| name | wa-characterize |
| description | Stage 2. Hebrew Q&A that produces spec.json โ the bot's name, tone, audience, in/out scope, knowledge base, and tools wishlist. This spec drives every later stage. |
wa-characterize โ Define the bot's personality and scope
Goal: produce a structured spec.json file. Every later stage (build, connect, deploy, maintain) reads from spec.json to know what the bot is and what it should do. Get it right here and the rest is automatic.
Speak Hebrew. Ask questions one at a time, not all at once. Non-technical users get overwhelmed by long forms. Conversational beats checklist.
The output: spec.json
By the end, write ./spec.json:
{
"version": 1,
"name": "...",
"archetype": "personal_assistant | customer_support | knowledge_bot | scheduler",
"language_mode": "hebrew | english | auto_match_user",
"audience": {
"mode": "whitelist | open",
"allowed_numbers": ["+972..."],
"fallback_message": "..."
},
"tone": {
"formality": "casual | semi_formal | formal",
"warmth": "warm | neutral | brisk",
"emoji_usage": "frequent | occasional | none",
"voice_examples": ["...", "..."]
},
"scope": {
"in": ["..."],
"out": ["..."],
"out_of_scope_reply": "..."
},
"knowledge_base": {
"type": "none | inline | files",
"content": "..."
},
"tools_wishlist": ["calendar", "gmail", "reminders", "human_handoff"],
"handoff": {
"enabled": false,
"owner_number": null,
"trigger_phrases": []
},
"llm": {
"provider": "anthropic",
"model": "claude-haiku-4-5",
"max_history": 20
}
}
The conversation flow
Open with:
ื ืฆืืจื ืขืืฉืื ืืืืืื ืื ืืืื ืฉืื ืขืืฉื ืืืื ืืื ื ืฉืืข. ืื ื ืฉืืื, ืืชื ืขืื ื. ืืื ืชืฉืืืืช ื ืืื ืืช ืืืขืืืืช โ ืจืง ืืขืืคืืช ืฉืื.
Q1 โ Archetype (the easy first decision)
ืื ืืืื ืืื ืฆืจืื ืืืืืช, ืืืืื?
1๏ธโฃ ืขืืืจ ืืืฉื โ ืื ืื ืืช ืืืืื ืฉืื, ืงืืจื ืืืืืื, ืืืืืจ ืืืจืื, ืขืื ื ืจืง ืื
2๏ธโฃ ืชืืืืช ืืงืืืืช โ ืขืื ื ืืืงืืืืช ืืฉื ืืขืกืง, ืืืคื ืืฉืืืืช ื ืคืืฆืืช
3๏ธโฃ ืืื ืืืข โ ืืืืข ืืขื ืืช ืขื ื ืืฉื ืกืคืฆืืคื (ืงืืจืก, ืืืฆืจ, ืชืืื)
4๏ธโฃ ืืื ืชืืืืืื โ ืงืืืข ืคืืืฉืืช, ืืชืื ืืืืืช ืืื ืื
Save as archetype. Each archetype has sensible defaults; use them to skip questions later.
Q2 โ Name
ืืื ื ืงืจื ืื? ืฉื ืคืจืื, ืืื ืื, ืืืชื โ ืื ืฉืืชืืื.
Save as name.
Q3 โ Audience
For personal_assistant: assume whitelist mode, ask:
ืื ืืื ืืืฉื. ืื ืืืจืฉื ืืืืจ ืืืชื? (ืชื ืจืฉืืืช ืืกืคืจืื ืืคืืจืื +972..., ืืื ืืฉืืจื)
For customer_support / knowledge_bot: assume open mode, ask:
ืื ืืื ืฉืืืชืื ืืงืื ืืขื ื?
- ืื, ืืืื
- ืื, ืจืง ืจืฉืืื ืืฆืืืฆืืช
If whitelist: ask for numbers. If open: ask for a fallback when overloaded:
ืื ืืืื ืืขื ื ืืฉืืื ืื ืืฆืืื ืืขืืืจ (ืื ืืืืฅ ืืฉืขืืช ืคืขืืืืช)?
Q4 โ Tone
ืืื ืืชื ืจืืฆื ืฉืืืื ืืืืจ? ืื ื ืืืื ืื 3 ืืืืืืืช, ืืืจ ืืช ืืกืื ืื ืืงืจืื ืืจืืื:
ื. "ืืื ๐ ืืื, ืื ื ืืืื ืืขืืืจ ืขื ืื. ืจืืข, ืจืง ืืืืืง..."
ื. "ืฉืืื, ืืืคื ืืื ืืขืช. ืืขืืื ืืืืฉื."
ื. "ืืื! ืืืืืืืฃ ๐ฅ ืจืง ืชื ืื ืฉื ืืื โจ"
Map to formality + warmth + emoji_usage. Then ask:
ืจืืฆื ืืชืช ืื ืืืืื ืฉื ืืฉืคื ืืื ืื ืฉื ืืื ืืกืื ืื ืฉืื? ืื ืขืืืจ ืืืื ืืืืฉืืข ืืืื, ืื ืืื ืจืืืื.
Save 1-3 short Hebrew examples to tone.voice_examples.
Q5 โ In-scope / out-of-scope
ืื ืืืื ืืืืจ ืืขืฉืืช? ืชื 2-4 ืืืืืืืช.
Save to scope.in.
ืื ืืืื ืื ืฆืจืื ืืขืฉืืช, ืื ืื ืืืงืฉื ืืื ื? (ืืืืืื: ืื ืืชืช ืืืขืืฅ ืจืคืืื, ืื ืืืืจ ืขื ืืชืืจืื, ืื ืืืืืื ืืืืจ)
Save to scope.out. Then:
ืื ืืขื ืืช ืืฉืืืฉืื ืืืงืฉ ืืฉืื ืฉืืืืฅ ืืชืืื?
Save to scope.out_of_scope_reply.
Q6 โ Knowledge base
ืืฉ ืืฉืื ืกืคืฆืืคื ืฉืืืื ืฆืจืื ืืืขืช? (ืืืืจืื, ืฉืขืืช ืคืขืืืืช, ืืืื ืืืช, FAQ...)
- ืื, ืืกืคืืง ืฉืืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืืื
- ืื โ ืืืื ืื ืขืืฉืื ืืืื ืฉืืจืืช
- ืื โ ืืฉ ืื ืงืืฆืื (PDF, Word, ืืงืกื) ืฉื ืขืื
For 1: knowledge_base.type = "none".
For 2: ask, save Hebrew text to knowledge_base.content, type "inline".
For 3: ask user to drop files in a ./knowledge/ folder, type "files". (Build stage will index them.)
Q7 โ Tools wishlist (light touch โ full configuration in wa-connect)
ืืืื ืืืืืืช ืชืจืฆื ืฉืืืื ืืืื ืืืืฉื? ืืคืฉืจ ืืืืืจ ืืื. ื ืืืจ ืืืชื ืืืช ืืืจื ืืฉื ืืื ืืืจื ืฉืืืื ืืืกืืกื ืืขืืื.
โ
ืืืื Google (ืงืืืขื, ืฉืื ืื, ืืืืื ืคืืืฉืืช)
โ
Gmail (ืงืจืืื, ืฉืืืื, ืกืืืื)
โ
ืชืืืืจืืช ืืชืืืื ืืช
โ
ืืขืืจื ืืื ืืื (ืฉืืชื ืชืงืื ืืชืจืื ืืืกืคืจ ืืืจ)
Save selected to tools_wishlist. Build stage wires only reminders initially (fast first win); the rest are added in wa-connect.
Q8 โ Handoff to human
If human_handoff was selected:
ืื ืืืกืคืจ ืฉืื ืืงืืืช ืืชืจืืืช? (ืืฉืืืฉืื ืืืงืฉ ืืืืจ ืขื ืื ืืื)
Save to handoff.owner_number, set handoff.enabled = true.
ืื ืืฉืคืื ืืืจืืืจ ืฉืืืจืื ืืืขืืจื? (ืืืฉื "ืชื ืื ืืืืจ ืขื ืืืฉืื", "ืื ื ืจืืฆื ื ืฆืื")
Save Hebrew strings to handoff.trigger_phrases. Default to ["ืืืจ ืขื ื ืฆืื", "ืืืขืืืจ ืืื ืืื", "ืื ื ืจืืฆื ืืืฉ ืชืืืื"] if user doesn't have specifics.
Q9 โ LLM choice
For non-technical users, default and don't ask:
provider: "anthropic", model: "claude-haiku-4-5", max_history: 20
Tell the user:
ืืืจืชื ืืฉืืืื ืืช Claude Haiku 4.5 โ ืืืืจ, ืืื, ืืืื. ืชืืื ืืคืฉืจ ืืฉืืจื ืืืืฉื.
Note: if the user explicitly said earlier they want OpenAI or Gemini, honor it (gpt-5.4-nano or gemini-2.5-flash as budget defaults).
Save and confirm
Write ./spec.json with everything collected. Then read it back to the user as a Hebrew summary:
ืจืืข, ื ืกืื:
- ืฉื ืืืื: {name}
- ืกืื: {archetype}
- ืงืื: {audience description}
- ืืื: {tone summary}
- ืขืืฉื: {scope.in joined}
- ืื ืขืืฉื: {scope.out joined}
- ืืืืืืช ืขืชืืืืืช: {tools_wishlist joined}
ื ืจืื ืื ืืื? ืืคืฉืจ ืืชืงื ืื ืคืจืื.
If user wants edits, modify spec.json accordingly.
Update state
Update .wa-state.json:
{
"current_stage": "build",
"completed_stages": ["setup", "characterize"],
"bot_name": "<name>",
"archetype": "<archetype>",
"last_updated": "<ISO>"
}
Tell the user:
ืืฆืืื. ืขืืฉืื ืื ื ืืื ื ืืช ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืขื ืืืืฉื ืฉืื โ ืงืื ืฉืื, ืืืื ืืืคืขืื. ืืืงื ืื ืืงื. ืืืจื ืื ื ืจืืฅ ืืืชื ืื ืจืื ืฉืืื ืขืื ื.
Hand back to /wa which will load wa-build.