--- url: https://pencel.ai/docs/guides/creating-your-first-agent.md description: >- Create your own AI agent in Studio from a plain description, adjust its profile and guardrails, then chat with it on Home or add it to your Team with a room of its own. --- # Create a custom agent An agent is one AI teammate with its own role, writing style and rules. Use this when you want a teammate you'll reuse, such as a proposal writer who follows your house style or a bookkeeper who always cites the source of every number. Most people never need this. Rooms come with their crew, and you can add a teammate straight from a room: open the room's settings, go to **Crew** and click **+ Add teammate**. ## Create the agent 1. Go to **Studio ▸ Agents** and click **New Agent**. 2. Under **Describe your new agent**, say what it should do. For example: "A proposal writer that turns our past proposals into a first draft for a new bid, in a plain, confident tone, and flags any claim it can't back up." 3. Click **Start planning**. On the **Building Agent** screen, Pencel asks a few questions on the left and shows the draft taking shape on the right. 4. When the draft is ready, **Accept & Edit** becomes available. Click it to open the full editor. 5. Review the settings (below) and click **Save**. ::: tip Creating one for a room In a room's settings, go to **Crew ▸ + Add teammate ▸ Create new agent ↗**. You get the same builder, and the new agent joins that room when you save. ::: ## The editor, tab by tab ### Profile * **Name**, **Role** and **Description**: who the agent is and what it specializes in. Write them the way you'd brief a new hire. * **Writing Style**: how it should sound, for example "plain and confident, short paragraphs, no jargon". * **Preferred Model**: which AI model it uses, or **Use workspace default**. A model marked **No API key** isn't available until you add a key. See [Supported models](https://pencel.ai/docs/reference/supported-models.html). * **Active Status**: turn it off to take the agent out of service without deleting it. ### Knowledge & Guardrails * **Agent Memory**: short notes the agent always keeps in mind. * **Linked Knowledge**: guidelines, context files, memory items and skills that are always included for this agent. See [Knowledge](https://pencel.ai/docs/concepts/knowledge.html). * **Guardrails**: **Agent Type**, **Risk Tolerance**, **Plan Approval**, **Output Length**, **Citation Policy**, **Max Cost per Run** and **Content Restrictions** (rules in plain words, like "never quote a price"). ::: warning Guardrails guide, approvals enforce **Risk Tolerance**, **Plan Approval** and **Content Restrictions** tell the agent how careful to be. They shape its behavior, but they don't stop an action by themselves. What actually holds is tool approval: Pencel asks you before it sends something or changes a record (unless you've given that action a standing approval), and it asks every time before it moves money. See [Approvals and permissions](https://pencel.ai/docs/privacy-and-security/approval-workflows.html). **Max Cost per Run** is enforced: if a run reaches it, the agent stops. See [Control what you spend](https://pencel.ai/docs/guides/managing-costs.html). ::: ### Advanced **Tools** and **Permissions** list what the agent can use and do, including any custom tools you've made. The builder fills these in from your description, and most people leave them as they are. The side panel shows the agent's **Status**, its **Recent Runs**, and **Quick Actions**: **Chat with Agent**, **Duplicate Agent**, **Export Config** and **Delete Agent**. ## Chat with it Try the agent in a conversation before you give it real work: * In **Studio ▸ Agents**, click the chat icon on its card, or use **Chat with Agent** in the editor. * Or chat with it on **Home**. Pick it in the agent picker next to Home's message box. The picker lists your agents that aren't on your Team. ## Give it a room of its own When the agent is ready for regular work, make it a teammate with its own room: 1. Click **Add to Team**. You'll find it on the agent's page in **Studio ▸ Agents**, and on a line above Home's message box while you chat with the agent. 2. Say what the agent should keep on top of. 3. Click **Add to Team**. Pencel creates the room with the agent as its teammate, and the agent shows up under **Team** in the sidebar. ## Add it to a room you already have To put the agent to work in one of your own rooms instead, open the room's settings, go to **Crew**, click **+ Add teammate** and pick the agent under "Add an existing agent". This works for rooms you set up yourself. A ready-made room's crew comes with the room. To take it out again, open **Crew**, click **⋯** next to the agent and choose **Remove from room**. ## Tips * **One job per agent.** A teammate that does one thing well is more reliable than one juggling five. * **Be specific.** Mention format, length, tone and what's out of scope. * **Match the model to the work.** Use a stronger model for judgment and writing, and a lighter one for routine sorting and formatting. * **Set a Max Cost per Run.** Even a generous cap protects you from a run that goes on too long. * **Manage it from the list.** The **⋯** menu on an agent's card has **Edit**, **Activate** or **Deactivate**, **Duplicate** and **Delete**. ## Related * [Studio: agents, workflows and jobs](https://pencel.ai/docs/concepts/studio.html) * [Team and rooms](https://pencel.ai/docs/concepts/programs.html) * [Approvals and permissions](https://pencel.ai/docs/privacy-and-security/approval-workflows.html) * [Teach Pencel about your business](https://pencel.ai/docs/guides/teach-pencel-about-your-business.html)