If your companion appears as a completely different persona in the Playground - for example as a shoe salesperson or another unrelated default character - the cause is almost always a value in the Prompt Override field in the Playground settings.
What is the Prompt Override field?
The Playground has a "Prompt Override" field that, when filled in, replaces your companion's configured system prompt entirely for that Playground session. This field is intended for testing different prompt configurations without permanently changing your companion. However, if it contains an old or unrelated prompt (for example, a demo prompt left over from a previous session), the companion will ignore its configured persona and behave as whatever is described in the override instead.
Why does this happen?
The Prompt Override field can be pre-filled with a previous value from an earlier session or a demo configuration. If you open the Playground without checking this field, the companion will use the override prompt rather than its actual configured persona - resulting in a completely unexpected character or tone.
How to fix it
- Open the Playground for your companion.
- Locate the Prompt Override field (usually in the settings or configuration panel on the right side of the Playground).
- Clear the field completely - delete all text so it is blank.
- Start a new session. The companion will now use its actual configured system prompt and persona.
How to confirm the companion is using its correct persona
After clearing the Prompt Override, start a session and ask the companion to describe its role or introduce itself. It should respond according to the persona and instructions you configured in the companion settings, not as a default or unrelated character.
Note: The Prompt Override only affects the Playground. It does not change the companion's behaviour in your live deployed channels (WebRTC, WebSocket, phone). Your production deployment always uses the configured system prompt.
Still seeing the wrong persona after clearing the Prompt Override?
Check that your companion's system prompt is correctly saved in the companion configuration. If the companion settings show the correct prompt but the Playground still behaves unexpectedly, submit a support ticket with your companion ID and a description of the unexpected behaviour.