# Topic boundaries

> Keep the agent from wandering into subjects you do not want it to touch.

Source: https://www.hey.support/docs/behavior/topics-and-language

---

Topic boundaries keep the agent off subjects you would rather it left alone. You list the off-limits topics, and you choose how it reacts when someone raises one anyway.

Open **Behavior**, then the topic boundaries section.

## Listing topics

Add off-limits topics as tags. Common ones:

* Competitor products
* Medical advice
* Legal advice
* Personal opinions

## When asked anyway

Two options:

* **Redirect politely** steers the conversation back to what the agent is for. This is the default.
* **Decline** has the agent say plainly that it cannot help with that.

For a support agent on a regulated product, declining medical or legal questions is usually the safe choice. For a general assistant, redirecting politely keeps things smooth without feeling like a wall.

<Callout>
  Boundaries are about subjects to avoid, not facts to teach. To tell the agent what it should know, use [Knowledge](/docs/knowledge/overview). To shape how it talks, use [Instructions and rules](/docs/behavior/instructions-and-rules).
</Callout>

## Looking for language?

Which language the agent replies in is set on the agent's own settings, not here. See [Language](/docs/agent-settings/language).