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> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.ada.cx/llms.txt.
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# Custom Instructions API now generally available

The Custom Instructions API is now generally available. It provides programmatic create, read, update, and delete access to an AI Agent's Custom Instructions - the system-level behavioral guidance the Agent follows across conversations - so instructions can be managed through code and version control instead of only through the dashboard.

## API endpoints

Five REST endpoints are available:

* **List custom instructions** (`GET /v2/custom-instructions/`): Returns the Agent's custom instructions, both live and inactive, in cursor-paginated pages.
* **Create a custom instruction** (`POST /v2/custom-instructions/`): Creates a new instruction, which defaults to inactive.
* **Get a custom instruction** (`GET /v2/custom-instructions/{custom_instruction_id}`): Returns a single instruction by its `id`.
* **Update a custom instruction** (`PATCH /v2/custom-instructions/{custom_instruction_id}`): Partially updates an instruction; only the fields in the request body change.
* **Delete a custom instruction** (`DELETE /v2/custom-instructions/{custom_instruction_id}`): Deletes an instruction by its `id`.

Each instruction can also carry an optional `availability_rules` expression that gates which end users it applies to — set it on create or update, and it's returned on reads.

## Get started

See the reference docs for full endpoint, field, and authentication details:

* [Custom Instructions API reference](/reference/custom-instructions/overview) for endpoint details, fields, pagination, authentication, and error codes.