1. AI Assistant Training Overview
CampusESP’s default instructions and prompts are already specially tailored for families of prospective and current students. The AI Assistant comes fully pre-trained on your portal content, websites and metadata — meaning it’s ready to deliver helpful answers from day one!
If you prefer testing, refining and fine-tuning prompts for school-specific styles, we encourage you to use this guide to follow our recommended best practices.
You can build upon your existing Knowledge Base by:
Adding training sources (section #2 of this guide)
Adding custom instructions (section #3 of this guide)
While training sources teach the AI Assistant what information to reference, custom instructions define how that information should be delivered — including tone, style, and response behavior.
2. Training Sources Overview
What are Training Sources?
Training sources are the institution-specific materials that are part of your AI Assistant’s Knowledge Base. Training sources help the AI Assistant provide accurate, relevant responses to families.
While the AI Assistant comes with built-in foundational knowledge, adding additional training sources such as websites and files provide extra context for your AI Assistant to reference when generating responses.
Check out section #5 of our AI Assistant Quick Start Guide to learn how to view and add training sources!
Best Practices for Adding Additional Training Sources
Use Official, Authoritative Sources
Prioritize information directly from approved institutional resources.
Examples of strong training sources:
Official campus webpages
Family-facing FAQ pages
Approved policy documentation
Office contact and support pages
Student services process guides
Use Current and Actively Maintained Information
We recommend reviewing your training sources regularly and updating them as needed. If your training source, such as an institutional website, is outdated, that information could be included in the AI Assistant’s response to the user.
💡 Pro Tip: All sources used in each response are cited to the user. Reference these sources to identify any outdated sources for your institution to update. This is an opportunity to help identify outdated information or surface important websites that need updating!
Avoid Conflicting or Duplicate Information
Conflicting information across sources can create inconsistent responses.
Before adding new training sources:
Confirm details align with existing resources
Remove outdated versions when possible
Standardize terminology across offices
Ensure there is one clear source of truth for key processes
3. Custom Instructions Overview
What are Custom Instructions?
Custom instructions help shape how your AI Assistant responds by giving it specific guidance, rules, and context to follow. By configuring these instructions, you can ensure families receive responses that are accurate, helpful, and aligned with your campus.
Check out section #2 of our Quick Start Guide for steps on how to add custom instructions!
When to Use Custom Instructions
Custom instructions are most helpful when your institution wants to shape how the AI Assistant responds. You should use custom instructions whenever you want the AI Assistant to better reflect your institution’s communication standards and support approach.
When Custom Instructions May Not Be Necessary
Custom instructions are not always the first place to make updates.
You may not need to adjust custom instructions if your goal is simply to:
Add new campus information
Update deadlines or dates
Add new policies or process details
Correct resource links
These updates should typically be made within your training sources (section #2), since they change what the AI Assistant knows rather than how it responds.
Best Practices for Effective Custom Instructions
Be Clear and Specific
The AI Assistant performs best when instructions are direct and actionable.
Example: When responding to orientation-related questions, provide a brief overview of the process and direct families to the Orientation webpage for schedules and registration details.
Reinforce Official Campus Terminology
Use custom instructions to teach the AI Assistant how your institution refers to programs, offices, and resources. This helps responses feel more aligned with your institution’s existing communications.
Example: Refer to our first-year transition program as “Welcome Week”.
Define Boundaries and Escalation Rules
Use custom instructions when certain questions should be directed to campus staff rather than answered fully by the AI Assistant.
Example: When asked about account-specific concerns, instruct families to contact Student Financial Services directly by emailing sfinfo@modelu.edu or calling (123) 456-7890.
Refine Over Time
Custom instructions should evolve based on real family interactions. We recommend reviewing instructions:
At the start of each term (for Current Family and Student personas)
Before major enrollment cycles (for Prospective Family personas)
When campus processes change
After updating instructions, test the AI Assistant with commonly asked questions and evaluate:
Does the tone feel aligned with your institution?
Are responses clear and easy to understand?
Is the formatting helpful and scannable?
Are escalation pathways appropriate?
Small refinements over time often produce the strongest results.
4. Testing Guidance
Testing Your AI Assistant
The Sandbox page allows you to test your AI Assistant’s responses for accuracy. We recommend testing your AI Assistant with your most frequently asked questions.
If you use multiple personas (i.e. Prospective Families and Current Families), select the persona that you would like to test with under Settings.
Type in your question or prompt in the bar and click the arrow.
Your response should appear!
NOTE: Click “Start New Conversation” if you would like to start a conversation from scratch or switch personas. You can access previous conversations under “My Chats.”
💡 Pro Tip: If you notice any inaccurate responses, make sure to adjust your training sources and/or add custom instructions to help shape how your AI Assistant responds.
Looking for ideas on what to ask your AI Assistant? Here are some example prompts for each persona!
Example Prompts for Testing the Prospective Family Persona:
What are the on-campus housing options, and how are assignments/roommates handled?
Where can I see what’s still missing on our application or admitted checklist?
What is the cost of attendance, and where can I find a tuition/fees breakdown?
What scholarships or merit awards are available, and what are the criteria or renewal rules?
What campus visit options are available, and where can we see upcoming dates and register?
How does the health insurance waiver work here, and what counts as acceptable coverage?
Example Prompts for Testing the Current Family Persona:
Where can I find the Parents/Family Weekend schedule and event locations?
How do I get tickets for Parents/Family Weekend events (and what’s included vs. extra)?
What does our current balance include (tuition, housing, meal plan, fees), and what is each charge for?
When does course registration open?
What do we need to submit to complete FAFSA/verification requirements?
How can my student find a summer internship or research opportunity?
Example Prompts for Student Persona:
When is the deadline to drop a class?
Where can I meet with an academic advisor?
What are the campus dining hall hours this week?
What counseling resources are available?
How do I register for classes for next semester?
If you have any questions, let us know at support@campusesp.com!