Exercise 2: Extend Agents with Topics and Actions

In this exercise, you’ll create core topics for your agent and extend it with an action. You’ll also test routing and action execution using Preview/Simulate and interaction details.

Step 1: Add topics to the agent

Next we're using the Authoring Agent to add new topics.

1. Open the Authoring Agent by toggling the right panel.

   

2. Enter the following prompt:

   Add the following topics. Add applicable reasoning instructions based on the provided descriptions.
   
   Do NOT use the literal descriptions that I provide here.
   Do NOT add any actions.
   
   Order Tracking & Delivery Status
   This topic focuses on real-time visibility into a customer’s orders. It retrieves current or recent orders, checks delivery ETA through Apex, displays driver details, and manages delivery instruction updates—everything customers need to know about “Where is my order?”
   
   Storefront Search
   This topic helps users find storefronts (restaurants/stores) by name and view basic storefront information. It should guide the agent to ask clarifying questions when multiple storefronts match and to confirm the correct storefront before proceeding.
   
   Order Issues & Refunds
   This topic resolves problems with orders, such as missing items, incorrect items, cold food, late deliveries, or orders that never arrived. It also handles support cases related to those issues—including creating a case, checking whether a case already exists, and providing case status/follow-up. It determines refund eligibility, issues refunds or credits, and explains outcomes clearly and empathetically to customers.

3. Confirm the prompt by pressing Enter on your keyboard.

4. Review the agent response, and confirm the addition of the new topics by clicking Accept All.

5. Click Save to save the changes.

6. Click Topic Selector in the explorer. Review that the new topics are not added yet.

   TIP

   The Authoring Agent may have already added the topics to the Topic Selector, if so you can skip the following step.

7. Enter the following prompt into the Authoring Agent dialog.

   Add the new topics as transitions to the topic selector.

8. Review the changes, and confirm by clicking Accept Change. This may happen a few times.

9. Click Save to save the changes.

Step 2: Create an Apex-based action (Storefront search)

Next, you’ll create a topic with an Apex-based action so the agent can search storefront records by name.

1. In the Explorer, Select the newly created Storefront Search Topic

2. Select Create new topic.

   

3. Replace the existing instructions with Lookup store names based on the users query.

4. Click on the arrow besides Select action, and select Create an action.

   

5. Enter Store Search as action name and click Create and Open.

6. Enter the following information:

   Field	Value
   Agent Action Label	Store Search
   Agent Action API Name	Store_Search
   Description	Retrieves store information based on a user query.
   Reference Action Type	Apex
   Reference Action	Get Storefronts by Name
   Inputs - Storefront Name	Select checkbox Require Input to execute action
   Outputs - Storefronts	Select checkbox Show in conversation

7. Click Save.

8. Open the Storefront Search topic again from the the explorer view.

9. Under Actions Available For Reasoning Click on Select action, and select Store Search.

   

   TIP

   Per default the action inputs are defined in a way that the LLM selects which value it should pass to the action.

10. Click Save.

Step 3: Assign Service Agent User permissions

Before testing, make sure your agent’s running user has the right permissions to run actions and access data.

1. Click the back arrow to leave Agentforce Builder.

2. Open the Setup Menu and click Setup.

3. In Setup Quick Find, search for Permission Sets and open Permission Sets.

4. Open the Agentforce Action Access permission set.

5. Click Manage Assignments (or Manage User Assignments).

6. Select the EinsteinServiceAgent User with the username that begins with pronto_service_agent@ (the agent running user created/assigned when you created the agent).

   

7. CLick Next.

8. Click Assign.

Step 4: Test routing and actions

1. In the App Launcher, open Agentforce Studio.

2. Open the Pronto Service Agent.

3. Click Preview.

4. Enter the following prompt:

   Where is my order?

5. Press Enter on your keyboard.

6. Click on the entry next to Transition to Topic in the Interaction Details section on the right, and explore the reasoning details.

   

7. Click on the arrow besides Live Test Mode and select Simulate.

8. Confirm the switch by clicking Switch.

9. Enter the following prompt:

   Provide me information about the fusion bites store

10. Press Enter on your keyboard.

11. Click on Action: Store Search in the Interaction Details area and review the action inputs and outputs.

Summary

You have added new topics, wired them into the Topic Selector for routing, assigned the Agentforce Action Access permission set to the Service Agent User, and extended the agent with an Apex-based storefront search action.