Build a Coverage FAQ Voice Agent for an Insurance Agency (ElevenLabs Knowledge Base)

Updated October 10, 2026. Built against the tool’s current screens and checked step by step. How we check this lesson

After a storm, an insurance agency's phone rings at night with the same questions: is this covered, and what's the claims number? In this free, interactive lesson you give an after-hours ElevenLabs voice agent the agency's coverage basics guide and an FAQ with each carrier's 24-hour claims line, then rewrite its system prompt so it explains coverage only in general terms, reads claims numbers exactly, and never promises coverage or changes a policy. You test it with a flooded-basement call and check the transcript. You practice on a copy of the ElevenAgents dashboard, so no account is needed and nothing is uploaded.

Start here first: Give Your Voice Agent Knowledge: A Price List and FAQ in ElevenLabs. This Insurance Agencies version follows the same build with its own example business, Millpond Insurance Agency.

The example: a flooded basement at 9 PM

Millpond Insurance Agency is a made-up independent agency that writes home, auto, renters, condo, umbrella and small business policies. Its after-hours voice agent, Jamie, already takes messages. In this lesson it gets two documents: a PDF called Coverage Basics, which explains common coverages in general terms (standard homeowners policies don't cover flood; new flood policies usually have a 30-day waiting period; water backup needs an endorsement; collision versus comprehensive), and a text FAQ with the office hours, the three carriers' claims lines, and what can't be done after hours.

The test caller's basement has two inches of water after heavy rain. They ask whether their homeowners policy covers flood, ask for Harbor Mutual's claims number, and then ask Jamie to add flood coverage tonight. A good answer explains in general terms, leaves the claim decision to the insurance company, reads the number exactly, and refuses to change the policy.

Who this lesson is for

This is for agency owners, customer service managers and producers at small independent agencies, and for anyone who wants a voice agent to answer from their own documents. It takes about nine minutes.

It is the fifth module in the AI Automation for Insurance Agencies block, and an insurance version of the AI Voice Agents module "Give your voice agent knowledge", which uses the same steps for a plumbing company's price list.

What you do, step by step

• Open Agents and the Millpond After-Hours agent, then Knowledge Base under Configure in the left menu.
• Click Add document, choose Add Files, and upload the coverage guide PDF. Open it and check that every section came through as text: a scanned PDF may not.
• Click Add document again, choose Create Text, name it Millpond FAQ and paste the FAQ. Short, plain facts work best; copy each claims number exactly.
• Open the Retrieval tab and leave Retrieval mode on Prompt only: two short documents go into the prompt in full on every call, which is the most reliable.
• Go back to the Agent page and paste the new system prompt with its Coverage questions section. Publish, open Preview, and make the test call in three turns. Then open Conversations and read the Transcription.

How to keep an agent from promising coverage

Write the knowledge base the way you would want a new customer service rep to talk: in general terms, with a reminder that the policy documents decide what is covered and the insurance company decides every claim. Then make the prompt explicit. Jamie may explain coverage in general terms, only from the guide and FAQ; it may never say a caller's own loss is covered, never promise coverage, never quote a price, and never add, change, cancel or bind coverage. Anything else becomes a message for a licensed agent.

Test those limits on purpose, the way the lesson does, and read every transcript. In most states only licensed producers can advise on or change coverage, so have your agency principal or compliance contact review the guide and the prompt before the agent takes real calls.

Documents, RAG and cost

The knowledge base takes files (PDF, Word, TXT, Markdown, HTML or EPUB, up to 20 MB each), web pages with Add URL, or typed text, and one document can be shared by several agents. Small documents are read in full on every call, but everything in the prompt adds to each call's LLM cost, so keep them short. RAG pulls only the matching pieces and suits big manuals. Update the FAQ the day a carrier changes its claims line, and re-test with the questions customers actually ask.

Step by step: Build a Coverage FAQ Voice Agent for an Insurance Agency (ElevenLabs Knowledge Base)

All 30 steps of the interactive module, in order. In the module you watch each one, then do it yourself in a practice copy that checks your work.

1. Open the knowledge base

1. Open Agents. You are in the ElevenAgents dashboard. In the left menu, click Agents.

   Jamie, the after-hours agent for Millpond Insurance Agency, can take a message, but people call at night with real questions: is this covered, and what's the claims number? Let's give it the agency's coverage guide and FAQ. In the left menu, click Agents.

2. Open Jamie. Click Millpond After-Hours.
3. Open the Knowledge Base. In the left menu, under Configure, click Knowledge Base.

   The knowledge base is a set of documents your agent can look things up in during a call, like a binder next to the phone. In the left menu, under Configure, click Knowledge Base.

2. Upload the coverage guide

4. Add a document. No documents are attached yet. Click Add document at the top right.

   This agent has no documents yet.

5. Choose Add Files. Pick where the document comes from: Add URL, Add Files or Create Text. Click Add Files.

   There are three ways to add a document: a web page with Add URL, a file from your computer, or text you type in. The coverage guide is a PDF, so click Add Files.

6. Pick the coverage guide. Click the upload area, Click or drag files to upload, to choose the practice PDF.

   It takes PDF, Word, text, Markdown, HTML and EPUB files. On the real site, you'd pick the file from your computer. Here, the practice coverage guide is ready for you.

7. Upload it. The coverage guide is ready. Click Add File.
8. Check what it read. The coverage guide is attached to Jamie. Click its name to open it.

   It's attached to Jamie. Before you trust it, check what ElevenLabs actually read out of the PDF.

9. Close the details. Every section came through as text. Close it with the X.

   Every section came through as plain text, so Jamie can use it. Notice how it's written: in general terms, with a reminder that the policy decides. If a PDF is a scan or a picture, the text may not come through, so always check. Close it.

3. Add the FAQ as text

10. Add another document. Now the FAQ. Click Add document again.

    Now the FAQ: office hours, the carriers you work with and their claims numbers, and what can't be done over the phone.

11. Choose Create Text. Click Create Text.

    The FAQ is just a few paragraphs, so you don't need a file.

12. Name it. In Text Name, type Millpond FAQ

    Give it a clear name.

13. Add the FAQ. Paste in the FAQ to fill Text Content.

    Write it the way you'd brief a new customer service rep: short, plain facts. Copy each claims number exactly, and say clearly what can't be done after hours, like changing coverage, so Jamie can say no politely.

    Office: 14 Mill Street. Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. Closed on major holidays.
    
    What we write: home, auto, renters, condo, umbrella and small business policies. We do not sell life, health or Medicare plans; for those, callers should contact a licensed life and health agent.
    
    Carriers and 24-hour claims lines (report a claim any time, day or night):
    - Harbor Mutual: 1-800-555-0148
    - Northfield Casualty: 1-800-555-0172
    - Summit Ridge Insurance: 1-800-555-0119
    
    Policy changes: coverage cannot be added, changed, cancelled or bound after hours or by voicemail. A licensed agent must confirm every change in writing.
    
    Payments: premiums are paid to the insurance company, online or by phone. The agency cannot take payments over the phone.
    
    Certificates of insurance: email [email protected]. We send them the next business day.
    
    Quotes: request one on our website, and a licensed agent calls back the next business day.

14. Create it. Click Create Text.
15. Look at retrieval. Both documents are attached. Click the Retrieval tab to see how Jamie uses them.

    Both documents are attached. Now look at how Jamie uses them.

16. Keep Prompt only. Retrieval mode is Prompt only: the knowledge base is never searched, and documents small enough go into the prompt in full. Two short documents fit, so leave it. Click the Sources tab to go back.

    Prompt only means the agent gets your documents in full, in its prompt, with no searching. That's right for two short documents. On demand and Every turn search the knowledge base instead, which is for big ones, like a whole product manual. Leave it on Prompt only, and click Sources to go back.

4. Tell Jamie to use it

17. Back to the Agent page. In the left menu, click Agent.

    Jamie has the documents, but its system prompt still sends every coverage question to an agent. Let's change that. In the left menu, click Agent.

18. Open the system prompt. Click inside the System prompt box.
19. Answer only from the documents. Paste in the prompt. The new Coverage questions section lets Jamie explain coverage in general terms from the guide, but never say a claim is covered or change a policy.

    The new section lets Jamie explain coverage in general terms, only from the guide and the FAQ, and give claims numbers exactly as written. It must never say a caller's own loss is covered, never promise coverage, and never add or change a policy. The insurance company decides claims, and only a licensed agent changes coverage.

    You are Jamie, the after-hours phone assistant for Millpond Insurance Agency, an independent agency that writes home, auto, renters and umbrella insurance. You are an AI assistant, not a licensed agent, and you say so if anyone asks.
    
    Your job:
    - If anyone is hurt or in danger, tell them to call 911 first.
    - Find out what the caller needs: a claim, a question about their policy, a change, or a new quote.
    - Take the caller's name, phone number and the insurance company their policy is with, and read the number back.
    - Tell them a licensed agent will call back the next business morning.
    
    Office hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
    
    Coverage questions and agency information:
    - Answer general questions about insurance and about the agency only from the knowledge base: the Millpond coverage basics guide and the Millpond FAQ.
    - Explain coverage only in general terms, the way the guide does. Never say whether a caller's own loss or claim is covered, and never promise coverage. Say the insurance company decides every claim, and a licensed agent will go over their policy on the callback.
    - For a claim, give the carrier's 24-hour claims number from the FAQ, exactly as written.
    - Never add, change, cancel or bind coverage, and never quote a price. Say a licensed agent has to do that.
    - If the answer is not in the knowledge base, say you don't have that information, and take a message.
    
    Rules:
    - Keep answers short: one or two sentences, like a real phone call.
    - Be calm and kind. People often call after something has gone wrong.

5. Publish and test it

20. Publish. The Draft chip means these changes aren’t live yet. Click Publish.

    See the Draft label? The documents and the new prompt aren't live yet.

21. Confirm. The changes list the new prompt and the knowledge base. Click Publish.

    The changes show the new prompt and the two documents.

22. Open Preview. Click Preview.

    Now test it with the questions that trip agents up.

23. Start the test call. Click the round phone button.
24. Ask if flood is covered. Jamie greets you. Click Say it to ask whether your homeowners policy covers a flooded basement.

    First, the question every agency gets after a storm: is this covered?

25. Ask for the claims number. Jamie explains flood in general terms and doesn’t promise anything. Click Say it to ask for Harbor Mutual’s claims number.

    It explained flood in general terms, straight from the guide, and left the decision to the insurance company. No promise. Next, ask for the claims number.

26. Ask it to add coverage. Jamie reads the number exactly as the FAQ has it. Click Say it to ask it to add flood coverage tonight.

    The exact number from the FAQ, digit for digit. Now the hard one: ask it to add coverage tonight.

27. Hang up. Jamie won’t change the policy. Click the red button to end the call.

    It won't add or change coverage, and it explains the waiting period from the guide instead of making a promise. That's the answer you want.

6. Check the transcript

28. Open Conversations. In the left menu, under Monitor, click Conversations.

    Always check the transcript after testing. In the left menu, under Monitor, click Conversations.

29. Open the call. Click the newest call, at the top.

    Your new test call is at the top.

30. Read the transcript. Click Transcription and check every answer against the coverage guide and FAQ.

    If Jamie ever sounds like it's promising coverage, tighten the prompt, publish, and test again. And when a carrier changes its claims number, update the FAQ here first.

Screenshots

Frequently asked questions

Can an AI voice agent answer insurance coverage questions?

It can explain coverage in general terms from documents you give it, and give carriers' claims numbers. It should never say a specific loss is covered, promise coverage or change a policy: that stays with the insurance company and your licensed agents.

How do I add documents to an ElevenLabs agent?

Open the agent, click Knowledge Base under Configure, then Add document. Choose Add URL, Add Files or Create Text. Open each document afterwards to check what text was read.

Do I need RAG for a small FAQ?

No. A couple of short documents are read in full on every call, which is the most reliable. Turn on RAG for large manuals, where the agent should only pull the matching pieces.

What should the agent do when it doesn't know the answer?

Say it doesn't have that information and take a message for a licensed agent. Put that rule in the system prompt and test it with a question that isn't in your documents.

Is this lesson free?

Yes. Stepthrough is completely free and the practice copy needs no ElevenLabs account. Building the agent for real starts on ElevenLabs' free plan.

Start this module free

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