# Control agents with operating rules

Canonical HTML: [https://collty.com/help/ai-agents/control-agents-with-operating-rules](https://collty.com/help/ai-agents/control-agents-with-operating-rules)
Audience: Project owners
Reading time: 8 min
Updated: 2026-07-15T00:00:00.000Z

Choose focus, initiative, attention and response depth for each project-agent relationship.

## Settings change agent behavior

Operating rules are not labels for a future feature. Enabled focus areas alter which project evidence an agent considers; initiative changes whether it surfaces next actions proactively; attention controls escalation sensitivity; response depth changes the amount of context in its output.

## Examples

- Sprint scope and workload guide a planning agent toward realistic commitments.
- Open invoices and accepted work guide a commercial agent toward billable evidence.
- Blockers and due dates guide PM Twin toward delivery risk.
- Special instructions add project-specific boundaries without replacing the standard controls.

## Save rules, then check state

1. **Choose the project object:** Agent settings belong to one project-agent relationship.
2. **Configure focus and behavior:** Keep only the signals that support this agent's responsibility.
3. **Save the rules:** The panel confirms when the configuration is stored.
4. **Start or pause separately:** The player-style controls govern whether scheduled work is active now.

## Related guides

- [Use Digital Pm Twin](https://collty.com/help/ai-agents/use-digital-pm-twin)
- [Understand Agent Center](https://collty.com/help/ai-agents/understand-agent-center)
- [Time Costs Invoices And Expenses](https://collty.com/help/commercial/time-costs-invoices-and-expenses)