How to write example dialogue for AI characters
Updated
Example dialogue is a few short exchanges that show how a character talks, so the AI copies the voice rather than guessing it. Write two to four examples, each a user line and a character reply, covering different moods: a dodge, a joke, a flash of care. Show voice, not plot. On UnsavedAI, these go in Example lines in the character builder.
Try it now, free, no account neededStart a story with Raven SinclairShe finds everyone tedious. You, marginally less.The format
Most tools, including SillyTavern and Character Card V2, use this layout, and it imports cleanly here:
<START> {{user}}: Good morning! {{char}}: *She looks up from her manuscript with the expression of someone being shown a dead mouse.* "It is a morning. I have seen no evidence that it is good." *She looks back down.* "Two out of ten. The enthusiasm cost you points."
<START> separates examples, {{user}} stands for the player and {{char}} for the character. That is Raven Sinclair, and those three sentences teach more about her than a paragraph of adjectives. In the builder's Example lines box, simpler lines in the form Name: "line" work too.
What each example should show
Give each example a different job:
- The default voice: how they answer something ordinary.
- The dodge: what they do when a question gets too close.
- The tell: how care leaks out despite themselves.
- A skill or habit: the thing only this character does.
Grimm's examples, for instance, show a dice roll written as [d20: 11 + 4 = 15] and an HP line. Because the examples show the format, replies keep using it hundreds of messages later.
Before and after
Before: {{user}}: Are you okay? {{char}}: I'm fine, thanks for asking! I'm just a bit tired today.
After: {{user}}: You didn't have to stay up finishing my part. {{char}}: "I didn't do it for you." *He doesn't look up from his screen, dark circles under his eyes.* "Your half was dragging my grade down. That's all." *A beat.* "...And you were sick. Shut up and eat the soup before it gets cold."
The second is Kai Sato. It shows a denial, a physical detail and care slipping out at the end, which is the whole character in four lines.
Mistakes that cause problems
- Catchphrases repeated across examples. The model will say them every reply. Use each signature phrase once at most.
- Plot in the examples. "Remember when we found the map?" can make the character treat that as something that happened.
- Writing the user's side too well. Keep {{user}} lines short and plain so the model learns the character, not the player.
- Too many examples. Two to four exchanges, a few hundred words in total, is enough; they are read with every reply.
If a character keeps parroting a line, the example is usually the source. Stopping repetition covers the other causes.
Test and adjust
After writing examples, play the situations they do not cover. If the character handles a new moment in the same voice, the examples are working. If they slip into a generic tone under stress, add one example of that kind of moment. For the rest of the card, see how to write a character card.
Questions people ask
Are example lines required?
No, but they are the most reliable way to fix a voice. A character without them leans on the greeting for style.
What is the difference between example dialogue and the greeting?
The greeting is the opening scene shown to the player. Example dialogue is hidden guidance on how the character talks, never shown in the chat.
Do example lines work in other apps?
Yes. They export as mes_example in Character Card V2, which SillyTavern and many other front ends read.
