# Agent assist and real-time guidance Canonical: https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/ai-agent-assist Last verified: 2026-09-16 Real-Time Assist delivers in-interaction guidance powered by AI Assistant skills configured in Webex AI Studio and attached to contact center queues[^10]. Cisco names Real-time Assist as one of 5 features enhanced with multi-language capabilities, noting that the feature was formerly called Suggested Responses[^4]. ## Prerequisites and licensing Cisco lists 5 prerequisites that must be satisfied before Real-Time Assist can be enabled[^5]: - The organization must run on the Webex Contact Center Flex 3.0 platform[^5]. - The organization must purchase the A-FLEX-AI-ASST add-on SKU[^5]. - Media forking must be enabled in Flow Designer for the relevant queues for voice interactions[^5]. - Webex Connect must be enabled to create actions and automate workflows[^5]. - The administrator must hold role-based access control privileges that include access to Real-Time Assist[^5]. Cisco states that purchasing the A-FLEX-AI-ASST SKU grants entitlement to all AI Assistant features across the organization[^9]. For voice interactions, media forking is configured per queue in Flow Designer rather than through a single organization-wide switch[^8]. ## Skill configuration and prompt guidance Administrators create and manage the AI Assistant skills that power Real-Time Assist inside Webex AI Studio[^10]. Webex AI Studio is reached from Control Hub by navigating to Services, then Contact Center, then AI Assistant under Desktop Experience, and selecting the Manage AI Assistant skills link in the Real-Time Assist section[^10]. Once created, these skills are linked directly to queues[^10]. In the field, the administrator documentation centers heavily on prompt authoring: the Real-Time Assist administrator guide dedicates a named section to Guidelines for Writing Instructions for AI Assistant Skills comprising 7 distinct subsections[^1]. In the field, these subsections address providing instructions as one would to human agents, defining role and tone, mirroring contact center standard operating procedures, referencing actions, establishing empathy, compliance, escalation cues, and guardrails, planning for errors while preserving context, and keeping instructions focused and actionable[^1]. Within those guidelines, administrators are instructed to limit an AI Assistant skill's instruction set to 10-15 clear rules, ensuring each rule describes a single behavior in plain language[^6]. ## Interaction channels and languages In the field, Cisco positions channel support as covering inbound and outbound voice calls alongside inbound digital interactions, without naming an outbound digital interaction case[^3]. The language for Real-time Assist on digital interactions is configured inside Webex AI Studio by opening the AI Assistant Skill Configuration and selecting the desired language on the Language tab[^2]. The default configuration language is English, and Cisco states that non-English language support is currently in Beta[^2]. Cisco names 5 AI Assistant features as enhanced with multi-language support: real-time transcription, summaries, Real-time Assist which it notes was formerly called Suggested Responses, Auto CSAT, and wellness breaks[^4]. ## Reporting and metrics Analyzer provides a dedicated Real-Time Assist KPIs report[^7]. This report monitors whether Real-Time Assist was available during an interaction, tracks the number of agents using the tool, and evaluates its impact on call duration, consultation rates, and customer satisfaction[^7]. The metrics are segmentable by queue, team, agent, and channel type, and the dashboard provides both a Total Call with Real-Time Assist card and an Average Handle Time with Real-Time Assist card[^7]. ## Applicability Applies to: Cisco Webex Contact Center. Sources checked 2026-09-16. Cisco Webex Contact Center Flex 3.0 platform availability is required as a prerequisite for Real-Time Assist[^5]. Non-English language support for digital interactions is documented as currently in Beta[^2]. ## What remains uncertain - Which knowledge the proactive intelligence in Real-time Assist is drawn from and how it is curated is not covered by the sources below. - The content of the "Enabling media streaming for specific queues" article that prerequisites defer to is not covered by the sources below. - Whether an agent accepting or rejecting a Real-time Assist suggestion is recorded anywhere is not covered by the sources below. - Which routine tasks Real-time Assist automates during a live interaction is not covered by the sources below. - What happens to Real-time Assist language when a voice flow and an AI Studio skill disagree is not covered by the sources below. - Whether Real-Time Assist works on outbound digital interactions is not covered by the sources below. - The agent's guide to using Real-time Assist that the overview defers to is not covered by the sources below. - Whether an agent can decline an automated wellness break and what is recorded if they do is not covered by the sources below. ## Sources [^1]: The Real-Time Assist administrator guide devotes a named section to Guidelines for Writing Instructions for AI Assistant Skills with 7 subsections covering providing instructions to the AI Assistant as you would to agents, role and tone, mirroring contact centre standard operating procedures, referencing actions, empathy and compliance and escalation cues and guardrails, planning for errors and preserving context, and keeping instructions focused and actionable (field report). Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), contents, Guidelines for Writing Instructions for AI Assistant Skills. Checked 2026-09-16. [^2]: The language for Real-time Assist on digital interactions is set in Webex AI Studio by opening the AI Assistant Skill Configuration and choosing a language on the Language tab, the default is English, and Cisco states that non-English language support is currently in Beta. Source: [Multi-language Support for AI Assistant Features](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nlm6pob/Multi-language-Support-for-AI-Assistant-Features), Configure language for Real-time Assist feature for digital interactions. Checked 2026-09-16. [^3]: Cisco describes Real-Time Assist as supporting both inbound and outbound voice calls and inbound digital interactions, naming no outbound digital case (field report). Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Benefits, Dual-channel capability. Checked 2026-09-16. [^4]: Cisco names 5 AI Assistant features as enhanced with multi-language support: real-time transcription, summaries, Real-time Assist which it notes was formerly called Suggested Responses, Auto CSAT, and wellness breaks. Source: [Multi-language Support for AI Assistant Features](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nlm6pob/Multi-language-Support-for-AI-Assistant-Features), Supported Cisco AI Assistant Features. Checked 2026-09-16. [^5]: Cisco lists 5 prerequisites before Real-Time Assist can be enabled: the organisation must run on the Webex Contact Center Flex 3.0 platform, it must have purchased the A-FLEX-AI-ASST add-on SKU, media forking must be enabled in Flow Designer for the relevant queues for voice interactions, Webex Connect must be enabled to create actions and automate workflows, and the administrator must hold role-based access control privileges that include access to Real-Time Assist. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Prerequisites. Checked 2026-09-16. [^6]: The Guidelines for Writing Instructions for AI Assistant Skills section instructs administrators to limit an AI Assistant skill's instruction set to 10-15 clear rules, each rule describing a single behaviour and written in plain language. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Best practices for optimizing AI Assistant skills, Guidelines for Writing Instructions for AI Assistant Skills, Keep It Focused, Actionable, and Use Examples. Checked 2026-09-16. [^7]: The Real-Time Assist KPIs report monitors whether Real-Time Assist was available during each interaction, the number of agents using it, and its effect on call duration consultation rates and customer satisfaction, segmented by queue team agent and channel type, with a Total Call with Real-Time Assist card and an Average Handle Time with Real-Time Assist card. Source: [AI Assistant reports in Analyzer](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/ioqbvd/AI-assistant-reports-in-Analyzer), Real-Time Assist KPIs, key insights and parameters. Checked 2026-09-16. [^8]: For voice interactions Real-Time Assist requires media forking to be enabled in Flow Designer for the relevant queues, so the feature is switched on per queue in the flow rather than once for the organisation. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Prerequisites, Media forking for voice interactions. Checked 2026-09-16. [^9]: Cisco names A-FLEX-AI-ASST as the add-on SKU an organisation must purchase for Real-Time Assist and states that the entitlement grants access to all AI Assistant features. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Prerequisites, AI Assistant add-on SKU. Checked 2026-09-16. [^10]: Real-Time Assist is powered by AI Assistant skills that an administrator creates and manages in Webex AI Studio, reached from Control Hub at Services then Contact Center then AI Assistant under Desktop Experience then the Manage AI Assistant skills link in the Real-Time Assist section, and those skills are then linked to queues. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center: Administrator's guide to configuring Real-Time Assist](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nztf84bb/Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center:-Administrator%27s-guide-to-configuring-suggested-responses), Create and manage AI Assistant skills, Accessing Webex AI Studio. Checked 2026-09-16. [^11]: The AI Assistant Dashboard in the Webex Contact Center Analyzer carries 8 reports: Agent Wellness Breaks, Auto CSAT, Dropped Call Summaries, Agent Summary, Real-time Transcriptions, Topic Analytics Trending Topics and Topic Summary, Real-Time Assist KPIs, and Post-Call and Mid-Call Summary KPIs. Source: [AI Assistant reports in Analyzer](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/ioqbvd/AI-assistant-reports-in-Analyzer), AI Assistant Dashboard, report list. Checked 2026-09-16. [^12]: The Webex Contact Center AI Assistant reports article describes only adoption and operational impact measures such as availability, agent counts, transcription minutes, average handle time, consult duration, transfer counts and hold events, and across its 28346 characters the words accuracy, accurate, confidence, hallucination, sample and validate each occur 0 times (field report). Source: [AI Assistant reports in Analyzer](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/ioqbvd/AI-assistant-reports-in-Analyzer), whole article, counted against the rendered text. Checked 2026-09-16. [^13]: Access to the Webex Contact Center Analyzer requires Supervisor or Administrator privileges, and Cisco states that the AI Assistant dashboard and reports appear only if the organisation is provisioned with the AI Assistant add-on. Source: [AI Assistant reports in Analyzer](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/ioqbvd/AI-assistant-reports-in-Analyzer), Access the AI Assistant Dashboard and Reports. Checked 2026-09-16. [^14]: Automated wellness breaks in Webex Contact Center are brief 1 minute breaks between routine tasks, reached through the AI Assistant or through Thrive Resets notifications that Cisco says are customised using AI-driven real-time insights. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nvvv1zb/Get-started-with-Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center), Wellness breaks section. Checked 2026-09-16. [^15]: The Webex Contact Center multi-language article states that availability may differ depending on the feature the locale and the SKU, then publishes 5 separate supported-language tables for real-time transcription summaries real-time assist Auto CSAT and wellness breaks whose contents are identical to one another: 68 locale rows each, of which 17 are marked General Availability, 14 Controlled Availability and 37 Beta (field report). Source: [Multi-language Support for AI Assistant Features](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nlm6pob/Multi-language-Support-for-AI-Assistant-Features), Supported languages for Cisco AI Assistant, Tables 1 to 5 compared. Checked 2026-09-16. [^16]: The AI Assistant is described as a paid add-on for Webex Contact Center; its features are visible only to organizations/users who have paid for the add-on and whose administrator has turned the specific feature on. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nvvv1zb/Get-started-with-Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center), FAQ section. Checked 2026-09-04. [^17]: Real-time Assist is described as continuously analyzing live conversations across both voice and digital channels to understand context and customer intent, then surfacing instant recommendations on what to say or do. Source: [Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center](https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/nvvv1zb/Get-started-with-Cisco-AI-Assistant-for-Webex-Contact-Center), Real-time Assist section. Checked 2026-09-04.