Agent description
Write a clear Agent summary and keep it separate from the goal and standing instructions.
The description is the short answer to "What does this Agent do?" It appears in Agent lists and search, and it becomes part of the saved Agent definition when a thread starts.
Keep it to one sentence. Name the responsibility, input, and output when they fit.
"Triages customer escalations and prepares an approval-ready response plan."
Description, goal, and instructions
These fields have different jobs:
| Field | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | A short label you can find quickly | Customer escalation coordinator |
| Description | What the Agent is responsible for | Triages customer escalations and prepares a response plan. |
| Goal | The result that marks success | Return a severity, owner, and next-step package. |
| Instructions | Rules, sources, order, and approval boundaries | Check Gmail and Drive. Require approval before any external send. |
Do not put the full workflow in the description. Long rules are harder to scan there and belong in Instructions.
Changes apply to new threads
An Agent thread keeps the saved definition it started with. Changing the description, goal, instructions, project, capabilities, or knowledge files creates a new definition for future threads. It does not rewrite an existing conversation.
Start a new thread after an edit when you need to verify the new behavior.
Next
Build the first draft in Agent builder, or update these fields through Agents and versions.