Agentforce Specialist Certification (Study Guide)

Agent Actions & Topics

Learn how agents use standard and custom actions, how topics expose those actions, and how to select the right configuration for real business requirements (and exam-style scenarios).

After this lesson, you can…

Describe how an agent uses standard and custom actions to perform tasks for users.
Explain the role of topics and how topics help an agent respond and execute actions.
Recognize commonly used standard actions available with the Agentforce Employee agent.
Select and configure the right topic or action to meet a given business requirement.

Introduction

Agents (like the Agentforce Employee agent) can leverage standard actions and custom actions to complete tasks on behalf of Salesforce users. Standard actions are included by default for common work. Custom actions extend the agent for business-specific needs.

When creating a custom action, an Agentforce Specialist selects a Reference Action Type (Apex, Flow, Prompt Template, or API), then assigns actions to topics inside Agent Builder. You can also write instructions to clarify how an action should be used during conversations.

Step 1: The Mental Model — Actions Do Work, Topics Organize Work

Agent Actions

Individual tasks

Actions are the specific tasks an agent can perform on behalf of users (drafting, summarizing, querying records, etc.).

Agent Topics

Categories of actions

Topics group related actions for a “job” and provide classification, scope, and instructions to guide agent behavior.

Key Rule: An agent can only use actions that are assigned to its topics.

Step 2: Standard Actions vs Custom Actions

Standard Actions

Included with agents by default
Available to users with Agentforce access
Some require additional cloud licenses or permissions

Custom Actions

Extend the agent for business-specific tasks
Access depends on how the action is built
Built using a Reference Action Type

Step 3: Action Assignment & Management

Action Assignment: An agent uses only the actions assigned to it. Actions are assigned by adding them to a topic (and one action can be added to multiple topics).
Action Management: Add or remove actions from a topic via the Topics panel in Agent Builder.

Important: The agent must be deactivated before adding or removing actions.

Step 4: Creating Custom Actions

Create a custom action from Salesforce Setup by clicking New Agent Action on the Agent Actions page. Then choose a Reference Action Type to define what the action launches.

Invocable Apex

Launch an invocable Apex class

Autolaunched Flow

Launch an autolaunched flow

Prompt Template

Run a prompt template for structured output

API

Call an external endpoint / integration

Step 5: Action Instructions & Parameters

Instructions tell the agent what the action does and when and how to use it in a conversation. You can write instructions for: the action, its inputs, and its outputs.

Best practice for instructions:

Include 1–3 example utterances (sample user requests)
Mention dependent actions (if any)
Describe how the action should function and respond

Input Settings

Require Input: Makes a parameter mandatory for execution (enabled by default when required by the reference action).
Collect Data from User: Requires the input to be provided by the user during the conversation.

Standard Topics

Various standard topics are available in the Asset Library. Use them for common use cases, then refine scope and instructions as needed.

Common Standard Actions (Employee Agent)

Use these as recognition anchors. When a request sounds common, a standard action is often the best fit.

📚 Answer Questions with Knowledge

Answers questions using relevant Knowledge articles. Requires Lightning Knowledge enabled and at least 10 Knowledge articles.

Example: “How do we manage flight cancellations due to bad weather?”

🗂️ Create Close Plan

Generates a sales close plan for an opportunity by target date. Requires Einstein Activity Capture (EAC) and Activity 360.

Example: “What steps should I take to close the Acme VPN Software opportunity?”

✉️ Draft or Revise Email

Creates or revises an email draft (recipient, subject, body) based on user request and available email types.

Example: “Draft a follow-up email for the meeting with Sean Forbes.”

🔍 Find Similar Opportunities

Returns a list of similar (not duplicate) opportunities with explanations. Matches Closed Won within 12 months and not deleted.

Example: “How did we win deals like this in the past?”

📊 Query Records

Retrieves records based on conditions (field values, filters) and explains how the request was interpreted to produce results.

Example: “Show me all the customers in New York.”

📝 Summarize Record

Summarizes a record using Record Summary prompt templates that match the object type of the record.

Example: “What are the highlights of the United Oil Installations opportunity?”

Scenarios & Solutions

Practice matching the requirement to the right topic or action. This is the exact thinking pattern you’ll use on exam questions.

Scenario 1

Build a custom agent that answers questions based on Knowledge articles about company services. You need to assign a standard topic.

Solution: Assign the standard topic General FAQ. It includes Answer Questions with Knowledge.

Scenario 2

Sales reps spend significant time writing follow-up emails. The business wants AI-generated drafts aligned with successful prior communications.

Solution: Assign Draft or Revise Email so users can create or revise drafts (recipient, subject, body) and send via Salesforce composer or copy elsewhere.

Scenario 3

Sales reps want to ask: “How did we win deals like this one in the past?” The agent should identify similar opportunities.

Solution: Assign Find Similar Opportunities to the Employee agent to return similar past opportunities with explanations.

Next: Configure Topics & Actions in Agent Builder

Next, you’ll apply these concepts inside Agent Builder—assign actions to topics, refine instructions, and spot common configuration traps.

Click “Next” to Continue →