Hourzero

Hourzero documentation

Plain-language guides for building an AI agent, teaching it about your business, and putting it in front of customers.

Hourzero lets you build an AI agent that answers your customers' questions using your own information: your website, your policies, your product details. You teach it, test it privately, and then put it live on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other places your customers already talk to you.

You don't need to write code. Most of the work is the same work you'd do to train a new support teammate: give them the right documents, tell them how to behave, and check their answers before they talk to customers.

The Hourzero Playground: settings on the left and a live chat with the Acme Support agent on the right
The Playground, where you test your agent before customers see it. Here the agent handles a jacket return using Acme's return policy.

How it works

  1. 1Teach itAdd your website, files, and common questions and answers.
  2. 2Shape itDescribe its job, its tone, and the rules it must follow.
  3. 3Test itChat with it privately in the Playground.
  4. 4Go livePublish it to your website or a messaging app.
  5. 5Improve itRead real conversations and fill the gaps.

Start here

New to Hourzero? These three pages take you from zero to a working agent.

What is Hourzero?The big picture in five minutes: agents, knowledge, drafts, and channels.Build your first agentA step-by-step walkthrough, from your website address to a live chat bubble.Tips for a great agentSimple habits that make answers more accurate and keep customers happy.

Tip

Looking for something specific? Use Search docs at the top of the sidebar, or press ⌘K on a Mac (Ctrl+K on Windows). Search looks inside every article, not only page titles.

Teach and shape your agent

Data sourcesAdd website pages, files, text, and Q&A so the agent knows your business.InstructionsTell the agent what its job is, how to sound, and when to hand over to a person.GuardrailsSet the rules it must never break, and protect it from misuse.PlaygroundChat with your draft agent and style it for each channel.AI modelsChoose the AI model behind your agent, balancing quality, speed, and cost.SuggestionsImprovement ideas your agent spots in real conversations, with the evidence behind them.

Let your agent do things

Answering questions is only the start. Your agent can also collect details, look things up, and hand a chat to your team.

ActionsCollect leads, show forms and buttons, search the web, or call your own systems.ProceduresStep-by-step playbooks for tasks like returns or address changes.SkillsReady-made abilities, such as creating PDFs or reading spreadsheets.MCP serversPlug the agent into tools from other apps you already use.Human escalationLet the agent pass a conversation to a person when it should.Benchmark AgentGive your agent a test before and after changes to see what improved.

Put it in front of customers

Each place your agent can talk to customers is called a channel. You can use several at once.

Website widgetAdd a chat bubble or a full-page chat to your website.WhatsAppAnswer customers on your WhatsApp business number.InstagramReply to Instagram direct messages.MessengerReply to messages sent to your Facebook page.SlackAnswer questions inside your Slack workspace.All channelsDiscord, Telegram, SMS through Twilio, webhooks, and how to choose.

Saving is not the same as going live

Changes you make are saved to a draft that only you and your team can see. Customers keep getting the current live version until you publish. Read Publishing and version history to see how this protects you.

Run your agent day to day

ConversationsRead every chat, and step in to reply yourself when needed.HelpdeskManage the chats your agent hands to your team, like a shared inbox.ContactsSee the people who have talked to your agent.Leads and collected dataFind the names, emails, and form answers your agent gathered.AnalyticsSee how many chats you get, what people ask about, and how they feel.BackstageAsk plain questions about how your agent is doing and get answers with charts.

Your workspace and account

Your workspace is your company's home in Hourzero. It holds your agents, your teammates, and your plan.

Manage your workspaceCreate agents, rename your workspace, and switch between workspaces.Invite teammatesAdd colleagues and choose what each person can do.Usage and creditsSee how many messages you've used and what they cost.Plans and billingChange your plan, update payment details, and download invoices.Account securityManage your password, two-step sign-in, and active sessions.Single sign-onFor IT admins: let your team sign in with your company login.

Need help?

Frequently asked questionsQuick answers to the questions new users ask most.TroubleshootingFix common problems, like a chat bubble that doesn't appear.Feature availabilityWhat's ready to use today and what's still coming.