In short. A custom assistant's own instructions are the documented exception to Kagi's global Custom Instructions.
Definition: Kagi's global Custom Instructions are the text and context entered in the Assistant's General settings. Kagi documents that they apply to all interactions unless a custom assistant has its own instructions, so a selected custom assistant's instructions take precedence over that global field.
Key facts
- Kagi's Assistant documentation says the General settings contain a Custom Instructions text box for instructions and context.
- The same documentation states that those instructions apply to all interactions unless the selected assistant is a custom assistant with its own instructions.
- Kagi describes custom assistants as having their own LLM, custom instructions, and web search access, including Lenses and Personalized Results.
- Kagi's Custom Assistants documentation places Response Instructions in the custom assistant setup and sets a maximum of 20,000 characters.
- A custom assistant is selected from the model selection dropdown below the prompt bar before interaction begins.
What is the documented precedence?
The answer is no. Kagi's wording gives the global Custom Instructions field a general scope, then names one exception: a custom assistant with its own instructions. In that case, the custom assistant's instructions are the applicable instructions described by the documentation. The page does not publish a more detailed rule for merging the two fields when individual instructions conflict.
Kagi also separates assistant selection from web access. The Assistant documentation says that web access is controlled by a button below the prompt field and that a thread can change configuration, including turning web access off after an earlier question. That setting is separate from which instruction field applies.
Where are the two settings?
The labels and setup path are:
Assistant settings -> General -> Custom Instructions
Assistant settings -> Custom Assistants -> Response Instructions
The custom assistant page tells you to open Assistant settings, choose Custom Assistants, and click Add New. Its configuration includes a name, a custom bang name, Internet Access, an optional Lens, Personalized Results, a model, and Response Instructions. The page describes those instructions as defining how the assistant should interact.
The two fields therefore belong to different configuration levels. The General field supplies the general Assistant instruction context described by Kagi. Response Instructions belong to the selected custom assistant. Selecting that assistant from the model dropdown activates the exception in the Assistant documentation.
How can you check the active instruction set?
First identify the assistant shown in the model selection dropdown below the prompt bar. Kagi's custom assistant documentation says that selecting a Custom Assistant there begins the interaction. If a custom assistant is selected, inspect its Response Instructions in Assistant settings. If the general Assistant is selected, inspect the General settings' Custom Instructions field.
Kagi recommends being specific about desired tone and style, specifying a preferred response format, and using clear, actionable language in custom instructions. It also recommends testing a custom assistant with various prompts and refining its instructions from the responses.
Related terms
- Kagi Assistant
- Can Kagi Assistant answer without web access?
- Can Kagi Assistant use a custom list of sites?
FAQ
Do global Custom Instructions still apply to a custom assistant?
Kagi's documentation names a custom assistant with its own instructions as the exception to the global field's scope. That makes the custom assistant's Response Instructions the relevant documented setting for that interaction.
Are the two instruction fields merged in a published order?
Kagi documents the exception, but the pages used here do not describe how conflicting sentences from the two fields are merged or ordered.
Do custom instructions control web access?
Web access is configured separately. Kagi documents an Assistant web access toggle and an Internet Access setting for custom assistants, with Lens and Personalized Results options under that setting.
Sources
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