# Customize Instructions

Instructions are the core policy of a digital worker. Changing them is often the first and most impactful customization you can make. This guide covers how to update instructions effectively to shift the worker's behavior without requiring changes to skills or tools. 

 

**When to Change Instructions** 

* The digital worker's output format does not match what downstream systems or users expect. 
* The worker is not handling certain edge cases correctly. 
* You need to add, remove, or reorder steps in the worker's reasoning process. 
* You want the worker to ask different follow-up questions when information is missing. 

 

**Where to Find Instructions** 

1. Open the digital worker from the Digital Workers page. 
2. Navigate to the Compose tab. 
3. Locate the instructions field for the digital worker or the specific skill you want to modify. 

You are working on the Draft version. Instructions on published versions are read-only. 

 

**How to Write Effective Instructions** 

Instructions should be specific, complete, and unambiguous. The digital worker follows instructions literally, so vague guidance produces inconsistent results. Effective instructions typically cover: 

* What inputs to accept and how to validate them. 
* How to reason through the task, including what to do when information is incomplete. 
* What format to return, including required fields, optional fields, and null-handling rules. 
* How to handle edge cases and exceptions. 

Example: If you want the worker to return structured JSON instead of a free-form summary, add an explicit output contract to the instructions. Specify the required keys, their data types, allowed values, and what the worker should set when a field is unknown (for example, null), along with a rule to ask exactly two follow-up questions when required fields are missing. 

 

**Using Meta Prompter for Instruction Changes** 

If you prefer not to edit instructions directly, the Meta Prompter provides a conversational alternative. Open the Meta Prompter from the digital worker's Graph view, describe the change you want to make, review the proposed plan, and confirm. The Meta Prompter applies the change to the Draft for you. 

 

**After Changing Instructions** 

1. Run sanity tests from the Compose tab to verify the updated behavior. 
2. Review outputs for accuracy, format, and edge case handling. 
3. If results are as expected, publish the Draft to create a new version. 
4. Promote the new version to Production when ready. 

*<mark style="color:$info;">Best practice: Test instruction changes against a representative set of real or realistic inputs, including edge cases, before publishing. Small wording changes can have significant downstream effects.</mark>*&#x20;

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