Set up behaviors for a Central assistant

 

Behaviors control what your assistant can do. They are composed of:

• Instructions: a description of what you want the assistant to do.
• Trigger: an app that will kick off the behavior.
• Actions: apps the assistant will use to perform tasks.
• (Optional) Data sources: documents the assistant can use to answer questions and complete tasks. Data sources are shared between all behaviors of an assistant. 

An assistant can have multiple behaviors, each with its own set of instructions, a trigger, and actions. Each time a behavior runs, it consumes one activity. 

 

Create a behavior

1. From your assistant Chat screen, click Behaviors.
2. Click Create behavior. A dialog box will open.
3. In the Instructions field, describe what you want the assistant to do.
4. Click + Add trigger to select a trigger.
5. Click + Add action to select an action. You can add multiple actions.

 

Each assistant must have instructions, a trigger, and at least one action. Below you'll learn more about each of these fields.

 

Instructions

Instructions tell the assistant what it should do and you should include what triggers and what actions it should take on your behalf. When you start writing your instructions, the assistant will suggest relevant options for the trigger and action fields.

 

Search and browse with an assistant

Your Central assistant can search the internet for specific queries and browse websites for general information to complete your requests and tasks. Whenever you provide instructions that require accessing an external website, the assistant will complete them and return the results.

 

Behavior triggers

Behavior triggers are events that start the assistant. If you already use Zapier, the assistant trigger works similarly to a Zap trigger.

Unlike Zap triggers, assistant behavior triggers can be triggered on demand, as well as automatically. You can trigger the behavior: 

• When new data comes through an app.
• Whenever you message the assistant.
• When you use a specific keyword or phrase in a message to the assistant. 

You can define how to trigger an assistant by entering that information in the Instructions field. Then, select one of the assistant's suggestions for the trigger, or select any other one. To set up a trigger:

1. In the Behavior dialog box, click + Add trigger. A dialog box will open.
2. In the Trigger field, search for and select an app.
3. Select the trigger you want to use.
   • Click Clear to remove the selected trigger.
4. If required, in the Connection dropdown menu, select an account to connect to. Certain apps do not require a connection.
   • You can create a new connection by clicking the Settings icon .  
5. Fill out any required fields for your trigger.
6. Click Add trigger.

 

Behavior actions

Once you write your instructions, the assistant will try to find the most appropriate actions. An assistant can use multiple actions.

To add an action:

1. In the Behavior dialog box, click + Add action.
2. In the Action field, search for and select the app or action name. 
   • Click Clear to remove the selected action.
3. In the Connection dropdown menu, select an account to connect to. 
   • You can create a new connection by clicking the Settings icon .  
4. Fill out all required fields. 
   • To see optional fields, click Show all options. For these fields, you can let the assistant decide the content of certain fields. 
5. Click Add action.

 

Test your behavior and enable it

After setting up your behavior, you should test it to ensure the assistant is working as expected. You can test a behavior from the Behavior dialog box, by clicking the Test behavior link.

When you’re testing a behavior, your assistant will show you a preview before taking actions in your connected apps, so you can ensure it is sending the correct information.

 

Correct a behavior

During testing, if you'd like the assistant to do something differently, just send a message telling it what to do. If your assistant recognizes that it should update its instructions, it will show that the feedback has been saved and the instructions for the behavior will be updated.

When you're happy with the results, enable the behavior by clicking the Enable behavior toggle, on the top right of the Behavior dialog box.

 

Define how the assistant will use action fields

The assistant can take different actions depending on the field type.

 

Required fields

You must enter a value or make a selection in a required field. Required fields have the following options:

• Have AI generate a value for this field: the assistant will automatically determine the best value to use for the field.

• Set a specific value for this field: you manually select a value for the field.
  • If you select this option, a new field will appear, where you can enter a value that will be used whenever the behavior runs.

 

Optional fields

You do not have to enter a value or make a selection in optional fields. They have the same options as required fields, and you can also tell the assistant to not include a value for that specific field.

 

Multiple selection fields

You can enter more than one value or make more than one selection in multiselect fields. Besides the options available for required fields, multiselect fields have the option Have AI select a value from one of these choices. If you select this option,  a dropdown menu field will appear below with all possible values for the field. You can then select all options the assistant is allowed to use.

Provide feedback and get help

Submit a feature request, provide feedback on existing features, or get help from the Zapier Central team. You can also discuss Central with other users on Zapier's Early Access Program Slack.