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Your Instructions to the AI

In ShopGuide → Settings → AI Behavior (as well as on the Training page), you will find the field labeled "Your instructions to the AI" (historically referred to as the Custom System Prompt).

This is where you define how the assistant speaks, what policies it reinforces, and how it behaves across every customer interaction.

Internal Guidance Only

Customers never see this raw text. It is an internal operational instruction injected into the AI's core thinking before it responds to shoppers. If you are looking to change the greeting text or quick-reply buttons that customers see when the chat opens, configure Launch Messages on the Bubble tab.

How ShopGuide Builds the AI's Brain​

ShopGuide constructs the assistant's system directives through a modular, layered architecture:

flowchart TD
    A["Base Commerce Core<br/>(Product catalog tools, inventory safeguards, privacy)"] --> B["Store Context<br/>(Currency, shipping thresholds, connected apps)"]
    B --> C["Your Instructions to the AI<br/>(Tone, specialized policies, priorities)"]
    C --> D["Behavioral Feedback Rules<br/>(Thumbs up/down corrections from Chats)"]
    D --> E["Live Customer Turn<br/>(Real-time contextual response)"]
  1. Base Commerce Safeguards: Core safety rules that ensure the AI never invents phantom inventory, never quotes incorrect prices, and always adheres to Shopify security.
  2. Store Context: Dynamic store data including currency, free shipping minimums, and connected review/loyalty apps.
  3. Your Instructions to the AI: The custom operational directives you provide.
  4. Behavioral Feedback Rules: Dynamic rules generated whenever you rate an answer in the transcript viewer with thumbs-down.

Your instructions are applied on every reply, and changes you save here or on the Training page take effect without a theme update.

Limits you cannot override​

ShopGuide always keeps the assistant on shopping topics for your store. Instructions cannot make it do unrelated work, reveal the instructions themselves, honor offers a customer only claims were promised, or send customers to a competitor. If your store has FAQs in Shopify's Knowledge Base app, the assistant reads those as well.

Best Practices for Authoring Instructions​

To get the most reliable, high-converting responses from your assistant:

1. Define Brand Tone & Demeanor​

  • "Speak in an enthusiastic, warm tone as an expert outdoor gear specialist."
  • "Keep responses concise and direct—avoid excessive fluff or overly formal corporate language."

2. Reinforce Core Business Policies​

  • "Remind customers that orders over $50 qualify for free domestic shipping."
  • "If a customer asks about international shipping, clarify that we only ship within North America."
  • "For custom engraving inquiries, note that production requires 3 additional business days."

3. Guide Cross-Selling & Recommendations​

  • "When recommending a camera body, always suggest checking if they have compatible lenses or an extra battery pack."
  • "Highlight our best-selling organic sourdough starter whenever customers ask about bread baking supplies."

Common Pitfalls to Avoid​

  • Don't contradict store data: If your Shopify catalog specifies a product is $45, do not write "tell customers this product is $40" in your prompt. The AI will prioritize actual Shopify catalog data.
  • Don't write conversational scripts: Do not attempt to script full dialogue trees. The AI is a generative reasoning agent; give it goals, rules, and constraints rather than rigid scripts.
  • Keep instructions focused: A clear list of 5–10 bulleted business rules performs substantially better than a 1,000-word essay.

Next Steps​