Create your first line

This guide is about the first real setup pass, not about polishing.

Your goal is simple:

define what the line is for
define what it should know
define how it should speak
publish the URL you will actually use

Before you start

Have these ready:

the name the line represents
the slug you want to keep
the source text the line should rely on
a short statement of scope: what this line handles and what it does not

For Chatline, the line works best when it is narrow enough to be trusted.

Step 1: Create the line

In the dashboard, create a new line and fill in the basics:

Name: what visitors will see
Slug: the public path in chatline.ai/a/your-slug
Description: an internal note for your own reference

Pick a slug you can live with. It becomes part of the public surface.

Step 2: Decide what this line is for

Before adding content, write one sentence for the line’s role.

Examples:

“This line handles booking, press, and partnership inquiries.”
“This line explains the release, routes serious requests, and captures contact context.”
“This line is the first public conversation for talent-related inbound.”

If you cannot define the role clearly, the line will feel vague in practice.

Step 3: Add source material

The knowledge base is the line’s working source material.

Put in the text you would otherwise keep typing:

approved FAQ
booking rules
pricing facts
release or campaign context
routing rules
things the line should refuse or defer

Good source material is factual, current, and scoped.

Bad source material is vague, outdated, or overloaded with things the line should never try to answer.

Step 4: Set tone and boundaries

Now define how the line should speak and where it should stop.

You are not writing poetry here. You are briefing an operator-facing surface.

Useful instruction types:

role: who the line represents
tone: calm, direct, polished, warm
boundaries: what it must not invent or promise
fallback: what it should do when the request needs a human decision

If a topic carries legal, sponsorship, campaign, or reputation risk, say so explicitly in the instructions.

Step 5: Write the greeting

The greeting should do three things:

identify the line
explain what it handles
invite the first question

Keep it short. Visitors should know where they are and what to ask within a few seconds.

Step 6: Test before publishing

Preview the line and test the questions you expect in real traffic.

Look for:

weak answers
missing facts
answers that sound too generic
unclear routing
overreach outside the line’s scope

The first pass does not need to be perfect. It does need to be honest and coherent.

Step 7: Publish the URL

Once the line is coherent:

publish it
copy the URL
start using it where those questions already happen

That is the real start of the product. Not the setup screen. The moment you start sending the line instead of typing.

A better first-line strategy

Start with one line that has one job.

Good:

one line for booking and partnerships
one line for a launch
one line for audience FAQ

Bad:

one line for every possible question from every possible audience

The narrower the first job, the faster you learn.