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

# Setting guardrails

> Guardrails make sure your AI Agent stays focused on your business, and nothing else.

## Why guardrails matter

AI Agents are powered by large language models (LLMs). These models generate responses probabilistically — they predict what words are most likely to come next.

This means instructions guide the model’s behavior, but they are **not hard rules**. The model does not truly understand company policies and may attempt to answer questions even when it shouldn’t.

Without clear guardrails, your agent might:

* Answer irrelevant questions (for example: *“What is a cow?”*)
* Mention competitors
* Provide information unrelated to your company
* Suggest actions it **cannot actually perform**

For example, a customer might ask:

> “Can you send me the invoice for my order?”

Without guardrails, the agent may respond as if it can perform this action — even if it has no access to your systems.

Guardrails help prevent this by clearly defining what the agent is responsible for and what it should refuse.

# What you need to do

Add clear behavioral rules to your AI Agent under:

**AI Agent settings → guardrails**

These rules should explain:

* What the agent **is responsible for**
* What the agent **should not answer**
* What it should do **when a question is out of scope**

### Basic guardrail example

<Tip>
  As AI Agent \[name], you only talk about \[company] and our products and services.

  If someone asks something unrelated, respond with:

  “Great question, but I can’t help with that. I can help with questions about \[company], our services, or our products.”
</Tip>

This keeps the agent **focused on your company and its knowledge base**.

# Guardrails you should consider

When defining guardrails, think about the **role of your AI Agent** and what it should *not* do.

Below are common categories that help keep agents reliable and on-brand.

## 1. Scope guardrails

Define **what the agent is allowed to talk about**.

Example:

<Tip>
  You only answer questions related to \[company], our products, services, documentation, and support information.

  You politely decline questions unrelated to the company.
</Tip>

This prevents the agent from answering **general knowledge questions** or unrelated topics.

## 2. Competitor guardrails

Prevent the agent from discussing competitors.

Example:

<Tip>
  You do not mention or compare competitors.

  If asked about competitors, you politely redirect the conversation back to \[company].
</Tip>

## 3. Capability guardrails

Define what the agent **cannot actually do**.

This is very important.

Customers may assume the AI can perform actions like:

* Sending invoices
* Checking order status
* Updating account details
* Canceling subscriptions

If your agent cannot do these things, you should explicitly state it.

Example:

<Tip>
  You cannot access customer accounts, order systems, or invoices.

  If a user asks about order status, invoices, or account changes, explain that you cannot access personal data and guide them to the correct support channel.
</Tip>

## 4. Advice guardrails

Prevent the AI from giving regulated or risky advice.

Example:

<Tip>
  You do not provide medical, legal, or financial advice.

  If asked about these topics, you politely decline and suggest contacting a qualified professional.
</Tip>

## 5. Opinion guardrails

Keep the agent neutral and factual.

Example:

<Tip>
  You do not share personal opinions.

  You only provide information based on official company content.
</Tip>

## 6. Content source guardrails

Ensure the AI only uses trusted information.

Example:

<Tip>
  You only provide information based on \[company]'s official documentation, website, and knowledge base.

  If you are unsure about an answer, say you do not have enough information.
</Tip>

# Good guardrails make better AI Agents

A well-defined agent should clearly know:

* What it represents
* What information it can use
* What it cannot do
* How to respond when a question is outside its scope

Think of guardrails as **training guidelines for a new employee**. The clearer they are, the more consistent your AI Agent will behave.

<Tip>
  Start with simple guardrails, test your agent in the tester, and refine the rules based on real conversations.
</Tip>