> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usecadence.gg/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Instructions

> Tell a bot who it is and how to work.

**Instructions** are the bot's job description. The bot reads them at the start of every run, before anything else.

## Write good instructions

Write them the way you would brief a new hire:

* **Who it is.** "You are Ada, the customer service assistant for Example Co."
* **What it does.** "You answer questions about orders, delivery and returns."
* **How it should sound.** "Warm, short, never pushy."
* **What it must never do.** "Never promise a refund. Hand refunds to a person."

Keep facts that change often, like prices or opening hours, in [instruction files](https://docs.usecadence.gg/bots/instruction-files.md) instead. That keeps the instructions stable and makes the facts easy to update.

## Edit instructions

Open the bot's settings and type in **Instructions**. Changes save when you click away. Instructions can be up to 100,000 characters, enough for a full customer service rulebook.

If someone else saved a change while you were typing, your save is refused and a **Reload** button appears. Reload, then make your change again. Nobody's work is overwritten silently.

## History

Click the clock icon next to **Instructions** to see **Instruction history**. Each version shows when it changed and why. Click **Restore** to go back to a version. The 20 most recent earlier versions are kept.

## When the bot suggests a change

A bot can propose a change to its own instructions, for example after you correct it. The proposal appears as a card in the chat. Nothing changes until a person approves it.


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