Dev Mode is for operators who need full control over Custom Rules (custom clauses), the system prompt, and evaluation strategy without the normal guardrails. Turn Dev Mode (advanced) on with the switch in the Custom Rules header. That single flag unlocks advanced clause editing and, farther down the Profile section, the evaluation strategy selector and system prompt controls that are hidden in standard mode.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alquimia.ai/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Custom clauses: Dynamic Fields vs Raw JSON
With Dev Mode on, Custom Rules no longer use the compact default form. Instead you choose an Editing mode:| Mode | What you do |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Fields | Every clause is its own large text field. You can edit any value, remove a field (including standard ones you do not need), and use Add custom field to create new clause keys beyond identity, personality, purpose, etc. |
| Raw JSON | Edit the entire custom_clauses map as JSON in the code editor (valid object of string values). Use this for bulk copy/paste, merges, or scripted content. |
Standard mode only supports the usual fixed clause keys. Dev Mode is what makes arbitrary keys and removals possible.
Manual system prompt
With Dev Mode enabled, the System Prompt block appears. Turn on Manage system prompt manually to write the prompt yourself in the textarea instead of using auto-generated text from the clauses. You can still insert{{identity}}, {{personality}}, etc. from the tag helper so the manual prompt pulls live values from whatever keys exist in Custom Rules (including custom keys you added in Dynamic Fields or Raw JSON).
System prompt variables
| Variable | Typical source clause |
|---|---|
{{identity}} | identity |
{{personality}} | personality |
{{purpose}} | purpose |
{{knowledge}} | knowledge |
{{rules}} | rules |
{{response_format}} | response_format |
{{key}} pattern.
Example:
Evaluation strategy override
With Dev Mode on, Studio stops auto-forcingreact when you add MCP servers or Agent-to-Agent links. You set evaluation strategy explicitly and it stays where you put it until you change it.
Leaving Dev Mode
Turning Dev Mode off also replaces a fully manual system prompt with the auto-generated prompt from your clauses unless you have handled that separately — copy anything you must keep before toggling.When to use Dev Mode
- You need custom clause keys or want to remove standard clauses you do not use.
- You want full JSON control over clauses for migrations or diffs.
- You need a fixed evaluation strategy that must not be overridden by tool/A2A autoswitching.
- You are authoring the system prompt by hand and still want clause variables injected.
Next steps
Back to Agent Overview
Review the full wizard overview and what’s available in each step.