How to Use Sierra in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
AI customer agents built for businesses that want branded, on-policy conversational AI that can actually take action — not just chat.
Sierra is an AI agent company co-founded by Bret Taylor (former Salesforce co-CEO and OpenAI board chair) and Clay Bavor (former Google VP). Launched in 2023, Sierra's pitch is straightforward: stop building chatbots that deflect customers, and start building AI agents that actually resolve their problems.
Unlike traditional chatbots that follow rigid decision trees, Sierra's agents are built on frontier language models fine-tuned on each company's specific policies, products, and knowledge. They can hold multi-turn conversations, ask clarifying questions, and take real actions in backend systems — processing refunds, updating subscriptions, scheduling appointments, or escalating appropriately when needed.
Sierra emphasizes that its agents stay on-policy: they will not make promises the company can't keep, will not be jailbroken into off-topic conversations, and maintain consistent brand voice throughout. Customers include Sonos, Weight Watchers, and SiriusXM.
Funding: $175 million Series B at a $4.5 billion valuation (2024). Pricing is enterprise-custom — not publicly listed.
What You'll Need
- A Sierra account (starting from Enterprise custom)
- A modern web browser or the Sierra app
- Payment method for paid features
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Visit https://sierra.ai and sign up for a paid account. You'll need an email address to register.
Start Your First Conversation
Once logged in, you'll see the main chat interface. Type a question or task in the input box and press Enter. Sierra supports AI agents, policy-adherent, action-taking, enterprise, generative AI, branded voice, system integrations — start with a simple text prompt to get familiar.
Pro Tips
- Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the response. Instead of "write an email," try "write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded in two weeks."
- Iterate: If you don't get what you need, ask for clarification or refinement: "Make it shorter" or "Use a more formal tone."
- Use examples: Show Sierra what format you want by including an example in your prompt.
- Save useful conversations: Most platforms let you name and revisit conversations — organize by project or topic.
Common Use Cases
Customer Support
AI agents built to handle customer inquiries, troubleshooting, and service requests.
Browse Customer Support chatbots →General Assistant
All-purpose AI assistants for everyday questions, tasks, and conversations.
Browse General Assistant chatbots →Troubleshooting
- Responses seem generic or unhelpful
- Add more context to your prompt. Specify the audience, tone, length, and format you need. Try starting over with a clearer description of your goal.
- The tool isn't responding or is slow
- AI chatbots can experience high traffic. Refresh the page and try again. Check the service's status page if issues persist.
- Output is too long or too short
- Explicitly specify the length: "in 100 words," "as a brief summary," or "in detail with examples."
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Sierra free to use?
- Sierra requires a paid subscription, starting from Enterprise custom.
- Do I need an account to use Sierra?
- Yes, you need to create an account to use Sierra.
- What can I use Sierra for?
- AI customer agents built for businesses that want branded, on-policy conversational AI that can actually take action — not just chat.
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