Intent Example Sentences - Cognigy Documentation

Intent Example Sentences

Intent Example Sentences are phrases that show how users might express their intentions to the AI Agent. A diverse set of example sentences enables the AI Agent to recognize a larger variety of user inputs. By associating these examples with specific Intents, the AI Agent can better understand and respond to user needs. These sentences help ensure the NLU model is well-trained and ready for human-AI interactions.

Limitations

You can add up to 2000 example sentences per Intent.
The minimum number of example sentences is 5. If you attempt to train an Intent with fewer than 5 example sentences, a red indicator will appear once the build completes.

Managing Intent Sentences

Create Intent Sentences

Manually
Automatically (Generative AI)

To create an Intent sentence, go to the Intent in NLU > Intents in your Flow.
Enter the example sentence and press Enter or Tab.

To use Generative AI for creating Intent example sentences, read the Generative AI article.

Delete Intent Sentences
If you need to delete or remove example sentences, you can hover over the sentence and click .

Recommended Number of Example Sentences

For optimal performance, use 5-100 example sentences.
With this range, you can provide the AI Agent with enough data to recognize the Intent and avoid overcomplicating the model with unnecessary examples. If you don’t meet the minimum of 5 example sentences or exceed the maximum of 100, Cognigy.AI shows a warning icon prompting you to adjust the number of sentences.

Tips for Writing Effective Example Sentences

Avoid punctuation marks. Keep the sentences simple and without punctuation. Using punctuation marks in example sentences, such as commas and question marks, can reduce recognition accuracy.
Avoid repetition. Don’t write similar sentences like I want to order Pizza and I want to order Pasta. Instead, use Lexicons to group similar terms and attach them to your Flow. This way, you can create a more general sentence like I want to order food, which will automatically recognize Pizza and Pasta as food-related items.
Use natural language instead of placeholders. Avoid placeholder variables like LEX_SLOT_123 and limit uppercase usage, for example, don’t write FOOD in all caps unless it’s an abbreviation.
Ensure uniqueness. Make sure your example sentences are different from each other. If they’re too similar, the AI Agent may struggle to differentiate Intents, which could cause incorrect results or trigger confirmation sentences often.

More Information

Last modified on April 21, 2026