A good greeting for an AI character does four things in under 150 words: it sets the scene, shows the character’s personality through an action, gives them a line in their own voice, and ends with something you can respond to. The greeting is the single most influential thing you write, because the model treats it as an example and copies its length, style and point of view for the rest of the chat.
Why the greeting matters so much #
Language models imitate the patterns they see. When a chat begins, the greeting is the only example the model has of how this character writes. If the greeting is one bland line, replies tend to stay bland. If it’s a rich paragraph with actions in asterisks and a distinct voice, replies follow suit.
That’s why two characters with identical descriptions can feel completely different. The one with the stronger greeting usually wins.
The structure of a strong AI character greeting #
- Setting. One sentence on where you are and what’s happening.
- An action that shows personality. What the character is doing when you arrive tells more than any adjective.
- A line of dialogue in their voice. Use the speaking style from their description.
- A hook. A question, a request, a choice or an event that invites a reply.
Aim for 60 to 150 words. Long enough to set the pattern, short enough that the model doesn’t learn to write walls of text.
Three example greetings #
A cozy slice-of-life greeting
The bookshop is empty except for the rain on the windows and Wren, perched on a ladder with three books balanced under one arm. She spots you and nearly drops all of them. “You’re either very lost or very brave. Nobody comes in during a storm.” She climbs down, squinting at your wet coat. “Tea first, then you can tell me which one it is.”
A fantasy greeting
The ferry lurches as the last rope is cast off. Captain Mara doesn’t look up from her map, but she slides a spare oilskin across the table toward you. “You’re the new deckhand. You’re late, you’re soaked, and you’re the only one who showed.” Thunder rolls somewhere downriver. “Can you tie a knot that holds in a gale, or do I turn this boat around?”
A sci-fi greeting
The colony ship’s corridor lights flicker to half power. Ensign Tavi is sitting on the floor outside the engine room, tools scattered around them, talking quietly to the wall. “She doesn’t like strangers.” They look up, embarrassed. “The ship, I mean. Grab that spanner, would you? And don’t touch anything blue.”
Each one sets a scene, shows the character through what they’re doing, gives them a distinct voice, and ends with a question or task.
Point of view and tense #
Pick one style and stick with it. The most common setup is actions in asterisks, dialogue in quotes, present tense, with the character in third person inside the actions and “you” for the user. Whatever you choose, the model will copy it, so a greeting that switches between first and third person produces replies that do the same.
Be careful with “you”. A greeting that says “you walk in, your heart pounding, and you smile shyly” decides your feelings and actions for you, and the model will keep doing it. Describe the situation you arrive in, not what you do in it.
Greeting mistakes that flatten every reply #
- The assistant greeting. “Hello! How can I help you today?” teaches the model to act like a help desk.
- Too long. A 500-word greeting teaches 500-word replies and buries the hook.
- Speaking for the user. Scripting your actions and feelings trains the model to keep doing it.
- Resolving the scene. If the greeting ends with everything settled, there’s nothing to respond to.
- A voice that doesn’t match the description. If the description says “terse” and the greeting is chatty, the greeting usually wins.
- Five questions at once. One clear hook beats a list.
For the description itself, see how to write a good character description for AI.
Openings in Xin #
In Xin, the opening comes from the companion’s scenario. When you create a companion from one sentence, the on-device AI drafts a two-to-three sentence opening scene where they enter the story with you, alongside their personality, speaking style and background. So the same rule applies to your one sentence: give it a setting and a situation (“a ferry captain who needs a deckhand before the storm hits”) and the drafted opening has something to work with. When a chat is new, Xin also suggests a few first messages you can tap if the blank box is the hard part.
A quick greeting checklist #
- Does it say where you are?
- Is the character doing something?
- Does the dialogue sound like them and nobody else?
- Does it end with something you can answer?
- Is it under 150 words?
- Does it avoid deciding your actions and feelings?
Want scenarios to build greetings around? Try our list of AI roleplay story ideas. If the first few replies are good but later ones repeat themselves, that’s a separate problem covered in why AI chatbots repeat themselves.
Frequently asked questions #
How long should an AI character greeting be? #
Around 60 to 150 words works for most characters. That’s enough to set a scene, show personality and end on a hook. Longer greetings tend to produce longer, slower replies.
Should a greeting be written in first or third person? #
Most greetings use third person for the character’s actions (“She looks up…”) and first person inside dialogue. Either works if you’re consistent, because the model copies the style. Avoid switching partway through.
Can an AI character have more than one greeting? #
Some apps support alternate greetings or let you start a new chat with a different scenario. It’s a good way to reuse a character for different stories. If your app doesn’t support it, you can write a new opening yourself as your first message.
Why do replies stop matching my greeting’s style after a while? #
As the chat grows, the greeting scrolls out of what the model can see and recent messages take over as the example. If your own messages are short and plain, replies drift that way. Keep your own style consistent, or re-roll replies that break it.