# Build your first voice agent

> Complete the guided six-step setup, generate a focused workflow, and test the first draft from your browser before adding telephony.

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The fastest way to a useful first agent is to give Menace Voice a narrow brief and let the guided setup build the initial workflow around it. You do not need a phone number for this tutorial. You need a signed-in workspace, permission to use your microphone, and a working model configuration by the time you reach the Voice step.

If you have not configured models yet, start with [Models and costs](/handbook/builders/model-setup) — set up Speech to Speech, Menace Voice-managed inference, or BYOK before the Voice step.

## 1. Start with a testable brief

```text
Job: help new and returning customers request a haircut appointment
Success: collect service, preferred day, preferred time, name, and callback number
Boundaries: never claim a slot is booked until the scheduling tool confirms it
Escalate: transfer or capture a callback request when the caller needs staff help
```

A useful brief describes observable behavior. Avoid broad directions such as “be a helpful receptionist.” State what the agent should collect, what system result counts as success, and what it should do when it cannot complete the job.

## 2. Complete the six setup steps

- Purpose: choose a starting template or Custom, name the agent, select inbound or outbound, and describe the job in detail.
- Knowledge: select existing documents or upload the policies and reference material this agent should use.
- Behavior: choose the tone and language, then add requirements, boundaries, escalation rules, and any wording the agent must preserve.
- Voice: confirm the organization model configuration and select the voice used by the generated agent. Self-hosted workspaces must supply valid managed or BYOK configuration.
- Connections: add only the built-in, HTTP, or remote MCP tools needed for this job. Templates can recommend appropriate options, but you control what is attached.
- Launch: optionally configure a pre-call caller lookup and a post-call webhook, review the summary, and create the first workflow.

> **What generation gives you**
>
> Menace Voice creates a workflow with an opening, ordered conversation stages, explicit transition conditions, and a closing path based on your brief. Connected documents and tools are attached to the generated conversational nodes. Treat this as a first draft to review, not a finished production script.

## 3. Run the first Web Call

Open the generated agent and start a Web Call. Allow microphone access, speak as the intended caller, and watch the live transcript, node transitions, and tool activity. Web Calls run the speech-to-text, model, text-to-speech, workflow, recording, and transcript path without using a telephony provider.

- Happy path: provide the expected information and confirm the agent reaches the intended outcome.
- Missing information: omit one required detail and confirm the agent asks for it instead of guessing.
- Boundary: ask for something the agent is not allowed to promise and confirm it explains the limit or escalates.
- Interruption: speak while the agent is talking and check that the turn still feels natural for your interruption settings.
- Tool failure: when a tool is attached, exercise an empty result or failure and confirm the agent does not invent success.

## 4. Make one change at a time

Edit the node that owned the incorrect behavior. Put shared persona, language, and non-negotiable rules in the Global node; keep stage-specific questions and tool instructions in the Agent node where they apply. Save the draft, start a new Web Call, and compare the new run with the previous transcript.

> **Keep the first version small**
>
> One clear job makes the transcript easy to evaluate. Add a new branch only when a real test shows that the current node cannot express the behavior cleanly.

When the conversation needs live data or an action, continue to [Give your agent tools](/handbook/builders/tools). For policies and caller-specific data, use Knowledge & context next.