Building an Agent in Toqan takes about 10 minutes. You don’t need to write code, you just need to know your workflow well enough to describe it.
Before you start
Make sure you have:
- A clear, repeatable task you want to automate
- Access to the tools involved (Google Drive, Slack, Jira, etc.)
Step 1: Create a new Agent
Open Toqan, go to the Agents tab in the left navigation bar, and click + Create Agent.
Step 2: Describe the Agent
Give the Agent a high-level description of its role, for example: “Your role is to manage my spreadsheet.”
Click Next. Your Agent is now created and published with default settings.
Step 3: Edit the details
The following fields will be pre-filled, replace them using these guidelines:
- Agent name, something recognisable to you and your users
- Model, set to Reasoning for most use cases
- Description, a short summary of what the Agent can do
Instructions: the most important field
This is where you define what the Agent does and how. Structure your instructions using ## headings to help the Agent parse different sections clearly.
Useful sections to include:
- Task, what needs to be done (e.g., summarise, report, reply, tag, post)
- Context, background information the Agent needs to do the job correctly
- Rules, constraints or formatting requirements (e.g., “always respond in English”)
- Response instructions, tone, style, output length, markdown use
- Additional info, optional tips, examples, or links
Example structure:
## Objective
[What is the Agent's main job?]
## Approach
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]
## Data source (if applicable)
[Links to files, sheets, or resources]
Step 4: Add tools
Switch to the Tools tab under Edit Agent. Tools are what give your Agent capabilities, like searching Google Drive, updating a spreadsheet, or sending a Slack message.
- Click Activate next to the integration you need
- Toggle on the specific tools your Agent will use
- Click Save, then Publish
Example: for a Google Sheets agent, activate “Get Spreadsheet” and “Update Cells.”
Step 5: Grant file access (if needed)
If your Agent needs to read specific files or data sources:
- Go to the Integrations tab in the side navigation bar
- Under the relevant integration (e.g., Google Drive), click Select files
- Choose the files your Agent should have access to
Step 6: Test your Agent
There are two ways to chat with your Agent:
- From the main chat interface, toggle on Select an Agent and choose your Agent
- From the Agents tab, select your Agent directly
Send a test message to verify it performs the task correctly. If something’s off, go back to Edit Agent and refine the instructions or tools.
Your Agent is now live. Explore the Agent Templates to build for specific use cases, or start from scratch with your own.