🛠️ How-to guide

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WHAT IT DOES

Agent effort lets you choose how much checking Zammo does each time you change your agent. Choose Low for a quick edit that comes straight back, or High to have Zammo test the change against your agent and fix what fails before handing it over. It is a per-agent setting, and you can switch it at any time.

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Before you start: your agent needs to exist already. The effort control appears in the Designer once an agent has been created, and you need permission to edit that agent.

Choosing a level

Open your agent, go to Designer, and select the effort pill to the left of the message box. The pill always shows the level in use and a rough idea of how long a change will take, so you can see at a glance what the next message will do.

The effort control in the Designer, with Low and High side by side — each showing how long it takes and what Zammo checks.

The effort control in the Designer, with Low and High side by side — each showing how long it takes and what Zammo checks.

How it works

  1. Pick a level. Select the pill and choose Low or High. Your choice applies to your next message and stays set for that agent, so you do not have to reselect it each time.
  2. Describe your change. Ask for what you want in plain language, exactly as you normally would — for example, "Ask residents for a cross street when they report a pothole."
  3. Zammo works to that level. On Low it applies the change and hands it back. On High it also holds a real conversation with your agent, scores the result, and fixes what falls short before replying.
  4. Switch whenever you like. Move to Low while you are wording something, then back to High when the change matters.

What each level does

Level Roughly What Zammo does Good for
Low ~30 sec Applies your change and hands it straight back. Still checks connections and routing, but holds no test conversation. Wording, prompts, and live demos
High (default) ~3–6 min Applies your change, holds a real conversation with the agent, scores it against your evals, then fixes what fails — up to four attempts. Anything you are about to publish

Your evals are the saved checks that grade your agent's answers. See the Glossary for the terms used here.

FAQ

Which level should I use? High is the default, and it is the right choice for any change you intend to publish, because Zammo proves the change works before handing it back. Reach for Low when speed matters more than proof.

Does Low turn off all checking? No. Low still checks your connections and routing. What it leaves out is the test conversation and the eval scoring, which is where most of the time goes.

Will my choice stick? Yes. Effort is saved per agent and takes effect from your next message. Two people working on the same agent share the same setting.