Unexpected Responses from Record Chat

Certified Lead Developer

Hi Community,

I am encountering a strange issue with Record Chat. Occasionally, I receive unintended or unusual responses. The behavior is inconsistent—sometimes it occurs after a few messages, other times after just one or two, and occasionally even with the very first message.

I’m unsure whether this is a bug or a configuration issue. One example, shown in the attached image, is that the conversation output includes entries formatted as 'H:' and 'A:', resembling a question and answer dialogue, which I did not configure or expect. My setup appears straightforward: I’m using fields from both the primary record and the required related record fields, passing the correct identifier. I also attempted to adjust the behavior using the additionalInstructions parameter, but this did not resolve the issue.

Has anyone else experienced this problem or have any insights into what might be causing it?

Thank you in advance!

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  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Prateek

    The problem is in your additionalInstructions - the Q: and A: example format you included is being copied literally by the AI.

    Update additionalInstruction like

    "Generate responses that are user-friendly, avoiding any reference to technical field names, database IDs, or backend terminology. Resolve all raw database fields or IDs into descriptive, human-readable values (e.g., 'Status ID: 26' should be resolved to 'The status is Ongoing').
    
    Use natural language to respond conversationally and combine related fields into cohesive responses.
    
    For any missing or uncertain data, use context-sensitive responses such as 'This information is not available for the given record' or 'I couldn't find the required details for this query.' Avoid exposing backend mechanics, null values, or raw system-generated data.
    
    When listing items (e.g., stakeholders, countries), present them in a readable format such as: 'The stakeholders are User, Regulators, and Squad Team.'
    
    Always prioritize resolving all relationships and dependencies in the backend so users only see meaningful data, not IDs or lookups. Ensure responses directly answer user intent, are concise, and avoid overwhelming technical jargon.
    
    Example: When asked about who created something, respond with 'This was created by [resolved name]' instead of showing creator IDs."
     
    Let me know if that works for you.

  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Shubham Aware

    It’s still the same. As I mentioned, this problem occurs whether the additionalInstructions parameter is null or set to different values. It’s not related to a particular type of question - it happens with various questions and after different numbers of messages, sometimes after just one or two, sometimes after a few more.

    I also noticed that Record Chat responds quickly to some questions, but for those that return an unexpected response, there is a noticeable delay before the unintended response appears.


  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Prateek

    Interesting, Looks like internal context management issue.
    As a workaround, 
    Have you tried adding instruction like :  Never use H:, A:, Q: or any dialogue prefixes in responses.

  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Prateek

    Other possibility,
    Your initial prompt with H:/Q:/A: format likely trained/cached in the model's memory. Even after removing it, the pattern persists because Record Chat is remembering your original instructions.
    Need a complete reset - either create a new Record Chat instance or ask Appian Support to clear the cached context for your current one.

    Keep us posted here.

  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Shubham Aware

    Shubham, as I mentioned, this issue occurs even before I provide any additional instructions. After encountering the problem, I tried using different additionalInstructions, but the issue persisted. I have also tested with a different Record Chat instance, various record types, and even in a different environment—all without using the additionalInstructions parameter. I tried your updated additionalInstruction as well, but it hasn’t helped. I’ll reach out to Appian Support for further assistance.

    Thank you for your efforts and assistance!

  • 0
    Certified Lead Developer
    in reply to Prateek

    Keep us posted here what support team suggest.