# How do I chat with an agent in SyBox?

In SyBox, this is done in Settings > AI and automation > AI Agents. 1) Open the agent's page and its "Chat" tab. 2) Click "New chat", or open one of your chats from the list. 3) Write what a customer would write, and click Send. The agent answers as a customer would receive it, and it remembers the earlier messages of the same chat, as in a real conversation. 4) If the reply would do something, cards under it, "What this reply would do", say what and why: the agent goes silent…

## How to chat with an agent

1. Open the agent's page and its "Chat" tab.
   ![An agent's page: its "Chat" tab beside "Settings"](https://www.smartsybox.com/res/sybox/help/chat-with-an-agent-1.webp?v=7edcc47b)
2. Click "New chat", or open one of your chats from the list.
   ![The agent's Chat: "New chat" and the list of your chats with it](https://www.smartsybox.com/res/sybox/help/chat-with-an-agent-2.webp?v=e3da5ff3)
3. Write what a customer would write, and click Send. The agent answers as a customer would receive it, and it remembers the earlier messages of the same chat, as in a real conversation.
4. If the reply would do something, cards under it, "What this reply would do", say what and why: the agent goes silent because a person takes the conversation, AI replies stop for this customer, the request is noted in "Requests we do not have" or in "Problems to fix", a label or department is added, the conversation is assigned or starred. Each card shows the agent's reason ("Why: …"), or "No reason given". Nothing is actually changed.
5. If the agent handed the chat to a person, it stays silent, as it would in a real conversation. Click "Hand back to AI" to let it answer again.

Your chats are your own. The list shows 15 at a time ("Load more"), and a long chat shows its latest messages first ("Load older messages"). To tidy the list, use "Archive" (the "Archived" view, then "Bring back") or "Delete the chat" ("Delete this chat? It cannot be opened again.").

In real conversations the reasons show too: when an agent hands a conversation to your team, stops the AI or stars a conversation, the grey note ends with "— Why: …", and a request or problem it notes keeps its reason in the mail.

## Questions

**Q: Which AI providers can I use?**

The "Type" list under "New AI agent" shows them: Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, DeepSeek and OpenRouter (one key for many models). You need your own API key from the provider.

**Q: Who pays for the AI usage?**

You do, directly to your provider, through your own key. SyBox shows the tokens used on each agent's card and in its Usage table, but does not show prices.

**Q: I created an agent but it doesn't reply to customers. Why?**

An agent only answers through an automation. Go to Settings > AI and automation > Automations and create an automation with the action "Reply with AI" that uses your agent. Make sure the automation's State is "On" and the "Automations are running" switch at the top is on. Also check that:
- the conversation has not had "Stop AI replies" chosen
- the conversation is not blocked, marked as spam or archived (a temporary archive does not stop it)
- nobody from your team has already replied in it (the agent stays quiet until the conversation is marked Done, until the "Answer again after" hours pass, or until someone clicks "Hand to AI" in the bar under the conversation's name).

**Q: Can the agent promise a customer a call back, a discount or a delivery date?**

Not on its own. An agent does not promise anything on your team's behalf unless your instructions for it say it may.

**Q: I get "[Provider] refused the key: …"**

The provider did not accept the key. Check that you copied the whole key, that it is active, and that billing or quota is set up on your provider account. Then try again.

**Q: I get "This [provider] key offers none of the models this agent can use."**

Your key has no access to the models SyBox supports. Check your provider account's plan and permissions, or use another key.

**Q: The card shows "Last error". What should I do?**

That is the provider's last refusal, for example an expired key or a used-up quota. Fix it on your provider account, or click Edit and paste a new key.

**Q: Can I have different agents for different numbers or channels?**

Yes. Create one agent per purpose. Then create one automation per agent, each with a "Channel" condition that picks the right numbers or pages.

**Q: Will uploading a new file add to what is already there?**

No. Uploading or pasting replaces the agent's whole knowledge base. Put all of that agent's material into one upload.

**Q: The agent replied to something it shouldn't have, or answered wrongly. How do I correct it?**

Add or fix the information in the knowledge base, or add a rule in "Your instructions". Then use the agent's "Chat" tab to check the new answer.

**Q: Can the agent assign conversations or add labels?**

Yes, through your instructions. Use the numbers listed under "Your instructions", for example "assign it to user 3" or "add label 1".

Source: https://www.smartsybox.com/help/chat-with-an-agent