Configure agent behavior

AI model and instructions

Open Widget → AI rules in the side menu, or select the AI rules tab inside Widget → Appearance.

• AI model is a dropdown. Each option shows who makes the model, what it suits, and how many messages one reply spends from your monthly allowance. Options above your plan show a padlock and cannot be selected.
• Instructions control tone, scope, format, and restrictions. Presets are starting points; review them for your business.
• Custom instructions support up to 2,500 characters.
• Select the small i next to any label to read what that setting does.

Do not place credentials, private keys, or customer secrets in instructions. They can become part of model context.

If a model change cannot be saved, Fetchply keeps the previously saved model and shows an error. Check your connection and try the selection again.

Blocked words

Open Widget → AI rules and find Blocked words to stop abusive or unwanted visitors automatically.

• Add any word or phrase you want to block. Type it and select Add.
• When a visitor sends a message that contains one of your keywords, that visitor is blocked right away. Their message is not answered, and they cannot continue chatting with this agent.
• Matching is not case-sensitive, so "Refund" and "refund" are treated the same.
• A keyword matches anywhere inside a message, including inside a longer word. For example, the keyword "spam" also blocks "spammer". Choose specific words or short phrases to avoid blocking visitors by accident.
• Remove a keyword any time with the trash icon. Removing a keyword stops new blocks for that word, but visitors who were already blocked stay blocked until you unblock them.
• Blocked keywords apply to your website chat widget, the chat API, and connected WhatsApp and Instagram accounts. On WhatsApp and Instagram a blocked person's messages are simply ignored, and they are matched by their phone number or Instagram account so they cannot get around it by starting a new chat.

The Blocked visitors list below the keywords shows everyone who has been blocked, the keyword that triggered it, and when. Select Unblock next to a visitor to let them chat again. Unblock fully clears a visitor even if they were blocked more than once, so a single Unblock is enough to let them back in.

In your Inbox, any conversation from a blocked visitor shows a red Blocked tag, so you can see at a glance who is currently blocked while reading past chats. To block someone manually, open the conversation, select the More actions menu (the … button in the conversation header), and choose Block visitor. Manual and keyword blocks use the same list. Choose Unblock visitor from the same menu to let the person chat again.

Blocked words troubleshooting

• A visitor says they are blocked but should not be. Find them in the Blocked visitors list and select Unblock. Also review your keyword list for a short word that appears inside normal messages, remove it, and save so it does not block people again.
• A visitor still seems blocked right after I unblocked them. A single Unblock now removes every block on that visitor at once, so they can chat again immediately. You can unblock from either the Blocked visitors list or the conversation's More actions menu in the Inbox. Ask them to refresh the page or start a new message; if a keyword that matches their messages is still in your list, they will simply be blocked again, so remove or narrow that keyword too.
• A blocked visitor came back on a new device or after refreshing. On the website, blocks follow both the chat session and the visitor's network address, so most attempts to return are stopped; a visitor on a completely different network who has never triggered a keyword is treated as new. On WhatsApp and Instagram, blocks follow the person's phone number or Instagram account, so a refresh or new chat does not get them back in.
• Nothing happens when a keyword is sent. Confirm the keyword was saved (the section shows a count) and that you are testing the same agent. Also check that the agent is enabled and finished training.
• You need to block someone but have no keyword yet. Open their conversation in the Inbox and choose More actions → Block visitor.

Inbox voice reply limit

Open Settings for the agent and find Voice replies to choose the longest voice message a teammate can record from the Inbox. Select one of the common lengths, or use the slider for anything between 15 seconds and 5 minutes. The default is 2 minutes, and the setting applies to Widget, WhatsApp, and Instagram replies for this agent.

This limit used to sit under Widget → AI rules. It now lives with the agent's other settings because it governs how your team replies, not how the AI answers.

Shorter limits keep replies focused and reduce failed uploads on slower connections. If a recording reaches the limit, it stops automatically and remains available to review before sending.

Status and alerts

Open Settings to enable or disable the agent. Configure email alerts for the events shown in the account, such as conversations, handoffs, leads, training, quotas, and integration changes.

Widget identity

Open Widget → Appearance → Brand to set the visitor-facing name, tagline, first message, colors, chat icon, launcher icon, and source-citation visibility.

Open the Chat tab to configure the welcome heading, supporting text, quick links, starter questions, and dynamic suggestions.

Save behavior

Appearance auto-saves changes and also shows a save control. Wait for the saved state before leaving. Preview changes, then test the live widget after a significant update.

Safe changes

Changing instructions or appearance does not retrain content. Use Re-Train Content when the underlying source material has changed.