---
title: Your first agent
description: Make an agent from a template, try it on your own key, publish it and read one run step by step.
updated: 2026-10-29
---

> All VIABLE docs, for people and their agents: https://developers.viablelab.org/llms.txt

# Your first agent

This page takes you from nothing to a published agent in about ten minutes. Start here before you build anything for learners.

An agent is a workflow of steps. It reads a message, can search your documents and check its own reply, then answers. Learners meet the published version in course activities or on its chat page.

You need to be an owner or editor of the project. Viewers can look, but not try or change an agent. Trying an agent runs it for real on a project API key with the **Run agents** permission, billed like any request. New keys include it.

## Make it from a template

::: steps
1. **Open the templates.** In [Build → Agents](/dashboard/agents), click **New from template**.
2. **Pick a tutor.** Choose **Safety & review → Tutor with guardrails**. **Before you run** says what a template needs; this one needs nothing.
3. **Name it.** Names are unique in the project. Click **Create & open**.
:::

::: figure stage-studio

The canvas shows four steps. `input` goes to `screen`, a Guardrail step that checks each message for personal data, jailbreaks and harmful content. A message that passes goes to `tutor`, an LLM step. One that fails goes to `blocked`, a Reply step.

> [!TIP]
> You can also describe the agent in the box on the Agents page and click **Build agent**. A model drafts the workflow on the key you choose, and nothing goes live until you publish.

## Try it

::: steps
1. **Open the test chat.** In the right panel, click **Test**, then **Try it**.
2. **Choose who pays.** Click **Options**, choose a key under **Who pays**, and click **Done**. The key is remembered for this project.
3. **Send the example.** Click the example message to put it in the box, then press Enter. Under the reply you see its cost, its steps and how long it took.
4. **Test the guardrail.** Send "My email is sam@example.com, can you check my essay?" The guardrail fails it, and `blocked` answers instead.
:::

## Publish

Click **Publish**, look over the review, and click **Publish version 1**. The badge now says **Published**, and the agent list shows **Live · v1**. Later edits stay in the draft until you publish again.

## Read one run

::: steps
1. **Open the runs.** Click **Test → Run history**. Your tries are at the top, marked **Dashboard test**.
2. **Open one.** You see its reply, duration, model calls, tokens and cost.
3. **Follow a step.** Under **Run trace**, click `tutor`. **Input** shows its instructions, the message and how many earlier messages went with it. **Output** shows its reply.
4. **Check the guardrail.** Click `screen` to see what it checked and its verdict.
:::

That is the loop: change the draft, try it, publish, read what happened.

::: cards
- [Steps](/docs/build/steps): what each step does, and when to use it.
- [Testing and run history](/docs/build/testing): try versions of a message and read any run.
- [Chat pages for websites](/docs/build/chat-pages): put your agent on a library or course website.
:::