How To Make Chatbots: Create Your Ideal AI

Step-by-step instructions from the creator of BrutallyHonestAI

Why Bots Matter (And Why Most of Them Don't)

The AI revolution isn't coming – it's already here, and bots are at the forefront, reshaping industries and personal lives in ways we're only beginning to understand. From healthcare to education, customer service to personal productivity, there's hardly an area of life that couldn't be improved by a well-designed AI companion.

Let's face it: most chatbots are meh. They're frustrating and limited. (Some of my own included…) But here's the thing – it doesn't have to be this way. When done right, bots can be game changers. They can provide instant, personalized support at scale. They can automate tedious tasks, freeing up humans to do what they do best. And in some cases, they can even save lives.

Building an impactful bot requires vision, some technical skills, a deep understanding of human needs and the desire to refine. That's what this guide is all about. I’m going to walk you through my process, from finding your bot's purpose to determining just how effective it really is. I go into a lot of detail here — but just remember, you can always use a bot to help build a bot (how meta!), and I’ll provide that info to you as well.

Step 1: Find Your Bot's True Purpose

The first and most crucial step in creating a bot that matters is defining its purpose. This isn't about coming up with a cute name or a.clever gimmick. It's about identifying a real problem that needs solving.

Start by looking at your own life.

• What tasks do you find tedious or time-consuming?
• What information do you frequently need but struggle to access quickly?
• What support do you wish you had available 24/7?

These personal pain points can be goldmines for bot ideas.

Some examples from my own life

just2min was created to help me break tasks down into smaller components, which has always been a weakness of mine

just2min - Poe

Do you have 2 minutes? I take everything in your life, small or big, and break them into 2 minute tasks. Even the stress you have about tasks -- I will break that down, too. Together, we can help you be the best version of yourself. I promise. ❤️

poe.com

theREALrealtalk was created to provide a unique perspective and challenge me on just about everything

theREALrealtalk - Poe

I tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

poe.com

accept.ai was created to help me understand my emotions and accept life in the most challenging moments

accept.ai - Poe

Your personalized virtual empath. Helping you to accept where you are and navigate your unique journey. Unlock your full potential through tailored mindfulness exercises, cognitive behavioral techniques, and positive psychology strategies. Experience breakthrough moments, overcome limiting beliefs, and cultivate resilience. From career advancement to relationship wisdom, our holistic approach nurtures every aspect of your being. Embrace your authentic self and thrive in all areas of life with accept.ai by your side. Ready to be your best self? You got this.

poe.com

Look at industries you're familiar with.

• What are the common frustrations or inefficiencies?
• Could a bot streamline processes, provide better customer support, or offer personalized guidance?

Remember, the best bots don't just answer questions – they solve problems. They provide value in a way that meaningfully improves someone's life or work. Here are a few examples to spark your imagination:

• A mental health bot that provides immediate support and coping strategies for anxiety attacks
• An educational bot that adapts its teaching style to each student's learning preferences
• A financial advisor bot that offers personalized budgeting and investment advice based on real-time market data and individual goals
• A healthcare bot that helps patients manage chronic conditions by tracking symptoms, medication adherence, and lifestyle factors

Once you have a general idea, it's time to refine it.

Write a clear mission statement for your bot.

• What specific problem does it solve?
• Who is its target user?
• How will their life be different after interacting with your bot?

Next, define your bot's core values. These will guide its behavior and decision-making processes.

• Will it prioritize accuracy over speed?
• Empathy over efficiency?
• Humor over formality?

These choices will shape your bot's personality and user experience.

Finally, validate your idea.

• Reach out to potential users in your target demographic.
• Describe your bot's concept and gather feedback.
• Are they excited about it? Skeptical? What features would they find most valuable?

This real-world input is invaluable for refining your bot's purpose and ensuring it meets genuine needs.

Step 2: Select Your Tech Stack

Tech stack can mean a lot of things. In its most basic form, a tech stack encompasses the platforms, tools and devices you use on a regular basis. A well-defined bot will amplify efficiencies you can build between your stack. Here’s a list of most of mine.

Full Disclosure: These may include affiliate links, which means I receive a small compensation if you use decide to make a purchase.

ElevenLabs

Text-to-speech tool with realistic voice synthesis.

Kit

Email marketing tool focused on automating and personalizing email campaigns.

Loom

Video messaging tool for quick recording and sharing of video content.

Pixieset

Online platform for photographers to share, deliver, and sell photos.

Lightroom

Photo editing software focused on color correction and organization.

Capcut

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Capcut-logo.svg/1024px-Capcut-logo.svg.png?20230913004633

Video editing app with various tools and effects.

Photoleap

Photo editing app providing tools and effects for creative edits.

Remini

Photo enhancement app using AI to improve image quality.

Photoshop

Advanced image editing and graphic design software.

Canva

A design tool for creating graphics, presentations, and documents using templates.

NotebookLM

A tool for enhanced note-taking and management

Poe

AI-powered community for bot creation and content generation.

Shortcuts

Allows for quick actions and automations on iOS devices.

Harpa

An AI Chrome Browser Extension for automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows.

Make

Integrates apps and automates workflows.

Airtable

A flexible database tool with spreadsheet interface capabilities.

Notion

An all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and collaboration.

Miro

A collaborative online whiteboard platform for team brainstorming.

An Example Flow

The Flow

Copy

The Results

If I were to create a bot that helps guide me through an editing process, I would want it to understand:

1) The tools I use

2) How I use them

3) The order in which I use them

A word of caution: the more tools you want to use, the more complicated it gets. I know from personal experience. When starting my AI journey, I wanted to find the perfect workflow encompassing all tools immediately — but this will only slow you down in the long run. Best to use a few tools and work your way up until you’ve built a system.

Step 3: Find your bot a home

Now that you have a clear vision for your bot and we know which tools it will be familiar with, it's time to bring it to life. In this section, we'll explore the key settings you'll need familiarity with to build a powerful, flexible AI companion on Poe.

Tool Highlight: Poe — Your Bot-Building Playground

Poe has become my go-to platform for creating “simple” AI bots. Here's what you need to know. (Information as of September 2024)

• Base Models: Poe allows you to create bots powered by various language models. This gives you the flexibility to choose the right balance of capability and cost for your specific use case.
• Factors to consider when selecting a base model:
• Task complexity: More advanced models like Claude Opus, Gemini Pro and GPT-4o are better for complex reasoning and generation tasks.
• Response speed: Models like Gemini Flash, GPT-4o Mini, Claude-instant or GPT-3.5-Turbo offer faster responses, suitable for real-time interactions.
• Cost considerations: More advanced models typically have higher associated costs.
• Ethical considerations: Some models may have better built-in safeguards against harmful content.
• Claude-3.5-Sonnet tends to be my overall pick, but there’s always value in trying out multiple models. Try them for yourself and see which one does the task correctly
• Gemini Flash and GPT 4o-Mini are really cheap and effective models
• Prompt Engineering: The heart of your bot's intelligence lies in its prompt. Poe provides a user-friendly interface for crafting and refining your bot's instructions. We'll dive deeper into prompt engineering techniques later.
• Knowledge Bases: You can upload custom knowledge to your bot, allowing it to become an expert in specific domains. This is crucial for creating bots with specialized knowledge or up-to-date information.
• Greetings: A greeting can be used in many ways. It can be super simple, or it can be complicated with instructions (that should absolutely be linked to what’s in the Prompt)
• Temperature Control: This setting allows you to adjust how "creative" or "focused" your bot's responses are. Lower temperatures produce more consistent, predictable outputs, while higher temperatures encourage more varied and potentially creative responses. When in doubt, keep it at the default.
• Pricing: If you look at the top trending bots on Poe, most are low-cost. As I’m sure most of you readers are looking for a low cost solution. In a lot of cases, however, you get what you pay for. Why I love Poe is you can upgrade your Base Model with a click of a button — keeping everything else the same. Do keep in mind that if you downgrade from a stronger model to a weaker one, this may impact the amount of text your bot is able to read within your Prompt and Knowledge Base.
• Analytics: As a creator, you have access to analytics tools. I’ll show you a simple way that I look at the data to help know if my bots are making an impact or not.

While Poe provides a solid foundation, integrating other tools can take your bot to the next level. on pages. This can be great for marketing your bot or providing a web interface for interaction.

Step 4: Building Your Bot's Brain — The Knowledge Base

After making hundreds of bots, I’ve realized that depending on your use case, the Knowledge Base isn’t essential. If you’re trying to build a bot tailored to you, or a tool that you use, of course you’ll need to focus on knowledge. However, if you’re creating a bot that translates your text into another language, or writes HTML code, you may not need to add knowledge because the sophistication of models is increasing by the day. They are already equipped with the knowledge needed to carry out the task. Soon, all bots will seamlessly access content from the entire web, eliminating the need for as much data in knowledge bases. Until then, read on!

Start with Core Knowledge

Begin by identifying the essential information your bot needs to fulfill its purpose. This might include:

• Frequently asked questions and their answers
• Step-by-step guides for common processes
• Key terms and definitions in your bot's domain of expertise
• Relevant data sets or statistics

Organize this information in a clear, structured way. Use categories, tags, and hierarchies to make it easy for your bot (and you) to navigate the knowledge base.

Curate Ruthlessly

Quality trumps quantity when it comes to your bot's knowledge. Every piece of information should earn its place by being:

• Accurate and up-to-date
• Relevant to your bot's purpose
• Clear and concise
• Properly sourced (especially for factual claims or statistics)

Regularly review and prune your knowledge base. Remove outdated information, clarify ambiguous points, and fill in any gaps you identify through user interactions.

Make it Dynamic

A static knowledge base quickly becomes stale. Set up systems to keep your bot's brain fresh:

• Use APIs to pull in real-time data when appropriate (e.g., current weather, stock prices, news headlines)
• Create processes for regularly updating information (weekly, monthly, or as needed)
• Incorporate user feedback and frequently asked questions to expand your bot's knowledge over time

Step 5: Crafting the Perfect Prompt — Your Bot's Secret Weapon

The prompt is the hidden puppeteer behind your bot's responses. It's a set of instructions that guides the AI's behavior, personality, and decision-making processes. Mastering the art of prompt engineering is key to creating a bot that truly shines.

Clarity is King

Your prompt should be crystal clear about what you want from the AI. Avoid ambiguity or vague instructions. Instead, be specific about:

• The bot's role and purpose
• The tone and style of communication it should use
• Any limitations or boundaries it should observe
• How it should handle different types of user inputs or requests

Here's a simple example:

"You are a friendly, patient math tutor bot designed to help high school students understand algebra concepts. Explain ideas using simple language and relatable examples. If a student seems frustrated, offer encouragement and break problems down into smaller steps. Never give direct answers to homework problems, but guide students through the problem-solving process."

Build in Safeguards

Your prompt should include instructions for handling tricky situations:

• How to respond to off-topic questions
• What to do if the user asks for information outside the bot's knowledge base
• How to handle potentially harmful or inappropriate requests
• When and how to suggest talking to a human expert instead

Inject Personality

A bot with personality is more engaging and memorable. Use your prompt to define your bot's character:

• Is it formal or casual?
• Serious or playful?
• Does it use humor? If so, what kind?
• Does it have any quirks or catchphrases?

Remember, personality should enhance the user experience, not distract from the bot's primary purpose.

Iterate and Refine

Prompt engineering is an iterative process. Test your prompt extensively, analyzing the bot's responses to a wide range of inputs. Look for areas where the bot strays from your intended behavior or fails to provide value. Refine your prompt accordingly, and keep testing until you're satisfied with the results.

Step 6: Testing, Launching, and Beyond

You've built your bot, but your journey is far from over. The next steps – testing, launching, and continuous improvement – are crucial for creating a bot that truly makes an impact.

Continuous Improvement

Bot development is an ongoing process. Set up systems for:

• Regularly analyzing conversation logs to identify common user requests, pain points, or areas where the bot struggles
• Updating your knowledge base with new information and insights
• A/B testing different prompts or response styles to optimize user experience
• Staying informed about advancements in AI and bot technology that could enhance your creation

Remember, the goal is constant evolution. Your bot should get smarter and more helpful over time.

Analytics

Poe gives you access to analytics that allow you to understand are people interested in your bot – how many messages are being sent, what’s the average conversation length, how many more users are using your bot today over yesterday, how many likes/dislikes do you have?

A quick example for you. I created PerfectGifts to help those struggling to find the perfect gift for someone. Let’s look at my analytics from the previous day:

The story I see here is that one user (New User: 1) used my bot and exchanged 7 messages with it (Average per chat session: 7.0). This same user decided to follow the bot (New followers: 1). That’s a nice story, isn’t it? I’m guessing the Perfect Gift was achieved and that makes me super happy.

Don’t get caught up on subscriber earnings. If you’re interested in cashing out big time on Poe right away, you’re in the wrong place. You’re better off making your own bot and selling it on your website. If you’re looking for access to a community and an understanding if your bots are doing the right job, then you’re in the right place!

(Bonus) Shortcuts I use for Poe

Since Poe’s out-of-the-box options for bot creation don’t access API’s in real time, I use a few workarounds in my own workflow.

Monitoring My Bots (Crawl-Walk-Run example)

1. (Crawl) I keep my Knowledge Base data for my bots in Airtable. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s an enterprise-level database. My recommendation is to start light and maybe keep a document on the Notes section of your phone. Once you’re ready for more, you can add in a tool like Notion, which will allow you to “beautify” your content. Tools that I have used in the past are:
• Evernote
• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Apple Notes
• Notion
• NotePlan
• Airtable
2. (Walk) Alongside your notes for each bot, I highly recommend you keep this link handy: https://poe.com/edit_bot?bot=[YOUR BOT NAME]

For example, if I want to edit BrutallyHonestAI, the normal workflow is:

1. Go Poe.com
2. Click “Your Bots”
3. Search for my specific bot I want to edit - in this case BrutallyHonestAI
4. Click the “...” and select “Edit bot”

That could take minutes, but if you’re managing a hundred bots…those minutes add up. So to save time, I could go to https://poe.com/edit_bot?bot=BrutallyHonestAI. Boom! Time saved.

3. (Run) If you’re using Airtable, Google Sheets, Excel or a database with formulas, you can create a formula to automatically add the link to access your AI.

Chrome Plugins I use to Help Build my Bots

Instant Data Scraper (Free)

An alternative to scraping websites. This allows you to grab content quickly, especially in environments where copying and pasting can be more difficult. Be mindful of the data you are capturing — just because it is accessible does not mean it is legal to scrape.

Harpa.ai (Freemium)

One of the coolest tools around. It’s pretty much having your AI with you anywhere you go on the web. There is no direct integration between Harpa.ai and Poe, but there are definitely workarounds. I love using Harpa to help me in many ways that Poe can’t.

Save to Notion (Freemium)

As a Notion user, I like to save all sorts of stuff from the web – an article, an idea, a conversation with a bot. This allows me to with just a few clicks, make that possible. This may not be the most relevant for this article, but felt like sharing!

Step 7: Marketing Your Bot

Even the most amazing bot won't make an impact if no one knows about it. Develop a marketing strategy that includes:

• Clear messaging about your bot's unique value proposition
• Targeted outreach to communities or industries that would benefit most from your bot
• Content marketing (blog posts, videos, social media) showcasing real-world applications and success stories
• Partnerships with influencers or organizations in your bot's domain
• Leveraging Poe's community features to increase visibility within the platform

Focus on demonstrating tangible results and benefits rather than just listing features.

You can even market your bots by showcasing real reviews on an article…

Putting It All Together — A Complete Example

Let's say you're creating an educational bot focused on environmental science. Your bot's identity might be:

• Name: EcoExplorer
• Purpose: To educate users about environmental issues and sustainable practices
• Target audience: Students, educators, and environmentally conscious individuals
• Unique value proposition: Combines latest scientific research with practical, actionable advice
• Personality: Knowledgeable, passionate, and encouraging

Choosing the right name for your Poe bot is crucial for attracting users and conveying its purpose.

Bot Name

Guidelines for effective bot naming

• Relevance: Ensure the name reflects the bot's purpose and functionality.
• Memorability: Choose a name that's easy to remember and spell.
• Uniqueness: Avoid names too similar to existing bots or trademarked terms.
• Brevity: Keep it concise for easy typing and sharing.
• SEO-friendliness: Consider including relevant keywords if appropriate.

Naming strategies:

1. Descriptive names: Directly convey the bot's function (e.g., MathTutor, LanguagePal)
2. Wordplay: Use puns or clever combinations (e.g., WriteWay for a writing assistant)
3. Acronyms: Create meaningful abbreviations (e.g., LISA for Language Interpretation and Syntax Assistant)
4. Character-based: Give your bot a human-like name to increase relatability (e.g., Alex the Art Advisor)
5. Compound words: Combine relevant terms (e.g., EcoExplorer, CodeCrafter)

Prompt Engineering

Effective prompt engineering is the key to unlocking your bot's full potential. It guides the AI model's responses and ensures consistency with your bot's purpose and personality.

Greeting Message

Your bot's greeting message is its first impression and sets the tone for the interaction. It should be welcoming, informative, and encourage engagement.

Key elements of an effective greeting message:

1. Introduction: Clearly state the bot's name and purpose.
2. Capabilities: Briefly outline what the bot can do for the user.
3. Engagement: Encourage the user to start interacting with a question or suggestion.
4. Tone: Reflect the bot's personality and the intended user experience.

Knowledge Base

A well-developed knowledge base is crucial for your bot to provide accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information. It serves as the foundation for your bot's expertise and capabilities.

Strategies for building a robust knowledge base:

1. Topic clustering: Group related information to create a hierarchical structure.
2. Fact sheets: Create concise summaries of key topics for quick reference.
3. Case studies: Include real-world examples to illustrate concepts.
4. FAQs: Anticipate common user questions and prepare comprehensive answers.
5. External links: Curate a list of trusted resources for further reading.

Example knowledge base structure for EcoExplorer

Action steps:

1. Create a detailed outline of topics relevant to your bot's purpose.
2. Gather information from reputable sources, including academic publications, government reports, and expert interviews.
3. Develop a system for organizing and tagging information for easy retrieval.
4. Implement a regular review and update schedule to keep information current.
5. Consider using AI-powered tools to assist in knowledge base management and expansion.

Next Steps

• Direct link to create a Poe bot (must be a Poe user): poe.com
• Select from Prompt, Image, Video, Role play, Server bot (we covered Prompt here)
• Read this example from ThePoeBotCreator for additional guidance

Conclusion: The Future is What You Make It

We're standing at the frontier of a new era in human-AI interaction. The bots we create today have the potential to shape how people work, learn, and live for years to come. That's both an exciting opportunity and a profound responsibility.

As you embark on your bot-building journey, remember why you started: to solve real problems and make a positive impact. Stay true to that purpose, be relentless in your pursuit of improvement, and never stop asking how you can better serve your users.

The future of AI is not predetermined. It's being written right now, by creators like you. So go forth, build with purpose, and create a bot that truly changes lives. The world is waiting.

Your bot guide,

Joey

Would you like help creating a Poe Bot?

Chat with ThePoeBotCreator (that’s why I made it!)

ThePoeBotCreator - Poe

ThePoeBotCreator is your go-to resource for everything related to Poe bots. Whether you're a beginner looking for setup advice or an advanced user seeking optimization tips, ThePoeBotCreator delivers expert guidance and best practices to ensure your bots are both effective and engaging. From initial setup to advanced monetization strategies, I’m here to help every step of the way.

poe.com

Feedback? Let my clone know (he will pass the message along).

About Joey

I’m a tech-savvy creative, AI whisperer, and recovered perfectionist. Former actor turned digital marketer turned photographer turned video editor turned AI guy turned podcaster.

After navigating years of anxiety, burnout, and feeling like a 'master of none,' I discovered the power of integrating practical tools with authentic self-awareness to build real resilience. My mission is to help all people find their flow amidst life's challenges.