# Test your agent before launch

**Category:** [AI Chat Agent](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/agent)
**Updated:** 2026-10-04

## Use the Test Agent tab

Open the agent's **Test Agent** tab to chat with it exactly as a visitor would — without making it Live. This back-office test chat works even while the agent is in **Draft**, so you can validate answers before anyone sees the widget.
## What to check

- **Accuracy** — ask real customer questions and confirm the answers match your content.
- **Sources** — the agent shows which knowledge chunks it used. If it cites the wrong material, revisit your sources.
- **Gaps** — if it says it can't help on something it should know, that source may not be indexed yet, or your **minimum relevance score** may be set too high.

## Tuning from what you see

If answers are too cautious, lower the minimum score or raise the number of retrieved chunks on the **Configuration** tab. If answers drift off-topic, raise the score, tighten your **custom instructions**, or remove noisy sources. After adding or re-crawling content, run the test again.
## One important note

Test conversations are **real** — they are saved and will appear in the **Conversations** tab just like live chats. Once you're happy with the answers and have configured [escalation](set-up-escalation-and-handoff), set the agent **Live** and confirm the [embedded widget](embed-the-chat-widget) appears on your site.

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## Related Articles

- [Reading your agent analytics](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/agent-analytics)
- [AI Support Agent overview](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/ai-support-agent-overview-1)
- [Configuring Your Agent](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/configuring-your-agent)
- [Conversations and the Handoff Inbox](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/agent-conversations-inbox)
- [Restrict the agent to your sites with Allowed origins](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/agent-allowed-origins)

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