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An agent only answers from the knowledge bases it can read, only calls the tools connected to it, and only picks up conversations on the channels attached to it. All of this is set on the agent’s own page, on the Knowledge, Actions (Tools), Channels and Handoff (Alerts) tabs. Like every other agent setting, these connections are saved as a draft and reach customers when you publish.

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Before you start

  • Click Agent in the sidebar and open the agent. You need a role that can edit agents.
  • Knowledge lives in knowledge bases. Create them and publish their articles under Knowledge in the sidebar first (see Knowledge overview).
  • Custom tools are created under Tools first (see Create a custom tool). A tool does not need to be public to be connected.
  • WhatsApp numbers are connected to the workspace under Integrations → WhatsApp before they can be attached to an agent (see WhatsApp).
  • Slack alerts need the agent to exist already: the Create agent page cannot connect Slack.

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Give the agent access to knowledge bases

1

Open the Knowledge tab

On the agent’s page, open Knowledge. Every knowledge base in your workspace is listed with its name and description, and the tab shows how many are switched on.
2

Turn knowledge bases on or off

Switch on each one the agent should be able to read. Access is granted knowledge base by knowledge base, and the description helps the agent pick the right one for a question.
3

Create a knowledge base if you need one

New knowledge base (shown when you have none) and Manage knowledge (shown once you have some) take you to Knowledge. Come back and switch the new knowledge base on once it has articles.
4

Save and publish

Click Save and review, then Publish changes. Knowledge access is part of the published version, so customers only see the change after publishing.
To check that articles are actually used and to test answers, see Connect knowledge to agents.

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Connect custom tools

Custom tools let the agent call your own systems during a conversation (see Custom tools).
1

Find Tools on the Actions tab

On the Actions tab, scroll to Tools (“Actions you set up yourself or add from the marketplace.”). Your workspace’s custom tools are listed with a switch each. If you have none yet, it shows No tools yet with Add tool, which opens the tool builder, and Open marketplace, which opens the Tools Showcase. Once you have tools, Add tool, Open marketplace and Manage tools are at the bottom of the panel.
2

Switch a tool on

Turn on the tools this agent should be able to call. Turning a tool off removes it from the agent.
3

Save and publish

Click Save and review, then Publish changes.
Connecting copies the tool into the agent, header values included, so a tool cannot be deleted while an agent still uses it: turn it off on each agent’s Actions tab and save first. Editing the tool under Tools later updates the agent’s copy. If a tool could not be enabled when you save, you see Couldn’t turn on … Your other changes were saved. with the tool names; everything else is saved, so switch the tool on again and click Save and review.

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Attach channels

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WhatsApp numbers

1

Open the Channels tab

On the Channels tab, the WhatsApp panel (“The numbers this agent answers on.”) lists every number connected to your workspace, each with a switch.
2

Switch numbers on or off

Switch on each number the agent should answer. Add number takes you to Integrations → WhatsApp to connect a new number. If you have no numbers yet, the panel reads No WhatsApp numbers yet.
3

Save and publish

Number changes are staged in the draft and take effect when you click Publish changes.
What to expect:
  • A number can be attached to one agent at a time. Publishing fails with One or more WhatsApp channels are connected to another agent until you disconnect the number from the other agent.
  • A number that is attached to no agent is answered by the workspace’s default agent.
  • An agent must have a published version before a number can be routed to it.
  • Switching a number off moves that number’s open conversations to your default agent immediately when you publish, whatever you choose for open chats in the publish dialog. The dialog lists the numbers it applies to.
Manage sandbox numbers on the same panel opens Test on WhatsApp, a shared test number for trying an agent on WhatsApp before connecting your own number. See Test and publish.

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Website chat widget

The Website chat widget panel (“Paste this code into your website’s HTML, just before the closing body tag.”) shows an embed code that opens this agent in Website chat. Click Copy code (you see Copied to clipboard) and paste the snippet into your site. The name, avatar and welcome message Website chat shows are set under Integrations → Website chat; see Website chat.

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Get notified when the agent hands over

The Alerts panel on the Handoff tab (“How your team hears about a handover.”) controls where your team is alerted when a conversation leaves the AI. An alert is sent when the agent hands over through Hand over to your team, when Block spam and off-topic chats hands over after repeated flagged messages, and when Popcorn hands over on its own because the workspace has no credits, no agent is available, or a reply could not be generated. A conversation handed over this way appears in Unassigned and in the Needs you folder in the Inbox.

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Slack

1

Turn on Slack alerts for handovers

Switch on Slack alerts for handovers (“Posts in Slack each time a chat is handed to your team.”).
2

Connect Slack

The panel reads Slack isn’t connected, so these alerts won’t arrive yet. Click Connect Slack. Slack opens in a new window and asks you to authorize Popcorn and choose the channel that should receive the alerts. When the window closes you see Slack is connected; the panel then shows a Connected badge and the button becomes Reconnect Slack. If the window does not open, you see Allow pop-ups for this site, then connect Slack again.
3

Save again, then publish

Connecting Slack updates the agent directly. If you had already saved a draft, click Save and review again before publishing, otherwise publishing stops with Draft is out of date with the live agent configuration.
Each Slack alert is titled Human Handover and includes the customer’s name and phone number, their email if known, the tag applied by the handover if any, and a link to the conversation.

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Email

1

Turn on Email alerts for handovers

Switch on Email alerts for handovers (“Emails your team each time a chat is handed over.”).
2

Add recipients

Type an address under Add a recipient and press Enter or click Add. Recipients appear under Recipients; remove one with the X on its chip. An address that is already listed cannot be added twice (This address is already on the list.), and you need at least one (Add at least one email address.) before the agent can be saved.
3

Save and publish

Click Save and review, then Publish changes.
Every recipient receives an email with the subject Human Handover - Popcorn AI, the customer’s name, phone number and email if known, and a View Conversation button.