---
schema_version: "1"
id: 39cf05d2c8df5f0f4802c13b19b2b16ae18e8a7312ff866945acd4a68c19a17c
title: Manage Connection Instructions and Response Formats
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/ai/264-0-0/agent_connection_instructions.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_connection_instructions.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 82cf37bd0540193e65bb09a770ea7b82618fc762a44fe8e337c45f038a357c5c
description: Guide how your agent reasons and responds on a specific channel with connection instructions and adaptive response formats. For example, tell the agent to ignore disclaimers in emails or to use a specific response format for certain messages.
products:
  - Agentforce
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Manage Connection Instructions and Response Formats

Guide how your agent reasons and responds on a specific channel with connection instructions and adaptive response formats. For example, tell the agent to ignore disclaimers in emails or to use a specific response format for certain messages.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Performance</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions. <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_setup_explore_types.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Learn about agent types and default templates for specific clouds and common use cases.">Required add-on licenses vary by agent type.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

 
| User Permissions Needed |   |
| --- | --- |
| To manage connection settings: | Manage AI Agents AND [the required permissions for your agent type](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_setup_explore_types.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

Currently, connection instructions are available only for the Messaging, Service Email, and Marketing Email connections. And, adding and customizing adaptive response formats is only available for the Messaging connection.

1. From the App Launcher, enter Agent, and then select **Agentforce Studio**.
2. On the Agents tab, click the name of your agent.
3. In the Explorer panel, click the connection's name.
4. In the Reasoning Instructions section, review and customize the connection's instructions. You can use natural language and references to resources, including adaptive response formats and variables.
    
    When a user starts a conversation on a connection, the agent resolves the connection's instructions from top to bottom, in the order that they're written.
5. In the Available Response Formats section, review the connection's adaptive response formats.
6. To customize an adaptive response format, click its name. You can edit its name, description, and component details.
7. To add an adaptive response format, click **Add response format**, and then select the format that you want to add.
    
    You see only the adaptive response formats that are available for the connection.
8. To create and add an adaptive response format on the Messaging connection, select **Add response format**, and then select **New response format**. In the **New Response Format** window, complete the fields.
    
    - The description helps the agent decide when to use the adaptive response format.
    - You can create custom adaptive response formats based on the enhanced link, question with static options, question with dynamic options, time selector, or form messaging component.

To test connection instructions and adaptive response formats, chat with the agent on a connected channel.

To use a specific adaptive response format for an agent action's output, use the render nested inline action in Script view. If you don’t specify an adaptive response format, Agentforce decides which one to use during the conversation.

For example, this Agent Script tells the agent which adaptive response format to use for the Get Menu For Restaurant action’s output. On Messaging channels, the agent uses the Rich Link Response adaptive response format. On Enhanced Chat v2 channels, the agent sends the action’s output as JSON. The show\_and\_return nested inline action tells the agent to send a response and end reasoning at the end of the action.

```
Get_Menu_For_Restaurant: @actions.Get_Menu_For_Restaurant
	when @connection.messaging 
		render: @response_formats.messaging_rich_link
	when @connection.customer_web_client
		render: @response_formats.json
			show_and_return: True
```

#### See Also

- [Standard Adaptive Response Format Reference](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_response_ref.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Standard adaptive response formats are included with standard connections and are built to work with specific channels, interfaces, or apps.")
- [Agentforce Builder Considerations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ai.agent_considerations.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Carefully review the current considerations and limitations for the new Agentforce Builder.")