Instructions

An instruction is a short rule you write once and then apply to as many experts as you like, for example "name the source document when you quote a figure" or "send refund questions to finance". Change the wording in one place and every expert that uses it follows the new version.

The same feature has two names. The sidebar row says Instructions, while the page it opens and the section on each expert's page say Shared instructions. They are the same thing.

Instructions are on the Professional plan. On Business, use the persona box on each expert instead. See Creating and editing experts.

Instructions or persona

Both are rules the expert follows, but they do different jobs.

• The persona belongs to one expert. It says who that expert is and how it sounds.
• An instruction is shared. It handles one situation and can be attached to many experts.

If the same sentence is sitting in three persona boxes, it belongs here instead.

Writing an instruction

1. In the sidebar open Experts, then Instructions.
2. Select New instruction.
3. Fill in the form.
   • Name. Something short that helps you find it later, such as Cite the source.
   • When it applies. Optional. A note to yourself, for example "When stating a fact from a document". Only you see it.
   • Instruction. The rule itself, up to 200 words. A counter under the box shows how many words you have used.
4. Select Create instruction.

Good instructions are short and about one situation. The text is sent to the expert on every question, so shorter is followed more reliably.

Putting an instruction to work

Writing an instruction does not change any expert yet. Open Configure, choose the expert, go to Shared instructions and tick the ones it should follow, then select Save changes. You can also tick them on the Instructions step when you create an expert.

One expert can follow up to five instructions, and all of them together can add up to 600 words. If the total is higher, the instructions that do not fit are left out whole, and none is cut off halfway. Keep each one short and you will not hit this.

Managing the list

The list shows each instruction with a preview of its wording, how many experts use it, whether it is on or off, who added it and when.

• Select the number under Used by to see which experts use it. Check this before you edit, because a change reaches all of them.
• The Experts list on the left filters to one expert's instructions. Not used yet shows instructions that no expert follows.
• The State list filters by All, On and Off.
• You can also filter by who added it and when, and search the titles and the wording.

At the end of each row:

• Edit opens the form. On an edit page a line under the title tells you how many experts use it, and saving changes what they all say.
• Turn off stops every expert following it without removing it from them. Turn on brings it back.
• Delete removes it. If experts use it, the confirmation tells you how many. This cannot be undone.

If your plan does not include them

On Business the Instructions row in the sidebar is dimmed and marked as a Professional feature. If you move from Professional to Business, what you wrote is kept. You can still open the page to read or delete it, but nothing there reaches your experts, and a banner says so. Each expert's own persona is not affected. If you upgrade again, your instructions are still there.

See Plans for what each plan includes.