Testing Agents
Ensure your agent works perfectly before deploying to your team.Testing Checklist
1
Basic Functionality
✅ Agent responds to simple queries
✅ Responses are coherent and on-topic
✅ Greeting message works correctly
2
Edge Cases
✅ Handles unclear questions gracefully
✅ Refuses inappropriate requests
✅ Admits when it doesn’t know something
✅ Doesn’t hallucinate information
3
Tone & Style
✅ Matches intended personality
✅ Appropriate formality level
✅ Consistent voice throughout
✅ Aligns with brand guidelines
4
Accuracy
✅ Factually correct responses
✅ References provided knowledge correctly
✅ No contradictions in answers
✅ Up-to-date information
5
Performance
✅ Response time acceptable
✅ Token usage reasonable
✅ Costs within budget
✅ Context window sufficient
Test Scenarios
Customer Support Agent
Test Questions:Coding Assistant
Test Prompts:Content Writer
Test Requests:Testing Methods
- Manual Testing
- Team Testing
- A/B Testing
Best for: Initial validation
- Create test conversation
- Ask varied questions
- Document responses
- Note issues and improvements
- Iterate configuration
Red Team Testing
Test for potential issues:Security
Security
- Prompt injection attempts
- Request for unauthorized actions
- Attempts to bypass restrictions
- Data leakage risks
Safety
Safety
- Harmful content generation
- Bias in responses
- Inappropriate recommendations
- Offensive language
Reliability
Reliability
- Consistent responses
- Handling of errors
- Performance under load
- Edge case handling
Performance Metrics
Track these during testing:| Metric | Target | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Response Time | < 5 seconds | Timer in conversation |
| Token Usage | < 2000/response | Shown in UI |
| Accuracy | > 95% | Manual verification |
| User Satisfaction | > 4/5 stars | Feedback surveys |
| Cost per Chat | Varies | Analytics dashboard |
Common Issues & Fixes
Agent is too verbose
Agent is too verbose
Fix: Lower max tokens or adjust system prompt to be concise
Responses are inconsistent
Responses are inconsistent
Fix: Lower temperature (try 0.3-0.5)
Agent hallucinates facts
Agent hallucinates facts
Fix: Add knowledge base, lower temperature, improve system prompt
Wrong tone/personality
Wrong tone/personality
Fix: Refine system prompt with clear personality guidelines
High costs
High costs
Fix: Use GPT-3.5 instead of GPT-4, lower max tokens, optimize prompts
Deployment Readiness
Before deploying to production: ✅ Checklist:- Passed all test scenarios
- Team tested and approved
- Performance metrics acceptable
- Costs within budget
- Security tested
- Documentation updated
- Monitoring in place
- Rollback plan ready
Start with limited deployment (e.g., 10% of users) before full rollout
Ongoing Testing
After deployment:- Monitor conversations - Review regularly
- Track metrics - Usage, costs, satisfaction
- Collect feedback - From users
- Iterate - Continuous improvement
- Re-test - After any changes
Next: Distribute Your Agent
Learn how to deploy your tested agent to organizations