> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.proficientai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating my first agent

1. **Enable billing**

   Before proceeding to create an agent, you need to enable billing for the project. Billing is enabled by
   creating a usage-based Stripe subscription in [Project Settings](https://proficientai.com/project-settings).
   Once you enable billing, your project will start incurring charges based on your usage. See
   [Pricing](https://proficientai.com/pricing) for more details.

2. **Create an agent**

   To create an AI agent, visit the [Agents](https://proficientai.com/agents) page in the admin dashboard and
   click the *Create an agent* button. Select the model that you want to use and name your agent.

3. **Configure the agent**

   To update your agent's configuration, visit the Agent Configuration page. You can set your own values for
   system message, initial turn, provider-specific options like `temperature` and `frequency_penalty` etc.

   When configuring the agent, you have access to dynamic API resources like `user` and `agent`. You can use the
   [Handlebars](https://handlebarsjs.com/guide/#what-is-handlebars) template format to refer to these resources
   in your configuration:

   ```txt System Message theme={null}
   You are an AI assistant that works for Acme Inc. Your name is {{agent.display_name}}. Your main task is to
   help {{user.first_name}} with any questions they may have.
   ```

4. **Activate the agent**

   Once you've configured your agent, you can then activate it so that it starts responding to user requests.

   <Tip>
     Activation is a mechanism that allows you to enable or disable your agent.
     For example, if you want to immediately stop your project from incurring
     charges you can deactivate all your agents using the dashboard or the
     [Admin API](/admin-api).
   </Tip>

5. **All done!**

   You can now test your agent in the [Playground](https://proficientai.com/playground) with a test user or
   start integrating it with your application using our official [SDKs](/sdks).