---
title: "Configure an agent"
description: "Change an agent's instructions, model and runtime limits, and pause, activate or deactivate it."
url: "https://okido.io/en/docs/ai/configure-an-agent"
chapter: "AI"
chapterUrl: "https://okido.io/en/docs/ai.md"
plans: ["Starter", "Pro", "Business"]
roles: "Owner, Admin"
language: "en"
edition: "2026-10-23"
---

# Configure an agent

> Change an agent's instructions, model and runtime limits, and pause, activate or deactivate it.

Each agent has its own page with everything about it: what it did, how it is set up and what it may do. Here you sharpen its instructions, give it another AI model, limit how much one run may take, and stop it for a while or for good.

## Open an agent

1. In the menu on the left, choose **AI**, then the **Agents** tab.
2. Choose the agent.

The agent's page opens on **Overview**: how many runs, actions, artifacts and triggers it has, what it does, who it reports to and which agents report to it. The bar at the top shows how much of its token budget it has used.

![The page of the marketing manager agent, with its three direct reports](https://okido.io/docs/screenshots/en/agent-overview.webp)

## Change its instructions, model and limits

1. Choose the **Configuration** tab.
2. Change the **Display Name**, the **Description** or the **System Prompt**: the instructions the agent follows on every run.
3. Under **Model Settings**, choose a **Model**. With **Organization default**, the agent uses the models set for your organization (see [Choose AI models and auto-recharge](https://okido.io/en/docs/administration/choose-ai-models.md)). Move **Temperature** to the left for precise answers, to the right for more creative ones.
4. Under **Runtime Limits**, set the **Token Budget** and how much one run may take: **Max Tokens / Response**, **Max Tool Calls / Run**, **Max Iterations** and **Max Runtime (seconds)**.
5. Choose **Save** at the top of the page. The button appears as soon as you change something.
   ![The Configuration tab with an extra line in the instructions and the Save button](https://okido.io/docs/screenshots/en/agent-configuration.webp)

The agent uses the new settings from its next run on.

## Pause or activate an agent

Choose **Pause** at the top right. The agent's status changes to **PAUSED**, and it takes on no new work until you choose **Activate**.

![A paused agent with the button to activate it again](https://okido.io/docs/screenshots/en/agent-pause.webp)

## Deactivate an agent

When you no longer need an agent:

1. On the **Configuration** tab, under **Danger Zone**, choose **Deactivate Agent**.
2. Choose **Deactivate**.

The agent stops working and you are back on the agent list, where the agent stays with the status **ARCHIVED**. Agents that reported to it are deactivated as well. To use it again, open it and choose **Activate**.