> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.poly.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chat settings

<p className="lead">
  Chat settings configure how the agent behaves on the web chat channel.
  They are defined in <code>chat/configuration.yaml</code>.
</p>

<Note>
  **Platform-provisioned — update only**

  Chat settings are created automatically when a project is created. They can be updated with `poly push` but not created from scratch. See the [equivalent note on agent settings](/adk/reference/agent_settings) for details.
</Note>

## Location

```text theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
chat/
├── configuration.yaml
└── safety_filters.yaml       # Optional
```

## What chat settings control

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="Greeting">
    The first message the agent sends when a chat session starts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Style prompt">
    Channel-specific instructions that shape how the agent writes in chat.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Safety filters">
    Optional chat-channel content safety filter overrides.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Greeting

The greeting is the first message the agent sends when a chat session starts.

### Fields

| Field             | Required | Description                                                                  |
| ----------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `welcome_message` | Yes      | Text of the greeting. Supports `{{attr:...}}` and `{{vrbl:...}}` references. |
| `language_code`   | Yes      | BCP-47 language code, for example `en-GB` or `en-US`.                        |

### Example

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
greeting:
  welcome_message: Hi there! How can I help you today?
  language_code: en-GB
```

## Style prompt

The style prompt contains channel-specific instructions that shape how the agent writes.

Use this for chat-specific guidance such as:

* keeping responses concise
* using bullet points for lists
* adjusting formatting for readability

This is separate from the agent's broader personality. Use it to control how the agent communicates specifically in web chat.

### Fields

| Field    | Required | Description                                                        |
| -------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `prompt` | No       | Free-text style instructions. Resource references are not allowed. |

### Example

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
style_prompt:
  prompt: You are a helpful and professional web chat assistant. Keep responses concise and use formatting where appropriate.
```

<Tip>
  **Keep chat guidance channel-specific**

  Use the style prompt for instructions that only apply to chat, such as formatting, brevity, or written tone. Use agent settings for broader identity and behavioral guidance.
</Tip>

## Safety filters

`chat/safety_filters.yaml` is an optional file that overrides the project-level safety filter settings for the chat channel. When present, it takes precedence over `agent_settings/safety_filters.yaml` for chat interactions.

See the [Safety filters reference](/adk/reference/safety_filters) for the full schema, field descriptions, and examples.

## Full example

```yaml theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
greeting:
  welcome_message: Hi! How can I help you today?
  language_code: en-GB
style_prompt:
  prompt: You are a helpful and professional web chat assistant. Keep responses concise.
```

## Related pages

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="Safety filters" href="/adk/reference/safety_filters">
    Configure content safety filtering at the project and channel level.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Agent settings" href="/adk/reference/agent_settings">
    Define the agent's overall identity, role, and rules.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice settings" href="/adk/reference/voice_settings">
    Configure the equivalent behavior for the voice channel.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>