Learning note: This guide is educational and intended as a practical starting point. Interfaces, features and pricing can change; verify critical steps against official product documentation.
Start with the job, not the model
Choose one narrow task with an observable result, such as summarizing support tickets into a draft response. Write down what success looks like before selecting software.
Understand the components
An agent typically has instructions, a language model, access to approved tools, and a way to track state. Tools may retrieve information, search a knowledge base or create a draft.
Build a safe first workflow
Step 1: Collect a sample request. Step 2: Retrieve approved source documents. Step 3: Draft a response with citations. Step 4: Ask a person to review. Step 5: Record the result for evaluation.
Keep people in control
Require explicit approval before sending messages, changing accounts, buying anything or deleting data. Never paste credentials into prompts.
Test and improve
Use at least ten varied sample requests. Check accuracy, hallucinations, handling of missing information, and whether the agent respects its tool permissions.
Keep learning
Ready for the next topic? Browse the latest GenTekLearn guides or explore another learning path.