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Step 2: Conversation Starters

Conversation starters are like the suggested questions a hotel concierge has printed on a card by the front desk — they show newcomers what they can ask without having to figure it out from scratch. In Nirvai, they're ready-made prompts that appear as clickable buttons when someone opens a chat with your agent. They help people understand what the agent can do and make it easy to get started without typing.

Why starters matter​

When people first meet an agent, they often don't know what to ask. Starters fix this by showing concrete examples:

  • They show off what the agent can do at a glance.
  • They save effort — one click instead of typing.
  • They point people toward the things the agent handles best.
  • They set expectations about what the agent can and can't do.

Conversation starters appearing as clickable cards below the agent's greetingImage: Conversation starters appearing as clickable cards below the agent's greeting

Before you start​

  • This step is optional — you can skip it and come back later.
  • It helps to have your agent's purpose clear first (from the Profile step), so your starters match what the agent actually does.

Step-by-step​

  1. Click the Starters node on the creation canvas.
  2. Click Add Starter for each prompt you want to create.
  3. Write the prompt text — this is exactly what gets sent when someone clicks it.

Example starters by agent type​

Customer support agent:

  • "What's the status of my latest order?"
  • "I'd like to request a return"
  • "What are your business hours?"
  • "Tell me about your warranty policy"

Research agent:

  • "Summarize the latest news about [topic]"
  • "Compare [product A] vs [product B]"
  • "Find me statistics about [industry trend]"

HR assistant:

  • "How many vacation days do I have left?"
  • "What's the process for requesting time off?"
  • "Explain our health insurance options"

Sales agent:

  • "Tell me about your pricing plans"
  • "What makes your product different from competitors?"
  • "I'd like to schedule a demo"

Tips for good starters​

DoDon't
Use natural, conversational languageUse robotic or overly formal phrasing
Cover the agent's main usesAdd starters for things the agent can't do
Keep prompts short (under 60 characters)Write paragraph-length starters
Include 3–5 startersAdd more than 6 (too many choices means no choice)
Make each starter distinctWrite variations of the same question
tip

Think about the top three to five things people will most commonly ask your agent. Turn those into starters.

Where starters appear​

WhereHow they show up
Nirvai ChatClickable cards below the agent's greeting
Web chat widgetButtons or cards in the chat window
Channel messagesNot shown — people on channels start conversations freely

Troubleshooting​

ProblemFix
My starters don't appear in the chatStarters only show in Nirvai Chat and the web chat widget, not in channels like WhatsApp. Confirm the agent is published to one of those.
There are too many starters and the chat looks clutteredTrim down to three to five distinct prompts — more than six tends to overwhelm people.
Clicking a starter sends the wrong messageThe starter text is sent exactly as written. Reopen the Starters step and edit the prompt text.

What's next​

After adding starters (or skipping them), click the Instructions node to continue to Step 3: Instructions.