Manuals

What Is a Manual?

Every Charter has three parts: a Segment that says when it applies, References that say what it can use, and a Manual that says how the agent should behave. The Manual is written in plain language, like guidance you would give a new team member.

How Manuals Work

• Applied on match: When a Charter matches the conversation, its Manual is added to the agent's instructions.
• Combined top down: Manuals from parent Charters combine with their children, so general guidance and specific rules layer together.
• Behavior, not routing: Manuals describe how to act. Deciding when a Charter applies is the job of its Segment.
• Behavior, not facts: Product details and policies belong in knowledge References, which keeps Manuals short and easy to maintain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Manual the same as a system prompt?

It plays a similar role, but a Manual is scoped to one situation and only applies when its Charter matches, instead of being one long prompt that covers everything. See prompt engineering for background.