---
title: Create and manage custom agents in Elastic Agent Builder
description: Learn how to create and manage custom agents in Agent Builder. Define custom instructions, assign tools, and iterate on agent behavior for specific workflows.
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/custom-agents
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless
  - Elastic Observability
  - Elastic Security
  - Elasticsearch
  - Kibana
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available since 9.3, Preview in 9.2
---

# Create and manage custom agents in Elastic Agent Builder
Custom agents enable you to create specialized AI assistants tailored to your specific use cases and workflows. Unlike [built-in agents](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/builtin-agents-reference), which are pre-configured by Elastic, custom agents give you full control over instructions, tools, and behavior.
<note>
  Built-in agents are immutable and cannot be edited. To customize agent behavior, you need to create a custom agent by cloning an agent or creating a new one from scratch.
</note>


## Create a custom agent

Follow these steps to create a new custom agent:
<stepper>
  <step title="Navigate to the Agents page">
    Navigate to the **Agents** page to access the agent management interface.
  </step>

  <step title="Create a new agent">
    Select the **New agent** button to begin creating a new agent.
    ![Select the New agent button to create a new agent](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/images/new-agent-button.png)
  </step>

  <step title="Configure essential settings">
    Configure the essential agent settings in the **Settings** tab:
    1. Enter an **Agent ID**, a unique identifier for reference in code.
    2. Add **Custom instructions**.Custom instructions define the agent's personality and determine how it interacts with users and performs tasks.
       <note>
       Agent Builder adds your custom instructions to the system prompt to define the agent's behavior. The system prompt enables core features like visualization and citations.
       </note>
    3. Set the **Display name** for users.
    4. Add a **Display description** to explain the agent's purpose.
  </step>

  <step title="Assign tools">
    Switch to the **Tools** tab to assign [tools](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/tools) to your agent.Select the combination of built-in and custom tools available to the agent, based on your use case.
  </step>

  <step title="Customize appearance (optional)">
    Optionally customize the agent's appearance and organization:
    - Add **Labels** to organize your agents.
    - Select an **Avatar color** and **Avatar symbol** to help visually distinguish the agent.
  </step>

  <step title="Save your changes">
    Select **Save** to create your agent, or **Save and chat** to create the agent and immediately begin a conversation with it.
    ![Save and Save and chat buttons](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/images/save-and-chat-buttons.png)
  </step>
</stepper>


## Manage custom agents

From the **Agents** page, you can perform various actions on custom agents:
- **Chat**: Start a conversation with the agent.
- **Edit**: Modify the agent's settings, instructions, tools, or appearance.
- **Clone**: Create a copy of the agent as a starting point for a new agent.
- **Delete**: Remove the agent from your workspace.

![Agent context menu showing Chat, Edit, Clone, and Delete options](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/images/chat-edit-clone-delete.png)

<note>
  These management options apply only to custom agents. Built-in agents like the **Elastic AI Agent** can only be chatted with or cloned, not edited or deleted.
</note>


## Best practices for custom agents

When creating custom agents, follow these best practices to ensure optimal performance and usability:

### Instructions

1. **Be specific and clear**: Write instructions that clearly define the agent's role and capabilities.
2. **Define boundaries**: Specify what the agent should and shouldn't do to prevent unexpected behavior.
3. **Include examples**: Provide examples of how the agent should respond to common queries.
4. **Keep it focused**: Agents with narrow, well-defined purposes typically perform better than generalist agents.


### Tool selection

1. **Assign relevant tools only**: Limit tools to those directly related to the agent's purpose.
2. **Fewer is better**: Too many tools can confuse the agent's decision-making process.
3. **Test tool combinations**: Verify that the selected tools work well together for your use case.


### Naming and organization

1. **Use descriptive names**: Choose names that clearly convey the agent's purpose.
2. **Write meaningful descriptions**: Help users understand when to use each agent.
3. **Apply labels consistently**: Use labels to organize agents by team, use case, or department.
4. **Choose distinctive avatars**: Select unique colors and symbols to make agents easily recognizable.


### Testing and iteration

1. **Test thoroughly**: Verify the agent works correctly with various queries before deploying.
2. **Iterate based on feedback**: Refine instructions and tool assignments based on actual usage.
3. **Monitor performance**: Track how well the agent addresses user needs and adjust as necessary.


## Agents API

The Agents API enables programmatic management of custom agents.
For an overview of agent API operations, refer to [Agents API](/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/kibana-api#agents-apis).
For the complete API reference, refer to the [Kibana API reference](https://www.elastic.co/docs/api/doc/kibana/operation/operation-get-agent-builder-agents).

## Related pages

- [Agents overview](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/agent-builder-agents)
- [Best practices for prompt engineering in Elastic Agent Builder](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/prompt-engineering)
- [Built-in agents reference](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/builtin-agents-reference)
- [Tools](https://www.elastic.co/docs/explore-analyze/ai-features/agent-builder/tools)