Use AI Agents
This guide explores how you can utilize GPT Powered Answers to its maximum capability
AI Agents help support teams respond faster and more consistently in Slack. They can answer questions using your knowledge, take actions in connected tools, and help keep documentation up to date - all while giving your team control over how AI interacts with customers.
Each AI Agent can be configured per Collection, so different teams can tailor AI behavior, data access, and integrations to match their workflows.
What can AI Agents do?
AI Agents are used in three main ways:
Answer questions using Knowledge Sources
AI Agents generate accurate, context-aware answers by searching your connected Knowledge Sources (docs, help centers, internal tools, etc.).
How answers appear depends on the Conversation Mode:
Virtual Agent → AI replies directly to requesters in Slack
Agent Assistant → AI drafts replies privately for agents to review and send
This helps:
Reduce repetitive questions
Improve response speed
Maintain consistent answer quality
Take actions in connected integrations
AI Agents can perform actions directly from Slack by connecting to integrations like Jira, Zendesk, HubSpot, Okta, JumpCloud, and more.
Examples include:
Creating or updating Jira issues
Searching or updating Zendesk tickets
Creating or modifying HubSpot deals and contacts
Managing users, access, and devices in IT systems
Updating employee or asset records
This allows teams to resolve requests without switching tools or leaving Slack.
Identify documentation gaps
AI Agents can also run as Documentation Agents, analyzing support conversations to:
Detect missing documentation
Flag outdated or incorrect content
Identify opportunities to improve help resources
These agents work in the background and do not participate in live Slack conversations.
Conversation Modes (How AI responds in Slack)
Each Collection uses exactly one Conversation Mode, which determines:
Where AI responses appear
Who can see them
Whether AI replies directly to customers or assists agents privately
Quick comparison
Channel Type
Request Channels
Triage Channels
Who sees the response?
Customer directly
Internal agents only
Response Flow
Fully automated
Agent-reviewed
Use case
Self-serve support
Assisted support
Control over messaging
Low (auto)
High (manual)
Virtual Agent - Public AI responses
In Virtual Agent mode, AI responds directly to customers in request channels.
Best suited for:
Automating answers to common or straightforward questions
Reducing inbound support volume
Providing fast, real-time responses
How it behaves:
Virtual Agent intelligently detects questions or issues and monitors request channels, responding based on how you configure it:
Trigger Mode — Choose when the Virtual Agent responds to questions:
Automatically — AI responds as soon as a question is detected
On emoji reaction — AI responds only after a specific emoji is applied to the request message
Important: To trigger the Virtual Agent with an emoji, always apply it directly on the request message — not on replies in the thread.
Timing (when automatic ticketing is enabled) - Choose when the Virtual Agent generates responses:
Before ticket creation — AI responds before the ticket is submitted
After ticket creation — AI responds after submission and can use ticket fields to generate more contextual answers
Bot Interactions - Optionally allow agents and requesters to tag the ClearFeed bot in request or triage channels to:
Ask questions
Trigger AI responses
Perform supported actions
Virtual Agent with Ticketing
Note: Interaction with the Virtual Agent is different when ticketing is set to automatic and manual respectively. This is applicable for both ClearFeed and External Ticketing.
Using Virtual Agent with Automatic Ticketing
When Automatic mode is enabled, you can choose when the Virtual Agent should generate its response:
Before Ticket Creation
The Virtual Agent attempts to answer before a ticket is created.
If an answer is generated: The user is prompted to choose:
Yes, mark as solved — closes the request without creating a ticket
No, create a ticket — triggers ticket creation
If no answer is generated, or if the user does not provide feedback within 1 hour, the system automatically creates a ticket.
This mode helps deflect simple queries by resolving them before ticket creation.
After Ticket Creation
In this mode, the system creates a ticket first, and then the Virtual Agent attempts to answer. (Currently supported only when ticketing is set to ClearFeed or Zendesk.)
The agent uses the details provided in the ticket form to generate a more accurate response.
If an answer is generated: The user can respond with:
Yes, mark as solved — closes the ticket
No — keeps the ticket open (conversation continues with the human agent)
This mode is helpful when richer ticket details improve answer quality.
Using Virtual Agent with Manual Ticketing
The Virtual Agent responds immediately to messages in the request channel.
A ticket is created when a user reacts with the configured emoji regardless of their feedback response.
Agent Assistant - Private AI suggestions
In Agent Assistant mode, AI does not reply to customers directly. Instead, it drafts responses for agents to review.
Best suited for:
Teams that want full control over customer communication
Workflows requiring human review before sending replies
Maintaining brand tone and personalization
How it behaves:
When you use Agent Assistant:
Bot Interactions are always enabled and cannot be disabled
No Trigger Mode or Timing settings are required
AI only generates internal suggestions in triage channels
Agents review, edit, and manually send responses to requesters
Agent Assistant operates within Triage Channels, providing AI-generated suggestions that agents can refine and post. Rather than responding automatically, it empowers your team with AI-crafted drafts that reduce time spent writing replies.
How AI Agents work
High-level process
When AI is triggered - automatically, through bot tagging, or via automations — it:
Understands the request and its context
Finds relevant knowledge or tool data
Takes supported actions if needed
Generates a response or suggestion
The exact behavior depends on the selected Conversation Mode.
Detailed processing flow
When an AI Agent is invoked, it follows this technical process:
Evaluates the query against restricted queries to determine if it should respond
Creates a plan using planning and execution instructions to identify necessary steps and tools (based on configured Integrations)
Executes the plan by taking the necessary actions
Generates a response based on response instructions
Answering questions from Knowledge Sources
When looking up information, the AI Agent:
Searches indexed sources for relevant snippets
Uses LLM to generate answers from those snippets
Posts the generated answer based on the Conversation Mode:
Virtual Agent: Posts directly in the request thread
Agent Assistant: Posts as an internal comment on the request's triage thread
Waits for agent approval (in Agent Assistant mode, agents can share the answer as-is or edit before sending)
If the AI Agent cannot find a relevant answer, it posts a message indicating "No relevant answers were found."
Ways to invoke AI Agents
AI Agents can be triggered in multiple ways depending on your workflow:
Automatically on ticket/request creation - AI responds without manual intervention
Manually on a ticket - Agents trigger AI on-demand for specific requests when you apply an emoji
Bot interaction - Tag the ClearFeed bot to ask questions or request actions
Automations - Configure workflows to invoke AI under specific conditions
Ask AI - Use the Ask AI feature to query the agent directly
Setting up AI Agents
Prerequisites before enabling an AI Agent in a Collection:
Before you can set up an AI Agent for a Collection, ensure that you have:
Created/built an AI Agent
Connected Knowledge Sources to the AI Agent (if you want question-answering capabilities)
Connected required integrations to the AI Agent (Jira, Zendesk, HubSpot, etc.) for any actions you want it to perform
To enable AI Agents for a Collection:
Go to Collection → Settings
Open AI Agent settings
Enable one Conversation Mode:
Virtual Agent, or
Agent Assistant
Select the AI Agent you want to use
Configure mode-specific settings:
For Virtual Agent: Set Trigger Mode, Timing (if ticketing enabled), and Bot Interactions preference
For Agent Assistant: Bot Interactions are enabled by default
(Optional) Customize the Virtual Agent identity:
Name - required
Avatar - optional (inherits from White Label settings if not provided)
FAQs
Where can AI Agents be used? Answer: AI Agents work directly inside Slack conversations.
Can AI Agents both answer questions and take actions? Answer: Yes - they can generate answers from Knowledge Sources and perform actions in connected tools.
Can different teams configure AI differently? Answer: Yes, AI behavior is configured per Collection, so different teams can use different settings.
Do AI Agents require Knowledge Sources? Answer: Knowledge Sources improve answer quality and enable richer responses. They're essential for question-answering capabilities.
Which integrations are supported? Answer: Jira, Zendesk, Notion, HubSpot, Okta, JumpCloud, Asset Panda, BambooHR, Kandji, and more.
Where should I apply emojis to trigger Virtual Agent on the request message or in a reply?Answer: Always apply the emoji directly on the request message. Adding emojis in thread replies will not trigger the Virtual Agent.
How can I modify the time window for automatic ticket creation? Answer: If the Virtual Agent generates an answer successfully but receives no feedback within 1 hour, ticket creation is triggered automatically. To modify this 1-hour window, contact support at [email protected].
What happens if a request status changes before the answer is generated? Answer: If the request is solved, converted into a ticket, or marked as "Not a request" before the answer is generated, the Virtual Agent will not post the answer at all.
What happens to feedback buttons if a request status changes after an answer is generated? Answer: If the request is solved, converted into a ticket, or marked as "Not a request" after the answer is generated, the feedback buttons will be removed from the generated answer.
Last updated