> Index of every Falcon docs page, for assistants: https://falcon.com/docs/llms.txt

# Before the agent

On a workflow's Preprocess tab, the steps under Before the agent run on every message before the agent sees it.

Open the workflow, then the **Preprocess** tab. The heading is **Before the agent**. It says **These steps run on every message before the agent sees it.** With no steps, the page says **No steps. Messages go straight to the agent.**

## Steps you can add

The toolbar is named **Preprocess**. A new step uses one of these names: **Tag run**, **Find contact**, **Filter**, **Identity**, **Send a code**, **Answer as**, **For each**, **HTTP request**, **App action**, **Tool**, **Map**, **Gate**, **Throw**, **Switchboard**.

Ways in keep their own steps. Preprocess is the shared steps that run after every way in and before **Agent flow**. **Answer as** on this tab sets who answers. A Map cannot change that.

## Saving

- Changes save shortly after you stop editing.
- When those steps will not run in live conversations, the line under **Before the agent** says **Saved. These steps don't run in live conversations yet.**
- If someone else saved first, the page says **Someone else saved Identity first; this is their copy.**
- If the save fails, the page says **Identity not saved. Try again.**

## Related

- [Build an agent](https://falcon.com/docs/build-an-agent)
- [Base agent parts](https://falcon.com/docs/base-agent-parts)
- [Write a skill](https://falcon.com/docs/write-a-skill)
- [Add a skill to an agent](https://falcon.com/docs/add-a-skill)
- [Skill categories](https://falcon.com/docs/skill-categories)
- [Add a knowledge base](https://falcon.com/docs/add-a-knowledge-base)
- [Knowledge searches](https://falcon.com/docs/knowledge-searches)
- [Start a workflow](https://falcon.com/docs/start-a-workflow)
- [Agents](https://falcon.com/docs/agents)
- [Workflows](https://falcon.com/docs/workflows)