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

# Name and greeting

> Set what your agent calls itself and the first thing it says, and see where each one shows up on phone, chat and email.

The **name** is what the agent calls itself, and what your team sees it called across WireDesk. The **greeting** is the first thing it says, word for word, when a conversation starts. Both are set under **Agents → your agent → How it talks**.

## Change them

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open How it talks">
    Go to **Agents → your agent → How it talks**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit the fields">
    Change **Agent name**, **Greeting**, or both.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save changes**. New conversations use the new values straight away.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also edit both on the **Agent** tab of the **Playground**, next to a live preview. It's the same setting in both places. You need the Owner or Admin role to change either.

| Field          | Limit          | Required |
| -------------- | -------------- | -------- |
| **Agent name** | 80 characters  | Yes      |
| **Greeting**   | 300 characters | Yes      |

## Where the name appears

| Place               | What happens                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Every conversation  | The agent is told it is this name, answering on behalf of your business. If someone asks who they're talking to, that's the name it uses.                  |
| Website chat header | Shown at the top of the chat panel, unless you set a **Header name** on the **Content** tab of the **Playground**.                                         |
| Email replies       | Used as the sender name, unless you set a **Sender name** under **Channels → Email**. Your company name, such as "Acme Support", usually reads best there. |
| Your email address  | When you first switch email on, the agent's address is made from its name at that moment. Renaming the agent later doesn't change the address.             |
| Your workspace      | The agent list and the breadcrumbs on every agent page.                                                                                                    |

Pick something a customer would be comfortable addressing, for example "Acme support" or "Northwind assistant".

## Where the greeting appears

| Channel                | What happens                                                                                                                                                                |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Phone**              | Spoken word for word as soon as the call connects. If the [AI & recording notice](/docs/channels/ai-notice) is on, the notice is spoken first, then the greeting.                |
| **Website chat**       | Shown as the first message in the chat panel, unless you set an **Opening message** on the **Content** tab of the **Playground**. That overrides the greeting in chat only. |
| **Browser test calls** | Spoken when you start a voice test in the **Playground**. The AI notice is never played on a browser test call.                                                             |
| **Email**              | Not used. Each email reply starts with its own short greeting line, written for that reply, and signs off with the business name.                                           |

The greeting is played exactly as written. The agent doesn't rephrase it, so write it the way you want it heard.

## Writing a good greeting

* **Make it work everywhere it's used.** "Thanks for calling — how can I help?" sounds right on the phone but odd as a chat message. Either write something neutral, like "Hi, you've reached Acme. What can I help you with?", or keep the phone wording and give chat its own **Opening message**.
* **Keep it short.** On a call, the caller can't do anything until it finishes. One sentence is plenty.
* **Say who they've reached.** Including your business name confirms they've got the right place.
* **End with a question.** It invites the customer to say what they need, so the conversation starts quickly.
* **Don't repeat the AI notice.** If the phone notice is on, callers already hear that they're talking to an AI and may be recorded, just before the greeting.

<Note>
  The greeting is fixed text, so it can't include the caller's name or anything that changes per conversation. For behaviour after the greeting, such as asking for an order number early on, use the [instructions](/docs/persona/instructions).
</Note>

## Related

* [Writing instructions](/docs/persona/instructions)
* [Wording per channel](/docs/persona/channel-wording)
* [AI & recording notice](/docs/channels/ai-notice)
* [Chat widget appearance](/docs/widget/appearance)