How to Write Chatbot Instructions: 5 Templates You Can Copy

Chatbot instructions are the text that tells your AI assistant everything it knows about your business and how it should behave. Good instructions cover three things: what your business does, clear answers to the questions customers ask, and the assistant's limits. The quality of your chatbot's answers depends mostly on this text; the same tool behaves like two different assistants with good and bad instructions.

This guide covers the structure of good instructions, the most common mistakes, and five templates for different kinds of business that you can copy and adapt.

What does "training" a chatbot mean?

You don't need a dataset or to retrain a model to fit an AI chatbot to your business. Today's assistants read your instructions in every conversation and answer from them. So in practice, "training your chatbot" means writing good instructions. The moment you update them, the answers change.

The structure of good instructions

Think of your instructions in five parts:

1. Identity: "You are the virtual assistant for [Business]." Who the assistant represents.
2. Summary: what you do and who you serve, in a sentence or two.
3. Facts: products or services, prices, delivery, returns, payment, how to book. As bullet points, with real numbers.
4. Rules: what the assistant must not do. "Don't promise discounts." "You can't check order status."
5. Hand-off: what to say when it doesn't know or the customer wants a person.

In Helovo, contact details, address, opening hours and hand-off instructions have their own fields, so you don't need to repeat them in the instructions. In the dashboard you can start from the "Customer service", "Sales assistant", "FAQ assistant" or "Appointment assistant" template and fill in the bracketed parts.

Five common mistakes

1. Being too vague. "Help customers" says nothing. Write "Shipping takes 2–3 business days and is free over $50."
2. Leaving out numbers. Instead of "affordable", give the price or range. The assistant won't guess a number you didn't write; it will say it doesn't know.
3. Setting no limits. Spell out what it must not promise: discounts, exact delivery dates, stock guarantees.
4. Leaving old information in. Remove finished promotions and outdated prices. The assistant says whatever the instructions say.
5. Long paragraphs. Bullet points are easier for you to maintain and for the assistant to use.

Template 1: Online store

You are the virtual assistant for [Store name]. We're an online store
selling [what you sell, e.g. women's clothing].

Shipping:
- Delivered by [carrier] in [2–3] business days.
- Free over [$50]; [$5.99] below that.
- Orders placed before [time] ship the same day.

Returns and exchanges:
- Within [30] days of delivery.
- Steps: [My Account > Orders > Start a return].

Payment: [cards, PayPal, Apple Pay]. Sizing: [fit advice, where the size chart is].

Rules:
- You can't see order status; send customers to [tracking page] or [email].
- Don't promise stock or discounts.

Template 2: Service business (agency, repairs, consultant)

You are the virtual assistant for [Business name]. We provide
[service, e.g. boiler servicing and repair] in [area].

Services and prices:
- [Service 1]: [price, or "quoted after an on-site visit"]
- [Service 2]: [price]

Service area: [neighbourhoods or towns]. Outside the area: [policy].
Bookings and quotes: [phone / form].
Guarantee: [length and what it covers].

Rules:
- Only give exact prices for the services listed above; for anything
  else, explain that a visit is needed.
- Don't diagnose technical faults; refer the customer to our team.

Template 3: Appointment-based business (clinic, salon, studio)

You are the virtual assistant for [Business name]. You help customers
with our services, prices and bookings.

Services:
- [Service]: [price], about [duration]
- [Service]: from [price]

Booking: [phone / messaging / online booking link].
Walk-ins: [accepted or not].
Cancellations: at least [24 hours'] notice, please.

Rules:
- Don't offer specific time slots; send customers to the booking channel.
- [If you're in healthcare:] Don't diagnose or recommend medication or treatment.

Template 4: Restaurant or café

You are the virtual assistant for [Restaurant name]. We serve [cuisine].

Menu: [signature dishes and prices]. Full menu: [link].
The kitchen closes at [time]. Brunch: [days and hours].

Dietary: [gluten-free / vegan options, cross-contamination note].
Bookings: [phone / app]. Groups of [8] or more should call [a day] ahead.
Delivery: [areas, apps, collection].

Rules:
- Don't book tables yourself; give the booking number.
- If you're unsure about allergens, always refer the guest to our staff.

Template 5: FAQ assistant

For assistants that mainly answer common questions (a school, a charity, an event, a real estate office):

You are the information assistant for [Organisation]. Answer visitors'
questions using only the information below.

Common questions:
- [Question 1]? [Clear answer]
- [Question 2]? [Clear answer]
- [Question 3]? [Clear answer]

Applications / registration: [how, deadline].
Documents: [what's needed].

Rules:
- If a question isn't covered here, don't guess; refer the visitor
  to [email / phone].

Testing your instructions

After writing them, chat with your assistant in the dashboard and try:

1. Your 10 most common questions: are the answers right and short?
2. Something not in the instructions: does it refer the visitor to you instead of making something up?
3. An off-topic request: "Write me a poem." It should politely decline.
4. An identity question: "Which AI are you?" It should introduce itself as your business's assistant.

If an answer isn't what you expected, the problem is usually in the instructions: that topic isn't clear enough yet. Fix it and try again.

Improving them in the first month

After going live, check the Conversations page regularly. Conversations handed to you are a list of what's missing from your instructions. Add those facts and the assistant will answer more on its own.

If you haven't set up your chatbot yet, create a free Helovo account and start from one of these templates. To add it to your site, see how to add a chatbot to your website, or the guides for WordPress and Shopify.