Setting up an AI agent for your app

Turn chats into smart assistants that take action, connect to tools, and help you get more done in your Base44 app.

AI agents turn simple chats into actions in your Base44 app. Instead of only replying with text, they update records, trigger workflows, and connect to tools so you can run more of your process through one conversation.

Each agent understands your app’s data and can search the web, call backend functions, and follow detailed guidelines you define. You can shape its tone and persona, decide which tools it can use, and choose the AI model that powers its reasoning. By default, agents use an Automatic model that is optimized for fast, cost-effective responses, so everything keeps working the same as before unless you decide to change it.

Memory is on by default for new agents, so every interaction feels more personal and consistent from the start. Your agent can remember important details across conversations, such as preferences, past choices, or shared knowledge, and bring that context back the next time someone reaches out.

Agents automatically figure out which tool to use based on your app and request.

Examples:

• “Mark my summer vacation booking as done” → uses the update_task tool.
• “What was the most visited location in Europe in 2024?” → uses the google_search tool.
• “Add 15 new tasks” → uses the insert_task_records tool.

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Setting up an AI agent

Before you can start working with AI agents, you need to enable them in your app dashboard. Then you can start creating them using the AI chat.

You can enable agents for all new apps by default in your account settings in your workspace.

When you chat with an AI agent, Base44 uses integration credits. Pricing starts at around 3 integration credits per message with the default model and then varies based on the model you select and the length of the response.

To set up an AI agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Choose a suggested agent template or click Create from scratch to define your own.

Tips:

• Use a suggested template to get started quickly with a pre-built agent role and instructions you can customize.
• If you choose Create from scratch, describe what you want in the AI chat and the agent will be built based on your input.
• You can enable agents for all new apps by default in your account settings.

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Customizing your AI agent

Each agent has its own configuration panel with the following sections:

• Guidelines: Define the agent’s behavior, persona, AI model, and context files.
• Tools: Control what data and tools the agent can use.
• Connectors: Let app users connect their own external accounts to the agent via OAuth.
• Skills: Add reusable instruction sets that give the agent specific behaviors or expertise.
• Memory: Decide how the agent remembers information across conversations.
• WhatsApp: Connect the agent to WhatsApp so people can chat from their phone.
• Telegram: Connect the agent to Telegram so people can chat from anywhere.
• LINE: Connect the agent to LINE so people can chat from the LINE app.

Configuring guidelines

Use the Guidelines tab to set how your agent behaves and which AI model it uses.

To customize your agent’s guidelines:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click Guidelines.
5. Update the Description to define the agent’s role and high-level behavior.
6. Update Instructions with detailed rules your agent should follow.
7. Under Context Files, click Upload files or Choose from library to add reference material the agent can use to answer questions. For example, product manuals, pricing documents, policies, or FAQs. You can add up to 10 files.
8. Under AI Model, select the model that powers your agent. Keep Automatic selected for fast, cost-effective responses, or choose a model from Google Gemini, OpenAI GPT, or Anthropic Claude for more advanced reasoning.
9. Click Save.

Choosing an AI model

For most agents you can use the Automatic option. It is optimized for general-purpose tasks and interactive workflows and typically costs about 3 integration credits per message.

If you need more control, you can pick a different model. Below is an estimation of credit usage with different models:

Model	Best for	Approx. credits / message
Automatic	General-purpose, fast responses	~3
Gemini 3 Flash	Stronger reasoning at moderate cost	~5
GPT-5	Complex analysis and accuracy-critical tasks	~15

Credits are approximate and vary based on response length. Lighter models use fewer credits, while more powerful models use more. You can switch models at any time if your needs change.

If you are not sure which model to use, leave Automatic selected. You can always move to a more powerful model later for advanced reasoning or analysis-heavy workflows.

Managing tools and data access

Use the Tools tab to decide what your agent can do and which data it can access.

You can ask the AI chat to add or update tools for your agent. Describe what you want the agent to do and the AI configures the right tools automatically, without you having to set them up in the Tools tab.

To manage an agent’s tools:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click Tools.
5. Choose which tools the agent can use. For example:
   • Entity tools to create, read, update, or delete records.
   • Backend functions to send notifications, trigger automations, or call external APIs.
6. Adjust any tool-specific permissions so the agent only accesses the data it needs.
7. Click Save.

You can add or remove tools at any time as your app evolves. For example, you might start with read-only entity tools and later allow updates once you have tested the agent.

Adding user connectors

Use the Connectors tab to let your app users connect their own external accounts to the agent. When a connector is enabled, the agent can create OAuth connect links so each person can authorize access to their own account in that service directly from a conversation.

For example, in a travel advisor app, each user could connect their own Google Calendar so the agent can plan and schedule itineraries on their behalf.

Learn more about setting up connectors for app users.

To add a user connector for your agent:

1. In the AI chat, ask the agent to add a user connector, for example: I want my app users to connect their own LinkedIn account to this agent.
2. When the form appears, fill in the required details. These vary by provider but typically include a connector name, Client ID, Client Secret, and the scopes your app needs.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize the connector and choose the permissions your app users will be asked to grant.
4. Click Approve.

Tips:

• Before filling in the form when adding a connector, make sure you have already created an OAuth app in the provider’s developer console and have your Client ID, Client Secret, and required scopes ready.
• If a user connector is already set up in your workspace, it appears in the Connectors tab automatically. Go to Edit Agent, click Connectors, toggle it on, and click Save.
• The Connectors tab also shows which backend functions are using each connector, so you can see exactly what the agent can do with it.

Adding agent skills

Skills are reusable instruction sets you attach to an agent to give it specific behaviors, expertise, or policies. You can attach up to 10 skills per agent.

There are two types of skills:

• App Skills: Skills you create for a specific app. Once created, they can be reused across all agents in that app.
• Workspace Skills: Skills shared across your workspace. Learn more about managing workspace skills.

To add an app skill to your agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click Skills.
5. Click Add Skill under App Skills.
6. Choose how to create the skill:
   • Select Start from scratch to write your own instructions.
   • Select a template such as refund-policy, support-escalation, pricing-and-plans, or brand-voice to start from a ready-made structure.
7. Enter a Skill name, an optional Description, and your Instructions.
8. Turn on the Enable for current agent toggle if you want the skill to be active right away.
9. Click Create Skill.
10. Click Save.

To use a workspace skill, scroll to Workspace Skills and toggle on any skill you want to enable for this agent.

Configuring memory

Agent memory lets your agent remember important information across conversations, such as preferences, key facts, or shared knowledge. You control whether memories are shared across everyone or kept specific to each person.

Memory is turned on by default for new agents.

To turn on memory for your agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click Memory.
5. Click the Enable Memory toggle to turn memory on.
6. Under Memory Scope, choose how this agent saves memories:
   • Global & Per User: The agent can create shared memories for everyone and personal memories for each person.
   • Global Only: The agent creates memories that are shared across everyone who chats with it.
   • Per User Only: The agent creates memories that are specific to each person.
7. In Memory Instructions, enter guidance that explains when to save memories and what to include.
8. After your agent has a few conversations, review Saved Memories to see what the agent has stored. Click Refresh to load new memories.
9. Click Save.

Use memory instructions to keep your agent focused. For example:

• Save global memories for product updates, company announcements, and shared knowledge.
• Save user memories for personal preferences such as communication style, tone, and specific interests.

Connecting your agent to WhatsApp

Connect your agent to WhatsApp so people can message your app’s agent directly from their phone, without even opening the app.

A WhatsApp-connected agent can do everything your in-app agent does. This includes creating, reading, updating, or deleting entities in your app, triggering backend functions such as sending notifications or starting automations, and managing your app’s data, like updating tasks and adding records. If your agent can do it inside your app, it can do it in WhatsApp too.

Information about using WhatsApp with your agent

• This feature is available for free on all plans.
• A total of 3 agents can be connected to WhatsApp across all your apps. If you try to connect more than 3, you’ll be prompted to disconnect one before continuing.
• Each agent is assigned its own WhatsApp number.
• Every message sent or received with your WhatsApp agent uses 1 integration credit. Credits are also used for agent actions like calling LLMs, querying your database, generating images, or sending emails.
• Your app visitors don’t need to install anything to use WhatsApp agents. They simply tap the WhatsApp button in your app to start a chat. People must send the first message, to help prevent spam and keep them safe. Once the conversation begins, the agent can reply just like it does inside your app.
• WhatsApp conversation supports both images and voice messages.
• If your app is public, people need to log in to your app before they can use the WhatsApp agent. This makes sure the agent can identify who it is chatting with and respond based on their data.

To enable WhatsApp for your agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click WhatsApp.
5. Click Send to Chat under Add WhatsApp to Your App to add a WhatsApp button to your app.
6. Customize the WhatsApp welcome message.
7. Click Save.

Connecting your agent to Telegram

Connect your agent to Telegram so people can message it directly from Telegram, without opening your app.

A Telegram-connected agent has the same capabilities as your in-app agent. It can create, read, update, or delete records, trigger backend functions, and manage your app’s data.

Information about using Telegram with your agent

• All web chat features work seamlessly in Telegram, including tools and data access.
• Users can send voice notes and images for natural interaction.
• Your Telegram bot is created and connected instantly with no manual configuration needed.
• To start a conversation, users open your bot in Telegram and send /start.
• You can add a Telegram button to your app so users can open the bot directly from your app.

To enable Telegram for your agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click Telegram.
5. Click Connect Telegram Bot.
6. Follow the prompts in Telegram to create and connect your bot.
7. Click Send to Chat under Add Telegram to Your App to add a Telegram button to your app.
8. Customize the Telegram welcome message.
9. Click Save.

Connecting your agent to LINE

Connect your agent to LINE so people can message it directly from the LINE app, without opening your app.

A LINE-connected agent has the same capabilities as your in-app agent. It can create, read, update, or delete records, trigger backend functions, and manage your app’s data.

Notes:

• LINE is only available in Japan.
• LINE replies are plain text only. Avoid using markdown or HTML in your welcome message or guidelines.

To enable LINE for your agent:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click Edit Agent on the relevant agent.
4. Click LINE.
5. Scan the QR code or copy the activation code, open LINE on your phone, add the Base44 bot, and send the activation code to connect.
6. Click Send to Chat under Add LINE to Your App to add a LINE button to your app.
7. Customize the LINE welcome message.
8. Click Save.

Activation codes expire after 30 minutes. If yours has expired, click Regenerate Code to get a new one.

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Viewing who uses your agents

The Users tab in your Agents dashboard shows every app user who has chatted with one of your agents. For each user you can see their role, how many agents they have used, their total conversations, and credits used. You can sort the list by agents, conversations, or credits.

You can drill down from a user into their conversations with a specific agent, and open any conversation to read the full transcript.

To view agent users:

1. Go to Dashboard in your app editor.
2. Click Agents.
3. Click the Users tab.
4. Click a user row to see which agents they have chatted with and how many conversations and credits each agent used.
5. Click View next to an agent to see that user’s full conversation list for it.
6. Click a conversation to read the full transcript, including messages, tool calls, and credits used.

Tips:

• Use the search bar to find someone by name or email.
• Use Filter by to filter by agent or role (User, Editor, or Admin).
• Use the date picker to filter by today, the last 7 days, the last 30 days, or all time.
• Click a column header to sort by agents, conversations, or credits.

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FAQs

Click a question below to learn more about AI agents.

Why do I see a "Failed to send message" or 404 error when messaging an agent?

This can happen if there’s an empty entity in the agent’s Tools and Capabilities settings.

To resolve this:

1. Open your agent’s settings.

2. Click the Tools and Capabilities tab.

3. Either update or remove the empty entity.

4. Click Save.

   

After updating, you should be able to send messages without errors.

Can I use agents on the free plan?

Yes. Agents are available on all plans, including the Free plan.

Can I enable agents for all apps in my account?

You can turn agents on by default for every new app you create.

When the Enable agents for new apps by default toggle is on in your Account settings, each new app automatically has the AI Agents toggle enabled in its dashboard so you can start adding and configuring agents right away.

This setting does not change existing apps. To enable or disable agents for an existing app, open that app’s Dashboard, click Agents, and adjust the AI Agents toggle there.

To turn on agents by default for new apps:

1. Click your profile icon at the top right of your workspace.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Account settings.
4. Turn on the Enable agents for new apps by default toggle in the Default Agents section.

What are the benefits of using agents?

Agents are flexible powerful tools that help you:

• Automate repetitive tasks.
• Get informed, real-time answers.
• Keep your workflow inside one app.
• Pick the right tools automatically.

Where can I find my conversation history with an agent?

Go to Dashboard, click Agents, and click the Users tab. Click a user to see their conversations per agent, then click View to open the conversation list. Click any conversation to read the full transcript.

How does the AI model I choose affect credits and behavior?

The AI model you choose affects both how your agent behaves and how many integration credits it uses.

• The default Automatic option (based on Gemini 2.5 Flash) gives you fast, general-purpose responses at around 3 credits per message.
• Models such as Gemini 3 Flash provide stronger reasoning at a moderate increase in credits.
• Higher-end models such as GPT-5 are designed for complex analysis and accuracy-critical decisions and generally use more credits per message.

If you are not sure which model to use, keep Automatic selected so you get a good balance of speed, quality, and cost.

How many skills can I add to an agent?

You can attach up to 10 skills per agent. Skills can be a mix of app skills you create yourself and workspace skills shared across your workspace.

How do I see how many credits my agent has used?

From Agents in your app’s dashboard, you can see the total credits used by an agent directly below its name.

What is the difference between app skills and workspace skills?

App skills are created inside a specific app and can be reused across all agents in that app. Workspace skills are shared across your entire workspace and are managed in your workspace settings. You can toggle workspace skills on or off for individual agents without editing the skill itself.

Can I trigger an automation when someone starts a conversation with my agent?

Yes. You can set up an in-app agent automation that runs the moment a new conversation starts with your agent. Use this to get notified when a customer reaches out, add them to your contacts automatically, or send yourself a summary at the end of the day.

When you click New Automation, Base44 shows suggestions based on your app’s context. If your app has an agent, in-app agent triggers appear in the Suggested for you list automatically. You can also click Create from scratch and select In-app agent as the trigger type.

Learn more about creating automations.