Gorgias guidance templates: Where to start for smarter AI automation

So, you're staring at the Gorgias guidance templates screen, wondering where on earth to begin. You're not alone. It’s exciting to get started with AI automation, but that blank page can be pretty intimidating.

We’ll walk you through the simple "When, If, Then" framework, give you the first few templates you should absolutely build, and then talk about what happens when you start to outgrow the basics (and how to handle it without ripping out your whole system).

While Gorgias offers a solid starting point for dipping your toes into AI, you'll likely find that real, scalable automation means looking beyond the native toolset. This guide will show you exactly where to start with Gorgias guidance templates and how to overcome the inevitable scaling challenges with a more powerful, integrated approach.

What is Gorgias guidance?

Put simply, Gorgias Guidance is the playbook you write for your AI agent. You're not coding; you're just writing out instructions in plain English, much like you would for a new human team member.

Guidance has a very important job in the automation process. When a ticket comes in, the AI Agent checks your Guidance before it looks at your Help Center articles or any other knowledge sources. This means your clear, well-written Guidance is the most critical piece of the puzzle for getting accurate, on-brand AI responses.

So, what happens if your Guidance is vague or incomplete? The AI might escalate a simple ticket it should have handled, give a customer a generic answer that isn't helpful, or just fail to resolve the issue entirely. All of this creates more cleanup work for your team, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of automation. This is why getting your Guidance right from the start is so important.

The "When, If, Then" framework: A solid starting point

To make writing instructions less intimidating, Gorgias uses a simple structure called the “When, If, Then” framework. It’s a logical, repeatable way to build out instructions for your AI agent that mirrors how it thinks.

Let's break it down:

• WHEN: The Trigger. This is the scenario, what the customer is asking about. It’s the main reason for the ticket. For example, "WHEN a customer asks for a return." This statement also becomes the title for your piece of Guidance, making it easy to find and organize later.

• IF: The Conditions. These are the specific rules that have to be met before the AI does something. You can stack multiple "if" statements to handle different twists on a request. For example, "IF the order was placed less than 30 days ago" and "IF the item is not final sale."

• THEN: The Action. This is the final step where you tell the AI exactly what to do once the conditions are met. The instructions need to be direct and clear. For example, "THEN tell the shopper they are eligible and send them a link to the return portal."

Where to start with Gorgias guidance templates (and their limitations)

Okay, framework down. Now for the big question: where do you actually start? The urge to automate everything right away is real, but the best approach is to start small and aim for the biggest impact.

Start with these 3 high-volume templates

The best place to begin is with the most common, mind-numbingly repetitive questions that eat up your team's time. By automating just a few of these, you can free up your agents for more complex, high-value conversations.

Here are three practical templates to build first.

1. Where Is My Order (WISMO)

This is the number one ticket for most e-commerce brands. A simple Guidance for this can make a huge difference. You could set it up so that WHEN a customer asks about their order status, IF tracking information is available, THEN the AI provides the tracking number and a link to the carrier’s page. If tracking is not available, THEN it can inform the customer the order is being prepared and provide an estimated shipping date.

A screenshot of the Gorgias interface for creating a new guidance template, illustrating where to start with Gorgias guidance templates.

2. Order Cancellations

These are often time-sensitive, making them perfect for instant, automated responses. WHEN a customer asks to cancel their order, IF the order has not been fulfilled, THEN the AI can confirm the cancellation and tell them their refund will be processed in 5-10 business days. But IF the order has already been fulfilled, THEN it can inform the customer it's too late to cancel and explain how to start a return once the package arrives.

3. Return Requests

This is a classic multi-condition scenario that automation handles beautifully. WHEN a customer asks to return an item, IF the return is within the 30-day return window, THEN the AI can provide instructions and a link to the return portal. But IF the return window has expired, THEN it can politely inform the customer that the return period has ended.

The challenge: Scaling beyond basic templates

Getting those first few templates live is a great feeling. You're seeing real time savings, and customers are happy. But soon enough, you start bumping up against the limits of what a built-in helpdesk AI can do. This is where the initial simplicity of the "When, If, Then" framework starts to feel a little restrictive.

Here are the key limitations you'll almost certainly run into:

• Your AI only knows what you tell it. The Gorgias AI Agent learns from your Help Center and the Guidance you write. But what about all the valuable information locked away in your team's past ticket conversations? Or the detailed process docs in Google Docs? Or the internal troubleshooting guides on Confluence? Manually copying and pasting all of that context into new Guidance templates is not just tedious, it's completely unsustainable as you grow.

eesel AI's interface showing how it connects to multiple knowledge sources like Confluence, Google Docs, and past tickets, overcoming the limitations of basic Gorgias guidance templates.

• Workflows get stuck in one system. The "When, If, Then" logic is great for simple tasks, but it struggles with complex, multi-step workflows. What happens when canceling an order requires an action in both Shopify and your third-party logistics (3PL) platform? While Gorgias can perform some actions, they are often confined to its own ecosystem and require a lot of effort to coordinate across different tools.

A view of eesel AI's customizable workflow engine, which allows for complex, multi-step actions beyond the simple 'if/then' logic of Gorgias guidance templates.

• There’s no safe way to test. This is a big one. How can you be sure your new, complex Guidance will actually work as intended? With Gorgias, your testing options are limited. You can’t easily simulate how your AI will perform against thousands of your real historical tickets before it ever talks to a live customer. This "build and hope" approach is risky and can lead to broken experiences that damage customer trust.

The eesel AI simulation mode, which allows for risk-free testing on historical tickets before deploying automation, a key advantage over standard Gorgias guidance templates.

Beyond basic templates: Unify your knowledge for your Gorgias AI

The good news? You don't have to ditch Gorgias to get past these roadblocks. The answer is to give your AI a bigger brain, one that can connect to all the tools you already use.

That's exactly what eesel AI does. It’s designed to plug directly into your Gorgias helpdesk and act as the central knowledge hub you're missing.

• Unify all your knowledge, instantly. Instead of being stuck with just your Help Center, eesel AI connects to all your knowledge sources in a few clicks. It learns from everything: your past ticket conversations, internal wikis on Confluence, process docs in Google Docs, and more. This gives your AI a complete understanding of your business, so it can answer nuanced questions without you needing to write a template for every single scenario. You can get it set up and live in minutes, not months.

• Go beyond simple actions. With eesel AI, you’re not limited to rigid "If/Then" logic. Its customizable workflow engine lets you build complex, multi-step actions that reflect how your team actually works. Your AI can make API calls to your 3PL, look up real-time order information from any system, and triage tickets with precision. This enables real end-to-end automation, not just simple Q&A.

• Test with confidence. Before your AI ever interacts with a customer, eesel AI’s simulation mode lets you test it on thousands of your past tickets. You can see exactly how it would have responded, get an accurate forecast of its performance, and fine-tune its behavior in a safe environment. This completely eliminates the guesswork and risk, so you can roll out automation with 100% confidence.

Comparing automation costs: Gorgias vs. eesel AI

Let's talk money, because it matters. As you automate more, the way your AI provider charges can really sneak up on you.

Gorgias's automation features are often part of an add-on that charges on a per-resolution basis. This model can quickly become unpredictable and expensive. Every time your AI successfully resolves a ticket, your bill goes up. You're essentially getting penalized for being efficient. A busy month can lead to a surprisingly high bill, making it tough to forecast costs.

eesel AI uses a different approach with transparent pricing. Plans are based on a predictable number of monthly AI interactions, with no per-resolution fees. You know exactly what you're paying each month, allowing you to scale your automation without worrying about a bill that spirals out of control. It's a simple, predictable model designed for growth.

Start simple, but plan for scale

Look, starting with basic Gorgias guidance templates for your top three to five most common questions is absolutely the right move. It lets you get comfortable with the process and see some quick wins without getting overwhelmed.

But as your support needs grow and your customers' questions get more complex, you’ll need a more powerful and flexible solution to achieve true automation. Relying only on a helpdesk-native AI will leave you wrestling with knowledge gaps, rigid workflows, and the constant risk of deploying untested changes.

The best AI strategy is one that enhances the tools you already use and empowers your team, rather than locking you into a single platform's limitations.

Get started with scalable AI for Gorgias today

Ready to move beyond basic templates and unlock the full potential of your support team?

eesel AI is the risk-free next step. With its ability to unify all your knowledge, simulate performance before going live, and integrate seamlessly with Gorgias, it’s the easiest way to build a powerful, confident, and scalable automation engine. You can get started entirely on your own and see real results in minutes.

See how eesel AI can help your Gorgias helpdesk.