Creating your first ChatForge agent takes under 5 minutes. This guide walks through every field in the creation form so you know exactly what to set and why.
Step 1 — Open the dashboard
Log in to your ChatForge account and click "Create New Agent" from the dashboard. You'll see a simple creation form.
Step 2 — Name your agent
This is the internal name you'll use to identify it in your dashboard. It doesn't affect what visitors see (that's the persona name, below). Keep it descriptive:
- ✅ "Acme Plumbing Bot" — clear and specific
- ✅ "Client Support — July 2026" — useful if you manage multiple agents
- ❌ "Bot 1" — too vague when you have multiple agents later
Step 3 — Set the persona and tone
The persona controls how your agent speaks. You can choose from presets or write a custom system prompt (covered in the advanced guide). For now, choose one that matches your brand:
- Friendly & Professional — warm but businesslike. Good for most service businesses.
- Casual & Conversational — relaxed tone. Good for lifestyle brands or younger audiences.
- Formal & Expert — precise, authoritative. Good for legal, finance, or medical businesses.
Step 4 — Write your welcome message
This is the first thing visitors see when they open the chat widget. A good welcome message:
- Tells them who or what they're talking to
- Sets expectations (what it can help with)
- Invites them to ask a question
Template: "Hi! I'm [Name], [Company]'s AI assistant. Ask me anything about [service/product] — I'm here to help 24/7."
Step 5 — Save and continue
Click "Create Agent". Your agent now exists in your dashboard — it's just empty at this point. The next steps add its knowledge: