---
schema_version: "1"
id: eb45bb9f758471b3b2cb6e3c6882f4317510a34bd5a7298eeb7043d3e3c54870
title: Quick Actions with Subagents
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/sp_qa_topics.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.sp_qa_topics.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 96dccf8624611e9e3df35f8bb73f9c9e4f6ef697dc30619da3b83115415279f3
description: Review our recommendations for how to best use quick actions with Agentforce subagents and instructions.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Service Intelligence
release: "264"
---
# Quick Actions with Subagents

Review our recommendations for how to best use quick actions with Agentforce subagents and instructions.

### 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;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.einstein_service_intro.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_intelligence-264-0-0-production-enus/dcd06a7b-b5ab-448b-a767-4e2e90481508/images/icon_note.png)

Note This section contains reference guidance for quick actions. Setup guidance is provided in [Set Up Quick Actions (Optional)](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.sp_qa_setup.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Integrate your quick actions with Service Assistant using the Quick Actions manager in the Agentforce Builder.").

The provided guidance for writing Quick Action instructions makes sure Service Assistant has enough information to effectively surface them in a plan step. However, because quick actions and subagent instructions work together to build a service plan, it’s important to understand how to use both together so that your quick actions consistently show in the right plan steps.

There are two ways to use both instruction types: keep them separate or make them dependent using direct references. The independent method is our recommended approach, but the dependent approach is also effective. We recommend trying out both. Which one works best depends on each particular use case.

## Approach 1: Independent Instructions

In this recommended approach, subagent instructions and quick action instructions have distinct and separate roles.

**Subagent Instructions**

In this approach, subagent instructions describe your high-level policy, process, or case scenario. It shouldn’t mention the specific quick action name or use keywords from the quick action name or instruction. This no-duplication rule enables Service Assistant to analyze the scenario described in the subagent and find the most semantically relevant quick action.

**Quick Action Instructions**

In this approach, quick action instructions contain all the action logic that describes how to accomplish a specific task. They must be ‌self-contained and define ‌the action’s general function, specific conditions for its use, and final outcome. Because quick actions contain these details, Service Assistant can confidently match the quick action to the right steps formed from the subagent instructions.

**Examples and Key Take Away**

Here are examples of instructions that follow the independent method and show both recommended formats for writing quick action instructions. These are the key takeaways.

- The subagent instruction describes a general business process, while the quick action provides the exact guidance on how to complete a specific task in that process.
- The key to this independent approach is that the subagent covers a broad category, like a billing issue. This is a general category that encompasses many different workflows and processes for billing issues. Meanwhile, the quick action is a specific tool that handles just one part of that larger process, like initiating a billing dispute.
- Although in the examples the subagent and the action are clearly related, they’re kept separate to their specific uses. The instructions don’t reference each other.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e121">Quick Action </th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e124">Related Subagent and Instruction</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e127">Quick Action Instruction Examples</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Quick Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e121 ">
              <p>Initiate Billing Dispute</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Type: Flow</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Related Subagent and Instruction" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e124 ">
              <p>Subagent: Billing Issue </p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Instruction: When a customer has questions about a specific charge on their bill
                or indicated the charge is incorrect, initiate a billing dispute and verify the
                transaction details in the payment system.</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Quick Action Instruction Examples" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e127 ">
              <p>Condensed format: Launches a flow to initiate and submit a billing dispute when a
                customer reports an incorrect or unrecognized charge on their account.</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Detailed format: Launches a flow to document and submit a customer's billing
                dispute. This action should be used when a customer reports an incorrect or
                unrecognized charge on their account. Once executed, the flow creates a dispute
                record, places a temporary hold on the specified charge, and notifies the finance
                department for review.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Quick Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e121 ">
              <p>Request Order Cancellation</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Type: Flow</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Related Subagent and Instruction" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e124 ">
              <p>Subagent: Order Cancellations </p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Instruction: If a customer inquires about changing or stopping a recently placed
                order, first check the order's current fulfillment stage in the system.</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Quick Action Instruction Examples" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e127 ">
              <p>Condensed format: Initiates a flow to submit an order cancellation request when a
                customer expresses to cancel an order and the order is still valid for
                cancellation.</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Condensed format: Launches a flow to submit an order cancellation request. This
                action is intended for use when the customer expresses a desire to cancel an order
                and the order's status is confirmed as still cancellation. Once executed, the
                cancellation request is submitted for processing, and the case is updated with the
                new status.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_intelligence-264-0-0-production-enus/dcd06a7b-b5ab-448b-a767-4e2e90481508/images/icon_example.png)

Example

Here’s an example of the independent approach with a quick action instruction and its related subagent instruction showing in a plan step.

![Billing dispute quick action example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_intelligence-264-0-0-production-enus/dcd06a7b-b5ab-448b-a767-4e2e90481508/support_intelligence/images/service_planner/sp_qa_topic_ex.png)

## Approach 2: Dependent Instructions

In the dependent instructions approach, the roles of both sets of instructions are intentionally overlapped and directly reference each other.

**Subagent Instructions**

In this approach, the subagent instruction not only defines your specific policy or process but also acts as a direct trigger to call the quick action. It explicitly states the Quick Action name, telling Service Assistant which tool to use for the step. For example, it uses explicit language such as “Use the file billing dispute quick action.” To establish a match, we recommend wording the subagent instruction to mirror or duplicate the key details found in the Quick Action instruction, such as its function, conditions, and outcome.

**Quick Action Instructions**

In this approach, the Quick Action instruction contains all the action logic, defining the function, conditions, and outcome. For this approach to work effectively, the Quick Action must have a specific name that the subagent instruction can reference. Also, the instruction aligns closely with what is described in the subagent’s instruction.

The key to this approach is the tight coupling and duplication of action logic. The coupling prevents ambiguity and helps Service Assistant make a confident match based on the explicit reference in the subagent instruction. Due to the tight coupling, we recommend using the detailed format to write the quick action instruction.

**Examples**

Here are examples of instructions that follow the dependent method.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
          <col style="width:33.33333333333333%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e261">Quick Action </th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e264">Related Subagent and Instruction</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d17137e267">Quick Action Instruction Examples</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Quick Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e261 ">
              <p>Notification of Refund</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Type: Send Email</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Related Subagent and Instruction" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e264 ">
              <p>Subagent: Process Refund</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Instruction: When the refund process is completed, use the Notification of Refund
                tool to inform the customer that the refund has been processed and provide any
                additional information they may need.</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Quick Action Instruction Examples" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e267 ">Concludes the refund process by drafting and sending a notification email to
              the customer. This action is used directly from a service plan step once refund is
              initiated. It provides the customer with final confirmation and transaction details,
              and a note is logged to the case record.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Quick Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e261 ">
              <p>File Billing Dispute </p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Type: Flow</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Related Subagent and Instruction" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e264 ">
              <p>Subagent: Billing Dispute</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Instruction: When a customer reports an incorrect charge on their invoice and
                wishes to formally contest it, use the Initiate Billing Dispute tool to launch the
                guided flow and file the dispute.</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Quick Action Instruction Examples" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e267 ">
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Launches a flow to formally file a customer's billing dispute. This action is
                used when a customer reports an incorrect charge on their invoice and wishes to
                contest. Once executed, the flow creates a new dispute case record, notifies the
                billing department, and provides the customer with a dispute confirmation
                number.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Quick Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e261 ">
              <p>Verify Customer Identity</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Type: Update Record</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Related Subagent and Instruction" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e264 ">
              <p>Subagent: Credit Card Issue</p>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Instruction: Before investigating the issue, verify the customer’s identity using
                the Verify Customer Identity tool.</p>
            </td>

            <td data-label="Quick Action Instruction Examples" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d17137e267 ">Launches a flow at the start of a customer interaction dealing with issues
              related to credit issues to confirm the customer’s identity according to company
              policy. After the flow is executed, it guides the service rep through the
              verification steps and logs the outcome (Verified or Not Verified) on the case
              record.</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_intelligence-264-0-0-production-enus/dcd06a7b-b5ab-448b-a767-4e2e90481508/images/icon_example.png)

Example

Here’s an example of the dependent approach with a quick action instruction and its related subagent instruction showing in a plan step.

![Verify customer identity quick action example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_intelligence-264-0-0-production-enus/dcd06a7b-b5ab-448b-a767-4e2e90481508/support_intelligence/images/service_planner/sp_qa_topic_ex\(2\).png)