What are the two ways to build an AI agent, and which one should I use?

There are two ways to build an agent in Votel, and it helps to know both, because some clients need exact scripts.

1. The system prompt way. This is the easiest. You write your instructions (keep them short) and the AI decides what to say, so it may word things a little differently each time while still following your instructions. You can build one from a website: enter a site, click start, and in about thirty seconds the agent is built from that website with just a system prompt and no workflow. This is a great way to give demos. By default an agent can only talk, so give it tools (for example booking) and add knowledge. Click the Test button to hear how it sounds.
2. The visual drag and drop workflow way. Use it when a client wants control, for example a business that says the AI must say this and only this, or has a specific script such as: if they want to stay more than two days, go down a path and pitch a luxury package. The workflow starts with the Conversation started trigger and is built from conversation nodes, with Ask and Save steps to capture information and a bookable step to book appointments. If you can write a conversation, you can build one by connecting the nodes. It gives you predictability, because the AI says what you wrote, and it is the best way to optimize a conversation, because you can change one line and see how that path performs.

A workflow agent still uses its system prompt. When the caller goes off the path, the AI answers from the system prompt and knowledge.

If the client does not need strict control, the system prompt way is more flexible.