Managing Traits

Traits define personality and behavioral characteristics that can be assigned to AI agents. They shape how agents communicate, their tone of voice, and their approach to problem-solving.

What are Traits?

Traits are reusable personality attributes that influence agent behavior. Each trait includes:

• Name: A descriptive label (e.g., "Friendly", "Professional", "Analytical")
• Identifier: URL-friendly unique identifier
• Description: Brief explanation of the trait's purpose
• Instructions: Detailed behavioral guidelines for the AI
• Weight: Impact multiplier (0-10+, affects how strongly the trait influences the agent)
• Categories: Organizational tags for filtering and discovery

Trait Categories

Traits are organized into six categories:

Category	Purpose	Example Traits
Communication	How the agent speaks and interacts	Friendly, Concise, Empathetic, Formal
Technical	Technical expertise and approach	Detail-Oriented, Analytical, Problem-Solver
Customer Service	Customer interaction style	Patient, Helpful, Solution-Focused
Management	Leadership and coordination	Organized, Decisive, Delegator
Creative	Innovation and ideation	Imaginative, Out-of-the-Box, Storyteller
Analytical	Data and reasoning approach	Logical, Data-Driven, Critical-Thinker

Weight System

Trait weights determine how strongly a trait influences agent behavior:

Weight Range	Impact Level	Use Case
0 - 1.0	Low	Subtle personality touches, minor adjustments
1.0 - 1.1	Normal	Standard traits, balanced influence
1.1+	High Impact	Dominant traits, strong behavioral shaping

Default weight is 5 (within Normal range). Higher weights make traits more prominent in agent responses.

Trait List Page

Access at /traits to view and manage all traits.

Features

• Search: Filter traits by name or description
• Grid/List View: Toggle between card grid and table views
• Status Filtering: Filter by enabled/disabled status
• Agent Count: See how many agents use each trait
• Quick Actions: Edit, duplicate, or delete traits

Columns (List View)

Column	Description
Name	Trait display name
Categories	Assigned category badges
Weight	Impact multiplier value
Agent Count	Number of agents using this trait
Status	Enabled/Disabled badge
Created	Creation date
Actions	Edit, delete buttons

Creating Traits

Manual Creation

1. Navigate to /traits
2. Click Create Trait button
3. Fill in the form:
   • Name (required): Display name
   • Identifier (auto-generated): URL-friendly slug
   • Description: Brief summary
   • Instructions (required): Detailed behavioral guidelines
   • Weight: Impact multiplier (default: 5)
   • Categories: Select one or more from dropdown
   • Tags: Add custom organizational tags
   • Status: Enable/disable toggle
4. Click Save

Create with AI

1. Click Create with AI button
2. Describe the trait in natural language
3. AI generates name, description, instructions, and suggests categories
4. Review and edit the generated trait
5. Save when ready

Editing Traits

1. Click Edit on any trait
2. Modify fields as needed
3. Click Save to update
4. Agents using this trait will reflect changes immediately

Impact of Changes

Editing trait instructions affects all agents using that trait. Test changes with non-production agents first.

Assigning Traits to Agents

During Agent Creation

1. In the agent creation form, navigate to the Traits section
2. Click Add Traits
3. Select traits from the modal
4. Search to filter available traits
5. Click to add (recently added shown with green flash)
6. Save the agent

Editing Existing Agents

1. Open the agent edit page (/gnosaris/[id]/edit)
2. Navigate to Traits section
3. Use Add Traits to add more
4. Click the × button to remove traits
5. Save changes

Combining Traits

Agents can have multiple traits. The combined effect is additive:

• Low weight traits add subtle touches
• Normal weight traits provide balanced personality
• High weight traits dominate the agent's style

Example combination:

• "Friendly" (weight: 1.0) + "Professional" (weight: 1.0) + "Concise" (weight: 1.2)
• Result: Agent is warm but maintains professionalism, with strong emphasis on brevity

Best Practice

Use 3-5 traits per agent for best results. Too many traits can create conflicting instructions.

Deleting Traits

1. Click Delete on the trait
2. Confirm deletion in the modal
3. Type the trait name to confirm

Warning

Deleting a trait removes it from all agents using it. This action cannot be undone.

Before deleting, check the Agent Count column to see which agents will be affected.

Best Practices

Writing Trait Instructions

Be specific and actionable:

✅ Good:

Always respond with bullet points when listing information.
Use technical terminology when explaining concepts.
Provide code examples for programming questions.

❌ Avoid:

Be helpful and knowledgeable.

Choosing Categories

• Select categories that help you organize and filter traits
• A trait can belong to multiple categories
• Use consistent categorization for easier discovery

Setting Weights

• Start with default weight (5) and adjust if needed
• Test weight changes with non-production agents
• High weights (>1.1) should be reserved for critical personality traits

Naming Conventions

• Use clear, descriptive names: "Empathetic", "Detail-Oriented", "Code-Focused"
• Avoid generic names: "Trait 1", "Good Personality"
• Use consistent naming patterns: all adjectives or all noun phrases

Common Use Cases

Customer Support Agent

Recommended traits:

• Patient (weight: 1.0)
• Empathetic (weight: 1.1)
• Solution-Focused (weight: 1.0)
• Friendly (weight: 1.0)

Technical Documentation Bot

Recommended traits:

• Detail-Oriented (weight: 1.2)
• Clear Communicator (weight: 1.0)
• Example-Driven (weight: 1.0)

Sales Assistant

Recommended traits:

• Enthusiastic (weight: 1.0)
• Persuasive (weight: 1.0)
• Benefit-Focused (weight: 1.1)
• Concise (weight: 1.0)

Troubleshooting

Trait Not Affecting Agent Behavior

1. Check trait weight - low weights (<0.5) have minimal impact
2. Verify trait is enabled
3. Ensure instructions are specific and actionable
4. Check for conflicting traits with opposite instructions

Agent Behavior Too Extreme

1. Review combined weight of all traits
2. Reduce weights on high-impact traits
3. Remove conflicting or redundant traits

Can't Find Trait in List

1. Check category filters - clear all filters
2. Use search to find by name or description
3. Verify trait wasn't accidentally deleted