When I create a simple agent in "Chat (text-only) mode", if I add a system variable or dynamic vari | ElevenLabs | Page 1

AI-generated Answer for tranquil_lynx_58835

Short answer: this isn’t documented behavior, and I can’t find any official note that the widget intentionally shows an unexpanded First Message before resolving variables. However, two documented facts explain and unblock your case:

The only time-related system variable documented is system__time_utc (ISO format). system__time is not listed as a supported system dynamic variable. Use system__time_utc or pass your own formatted time as a dynamic variable. (elevenlabs.io)
When using the widget, any variables referenced by First Message must be provided at runtime via the dynamic-variables attribute, or you can bypass templating entirely by overriding First Message at runtime. (elevenlabs.io)

What to do (all documented):

If ISO UTC is acceptable

Change your First Message to use {{system__time_utc}}. This system variable is guaranteed to be available at conversation start. (elevenlabs.io)

If you need a formatted/localized time

Compute it in your app and pass it as a dynamic variable:
<elevenlabs-convai
agent-id="YOUR_AGENT_ID"
dynamic-variables='{"local_time":"Wednesday, 17:48 20 August 2025"}'>
</elevenlabs-convai>
Then use Hello! The time is {{local_time}}. The widget explicitly supports passing dynamic variables this way. (elevenlabs.io)

If you want to guarantee exactly one, pre-resolved opening line

Enable First message overrides in the agent’s Security tab, then provide the resolved string via the widget:
<elevenlabs-convai
agent-id="YOUR_AGENT_ID"
override-first-message="Hello! The time is Wednesday, 17:48 20 August 2025.">
</elevenlabs-convai>
This is the documented way to replace First Message at runtime. (elevenlabs.io)

Notes

Widgets require public agents with authentication disabled. Verify this if you see any unexpected widget behavior. (elevenlabs.io)
System variables are “set once at conversation start” (for prompts/first message). If you need a changing clock, use a custom dynamic variable updated by your client or tools. (elevenlabs.io)

If you still observe the duplicate-opening-line behavior after switching to system__time_utc or providing a pre-resolved value via dynamic-variables/override-first-message, there’s no current doc covering that; please share the agent ID and we can investigate further. (elevenlabs.io)

#When I create a simple agent in "Chat (text-only) mode", if I add a system variable or dynamic vari