Understanding custom agents and turning on the agent builder (EAP)


Custom agents are AI agents that work behind the scenes to automate complex, multi-system tasks and help resolve customer issues. Admins can use the agent builder to define custom agents with specific procedures and specify what inputs, outputs, articles, and tools are available to the agent.


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Summary: ◀▼
Custom agents automate complex tasks and customer issue resolution by using admin-defined workflows and approved resources. You can create up to 100 custom agents, control their access to articles, tools, and actions, and trigger them via action flows. Custom agents handle multi-system tasks without consuming action credits and use intelligent retry logic for errors. Participation requires joining the early access program and agreeing to terms.





Note: Custom agents are currently in an early access program (EAP). To participate, see
Joining the Custom Agents EAP.
Custom agents are AI agents that work behind the scenes to automate complex, multi-system
tasks and help resolve customer issues. Admins can use the agent builder to define
custom agents with specific procedures and specify what inputs, outputs, articles, and
tools are available to the agent.
This article contains the following topics:
Essential facts about the agent builder and custom agents
Joining the Custom Agents EAP




Essential facts about the agent builder and custom agents

It's important to understand the following key terminology related to custom
agents:

Agent builder: The tool within Zendesk that admins use to create
custom agents.

Custom agent: Admin-defined AI agents that are tailored to your
business and able to handle complex, multi-system tasks and customer issues.

Action flow: Custom workflows capable of performing actions in
Zendesk and connected external systems. Action flows are created by admins
in the visual workflow builder called and can be initiated automatically
based on specified criteria or by human agents.


Consider the following information when turning on the agent builder and creating
custom agents:
The agent builder is a tool to help you build custom agents.
Your account can have up to 100 custom agents.
Custom agents are initiated through action flow triggers and must have at
least a ticket_id as input.
All services that are connected to the action builder are also available to
be added to custom agents.
When defining custom agents, admins must add approved articles, tools, and
actions explicitly. By default, custom agents have no access to articles,
tools, or actions.
When giving a custom agent access to tools, admins must specify what the
tool should be used to do, what it can read versus write, and its inputs and
outputs.
Custom agents prioritize the approved articles for policy and processes over
general reasoning.
No action credits are consumed by the Handoff to custom agent step or
actions performed by custom agents.
When errors occur, custom agents use intelligent retry logic and smart
timeouts to ensure the custom agent behaviors in the most efficient way
possible.





Joining the Custom Agents EAP

Custom agents and the agent builder are available as part of an early access program
(EAP). To participate, you must join the EAP and agree to the terms and
conditions.

To join the Custom Agents EAP
In Admin Center, click
AI in the sidebar, then select Agent builder > Custom agents.
Click Sign up for early access.
Review the terms and conditions and click I agree.
Click Submit. After you join the EAP, you can start creating custom
agents.





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