--- title: How AI Search Handles Sensitive Messages description: Learn how AI Search handles sensitive or blocked messages, and how uConnect can customize guardrail responses with your institution's own resources and tone. --- [![uConnect](https://s41911.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/logo.svg)](https://www.gouconnect.com/) - [Knowledge Base](https://support.gouconnect.com/) - [Career Everywhere](https://www.gouconnect.com/career-everywhere/) - [Community](https://www.gouconnect.com/career-everywhere/community/access/) - [Submit a Ticket](https://share.hsforms.com/10AUHU9-DRi-Bw3fdB-SUYA8bok) - [Support Portal Login](https://support.gouconnect.com/_hcms/mem/login) ✕ ## Submit a Ticket Loading support form... [Skip to content](https://support.gouconnect.com/articles/how-ai-search-handles-sensitive-messages#main-content) Open main navigation Close main navigation What do you need help with today? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [uConnect Knowledge Base](https://support.gouconnect.com/articles) 2. [AI Search](https://support.gouconnect.com/articles/ai-search) # How AI Search Handles Sensitive Messages ## AI Search screens every question with a safety filter and responds with care when a message is blocked. You can have the uConnect Support team customize these responses so students are pointed to your institution's own resources, like your counseling center, in your preferred tone. AI Search checks every question against a safety filter before answering. When a message is blocked, AI Search responds in a way that fits the situation. For example, a message might suggest a student is in crisis or distress. By default, AI Search uses general, safe responses. However, you can [ask the uConnect Support team](https://share.hsforms.com/10AUHU9-DRi-Bw3fdB-SUYA8bok)to **customize these responses** for your institution. This way, students who need help are pointed to the right people and resources on your campus. **Note:** Guardrail responses can't be edited from your Admin Dashboard. To set up or update your custom instructions, simply [submit a support ticket](https://share.hsforms.com/10AUHU9-DRi-Bw3fdB-SUYA8bok)and our team will take care of it for you. ### How AI Search handles blocked messages The safety filter checks messages for six categories: **Hate, Insults, Sexual, Violence, Misconduct,** and **Prompt Attack**. - **Prompt Attack** covers attempts to manipulate or "jailbreak" the assistant. These messages always receive a standard refusal and can't be customized, since they don't reflect a genuine student need. - **All other categories** receive a response written for that specific situation. This includes messages that suggest a student may be in crisis or distress. If your institution has provided custom instructions, AI Search will use them. A few things to know about how AI Search responds: - It **never repeats, quotes, or acts on** the flagged message. It only uses the message to understand the situation and respond appropriately. - If something goes wrong while writing a response, students still receive a **safe, general message** pointing them to campus support. They never see a blank response or an error. ### Instructions are based on situations, not category labels AI Search treats real-world situations flexibly instead of relying strictly on the six category labels. For example, a message about self-harm might be flagged under Violence or under Misconduct, depending on how it's worded. Either way, AI Search handles it as a distress situation. For this reason, we recommend sending us your written instructions around **situations**, such as a student in crisis, harassment, or off-topic requests, rather than specific category names. That way, your instructions apply no matter which category the filter assigns. ### What you can customize You can [provide our Support Team](https://share.hsforms.com/10AUHU9-DRi-Bw3fdB-SUYA8bok) with instructions by category, by topic, or both. For example, you might have one instruction for crisis messages and a separate instruction for abusive language. Instructions can be written in two ways, and you can mix both styles. This is what the settings look like on our side that we update for you. ![image of internal uconnect settings for ai search guardrails](https://support.gouconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-30-2026-04-24-28-6303-PM.png?width=1426&height=527&name=image-png-Sep-30-2026-04-24-28-6303-PM.png) #### Option 1: Provide exact wording and resources Spell out the resources, contact details, or wording you'd like AI Search to use. When your instructions cover a situation, AI Search will use your specifics instead of its general default. > *Direct students to the Counseling Center at (555) 123-4567, available 24/7: https://university.edu/counseling* > *For hostile or abusive messages, say we can't continue and point them to the Office of Student Conduct (conduct@university.edu).* Here's a longer example of a crisis-specific instruction that includes both campus and national resources: > *If a student's message suggests they may be in crisis or considering self-harm, respond with warmth and without judgment. Let them know that campus support is available right now, and give them these options:* > > - *Our Counseling and Psychological Services office (https://university.edu/counseling): (555) 123-4567, available 24/7 for students in crisis.* > - *The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (https://988lifeline.org): call or text 988, available nationwide, 24/7.* > - *Crisis Text Line (https://www.crisistextline.org): text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained counselor by text.* > > *Close by reminding them they don't have to go through this alone and that reaching out is a strong first step.* Links included in your instructions will appear as clickable links in AI Search responses. ![how ai search responds with guardrail information](https://support.gouconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-30-2026-04-23-35-7653-PM.png?width=505&height=450&name=image-png-Sep-30-2026-04-23-35-7653-PM.png) #### Option 2: Provide directional guidance Instead of writing the response yourself, you can point AI Search to a resource or describe the tone you'd like. > *Point distressed students to our Counseling Services page at https://university.edu/counseling* > *Keep hostile-message replies brief and calm, with no lecturing, and sign off as the Career Center.* If you share the URL of a page on your uConnect platform, AI Search can look up that page and use its content. AI Search can **link to** external sites, such as your institution's main website, but it **can't read content** from them. If you'd like AI Search to share specific details from an external page, such as phone numbers or hours, include those details directly in your instructions. ### Best practice: Include a fallback instruction Students won't always describe distress the way you expect. A message like "I feel unsafe" is important, but it may not match the specific wording in your instructions, such as "crisis or considering self-harm." We recommend including a **general fallback instruction** that covers broader expressions of distress. For example: > *If a message expresses fear, distress, or feeling unsafe in any form, even if it doesn't clearly describe a crisis, respond warmly and offer campus support resources.* This gives AI Search room to respond with care to language you didn't specifically plan for. ### What happens if you don't provide instructions If your instructions don't cover a situation, or you haven't provided any, AI Search responds as follows: - **Crisis or distress messages:** AI Search looks for a relevant office on your uConnect platform first. If it doesn't find one, it uses your institution's general contact information. It only gives a general "talk to campus counseling" response if nothing can be verified. It **never invents** a phone number, URL, or office name. - **Abusive or off-topic messages:** AI Search gives a brief, standard decline. It doesn't search for content or share contact details. - **Crisis hotlines:** AI Search **never provides** an emergency or crisis hotline number on its own. A hotline is included only if your instructions provide one or your platform has a page that lists it. ![example of ai search with no instructions](https://support.gouconnect.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Sep-30-2026-03-40-12-1780-PM.png?width=504&height=364&name=image-png-Sep-30-2026-03-40-12-1780-PM.png) **Tip:** If you'd like students to see national resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, be sure to include them in your instructions. ### How to request custom guardrail responses 1. **Draft your instructions.** Decide which situations you'd like to cover, such as crisis, harassment, or off-topic requests. Then write your instructions using exact wording, directional guidance, or both. Don't forget a fallback instruction! 2. **Test your links.** Open each link you plan to include and confirm the page loads as expected. This helps make sure students are never sent to a broken or outdated page. 3. **Submit a support ticket.** [Submit a ticket here](https://share.hsforms.com/10AUHU9-DRi-Bw3fdB-SUYA8bok) with your instructions. Let us know whether this is a new setup or an update to existing instructions. 4. **Allow up to 6 hours.** After our team confirms your update, it may take up to 6 hours to appear in AI Search. No further action is needed on your end. ### Good to know - **Updates aren't instant.** To keep AI Search fast and responsive, site settings are cached, not loaded fresh on every request. Your update will apply automatically once the cache refreshes, usually within 6 hours. - **Keep instructions focused on guardrails.** This area is meant only for guidance on responding to sensitive or blocked messages. General site content or other AI Search preferences should be handled separately. - **Review your instructions regularly.** If your counseling center's phone number, hours, or web address change, submit a ticket so we can update your instructions. That way, students always get accurate information. - **Customize for your institution.** Phone numbers and URLs in this article are examples only. **Need more help?** Visit our [support site](https://support.gouconnect.com/) or reach out to the uConnect support team. 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