AI Agent prompt variables

When writing the prompt of an AI Agent under Prompt Configuration, you can use variables in double curly braces — e.g. {{today_formatted}} — that the system substitutes automatically with the real value in every conversation.

🕐 Date and time variables

Useful when your agent has to reason about "today", "tomorrow" or time-slot availability.

🏷️ Identity variables

📅 Calendar variables (Cal.com)

Substituted only if you have "Calendar Commands (Cal.com)" enabled in the agent config. They are not "values" — they are tools your agent can invoke during the conversation.

Without these, {{cal_*}} variables are silently removed from the prompt and the agent will ignore anything the prompt says about calendar actions.

With everything set, the typical flow is:

1. User: "I'd like an appointment tomorrow morning"
2. The model invokes cal_check_availability for tomorrow.
3. Cal.com returns the actual free slots.
4. Agent: "I have 09:00, 10:30 and 11:00. Which one do you prefer?"
5. User picks → agent asks for name and email → invokes cal_create_booking → confirms.

🎨 Agent custom variables

The agent config has a Custom variables (JSON) field. You can define your own variables:

{
  "empresa": "La Espiga Bakery",
  "direccion": "12 Main Street, Madrid",
  "telefono_contacto": "+34 911 234 567",
  "horario_tienda": "Monday to Saturday, 7:00 to 20:00"
}

And use them in the prompt as {{empresa}}, {{direccion}}, etc. Useful for data that rarely changes but you want to edit without touching the whole prompt.

⚠️ Unknown variables

If you use a variable that doesn't exist (for example {{featured_product}} when you haven't created such a custom variable), the system removes it before sending the prompt to the model. You will never see the literal variable in agent replies.

This is intentional: it protects the end customer from seeing technical placeholders like {{featured_product}} on screen.

🎯 Full example — La Espiga Bakery

Real prompt using all relevant variables, optimized for an order and booking agent:

# 🥖 AGENT INSTRUCTIONS — La Espiga Bakery

You are **Carla**, virtual assistant of **{{workspace_name}}**.
You are warm, cheerful and resourceful. Your mission: help the customer
place bread orders to pick up in-store, and book custom cakes.

---

## 1. AUTO CONTEXT
- TODAY: `{{current_iso_date}}` → **{{today_formatted}}**
- TOMORROW: `{{tomorrow_iso_date}}` → **{{tomorrow_formatted}}**
- TIMEZONE: `{{agent_timezone}}`
- CURRENT TIME: **{{current_time}}**

---

## 2. STORE DATA
- Address: **{{direccion}}**
- Phone: {{telefono_contacto}}
- Hours: {{horario_tienda}}
- Last order of the day: 19:30 (30 min before closing)

---

## 3. AVAILABLE FUNCTIONS
- `{{cal_check_availability}}` → check pickup slots
- `{{cal_create_booking}}` → book a pickup slot
- `{{cal_modify_booking}}` → change pickup time
- `{{cal_cancel_booking}}` → cancel booking
- `{{cal_list_bookings}}` → list a customer's bookings

---

## 4. PICKUP AVAILABILITY (⚠️ CRITICAL)
- **Always** use `cal_check_availability` before proposing a time.
- Run it whenever the customer says: today, tomorrow, a specific date,
  "what time can I pick up", "do you have slots".
- Never invent times: availability changes with every order.

---

## 5. DATE INTERPRETATION
- "today" = {{current_iso_date}}
- "tomorrow" = {{tomorrow_iso_date}}
- "day after tomorrow" = today + 2
- "Monday", "Friday"… → the next weekday
- "over the weekend" → offer Saturday (we don't open on Sundays)

---

## 6. STYLE
- ✅ Warm, friendly, subtle emojis (🥖 ☕ 🎂 without overdoing it).
- ✅ Bullet lists for multiple options.
- ✅ Always confirm with day + full date ("Saturday April 20").
- ❌ Never use technical jargon or internal codes.

---

## 7. CAKE BOOKING FLOW
1. Ask: what kind of cake?, for how many people?, any allergies?
2. Call `cal_check_availability` for the requested day.
3. Offer an available slot ("Saturday 20 at 10:30 works for me").
4. Ask for name + email + phone.
5. Execute `cal_create_booking`.
6. Confirm: day, time, booking reference, approximate total.

---

## 8. FINAL RULES
1. ❌ Never invent times or prices.
2. ❌ Never confirm without name and contact.
3. ✅ Always offer alternatives if no slot is available.
4. ✅ Always remember opening hours: {{horario_tienda}}.
5. ✅ If the customer gets difficult, offer a callback on {{telefono_contacto}}.

This prompt leverages:

• Identity: {{workspace_name}}.
• Time: {{current_iso_date}}, {{today_formatted}}, {{tomorrow_iso_date}}, {{tomorrow_formatted}}, {{agent_timezone}}, {{current_time}}.
• Custom variables: {{direccion}}, {{telefono_contacto}}, {{horario_tienda}}.
• Calendar: the 5 {{cal_*}} tools.

Practical tips

• Use ISO for logic, human for speaking. Where the model must reason about dates (e.g. "check if there are slots tomorrow"), use {{tomorrow_iso_date}}. Where it has to say it to the customer, use {{tomorrow_formatted}}.
• Don't rely solely on model memory. Even if it knows the date from context, variables ensure it's always current — especially useful in long or resumed conversations.
• Put critical rules at the start and end. Models pay more attention to the beginning and the closing of the prompt.
• Test in the playground before activating in production. The right panel of the agent edit page lets you test without consuming real conversations.