This guide walks you through creating your first Task in My AskAI — whether your task uses Tools (APIs) or runs without them.
Tasks let your AI Agent handle structured, repeatable actions like updating customer details, resetting passwords, or collecting feedback.
Need some inspiration on what Task to create first?
You can create a Task by going to Tasks & Tools in the left hand menu of the Dashboard and clicking “Create”.
1. Give Your Task a Name and Purpose
Name
Give your task a short, action-oriented title that describes what it does.
Examples: Update Contact Details, Reset Password, Schedule Appointment
Description
Explain briefly what the task helps users do.
Example:
Assist users with updating contact details on their account.
2. Add Example Triggers
Example questions to trigger this task
Provide 2–3 sample user messages that should start this task.
These help the AI agent recognize when to use it.
Example:
Can I update my contact details to x@c.com
Please contact me on jim@email.com
Use this alex@gmail.com and +73474385930
Negative examples (optional)
List examples of messages that shouldn’t trigger this task.
Example:
Can I update my subscription?
Can I add a team member to my account?
3. Write Example End-to-End Flows
Show how a full conversation should go.
Write at least one normal flow that clearly demonstrates how the AI should respond.
Example:
**Normal flow: email and phone**
- Customer: Update my details to alex@gmail.com and +73474385930
- Agent: Sure thing. To confirm, you want your new booking contact details to be alex@gmail.com and +73474385930?
- Customer: Yes
- Agent: Okay, that’s been updated for you. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.
4. Add Handover or Escalation Rules
Sometimes users may get stuck or need human help.
Use this section to explain when the AI should hand over to a human agent.
Example:
Handover if the user is repeatedly struggling to update their contact details.
5. Add Instruction Steps
Instruction steps are the step-by-step recipe your AI Agent follows to complete the task.
Each step should include clear instructions in plain English.
Common examples:
Step 1 – Get Contact Details
Unless already provided, request the customer’s email and/or phone number they want used on their booking.
- If they already provided this, skip this step.
Repeat the details back to the user before proceeding.
- If invalid or unclear (e.g., typo), ask them to confirm again.
- Allow them to edit their details if needed.
Update the booking with the new email and phone.
- Tool: {{update_contact_details}}
- Only proceed after confirmation in Step 2.
To reference a Tool, use the tool name enclosed in double curly braces, like this: {{tool_name}}
Tell the customer the update was successful (or failed) and check if they need any more help.
Let the user know their request will be completed by the team.
- Then call {{handover}} to escalate.
Tools (API access for AI agents) are available for accounts with 5,000+ conversations per month. You can learn more about tools below.
If your task needs to use an API, you’ll need to add this as a Tool first.
This can then be reference in a task step.
Example:
Update the booking with the new email and phone.
- Tool: {{update_contact_details}}
- Only proceed after confirmation in Step 2.
7. Guidance for Tone and Style
Use the Guidance box to define your Agent’s tone for this task.
Tasks don’t use any existing Guidance you have for your AI agent.
Tasks have their own Guidance that’s more focused on the task at hand.
Example:
Be polite but very brief — the user wants to complete the task quickly.
8. Save & Test
- Click Save changes but do not set live until you’ve tested it
- Once saved, close the task and test your task in the chat widget
9. Activate
- Once it’s ready, toggle Set task live.
- Click Save changes.
Your first AI task is now live! You can test it out in the preview widget instantly 🎉
✅ Quick Tasks Checklist
| Step | What to Do | Applies To |
|---|
| Name & Description | Clearly describe task purpose | All tasks |
| Example Triggers | Add real user phrases | All tasks |
| End-to-End Flows | Show sample conversations | All tasks |
| Handover Rules | Define when to escalate | All tasks |
| Instruction Steps | Define step-by-step actions | All tasks |
| Tool References | Add API or automation tools | Tool-based tasks |
| Guidance | Set tone and personality | All tasks |
| Test | Test in your Dashboard | All tasks |
| Set Live | Activate the task for users | All tasks |
🔑 Tip
Start with a simple task (like “Update Contact Details”) before building more advanced ones.
Once comfortable, you can chain multiple tasks or integrate APIs for full automation. 
