What to Use When

Airgentic offers several capabilities for different needs. This page provides a practical decision framework for choosing the right approach.

Quick reference

Detailed guidance

When to use the default search and answer capability

Use it when:
- Questions can be answered from your website content or uploaded documents
- You want the AI to synthesise information from multiple pages
- You don't need exact control over wording
- The standard Frontline agent behaviour is appropriate

How it works:
The Frontline agent receives the question, searches your indexed content, and generates a response based on what it finds. Citations link to the source pages.

This is the baseline. Most questions should be handled this way. Only add more complex configuration when there's a specific reason.

When to use Curated Answers

Use it when:
- The answer isn't available in your indexed content (opening hours, specific contact details)
- Multiple sources conflict and you need one authoritative answer
- Exact wording is required (legal disclaimers, policy statements)
- You want to deflect certain topics in a specific way
- You want to guarantee a particular page is cited

Two modes:

How to implement:
Add the curated answer via Edit Curated Answers. The AI matches by intent (not exact wording), so write a representative question.

Related: Curated Answers

When to use Specialist Agents

Use it when:
- Different question types need different handling (e.g., sales vs support vs technical)
- You want different prompts, tones, or behaviours for different domains
- You want to restrict search scope for certain topics (e.g., product support agent only sees product pages)
- You want to enable specific functions for specific question types

How it works:
When a question comes in, the Frontline agent evaluates it against the role descriptions of all specialist agents. If a specialist is a better fit, the Frontline delegates to it.

Be thoughtful about adding agents. Each agent adds complexity. Start with the Frontline and only add specialists when there's clear differentiation.

Related: Agents Overview, Creating an Agent

When to use Functions

Use it when:
- You need to perform actions beyond answering questions
- You want to search with specific filters or scopes
- You need to call external APIs (order lookup, CRM, booking systems)
- You want to send emails (enquiry escalation, lead capture)
- You want to display maps or other rich content

Examples:
- Escalate to human — collect customer details and email to support
- Store finder — geocode location and display map markers
- Order status — look up order details from e-commerce API
- Product filter — search only pages matching a product model

Be aware:
Functions require AirScript code and JSON schemas. Global Functions are provided for common use cases. Custom functions need development effort.

Related: Functions Overview, AirScript Functions

When to use Secure Services

Use it when:
- The service is for internal users only (staff intranet, internal knowledge base)
- Content contains sensitive or confidential information
- You need to restrict access by email domain, group membership, or specific users

How it works:
Users sign in through your organisation's identity provider (Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace). Only authorised users can access the chat and search.

Be aware:
Secure services require coordination between your IT team and Airgentic to configure the identity provider integration.

Related: Secure Services Overview

When to use Voice Mode

Use it when:
- Users may prefer to speak rather than type
- You're targeting accessibility needs
- The use case benefits from conversational voice interaction

How it works:
When enabled, a microphone button appears in the widget. Users can speak their question, and the AI responds with both text and audio.

Be aware:
Voice mode uses the same agents and knowledge as text. Voice responses may be phrased slightly differently for spoken delivery.

Related: Voice Mode Settings

When to use Human Handoff

Use it when:
- You want to monitor conversations in real time
- You need the ability to intervene when the AI struggles
- You offer live support as an escalation path
- You want to catch and respond to urgent issues quickly

Three modes:

Related: Human Handoff

When to use Insights

Use it for:
- Understanding how the service is performing overall
- Identifying questions the AI struggles to answer
- Reviewing flagged conversations (thumbs down, negative sentiment, failed answers)
- Finding content gaps
- Tracking trends over time
- Reporting to stakeholders

Key views:

Related: Customer Service Insights, Search Insights

Decision tree

Start here: Can the question be answered from your content?
│
├── YES → Is exact wording required?
│   ├── YES → Use Curated Answers (verbatim)
│   └── NO → Use default search and answer
│
├── NO → Is the answer available on a specific page?
│   ├── YES → Use Curated Answers (pinned URL)
│   └── NO → Do you need to perform an action (email, API call)?
│       ├── YES → Use Functions
│       └── NO → Add the information to your content and re-sync
│
└── Does this question type need different handling?
    ├── YES → Consider a Specialist Agent
    └── NO → Use the Frontline agent

Combining capabilities

These capabilities work together:

• Specialist agent + functions: A product support agent that can search only product pages and call a warranty lookup API
• Curated answers + human handoff: Override specific answers AND monitor for escalation needs
• Secure services + voice mode: Authenticated staff can speak questions on the intranet

Start simple. Add capabilities as needs emerge.

Common patterns

Related pages

• Platform Mental Model — How components fit together
• Admin and Operator Essentials — Practical tasks
• Curated Answers — Adding overrides
• Agents Overview — Managing agents
• Functions Overview — Custom actions
• Human Handoff — Monitoring and intervention

Next: Roles and Responsibilities