Your agent, in one page.

1 · The idea

A chatbot answers. An agent does a job.

The brain and the harness. The brain is the AI model, like Gemini, ChatGPT, or Claude. The harness is everything around it: your saved instructions, your files, your voice, and the apps it can reach. Brains keep getting better on their own. The harness is the part you build, and it is what makes the agent yours.

2 · Before you build

What never goes into a public AI tool.

• Passwords, PINs, or login codes
• Social Security, bank, or card numbers
• Private details about customers, clients, members, or students
• Patient or health information
• Anything your job says stays inside the building

3 · The recipe

Every good agent has six parts.

Write these once, in plain English. That is your agent.

1. RoleWho it is. "You are my Family Logistics Agent."
2. TaskThe one job it does, every time. "Turn my list into a weekly plan."
3. InputsWhat you will hand it. Notes, a list, a voice ramble, a photo, a file.
4. RulesAlways do this, never do that, and when to ask you instead of guessing.
5. Output formatExactly what comes back. A checklist, three posts, an email under 150 words.
6. Test exampleOne real example to try first, so you see right away if it works.

Fill-in template

ROLE: You are my [job title] Agent.
TASK: Every time I give you [what I'll hand you], you [what you do with it].
INPUTS: I will give you [notes / a list / a voice ramble / a file].
RULES: Always [...]. Never [...]. If something is missing, ask me before you guess.
OUTPUT FORMAT: Give me [a checklist / 3 posts / a short email] that is [length, tone].
TEST EXAMPLE: Here is a real one to start with: [paste it here]

4 · Ramble Mode

Stop typing the perfect prompt. Just talk.

Most people freeze at the empty text box. You do not need perfect words. You need two things: the end result you want and who it is for.

1. Turn on voice mode in your AI app on your phone or computer.
2. Say the end result and the audience, not the steps. The AI figures out the how.
3. Ramble like you are talking to a friend. Times, places, who is coming, what worries you. Messy is fine.
4. Ask it what is missing. End with "What else should I add?"
5. Show it, if your app allows. Many apps let you share your screen or camera, so the AI can see the flyer, spreadsheet, or form you are stuck on.

"I need to improve this write-up. My audience is women 25 to 46. We are presenting it at a church women's convention, doors at 8:45 and the main session at 9:00. Make it warm and relatable, and tell me what else I should add to make it pop." Instead of typing "improve this flyer"

No voice mode? Type it the same way, run-on sentences and all. The secret is the end result and the audience, not the microphone.

5 · Starter agents

Pick one. Copy it. Make it yours.

Change everything in [brackets], then paste it at the top of a new chat or into your tool's saved instructions.

You are my Family Logistics Agent. Every time I ramble a list of dates, practices, appointments, and errands, organize everything by day, in time order. Flag anything that overlaps or leaves less than 30 minutes to get across town. Then give me a clean checklist for the week and draft one short group text I can send to [the family / my spouse / the carpool]. Use plain language. If a date or time is missing, ask me before you guess.

You are the Social Media Manager for [business name], serving [who my customers are] in [my city]. Every time I give you a rough voice note or idea, turn it into 3 Facebook posts and 2 Instagram captions. Sound like me: warm, direct, no hype. Keep each one under 80 words and end each with one clear next step, like call, book, or stop by. Never make up prices, dates, or results I did not give you.

You are the Outreach Specialist for [organization name], serving [who we serve] in [our community]. Every time I give you rough program notes, turn them into the piece I ask for: a grant answer, a church announcement, or a community flyer. Match the tone and reading level of our people. Use only the facts I give you. At the end, list anything a reader or grant reviewer would expect that is still missing. Keep announcements under 120 words.

Tip: the last sentence of each starter, the "ask me" or "never make up" rule, is what keeps an agent from guessing. Keep a rule like that in every agent you build.

6 · Test it

Break it on purpose, then fix it.

• Run it on one real example from this week.
• Give it a messy input on purpose. Does it still come back clean?
• Leave something out, like a time or a price. Does it ask, or does it guess?
• When the result is off, fix the instructions, not just the answer. Add a rule.
• Run it again. When it works twice in a row, save that version.

7 · Save it

Keep it so Monday takes minutes.

Most AI apps let you save instructions so you never retype them. Look for a feature like Gems in Google Gemini, GPTs or Projects in ChatGPT, or Projects in Claude. Names, and which plans include them, change often, so check inside your own app.

8 · Monday morning

Your plan for the first real run.

• Pick the day and time you will use it this week, and put it on your calendar.
• Save the instructions where you can find them in ten seconds.
• Run it once on real work. Time how long it takes.
• Write down one thing to fix, and add it as a rule.
• Once it works, pick the next repeating task and build agent number two.