Agent Creation Templates
Templates provide pre-configured blueprints that agents can reference when creating new agents. They ensure consistency, reduce risk, and streamline the creation process by defining base instructions, default tools, and execution settings.
Accessing Templates
Navigate to System Admin > Agent Self-Service > Templates.
Why Use Templates
Without templates, an agent must specify complete instructions and configuration from scratch each time it creates a new agent. Templates solve this by providing:
- Consistency - Every agent created from a template follows the same base configuration
- Reduced Risk - Pre-approved instructions and tool sets lower the chance of risky configurations
- Faster Creation - Agents reference a template name instead of writing full instructions
- Organizational Standards - Templates codify your organization's best practices for agent design
Template Types
| Type | Description | Editable |
|---|---|---|
| System Templates | Built-in templates provided by Outermind Inc. | No (read-only) |
| Tenant Templates | Custom templates you create for your organization | Yes (fully editable) |
System templates appear in a separate section on the page and cannot be modified or deleted. They serve as starting points and examples.
Creating a Template
- Click New Template in the top-right corner
- Fill in the required fields:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Template Name | Yes | A unique identifier used by agents to reference the template (e.g., research_assistant). Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores. |
| Display Name | Yes | A human-readable name shown in the admin console (e.g., "Research Assistant") |
| Category | Yes | Organizational grouping (see categories below) |
| Base Instructions | Yes | The system prompt that agents created from this template will use |
| Description | No | Explain the template's purpose to help administrators and agents choose the right template |
| Default Tools | No | Comma-separated tool names to auto-assign (e.g., search_web, reply_email, save_memory) |
| Active | No | Whether the template is available for use (default: active) |
- Click Create Template
Categories
Templates are organized into categories for easy browsing and filtering:
| Category | Use For |
|---|---|
| General | Multi-purpose agents without a specific domain focus |
| Research | Agents focused on information gathering, analysis, and summarization |
| Support | Customer service, help desk, and user assistance agents |
| Coordinator | Orchestrator agents that manage workflows and delegate tasks |
| Specialist | Domain-specific experts (legal, finance, marketing, etc.) |
| Operations | Internal operations, process automation, and administrative tasks |
| Custom | Anything that doesn't fit the categories above |
Use the category dropdown filter at the top of the page to show only templates in a specific category.
Managing Templates
Editing a Template
- Find the template card on the page
- Click the edit icon (pencil) in the top-right corner of the card
- Modify the fields as needed
- Click Update Template
Deleting a Template
- Find the template card on the page
- Click the delete icon (trash can) in the top-right corner
- Confirm the deletion in the dialog
Deleting a template does not affect agents that were previously created from it. However, agents will no longer be able to reference the deleted template for future creation requests.
Deactivating a Template
If you want to temporarily prevent a template from being used without deleting it:
- Edit the template
- Uncheck the Active toggle
- Save the changes
Inactive templates are marked with a red "Inactive" badge on their card.
Searching Templates
Use the search bar at the top of the page to filter templates by name, identifier, or description. Combine with the category dropdown for more precise filtering.
Template Card Details
Each template card displays:
- Display Name - The human-readable template name
- Template Name - The system identifier (shown in monospace)
- Category Badge - Color-coded category label
- Description - Brief summary of the template's purpose (truncated to 2 lines)
- Default Tools - Up to 3 tool names shown, with a "+N more" indicator for additional tools
- Last Updated - When the template was last modified
Best Practices
- Create templates for recurring agent types - If you find yourself approving similar agents repeatedly, create a template
- Write thorough base instructions - The more complete the template instructions, the less an agent needs to improvise
- Include appropriate tools - Pre-select the tools that make sense for each template's purpose
- Use descriptive names - Both the template name and display name should clearly convey the agent's role
- Review and update regularly - As your organization's needs evolve, keep templates current
- Start with system templates - Use the built-in templates as inspiration for your own custom templates