How to prevent the agent from saying a specific word

Support Help
1

Hello,

I have a question regarding my voice agent.

During conversations, the agent frequently uses a specific word that I would prefer it never says. I would like to know if there is a way to completely block or omit a specific word from the agent’s responses.

For example, I would like to configure the agent so that if the model generates that word, it is automatically removed or replaced before being spoken.

Is there any recommended way to achieve this? For example through:

  • system prompt rules

  • response filtering

  • post-processing before TTS

  • any built-in feature in Retell

My goal is simply to ensure that this word is never spoken during the conversation.

Thank you in advance for your help.

2

Hello,

Unfortunately, there isn’t currently a feature for blocking recognition or filtering of specific individual words.

The most effective approach is to use system prompt rules in your global prompt. You can add specific instructions like:

  • “Never use the word [specific word] in your responses”
  • “Do not say [word] under any circumstances”
  • “If you would normally say [word], use [alternative] instead”

Regards,
Retell Support