How to Customize Otto for Your Family

Otto is built to adapt to your family - with you in control every step of the way. Setup is simple, guided, and always editable. With a few simple settings, you can tailor Otto's conversations, boundaries, and tone to match your values, your child's age, and your parenting style.

Step 1: Choose How You Want to Start

Pick the setup style that fits you best.

Ottomatic (Recommended)

Have a short, natural conversation and let Otto build a detailed family profile for you. This option creates the most personalized experience.

Quick Start

Use a streamlined form with guided choices for faster setup. You can refine everything later.

Both options lead to the same place: a profile shaped by you.

Step 2: Describe Your Family

Share what makes your family your family.

You can include:

Children's ages, personalities, and interests
Values you want reinforced (religious, cultural, or personal)
Topics you want limited or completely off-limits
Preferences for tone, creativity, and learning style

Otto uses this information to understand context - not to make decisions for you.

Step 3: Name Your Family

Choose what Otto should call your family during conversations.

This can be your last name, a nickname, or something creative.

This helps Otto keep interactions personal and consistent.

Step 4: Otto Builds Your Family Profile

Otto reviews your input and creates a custom profile that includes:

Family values to reflect and reinforce
Age-appropriate communication guidelines
Topics to avoid or handle carefully
Conversation tone and boundaries

This happens within built-in safety limits designed specifically for kids.

Step 5: Review & Confirm

Before anything is finalized, you'll review:

Your family values
Off-limits and restricted topics
How Otto will respond to your children

You can adjust anything before confirming. Nothing is locked in.

Step 6: Update Anytime

Families change - and Otto is designed to change with you.

You can update:

Values and preferences
Topic boundaries
Tone and complexity as kids grow

There's no "set it and forget it." You stay in control.

What You Can Customize

Family Values & Beliefs

Tell Otto what matters most to your family:

Religious teachings and principles
Cultural traditions and practices
Personal values like kindness, honesty, or work ethic
Educational priorities

Otto will reflect these values in conversations while staying age-appropriate and respectful.

Topic Controls

Decide what Otto should and shouldn't discuss:

Completely off-limits topics - Otto won't engage at all
Restricted topics - Otto can discuss but with your guidance
Encouraged topics - Areas you want Otto to explore more
Custom keywords - Specific words or phrases to flag

Communication Style

Adjust how Otto talks to your kids:

Formal vs. conversational tone
Use of humor and creativity
Educational vs. entertainment balance
Response length and complexity

Safety Boundaries

Layer additional protections beyond our built-in safeguards:

Time limits for usage
Content restrictions
Image generation rules
Web search limitations

Examples of Customization

Religious Family

"We're a Christian family and want Otto to reflect biblical values like compassion, forgiveness, and service. Please avoid topics like evolution or other religious viewpoints. When discussing morality, reference our faith traditions."

Privacy-Conscious Family

"We value privacy and don't want Otto discussing social media, sharing personal information, or encouraging online interactions with strangers. Focus on offline activities and real-world skills."

STEM-Focused Family

"Our family loves science and technology. Encourage curiosity about how things work, problem-solving, and creative engineering. We're okay with most topics as long as they're age-appropriate."

Multilingual Family

"We speak both English and Spanish at home. We want Otto to help reinforce Spanish vocabulary and grammar while keeping conversations primarily in English."

How Otto Respects Your Choices

In Every Conversation

Otto considers your family profile with every response:

References your stated values naturally
Avoids topics you've restricted
Uses the tone you prefer
Stays within your boundaries

While Staying Safe

Your customizations work within Otto's core safety features:

Violence, explicit content, and harm are always blocked
Age verification remains required
Privacy protections stay in place
Emergency content flagging continues

With Full Transparency

You always know what's happening:

See how your settings affect responses
Review conversation history anytime
Get alerts if boundaries are tested
Access full logs of all interactions

Common Questions

Can my child override my settings?

No. Only parent accounts can modify family profiles and settings. Children interact within the boundaries you set.

What if Otto says something against our values?

Otto is trained to respect your preferences, but AI isn't perfect. You can report responses, and we'll improve. You can also refine your family profile to be more specific.

How detailed should I be?

As detailed as you want. Some families provide a paragraph, others write several pages. More detail = more personalized experience.

Can I have different settings for different children?

Yes! Each child profile can have unique settings for age, topics, and restrictions while sharing overall family values.

What if I change my mind?

Update anytime. Changes apply to future conversations immediately. Past conversations remain in your history.

Best Practices

Be Specific

Instead of "be respectful," try:

"When discussing difficult topics, remind kids to listen to others' viewpoints and respond with kindness, even when disagreeing."

Set Clear Boundaries

Instead of "avoid bad stuff," try:

"Do not discuss: dating, politics, violence in media. Restricted topics requiring guidance: body image, peer pressure, social media."

Review & Adjust

Check conversations weekly
Look for opportunities to refine
Update as your kids grow
Celebrate what's working

Involve Your Kids

Explain why settings exist
Let older kids give input
Review conversations together
Make it a family conversation about values

Getting Started

Ready to customize Otto for your family?

1. Log into your parent account at chat.heyotto.app

2. Go to Family Settings in the parent dashboard

3. Choose your setup method (Ottomatic or Quick Start)

4. Complete your family profile

5. Review and confirm your settings

Your personalized Otto experience is just minutes away.

Need Help?

We're here to support your family's unique needs.

Email: contact@heyotto.app
FAQ: [heyotto.app/faq](https://heyotto.app/faq)
Response time: Within 48 hours

Your Family, Your Way

Otto isn't one-size-fits-all. Every family is different, and your values deserve to be reflected in the AI your children interact with. Customization isn't a feature - it's a promise that you stay in control of your family's digital experience.