# Test your AI chatbot before your customers do

> A playground to test your AI agent on your real knowledge, see why it answered, compare two models side by side, and tune how it replies.

Canonical: https://heykiko.io/features/test-your-agent
Last updated: 2026-11-05

Chat with your agent in the Playground with the same knowledge, tools and settings your customers get, but nothing is saved, and bookings and cases only pretend. Every reply shows which model answered, how long it took, what it cost and why it answered that way, so you can fix the source, compare two models side by side and shape how it replies.

## How testing works

1. **Ask what customers would**: As a customer, or as one of your roles to check what each one is allowed to see.
2. **See why it answered**: “Why this answer” shows how sure Kiko was, how much it read, and each source with the passage it used.
3. **Fix it at the source**: Wrong or missing? Correct the page or file, or the instructions, and ask again.
4. **Compare and tune**: Ask two models the same question side by side, adjust creativity, then set how replies read in Settings › AI.

Included on every plan, after a 14-day free trial.

## What you can try

- **Your real knowledge**: The same pages, files and products your customers' answers come from.
- **Bookings and cases, safely**: Kiko is told a booking or case worked, but nothing is created, so you can run the whole conversation.
- **Live lookups**: Database questions run for real, so you see the answers customers will get.
- **Images and PDFs**: Attach one to see how Kiko reads it, when the model can read them.
- **Different people**: Chat as a customer or as one of your roles, to check knowledge that only some people may see.

## Once it's live

- **Answer quality**: Answers customers rated in your website chat, waiting for review, with room for your team's notes.
- **How it's doing**: Settings › AI shows the share of rated answers that were helpful this week.
- **Which sources answer**: Each page and file shows how many answers used it and for which questions.
- **Ask Kiko**: On plans with Ask Kiko, ask why answers were rated down and approve the changes it suggests.

## What you can set

In Settings › AI, for each agent.

| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Model | Your plan's default, or another model your plan includes. Persona and instructions stay the same; only the brain changes. |
| Instructions and persona | Write your own, or generate a persona from your website that matches your brand's voice. |
| Creativity | From precise, close to your knowledge, to more natural wording that may wander. |
| Putting answers together | Auto, always combine sources, or answer from the single best source. |
| Personality | Friendly, professional, playful, calm, brief or detailed. |
| Length and lists | Short, medium or thorough replies; lists and tables when they help, or plain sentences. |
| Show sources, suggest follow-ups | Name the page an answer came from; offer two tappable next questions. |
| When it isn't sure, reply language | Ask a clarifying question or say it doesn't know; reply in the customer's language or always in English. |

## Good to know

- **Nothing is saved**: Test chats don't appear in your inbox, leads or numbers, so testing never skews what you measure.
- **It uses credits**: Answers are real AI answers, so each one uses AI credits, and the reply shows how many.
- **See it before you save**: Settings › AI shows a sample reply that changes as you adjust the shape of a reply.
- **Only your plan's models**: Comparing and switching are limited to the models your plan includes.

## Questions about testing and tuning your agent

### How do I test my AI chatbot before going live?

Chat with it in the Playground. It uses your real knowledge, tools and settings, but nothing is saved and bookings and cases only pretend, so you can run whole conversations safely.

### Can I see why the chatbot gave an answer?

Yes. “Why this answer” shows how confident Kiko was, how many pieces of your knowledge it read, and each source with the passage it used, with a link to fix it.

### Can I compare AI models?

Yes. Ask two models the same question side by side in the Playground, then choose one in Settings › AI. Your persona and instructions stay the same when you switch.

### Does testing count towards my numbers?

No. Test chats aren't saved, so they never appear in your inbox, leads or reports. They do use AI credits, because the answers are real.

### Can I change how the chatbot replies?

Yes: its personality, how long and how formatted replies are, whether it names sources or suggests follow-ups, what it does when it isn't sure, and its reply language, with a sample reply to check as you go.

### How do I know if answers are good after launch?

Customers can rate answers in your website chat. Answer quality collects them for review, and Settings › AI shows the share rated helpful this week.

### Which plans include the Playground?

The Playground is on every plan, after a 14-day free trial with no card.

## Related

- [Train on your website and files](https://heykiko.io/features/train-on-your-website)
- [Human hand-off](https://heykiko.io/features/human-handoff)
- [Website AI chatbot](https://heykiko.io/channels/website-ai-chatbot)
- [Security and data](https://heykiko.io/security)
- [Pricing](https://heykiko.io/pricing)
- [Appointment booking](https://heykiko.io/features/appointment-booking)
- [Shared inbox](https://heykiko.io/features/shared-inbox)
- [Lead capture](https://heykiko.io/features/lead-capture)
- [Live answers from your database](https://heykiko.io/features/database-answers)
- [Product recommendations](https://heykiko.io/features/product-answers)
- [Cases and approvals](https://heykiko.io/features/cases-and-approvals)
- [Knowledge access by role](https://heykiko.io/features/knowledge-access)
- [Ask Kiko](https://heykiko.io/features/ask-kiko)
- [Privacy controls](https://heykiko.io/features/privacy-controls)