> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.contactship.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a text agent

> Create a WhatsApp text agent from scratch or a template, configure its model and identity, save each tab and assign conversations through a channel.

export const Availability = ({lang = 'es', plan, addon, permission, route, status}) => {
  const L = lang === 'en' ? {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permission',
    route: 'Where',
    status: 'Status',
    addonNote: 'enabled on request',
    allPlans: 'All plans',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'New',
    soon: 'Coming soon'
  } : {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permiso',
    route: 'Dónde',
    status: 'Estado',
    addonNote: 'se activa a pedido',
    allPlans: 'Todos los planes',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'Nuevo',
    soon: 'Próximamente'
  };
  const items = [];
  if (plan) items.push([L.plan, plan]);
  if (addon) items.push([L.addon, `${addon} · ${L.addonNote}`]);
  if (permission) items.push([L.permission, permission]);
  if (route) items.push([L.route, route]);
  if (status) items.push([L.status, L[status] || status]);
  return <div style={{
    display: 'flex',
    flexWrap: 'wrap',
    gap: '6px 22px',
    padding: '12px 16px',
    margin: '4px 0 24px',
    border: '1px solid rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.28)',
    borderLeft: '3px solid #0252ff',
    borderRadius: '8px',
    background: 'rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.05)',
    fontSize: '13.5px',
    lineHeight: '1.5'
  }}>
      {items.map(([k, v]) => <div key={k} style={{
    display: 'flex',
    gap: '6px',
    alignItems: 'baseline'
  }}>
          <span style={{
    fontSize: '10.5px',
    fontWeight: 600,
    letterSpacing: '0.07em',
    textTransform: 'uppercase',
    opacity: 0.65
  }}>{k}</span>
          <span style={{
    fontWeight: 500
  }}>{v}</span>
        </div>)}
    </div>;
};

<Availability lang="en" permission="agents.read" route="Agents → Text" status="nuevo" />

A text agent replies to written inbox conversations. WhatsApp Business is currently the connectable messaging channel. Configure the agent under **Agents → Text**; it handles conversations assigned through a channel. Availability depends on your organization configuration. Contact support if the option is missing.

## Where it works

* WhatsApp Business channels. Instagram and Facebook Messenger are marked as coming soon in the new-channel dialog.
* `agents.read` allows viewing; `agents.update` allows editing; `agents.delete` allows deletion.
* Text agents do not make or receive voice calls. Use voice agents for those interactions.

## Create the agent

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the creation dialog">
    In **Agents**, click **New agent** or press Shift+N.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the type">
    Select **Text agent**. If text agents are disabled for the organization, the type step is unavailable and only voice agents are created.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a starting point">
    Start from scratch or select a template. Search templates by name or description.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete the details">
    From scratch, enter a name and description; both are required. Defaults are GPT-4o mini, temperature 0.7 and follow-ups off. For a template, review its configuration and prompt. Click **Create agent**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the agent">
    The editor opens on **General**. Continue with instructions, tools and advanced settings.
  </Step>
</Steps>

| Starting point | Included configuration                                                                          | When to use it                                                |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| From scratch   | Name and description; no instructions or tools; GPT-4o mini, temperature 0.7 and follow-ups off | You already have a prompt or want to define the configuration |
| Template       | Template name, description, prompt, model, temperature, features and time zone                  | You want a starting point to adapt                            |

<Note>
  ContactShip publishes the templates. The app does not provide custom template creation. Agents created from templates can be edited normally.
</Note>

## The agent editor

Click the header name to rename the agent; this saves immediately. **Test agent** opens the [sandbox](/en/text-agents/sandbox). Tabs are **General**, **Instructions**, **Tools**, **Advanced** and **Knowledge**.

### Saving

Each configuration tab has its own **Save** button, also accessible with Ctrl+Enter. Saving sends that tab's fields only. The bottom bar reports unsaved, saving, saved or failed states. **Knowledge** saves its changes immediately and does not have a separate Save button.

Text agents do not have drafts or a publication step. Saved settings are used in conversations.

## General settings

| Field       | Purpose                                                                    | Values                         | Default                                            |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Agent name  | Identifies the agent to your team                                          | Required text                  | Name entered at creation                           |
| Description | Short note about its purpose                                               | Free text                      | Creation description                               |
| Model       | Model handling the conversation                                            | An available selector option   | GPT-4o mini from scratch; template model otherwise |
| Temperature | Lower values favor predictable replies; higher values allow more variation | 0–2, in 0.1 steps              | 0.7                                                |
| Time zone   | Resolves dates and times mentioned by the agent                            | Searchable time-zone selection | Empty from scratch; template value otherwise       |

### Available models

The selector groups models by provider:

| Model                  | Identifier               |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| GPT-4.1 Mini           | `gpt-4.1-mini`           |
| GPT-4o mini            | `gpt-4o-mini`            |
| GPT-4o                 | `gpt-4o`                 |
| Gemini 3 Flash Preview | `gemini-3-flash-preview` |
| Gemini 3 Pro           | `gemini-3-pro-latest`    |
| Claude 4.5 Haiku       | `claude-4.5-haiku`       |

This reflects the ContactShip selector, not each provider's complete model catalog.

<Tip>
  Compare the same scenarios in the sandbox after changing models. Identical instructions can produce different results.
</Tip>

## Assign the agent to a channel

Assignment is configured in the channel:

1. Open **Messages**, select a channel and open its settings.
2. In **Assignment**, automatic rules run in order. The first matching rule wins.
3. Choose when the rule applies, always or during a schedule, and choose AI, a person or a team. For AI, select the text agent.

Several channels can use the same agent. To transfer between AI agents during a conversation, use the transfer tool. See [Channel settings](/en/messages/channel-settings) and [Tools](/en/text-agents/tools).

## Read-only access

Without `agents.update`, the editor displays read-only access. Fields are disabled and Save is unavailable. Ask an administrator to review [Roles and permissions](/en/organization/roles-and-permissions).

## Duplicate and delete

* Duplicate creates a `Name (Copy)` agent with its configuration and tools. Check the result for any tool-copy failures.
* Delete, from the list or the Advanced danger zone, removes the agent, tools and configuration. It requires `agents.delete` and cannot be undone.

## Not yet available

* Instagram and Facebook Messenger are marked as coming soon.
* Drafts, versions and publication are features of voice agents, not text agents.
* The app does not offer custom template creation.
* Channel assignment is configured in channel settings, not in the agent editor.
* The documented inbox handles individual conversations; there is no group or community agent configuration.

## Common problems

| Problem                      | Cause                                       | Solution                                  |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Name or description required | Creation fields are empty                   | Complete both fields                      |
| Templates fail to load       | The gallery could not load                  | Retry or start from scratch               |
| Text agents unavailable      | Organization configuration restricts access | Contact support                           |
| Agent not found              | Deleted agent or a different organization   | Return to the list and check organization |
| Validation failure           | A field is missing or invalid               | Correct highlighted fields and save       |
| Save failed                  | The server rejected the change              | Review the error detail and retry         |

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can the same agent serve several channels?">
    Yes. Each channel has its own assignment rules. Use separate agents when you need different behavior; see [Channel settings](/en/messages/channel-settings).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is a text agent different from a voice agent?">
    Text agents handle written inbox messages and save by tab without publication. Voice agents handle calls with voices, languages and published versions. Both can use organization knowledge.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Should instructions be in Spanish or English?">
    Either is supported. Specify the response language and verify behavior through tests. See [Instructions](/en/text-agents/instructions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do changes take effect without publishing?">
    Yes. Saving a tab updates the agent's configuration. Use the sandbox with saved settings to review behavior.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which model should I start with?">
    GPT-4o mini is the default when starting from scratch. Compare replies and tools against your own sandbox scenarios before selecting another model.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can the agent handle WhatsApp groups or communities?">
    The ContactShip inbox documented here handles individual conversations. It does not offer group or community agent configuration.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## See also

* [Instructions](/en/text-agents/instructions)
* [Tools](/en/text-agents/tools)
* [Channel settings](/en/messages/channel-settings)
* [First WhatsApp agent](/en/get-started/first-whatsapp)