---
title: Hire a Virtual Teammate
slug: agent-platform/docs/hire-a-virtual-teammate
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-17T11:41:13.000Z
---

Hire a Virtual Teammate in Optimizely Agent Platform to hand off recurring work to an AI teammate that acts on your behalf. Name it, choose where it works, connect its tools, and start working together.

These steps apply to any Virtual Teammate. For what a specific teammate does, see its corresponding article:

- [Chief of Staff](docId:8hr-72TTppxfuu4k1YHkN)
- [CRO Manager](docId\:la6PUcpY0y0-85DGIsBSB)
- [Marketing Analyst](docId\:taQqZbAj6AYgsKrJ37q0s)
- [Personalization Strategist](docId\:qp22x-pw48MCh0jDI9_KV)
- [SEO & AI Search Analyst](docId\:KvoX0Ul6hx6LG1lt9jC-G)

## Prerequisites

Confirm the following before you hire a Virtual Teammate:

- An Agent Platform administrator has enabled the teammate you want for your organization. See [Enable Virtual Teammates](docId\:Znlu6nu68Za41a2FtNbgb).
- You have permission to hire a Virtual Teammate.

## Hire a Virtual Teammate

Complete the following steps in Agent Platform to hire a Virtual Teammate:

1. Click **Directory > Virtual Teammates**.
2. Click **Hire** for the teammate you want to add.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/l25ny7X7RJeuHe5YzeojU_click-hire.png" size="100" isUploading="false" position="center" width="1628" height="2074" darkWidth="1628" darkHeight="2074" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
If the teammate displays **Request** instead, an administrator must enable it first. Click **Request** to send your administrator a request to enable it.
:::

3. Enter a name for your teammate.
4. (Optional) Click **Edit** to customize your teammate's personality or avatar now. You can also edit this later.
5. Click **Create**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Lf_b9khlWMTr-q5a8oNzA_click-create.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="878" height="796" darkWidth="878" darkHeight="796" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

6. Choose the product instance for each product the teammate uses.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/6Wdp_mj86cf4WqEbnEmf8_vt-where-they-work.png" size="80" isUploading="false" position="center" width="1338" height="938" darkWidth="1338" darkHeight="938" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

7. Click **Next**.

:::hint{type="info" indent="1"}
**Note**

Choosing a product instance tells the teammate where to work. It does not grant access. An administrator assigns the teammate a role on each instance in [Opti ID Admin Center](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/25450783599117).
:::

8. Click **Connect** for each tool that is not connected yet. Log in to the connector on the pop-up window.
9. Click **Start working together**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/_1Wd8LBkzRqybVMdA8LsS_connect-tools-1.png" size="70" isUploading="false" position="center" width="960" height="1506" darkWidth="960" darkHeight="1506" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

10. Click **Go to your teammate** to open your conversation with your teammate.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/p2qIj3I4NYj_SXZiYkMLQ_teammate-created.png" size="70" isUploading="false" position="center" width="1066" height="1036" darkWidth="1066" darkHeight="1036" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

By default, a Virtual Teammate proposes its work over [Team Messages](docId\:oYX1Dfp6MBpNZpvkbgIzP) and you approve it before it acts. You give it more autonomy as you build trust in its output.

## Manage your Virtual Teammate

After you hire a Virtual Teammate, you supervise its work, adjust its jobs and connections, and set its permissions from its page. See [Manage your Virtual Teammate](docId\:tmB9NAk79-L6-T0sDlcd5).

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

If you use Opti ID, administrators can turn off generative AI in the Opti ID Admin Center. See [Turn generative AI off across Optimizely applications](docId\:X5U0kKD2azV5cIdNqwGNj).
:::