review it and customize for your business.
If you started from scratch, write your prompt:
## Role
You are a friendly virtual assistant for [Your Business Name].
You help customers with questions about our services, hours, and booking appointments.
## Communication Style
- Speak clearly and concisely
- Be polite and professional
- Keep responses short (1-3 sentences when possible)
- Ask one question at a time
## Important Rules
1. Only provide information you know for certain
2. If you don't know something, say "I don't have that information, but I can connect you with our team"
3. Never make up prices, availability, or other specific details
4. Transfer to a human if the customer is upset or has a complex issue
Always include the instruction: "Never make up information." This prevents the AI from inventing false details about your business.
3.2 Knowledge Base
The knowledge base gives your agent the facts it needs to answer questions.
- Go to the Knowledge Base tab in agent settings
- Create a new knowledge base or select an existing one
- Upload files with your business information
File formats accepted: .txt, .md, .docx, .pdf, .html, .csv
What to include:
- Services and prices
- Business hours and location
- Frequently asked questions
- Policies (cancellation, payment, etc.)
- Team information
The agent knows ONLY what's in the knowledge base. If information is missing, the agent cannot answer those questions. Add all important details.
3.3 Voice
Choose a voice that matches your brand:
- Select language
- Browse available voices (male/female, different styles)
- Preview voices before selecting
3.4 Call Settings
Configure call behavior:
- First message (greeting when the agent answers)
- Language settings
- Call duration limits
3.5 Tools
Add tools the agent can use during calls:
- Google Calendar for appointment scheduling
- Custom API integrations
3.6 Actions
Set up post-call actions that trigger after a conversation ends:
- Send email summaries
- Send SMS notifications
- Trigger webhooks
- Make API calls
3.7 Widget
Configure the web widget for embedding on your website:
- Appearance and colors
- Position and behavior
- Custom branding
3.8 Save Settings
Click "Save" or "Update" to save your configuration.
Step 4: Test Your Agent
Now let's see your agent in action!
4.1 Test via Web Widget
- Find your agent in the Voice Agents list
- Click "Talk to agent" or the test/call button
- Allow microphone access in your browser
- Start talking
4.2 Test via Phone Number
If you have a phone number connected:
- Assign your agent to the number (in Phone Numbers settings)
- Call the number from any phone
4.3 Test Scenarios
Test 1: Basic greeting
- Wait for the agent's greeting
- Say: "Hello"
- Agent should respond naturally
Test 2: Business hours
- Say: "What are your opening hours?"
- Agent should provide your hours from the knowledge base
Test 3: Service question
- Say: "What services do you offer?"
- Agent should list your services
Test 4: Price question
- Say: "How much does [your service] cost?"
- Agent should give the price if in knowledge base
Test 5: Unknown question
- Say: "What is the meaning of life?"
- Agent should politely say it doesn't have that information
4.4 End the Test
Click "End call" or close the test window when done.
Step 5: Refine Your Agent
Based on testing, you may want to improve:
Common Issues and Fixes
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Agent talks too much | Add to prompt: "Keep responses to 1-2 sentences" |
| Agent too formal | Adjust prompt tone: "Be friendly and conversational" |
| Agent doesn't know info | Check knowledge base has the information |
| Agent makes things up | Emphasize in prompt: "NEVER invent information" |
| Wrong language | Check Language setting matches your needs |
| Voice too fast/slow | Adjust voice speed settings |
Iterate and Improve
- Test → Identify issues → Adjust prompt/settings → Test again
- Add more FAQ to knowledge base based on test calls
- Refine the prompt based on real conversations
Step 6: Deploy Your Agent (Optional)
Once satisfied with testing, you can deploy your agent:
Option A: Connect a Phone Number
- Go to Phone Numbers
- Buy a number or import an existing one
- Assign your agent to the number
- Calls to that number are now handled by your agent
Option B: Add Website Widget
- Go to your agent settings
- Find Widgets tab
- Copy the embed code
- Add to your website
Checklist: Is Your Agent Ready?
Before going live, verify:
- First message is clear and welcoming
- Prompt defines behavior correctly
- Knowledge base has accurate information
- Agent handles common questions well
- Agent admits when it doesn't know something
- Voice sounds appropriate for your brand
- Language is set correctly
- Test calls produce good results
What's Next?
Congratulations! You've created your first voice agent.
Continue learning:
- Voice Agents Deep Dive — Advanced agent configuration
- Knowledge Base Best Practices — Create better knowledge bases
- Phone Numbers — Connect real phone numbers
- Templates — Ready-to-use prompts and configurations
Troubleshooting
Agent won't start test call
- Check browser microphone permissions
- Try a different browser
- Ensure stable internet connection
Agent doesn't respond
- Wait a few seconds — there may be processing delay
- Speak clearly and not too fast
- Check the agent is not paused/inactive
Agent gives wrong information
- Verify knowledge base content is correct
- Check knowledge base is connected to agent
- Review the prompt for conflicting instructions
Voice quality is poor
- Check your internet connection
- Try a different voice
- Reduce background noise
Need Help?
- Review Troubleshooting Guide
- Contact support@hanc.ai