Build a reusable AI assistant in minutes. Define its identity, instructions, behavior, and access level.
This guide walks you through creating your first assistant in Assistant Studio. You'll configure the assistant's name, instructions, recommended model, category, and access level—everything needed to start using it across your organization.
Before You Start
Think about what task or workflow you want the assistant to handle. Clear purpose leads to better results.
Ask yourself:
What task will this assistant handle? (e.g., research, content creation, code review)
What tone or style should it use? (e.g., formal, conversational, technical)
What constraints or rules should it follow? (e.g., always cite sources, use specific formatting)
Who needs access? (e.g., just you, your team, your entire organization)
Step-by-Step: Creating an Assistant
1. Navigate to Assistant Studio
From the sidebar, click Assistant Studio to open the dashboard.
2. Click "Create assistant"
In the top-right corner, click the Create assistant button to open the creation form.
3. Define the Assistant's Identity
The Identity section controls how your assistant appears across the platform.
Icon or Image
Choose a visual identifier for your assistant:
Click the emoji icon to select from available icons
Click Upload image to use a custom image or logo
Name
Give your assistant a clear, descriptive name that reflects its purpose.
Good examples:
"Research Analyst"
"Customer Support Agent"
"Code Reviewer"
"Content Writer"
Avoid vague names:
"My Assistant"
"Helper Bot"
"Test 1"
Description
Add a short description (optional but recommended). This helps you and your team understand the assistant's purpose at a glance.
Example: "Provides thorough research with cited sources on industry trends and competitive intelligence."
4. Set the Assistant's Behavior
The Behavior section is where you define how your assistant thinks and responds.
Instructions
Write instructions in natural language. These instructions are sent as a system message at the start of every conversation with this assistant.
How instructions work:
Instructions are sent as a hidden system message to the AI model with every request. The AI follows these instructions throughout the conversation, shaping its tone, format, and behavior.
What to include in your instructions:
Role definition — "You are a [role] that specializes in [expertise]"
Tone and style — "Respond in a [formal/casual/technical] tone"
Output format — "Always structure your responses as [bulleted lists/paragraphs/tables]"
Constraints — "Never provide medical or legal advice" or "Always cite sources"
Examples (optional) — Show the AI what good output looks like
Example instruction:
You are a Research Analyst specializing in market intelligence and competitive analysis.
Your role:
- Provide thorough, well-researched answers with citations
- Break down complex topics into clear, actionable insights
- Always cite sources when referencing data or statistics
Format:
- Use bullet points for lists
- Use headers to structure longer responses
- Include a summary at the end
Tone: Professional but approachable.
Keep instructions focused:
Avoid writing overly long or contradictory instructions. Clear, concise instructions produce better results. Aim for 100-300 words.
5. Select a Recommended Model
Choose which AI model works best for your assistant's task.
Model selection:
Select No recommended model to let users choose the model when they start a chat
Select a specific model (e.g., Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5.2) to set a default for this assistant
Which model to choose?
Task Type | Recommended Model |
Complex analysis, research, long documents | Claude Opus, GPT-5.2 |
General tasks, drafting, brainstorming | Claude Sonnet, GPT-5 |
Quick responses, simple tasks | Claude Haiku, GPT-5 Nano |
Code generation and review | Claude Sonnet, GPT-5.2, Gemini Pro |
Users can override the model:
Even if you set a recommended model, users can switch to a different model during a conversation. The assistant's instructions remain active regardless of which model is used.
6. Assign a Category
Categories help organize assistants and make them easier to find.
Available categories:
Research — Information gathering and analysis
Support — Customer or internal support
Automation — Automated or repetitive tasks
Productivity — General productivity and workflow
No category — Leave uncategorized (not recommended for shared assistants)
Choose the category that best matches your assistant's primary purpose. Categories are optional but recommended for team and organization-level sharing.
7. Set Access Control
Control who can use this assistant.
Access levels:
Level | Who Can Use It |
Private | Only you |
Team | Members of a specific team |
Workspace | Everyone in your workspace |
Organization | Everyone in your organization |
When to use each level:
Private — Testing new assistants or personal workflows
Team — Assistants specific to a team's work (e.g., marketing, sales, support)
Workspace — Assistants useful across multiple teams in a workspace
Organization — Company-wide assistants (e.g., brand guidelines, compliance)
Selecting a team:
If you choose Team access, a dropdown will appear where you can select which team should have access to this assistant.
8. Create the Assistant
Once you've filled in all fields, click Create in the top-right corner.
Your assistant is now created and ready to use.
What Happens Next?
After creating your assistant:
The assistant appears in your Assistant Studio dashboard
You and your team (depending on access level) can now Start Chat with the assistant
Every conversation with the assistant automatically applies the instructions you defined
You can edit the assistant at any time to refine instructions, change the model, or update access
Testing Your Assistant
Before sharing an assistant with your team, test it with a few conversations:
Click Start Chat next to your new assistant
Try different types of questions or tasks
Check if responses match your expectations
Refine the instructions if needed
Editing assistants:
You can edit an assistant at any time by clicking the menu icon next to its name and selecting Edit. Changes apply to all future conversations—existing conversations are not affected.
Adding File Attachments
File attachments provide context and ensure your assistant's responses stay grounded in your standards, templates, or guidelines.
Learn more in Custom Instructions & File Attachments.
Common Assistant Examples
Research Assistant
Instructions:
You are a Research Analyst specializing in market intelligence.
Your role:
- Provide well-researched, cited answers
- Break down complex topics into actionable insights
- Always cite sources when referencing data
Format: Use bullet points and include a summary.
Tone: Professional but approachable.
Recommended Model: Claude Opus or GPT-5.2 Category: Research Access: Team or Workspace
Customer Support Agent
Instructions:
You are a Customer Support Agent for [Company Name].
Your role:
- Respond to customer inquiries in a friendly, helpful tone
- Always follow our brand voice: [describe brand voice]
- Escalate to a human for billing or technical issues
Format: Keep responses short and actionable.
Tone: Friendly, empathetic, solution-focused.
Recommended Model: Claude Sonnet or GPT-5 Category: Support Access: Team
Code Reviewer
Instructions:
You are a Code Reviewer specializing in [language/framework].
Your role:
- Review code for best practices, security, and performance
- Suggest improvements with explanations
- Follow our coding standards: [attach coding standards document]
Format: Use code blocks and bullet points.
Tone: Constructive and educational.
Recommended Model: Claude Sonnet or GPT-5.2 Category: Productivity Access: Team or Workspace
Next Steps
Now that you've created your first assistant:
Start using it — Click Start Chat and test it with real tasks
Refine instructions — Edit the assistant to improve its responses
Add file attachments — Provide reference documents for better context
Share with your team — Update access levels to distribute expertise
Learn more:
Custom Instructions & File Attachments
Using Assistants in Chat
Managing and Organizing Assistants