Active Intelligence custom account instructions

Custom account instructions are account-level settings that guide how Active Intelligence works with you. They control how Active Intelligence interacts with you and what recommendations and content it creates for your business.

You set up these instructions once. This teaches Active Intelligence about your business, so every conversation starts with context. The instructions cover how you work, who you serve, and what matters to your company.

Custom account instructions work alongside the company description in your Brand Kit.

Benefits of this feature include:

• Save time on every conversation
  Set your working preferences, target audience, and content guidelines instead of re-explaining in every Active Intelligence conversation.
• Get more personalized content
  Active Intelligence automatically applies your instructions to every recommendation and draft, creating content that better matches your business needs
• Maintain consistency
  All users work with the same business context, so Active Intelligence delivers aligned content no matter who's using it

Take note

• Only admin users can view and edit custom account instructions
• If you give Active Intelligence a specific request that conflicts with your instructions, your specific request takes priority
• Custom account instructions are limited to 4,000 characters

How to access custom account instructions

There are two ways to access the customization page:

From the Active Intelligence homepage

1. Click the Active Campaign logo on the left.
2. Click the “Customize” button at the top right.
3. Click “Instructions.”

From the Active Intelligence sidebar

1. Click the Active Intelligence icon while in any feature (i.e., Contacts, Automations, etc.) page to open the sidebar.
2. Click the Customize icon in the sidebar, located beneath your chat history.
3. Click “Instructions.”

How to set up custom account instructions

1. Navigate to the Instructions page using one of the methods above.
2. In the text editor, add your custom instructions.
3. Your instructions are automatically saved as you type.

What to include in your instructions

Your instructions teach Active Intelligence how to work with your team and understand your business. Here are four key areas to help you get started:

Working Preferences 

How you want to collaborate with Active Intelligence:

• Do you prefer an explanation with Active Intelligence suggestions? 
• Do you like to ideate with Active Intelligence or prefer a direct response? 
• How many options and what level of detail do you want in responses? 

Target Audience

Who you serve and what matters to them:

• What is the demographics of your ideal customers?
• What are some of the pain points you help solve? 

• Provide industry context and mention your market positioning.

   

Content Guidelines 

Rules for structure, tone, and messaging:

• How do you like the brand to communicate and what tone to use?
• Are there any specific messages to emphasize or topics to avoid?

• Are there any industry-specific terminology or language Active Intelligence should be wary of?

   

Additional Context 

What makes your business unique:

• Products, services, and differentiators
• Competitive landscape and positioning
• Strategic priorities  

Example instructions

Here are a couple of examples showing how different businesses might use custom account instructions. Use these as inspiration for creating instructions that fit your unique business. Adapt the format, level of detail, and focus areas to match what matters most to you:

Example 1: Local Fitness Studio

Working Preferences: Always confirm details and ask clarifying questions before generating any campaign, email, or automation. Understand the specific goal, audience segment, and context first. Never assume; collaboration beats assumptions.

Target Audience: Our members are adults (25-50) looking for a supportive fitness community, not intimidating gym culture. Many are returning to fitness after a break or trying group classes for the first time. They value encouragement and inclusivity.

Content Guidelines: Tone should be encouraging and friendly. Use "our community" and "we" language. Keep emails under 150 words with short paragraphs. Always include class schedule CTAs. Avoid weight loss language or exclusionary messaging.

Additional Context: We're a boutique fitness studio offering small group classes with personalized attention. We compete against big box gyms by providing community connection. Emphasize our beginner-friendly approach and that every fitness level is welcome.

Example 2: B2B Project Management Software

Working Preferences:  Always show me 2-3 options for subject lines and calls-to-action so I can choose. 

Target Audience: We serve project managers at mid-sized companies (50-200 employees) who are overwhelmed managing projects across multiple tools. They need to prove ROI to leadership and want reliability over the newest features.

Content Guidelines: Use professional but approachable language. Focus on efficiency and time savings, not technical specifications. Keep content scannable with bullet points. Always include a CTA for customer testimonials. Avoid corporate buzzwords.

Additional Context: We're a project management platform built for teams that find enterprise tools too complex. Our differentiation is ease of setup and an intuitive interface. Emphasize quick implementation and getting value within days, not months.