Test an agent

The Test the agent panel lets you talk to your agent exactly as your customers will, in chat or in a voice call, without leaving Flowtative. Answers come from the real engine, with the agent's saved configuration.

Before you startCopy Anchor Link

• Save the agent. The tester uses the saved configuration: an unsaved change is not taken into account. Voice testing requires an agent that has already been saved.
• For voice testing, allow microphone access in your browser.

Open the testerCopy Anchor Link

Two paths lead to the tester:

• From the Agents list: hover over the agent's card and click Test.
• From the agent editor: click Test in the header.

The panel opens on the right of the screen. Click outside the panel or on the cross to close it.

Header controlsCopy Anchor Link

Below the header, the Chat and Voice tabs choose the test mode, and the Debug switch turns on the diagnostic log.

Test in chatCopy Anchor Link

1. Stay on the Chat tab.
2. Type a message in Your message…, then press Enter or click the arrow.
3. The agent's answer appears as it is written.
4. If the agent reasoned in several steps, expand reasoning below its answer to see the details.
5. To start over, click Reset.

Full conversationCopy Anchor Link

When the conversation exceeds the agent's budget (with strict memory in particular), the message is not sent: the tester shows the error, the context usage in tokens (for example 8,200 / 8,192 tokens) and a New conversation button. Your message is put back in the input field. To go further, adjust the agent's Conversation window or Memory mode, see Create and configure an agent.

Test by voiceCopy Anchor Link

1. Click the Voice tab.
2. Click Start the call. The button shows Connecting….
3. Speak into your microphone. The call status appears above the button.
4. The transcript of your words and of the agent's answers appears in the panel.
5. Click the red button to hang up. After the call, Call back starts a new call.

Going back to the Chat tab during a call hangs up the call.

Use test variablesCopy Anchor Link

Test variables replace the {{variables}} of the prompt and the flow, as a real call would. They let you simulate a specific customer, for example.

1. Click the curly-brace icon (Test variables).
2. The panel lists the variables detected automatically in the prompt, as well as caller.phone_number and call.timestamp, pre-filled with sample values (test number, today's date, "Testeur" for a name…).
3. Edit a value directly in its field.
4. To add a variable, type its key in add a variable (e.g. caller.name) then click +.
5. To remove one, click its cross.

Variables are remembered per agent in your browser: you find them again the next time you open the tester. To learn where values come from on a real call and how to plan for a missing value, see Variables and dynamic data.

Example: to test an order tracking agent, add caller.name = Claire Martin and order_number = CMD-48213, then ask "Where is my order?".

Variables in a voice callCopy Anchor Link

In Voice mode, variables are sent to the call when it starts. Two rules apply:

• The key must be an identifier (letters, digits, _), optionally dotted (caller.phone_number), with no conflict with another key. A non-compliant key is flagged with a triangle and is not sent.
• All variables together must not exceed 16 KB; beyond that, the call does not start.

Debug modeCopy Anchor Link

The Debug switch adds a flow diagnostic log to the conversation transcript: variables, nodes visited, writes. It helps you understand why a flow takes an unexpected branch.

• It is pre-enabled if Debug mode is on in the agent's capabilities.
• It is set before the first message (or before starting the call): once the conversation is under way, it is locked. Click Reset to change it.

Then read the log in Transcripts.

Best practicesCopy Anchor Link

• Prepare a list of scenarios: the nominal request, an off-topic question, an unhappy customer, a transfer request. Replay it after every prompt change.
• Test in chat first, then by voice. Chat validates the logic; voice validates pronunciation, pace and interruptions.
• Check edge cases with variables: unknown customer, hidden number, different language.

Learn moreCopy Anchor Link