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First setup checklist

Setup checklist

Use this checklist to plan the agent before you configure it. A clear job, a known phone number, realistic test calls, and a fallback plan prevent most launch problems.

You should know what the agent must do, how it will be tested, and what counts as ready.

Use this checklist when setting up a new Nuvoca agent.

1. Define the job of the agent

Before editing prompts or parameters, write down the agent's job in one sentence.

Examples:

  • "Answer product questions and collect contact details for sales follow-up."
  • "Handle after-hours support calls and forward urgent issues to the on-call team."
  • "Help customers book appointments and send a confirmation by SMS."

A clear job makes every later decision easier.

2. Create the agent

Configure the basics first:

  • name and description,
  • language and voice,
  • model,
  • system prompt,
  • knowledge bases,
  • tools or forwarding options.

Do not tune every advanced setting at the beginning. Use defaults until you know what needs improvement.

3. Write a practical prompt

A good prompt tells the agent:

  • who it is,
  • what it should achieve,
  • what information it must collect,
  • how it should behave when unsure,
  • when it should use tools or forward the call,
  • what it must never do.

See Prompting for examples.

4. Add knowledge only when needed

Use a knowledge base when the agent must answer from company-specific information such as FAQs, policies, product details, or documents.

Keep the prompt responsible for behavior. Keep the knowledge base responsible for facts.

5. Add tools carefully

Tools let an agent do something outside the conversation, for example send an email, send an SMS, call an API, or forward a caller.

For every tool, define:

  • when the tool should be used,
  • what information is required before using it,
  • what the agent should say before and after using it,
  • what the fallback is if the tool fails.

6. Connect voice routing

For voice use cases, assign a phone number to a default destination:

  • a single agent, or
  • an Agentic Flow for more complex routing.

Then add routing overrides only if you need different behavior during specific time windows.

7. Test like a real caller

Test with realistic conversations, not only happy paths.

Recommended scenarios:

  • simple question,
  • unclear request,
  • missing information,
  • caller asks for a human,
  • caller calls outside business hours,
  • forwarding target does not answer,
  • agent should refuse something.

Do not skip testing

Many prompt problems only appear when the caller phrases things differently than expected.

Before going live

  • The prompt has a clear goal and boundaries.
  • Important parameters are understood and intentionally set.
  • Knowledge base answers were tested with real questions.
  • Tool usage was tested.
  • Voice routing and timezones were checked.
  • Conference forwarding was tested with a real recipient.
  • A fallback behavior exists for failures or uncertainty.