How do I set up the AI SDR from scratch?
Steps to set up the AI SDR from scratch.
Setting up the AI SDR is five steps, in order. Skip any step and something will misbehave - the most common skip is the Knowledge Base, which leads to the AI making up answers.
Budget 20 minutes for a first pass. You'll tune the KB over the first week as real prospect questions come in.
Setup order
1. Connect your calendar (or the client's)
Settings → Email & Calendar → Google Account (Email/Calendar) → Connect or Outlook Account (Email/Calendar) → Connect.
The connected calendar is what the AI books meetings against. For agency-run workspaces, use the client's calendar, not yours - see Which meeting link should I configure?.
2. Set availability hours and buffers
Settings → Availability - set the day-of-week windows the AI is allowed to offer (e.g. Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00), then choose any Before meeting and After meeting buffers.
Narrower is usually better. Buffers help stop back-to-back bookings. See How do I set my calendar availability hours?.
3. Set the Assigned Call Handler
Two levels:
- Workspace default: Settings → AI SDR Agent → Call Assignment → Assigned Call Handler. Pick a team member, or leave on Automatic assignment (role-based priority).
- Campaign-specific salesperson: on a campaign's Options tab, use the Assigned Salesperson card to route that campaign's booked meetings to a specific person. If this is empty, the workspace default above is used.
For one-workspace-per-client agency setups, the handler is usually the client (or their dedicated salesperson), not you.
4. Fill the Knowledge Base
Settings → AI SDR Agent → Knowledge Base. Minimum viable content:
| Entry | Example |
|---|---|
| Company basics | "We are [Name]. Based in [Location]. Founded [year]. Website: [URL]." |
| Who you help | "We help [niche] achieve [outcome]." |
| Pricing ballpark | "Packages start at $X. Full pricing depends on scope - sent after discovery." |
| Delivery timeline | "Typical engagements take [X weeks]. First results in week [Y]." |
| 3–5 objection responses | "Q: Not the right time. A: Totally understand - would a check-in in Q3 make sense?" |
| Escalation rules | "Escalate if the prospect asks about: custom pricing, legal/compliance, scope negotiation." |
Keep entries short - see Can I point the AI SDR at a docs URL instead of pasting entries?.
5. Agree on the Needs Attention workflow
Decide how often you'll check AI SDR Inbox → Needs Attention. Daily is the baseline; every 48 hours is the floor. Warm leads go cold fast if escalations sit.
Post-setup - the first week
For the first week after launch, read every escalation (not just Needs Attention) and watch for:
- Prospect questions the KB didn't cover - add new KB entries
- Replies where the AI sounded off-brand - not usually fixable via KB; see tone/persona FAQ
- Booking offers that landed at wrong times or too close together - tighten availability hours or add buffers
Configure for safety first, polish later
The default is: AI replies and books meetings. For your first campaign, consider gating interested calls instead of auto-booking - see Can I prevent auto-booking?. You can loosen the gate once you trust the AI's judgement.