How Do I Control Agent Capabilities?

Agent capabilities control which AI features are enabled for your mailbox. You can enable or disable booking and research capabilities independently, allowing you to customize how Propel handles different types of requests. This guide explains how to configure agent capabilities and when to use them.

What Are Agent Capabilities?

Agent capabilities determine which AI-powered features your agent can use when responding to prospects. Propel supports two main capabilities:

• Booking & Scheduling - Allows the AI to schedule tours, viewings, and appointments
• Research & Search - Allows the AI to search listings and answer property questions

When a capability is disabled, requests requiring that feature are automatically routed to human agents via handoffs instead of being handled automatically.

Use Case Examples:

• Property Management: Enable both capabilities for full automation of rental inquiries
• Real Estate: Enable research but disable booking if showings require manual coordination
• Short-Term Rentals: Enable both for instant booking and availability checks
• Commercial Real Estate: Disable booking for complex deal coordination

Why Control Agent Capabilities?

Controlling capabilities provides several benefits:

Gradual Automation

• Start with limited capabilities while testing
• Enable more features as you gain confidence
• Maintain control over sensitive operations

Workflow Customization

• Match capabilities to your business processes
• Handle some operations manually while automating others
• Adapt to different mailbox purposes

Quality Control

• Ensure important operations go through human review
• Maintain oversight of critical functions
• Build trust in automation gradually

Integration Readiness

• Disable booking if calendar isn't connected yet
• Disable research if listings aren't fully imported
• Enable capabilities as integrations are completed

Booking & Scheduling Capability

The booking capability allows your AI agent to:

• Schedule tours and viewings - Book appointments based on calendar availability
• Check calendar availability - Find open time slots for prospects
• Send booking confirmations - Automatically confirm scheduled appointments
• Handle cancellations - Process cancellation requests
• Manage calendar conflicts - Resolve scheduling issues

When to Enable Booking

Enable booking when:

• Calendar is connected - Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar is integrated
• You trust automation - Comfortable with automatic scheduling
• High volume - Need to handle many booking requests efficiently
• Standard availability - Calendar accurately reflects your availability

When to Disable Booking

Disable booking when:

• Calendar not connected - Integration isn't set up yet
• Manual coordination required - Showings need special coordination
• Testing phase - Want to review all bookings manually initially
• Complex scheduling - Availability depends on multiple factors

What happens when disabled:

• Booking requests are routed to human agents via handoffs
• Prospects receive responses that booking requires human assistance
• Team members are CC'd on booking-related conversations

Research & Search Capability

The research capability allows your AI agent to:

• Search property listings - Find properties matching prospect criteria
• Answer property questions - Provide details about specific properties
• Match prospects to listings - Suggest properties based on preferences
• Provide property recommendations - Offer alternatives when requested
• Answer availability questions - Check if properties are available

When to Enable Research

Enable research when:

• Listings are imported - Property data is in Propel
• Data is accurate - Listing information is up to date
• You trust AI responses - Comfortable with automated property information
• High inquiry volume - Need to handle many property questions

When to Disable Research

Disable research when:

• Listings not imported - Property data isn't in Propel yet
• Data incomplete - Listing information needs verification
• Manual control needed - Want to personally handle all property searches
• Testing phase - Reviewing all research responses initially

What happens when disabled:

• Research requests are routed to human agents via handoffs
• Prospects receive responses that research requires human assistance
• Team members are CC'd on research-related conversations

Configuring Agent Capabilities

Step 1: Navigate to Mailbox Settings

1. Go to Settings > Mailboxes
2. Click the mailbox you want to configure
3. You'll see the mailbox detail page

Step 2: Find Agent Capabilities Section

1. Scroll to the "Agent Capabilities" section
2. You'll see two toggles:
   • Booking & Scheduling
   • Research & Search

Step 3: Enable or Disable Capabilities

For each capability:

1. Toggle ON to enable the capability
2. Toggle OFF to disable the capability
3. Changes take effect immediately after saving

Step 4: Save Changes

Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the Agent Capabilities section.

Default: Both capabilities are enabled by default for new mailboxes.

Capability Configuration Examples

Example 1: Full Automation

Configuration:

• Booking: Enabled
• Research: Enabled

Use case: Property management mailbox with calendar connected and listings imported. Full automation for rental inquiries.

Behavior:

• AI can schedule tours automatically
• AI can search and recommend properties
• Handoffs only occur for complex situations

Example 2: Research Only

Configuration:

• Booking: Disabled
• Research: Enabled

Use case: Real estate mailbox where showings require manual coordination but property information can be automated.

Behavior:

• AI can answer property questions and search listings
• Booking requests are routed to human agents
• Team members handle all scheduling

Example 3: Booking Only

Configuration:

• Booking: Enabled
• Research: Disabled

Use case: Mailbox with calendar connected but listings not yet imported.

Behavior:

• AI can schedule tours and viewings
• Property questions are routed to human agents
• Team members provide property information

Example 4: Manual Control

Configuration:

• Booking: Disabled
• Research: Disabled

Use case: Testing phase or mailbox requiring full human oversight.

Behavior:

• All booking and research requests routed to human agents
• Team members handle all operations manually
• Useful for building confidence in automation

Combining Capabilities with Other Features

Capabilities and Handoffs

When capabilities are disabled:

• Handoffs are triggered automatically for requests requiring disabled capabilities
• Team members are CC'd on relevant conversations
• Original email flow continues - automation doesn't stop completely

Best practice: Enable handoffs in mailbox settings when disabling capabilities to ensure team members are notified.

Capabilities and Approvals

Capabilities work independently of approvals:

• Approvals control whether responses are reviewed before sending
• Capabilities control which features the AI can use
• You can have approvals enabled with capabilities disabled (or vice versa)

Example: Disable booking but enable approvals for research responses.

Capabilities and Rules

Rules can reference capabilities:

• Rules can trigger handoffs when capabilities are disabled
• Rules can require approvals for capability-related responses
• Rules work alongside capability settings

Example: Rule that requires approval for all booking-related responses, even if booking is enabled.

Capability Best Practices

Start Conservative

When first setting up:

1. Disable both capabilities initially
2. Monitor conversations to understand AI behavior
3. Enable research first (typically safer than booking)
4. Enable booking once comfortable with research
5. Gradually build confidence in automation

Match to Integration Status

Enable capabilities based on what's connected:

• Calendar connected? → Enable booking
• Listings imported? → Enable research
• Both ready? → Enable both
• Neither ready? → Disable both

Test Before Full Automation

Before enabling capabilities:

1. Test with sample inquiries to see how AI handles requests
2. Review generated responses to ensure quality
3. Verify integration functionality (calendar, listings)
4. Enable capabilities gradually as confidence builds

Use Different Settings Per Mailbox

Different mailboxes can have different capabilities:

• Leasing inbox - Both enabled for full automation
• Sales inbox - Research enabled, booking disabled
• Testing mailbox - Both disabled for manual review

Monitor Handoff Patterns

When capabilities are disabled:

• Review handoff frequency - Are too many requests being routed?
• Check handoff reasons - Understand why capabilities are needed
• Consider enabling if handoffs are excessive and quality is good

Troubleshooting Capabilities

Capabilities Not Taking Effect

If changes aren't working:

1. Verify changes saved - Check mailbox settings to confirm
2. Refresh the page - Ensure UI reflects current settings
3. Check mailbox is enabled - Capabilities only work on active mailboxes
4. Verify handoffs enabled - Disabled capabilities require handoffs to route requests

Too Many Handoffs

If you're getting too many handoffs:

1. Review capability settings - Consider enabling if appropriate
2. Check handoff reasons - Understand why capabilities are needed
3. Test capability quality - Enable temporarily to test AI performance
4. Adjust gradually - Enable capabilities one at a time

Capabilities Enabled But Not Working

If capabilities are enabled but not functioning:

1. Check integrations - Verify calendar (for booking) or listings (for research)
2. Review activity log - Check for errors in capability usage
3. Test with sample requests - Verify capabilities respond correctly
4. Check rules - Ensure rules aren't preventing capability usage

Need More Granular Control

If you need more control than enable/disable:

1. Use rules - Create rules that require approvals for capability usage
2. Combine with handoffs - Use handoffs for specific scenarios
3. Use approval workflows - Require approval for capability-related responses
4. Contact support - Discuss advanced configuration options

Capability Workflow Examples

Example 1: Gradual Enablement

Week 1:

• Both capabilities disabled
• Monitor all conversations manually
• Understand AI behavior and quality

Week 2:

• Enable research capability
• Test property search and information responses
• Review research quality

Week 3:

• Enable booking capability (if calendar connected)
• Test tour scheduling
• Review booking quality

Week 4+:

• Both capabilities enabled
• Monitor and refine as needed

Example 2: Selective Enablement

Mailbox 1 - Leasing:

• Both capabilities enabled
• Full automation for rental inquiries

Mailbox 2 - Sales:

• Research enabled
• Booking disabled (manual showing coordination)

Mailbox 3 - Commercial:

• Both capabilities disabled
• All operations handled manually

Next Steps

Now that you understand agent capabilities:

• Configure mailbox settings to enable or disable capabilities
• Set up calendar integration to enable booking
• Import your listings to enable research
• Set up handoffs to route requests when capabilities are disabled

Related Articles

• Configuring Mailbox Settings - Enable or disable capabilities
• Booking Tours and Viewings - How booking works when enabled
• Managing Listings - Import listings for research capability
• Calendar Integration - Connect calendar for booking capability
• Setting Up Handoffs - Route requests when capabilities are disabled