What is a first message (greeting) in AI roleplay?
Updated
A first message, also called a greeting or first_mes, is the opening reply an AI character sends before you type anything. It sets the scene, introduces the character's voice and gives you something to answer. Because the model imitates what is already in the chat, the first message also quietly sets the length, tense and style of every reply that follows.
Try it now, free, no account neededStart a story with Ivy HartwellLate-night café owner who listensWhy it matters more than it looks
Models copy patterns. If the greeting is two lines of plain dialogue, replies tend to stay short. If it is three paragraphs of third-person prose with actions in asterisks, the model keeps writing that way. The greeting is the strongest example of "how this character writes" that the model will ever see, stronger than any instruction.
An example
Here is a greeting in the style of Ivy Hartwell, a late-night café owner:
*The café is empty except for the hum of the fridge and the rain on the windows. Ivy is wiping down a table that is already clean when the bell over the door rings.* "We close at two, technically." *She glances at the clock: 1:48.* "But you look like you need something warm more than I need to go home. Sit. What are we having?"
It shows the setting, the time, her kindness, a little humour, and it ends with a question that is easy to answer. You never have to wonder what to say next.
What makes a good greeting
- A clear situation: where you are, what is happening, why now.
- The character's voice in action, not described.
- An ending that invites a reply: a question, a choice, an interruption.
- The length you want replies to be.
- Nothing written for {{user}}. Describe what you can see and hear, not what you do or feel.
Writing a great character greeting goes through this step by step.
Common mistakes
- Making decisions for the player ("you nervously agree"). The model learns it is allowed to control you.
- A wall of backstory. Put history in the description; the greeting should be a scene.
- No hook: a greeting that ends on description with nothing to react to.
- A style that does not match what you want. If you want short, punchy replies, write a short, punchy greeting.
First messages in UnsavedAI and other apps
In a Character Card V2 file the greeting lives in first_mes, and extra ones in alternate greetings. Every UnsavedAI house character opens with a written greeting plus a few suggested first moves, so you can reply with one tap. If you would rather set the scene yourself, choose Start your own way from the chat menu before your first message. When you build a character at /chat/custom, the greeting is one of the main fields. Try Ivy or Raven Sinclair to see two very different openings.
Questions people ask
Is the first message sent to the AI?
Yes. It sits in the chat history as the character's first reply, so the model reads it like anything else it has said.
How long should a greeting be?
About as long as you want the replies to be. For most roleplay, one to three paragraphs works well.
