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Give AI tools instructions

Write standing instructions on the workspace, a folder, a document or a database. Stuga provides them to connected AI tools, and the AI co-author reads them before each turn.

Set instructions for the workspace

Section titled “Set instructions for the workspace”

  1. Open Settings → This workspace → Agents.

  2. Under Instructions for agents, write what every AI tool should know. For example:

    • Daily notes go in Journal, one document per day.
    • Never edit anything under Contracts.

  3. Choose Save instructions.

Only people with the Owner or Admin role in the workspace can change these. Everyone else can read them.

Set instructions for an item

Section titled “Set instructions for an item”

  1. Open the ⋯ menu of the folder, document or database. For an open document, it’s beside Share.

  2. Choose Instructions for agents….

    The dialog first shows the instructions that already apply from above, such as the workspace’s and each folder’s.

  3. Write this item’s own instructions in the box below them, and choose Save.

When you create a folder, New folder has an Instructions for agents box too.

The item’s owner can change its instructions, and so can people with the Owner or Admin role. Anyone who can open the item can read them.

Good to know

Section titled “Good to know”

Stuga provides the instructions at every level from the top down: the workspace’s, then each folder’s, then the document’s own. A nearer level adds detail; none cancels another.

How instructions for AI tools stack Four levels, read from the top down: the workspace (Daily notes go in Journal, one document per day), the folder Clients (Write in British English), the private folder Acme inside it (Never edit anything under Contracts), and the document Kick-off notes (Keep the action list at the top). Each level adds detail and none cancels another. Your AI tool gets all four levels. A teammate’s AI tool, for someone the document was shared with who can’t open Acme, gets the workspace, Clients and the document, but not Acme. Instructions are advice to AI tools; whether a change waits for review is set by access and the review setting. Read top-down: each level adds detail, none cancels another Workspace “Daily notes go in Journal, one document per day.” Folder: Clients “Write in British English.” Folder: Acme “Never edit anything under Contracts.” private Document: Kick-off notes “Keep the action list at the top.” Your AI tool A teammate’s AI tool the document was sharedwith them; they can’topen Acme not included Advice to AI tools. Whether a change waits for review is set by access and the review setting. How instructions for AI tools stack Four levels, read from the top down: the workspace (Daily notes go in Journal, one document per day), the folder Clients (Write in British English), the private folder Acme inside it (Never edit anything under Contracts), and the document Kick-off notes (Keep the action list at the top). Each level adds detail and none cancels another. Your AI tool gets all four levels. A teammate’s AI tool, for someone the document was shared with who can’t open Acme, gets the workspace, Clients and the document, but not Acme. Instructions are advice to AI tools; whether a change waits for review is set by access and the review setting. Read top-down: each level adds detail, none cancels another Workspace “Daily notes go in Journal,one document per day.” Folder: Clients “Write in British English.” Folder: Acme “Never edit anything under Contracts.” private Document: Kick-off notes “Keep the action list at the top.” Your AI tool Workspace Folder: Clients Folder: Acme Document: Kick-off notes A teammate’s AI tool the document was shared with them;they can’t open Acme Workspace Folder: Clients Folder: Acme · not included Document: Kick-off notes Advice to AI tools. Whether a change waits for review is set by access and the review setting.
Every level from the workspace down applies, but only the levels each person can open.

A database’s row pages get the database’s instructions too.

Each person’s AI tool gets only the levels that person can open, so instructions on a private folder stay private.

  • Instructions are advice. AI tools are told to follow them, and nothing forces them to. Whether a change waits for review is decided by access and the review setting, never by instructions.
  • They’re not content. Search and Ask never find them.
  • Each level holds up to 20,000 characters. If all the levels together get too long, the dialog warns Agents won’t read all of this, and the instructions nearest the item may be shortened or left out.
  • The co-author reads updated instructions on its next turn. Connected AI tools receive them when they next read the item or its instructions.

Next

Section titled “Next”