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Section 2.2: Adding Knowledge to Your Agent ​

Your chatbot works—but it's giving generic answers. Let's teach it about YOUR business by uploading your FAQ, policies, and product information!

Why Knowledge Matters ​

Right now, your AI is like a friendly assistant who doesn't know anything about your company. It can have conversations, but it can't answer specific questions like:

  • "What's our refund policy?"
  • "Do we ship to Canada?"
  • "What ingredients are in product X?"

The solution: Give your AI a knowledge base—a collection of documents it can search before answering.

💡 What You'll Learn

By the end of this section, you'll have:

  • ✅ Added a knowledge base to your chatbot
  • ✅ Uploaded your company documents
  • ✅ Connected knowledge to your AI
  • ✅ Tested responses with YOUR information

Step 1: Add a Knowledge Base Column ​

First, we need a place to store your company information.

Here's how:

  1. Go back to your "Customer Conversations" table
  2. Click "+ Add Column"
  3. Choose "Knowledge Base" from the column types
    • Look for it in the "Remember Things" category
  4. Set the Column Name to: knowledge
  5. Set the Column Label to: "Company Knowledge"
  6. Click "Add Column"

Add Knowledge Base Column

Store documents and information for your AI

Text

Store text, names, messages

Knowledge Base

Store searchable documents

Remember Things
Technical name (lowercase, no spaces)
Display name (what you'll see in the table)

About Knowledge Base Columns

This column will store documents, FAQs, policies, and other information that your AI can search through. You'll be able to upload PDFs, text files, or add web pages.

What just happened? You created a special column that stores documents and text that your AI can search through. Think of it as your AI's reference library!

💡 💡 Think of It Like This

Your knowledge base is like giving your AI a filing cabinet full of information. When a customer asks a question, the AI can quickly flip through the files to find the right answer.

Step 2: Upload Your Information ​

Now let's fill that knowledge base with your company information.

You have three options:

Option 1: Upload Documents (Easiest) ​

Upload PDF files, Word documents, or text files:

  1. Click on the "Company Knowledge" column cell (in any row—it's the same for all rows)
  2. Click "Upload Documents"
  3. Drag and drop your files or click to browse:
    • FAQ documents
    • Product guides
    • Policy documents
    • Support manuals
  4. Click "Upload"

Manage Knowledge Base

Upload documents, add web pages, or type information

Drag and drop files here

or click to browse

Supported: PDF, Word (.docx), Text (.txt), Markdown (.md)

Uploaded Documents (3)

FAQ_2024.pdf

245 KB

Uploaded

Return_Policy.docx

89 KB

Uploaded

Product_Guide.pdf

1.2 MB

Uploaded

💡 Pro Tip

Start with your FAQ document! It's usually the best source for common customer questions and answers.

3 documents in knowledge base

Supported formats: PDF, Word (.docx), Text files (.txt), Markdown (.md)

Option 2: Add Web Pages ​

Pull information directly from your website:

  1. Click "Add from URL"
  2. Paste the URL of your FAQ page, product page, or help center
  3. Click "Import"
  4. The system will extract the text content

Great for: Public-facing content on your website

Option 3: Type Directly ​

For quick information that's not in a document:

  1. Click "Add Text Content"
  2. Type or paste your information
  3. Give it a title (e.g., "Return Policy")
  4. Click "Save"

Great for: Short answers, quick facts, internal notes

💡 ✨ Pro Tip

Start with your FAQ! It's usually the best source of customer questions and answers. Upload it first, then add other documents as needed.

Step 3: Connect Knowledge to Your AI ​

Now we need to tell your AI to search the knowledge base before answering.

Here's how:

  1. Click on the "AI Answer" column header
  2. Select "Edit Column"
  3. Scroll to the "Knowledge Search" section
  4. Toggle "Search Knowledge Base" to ON
  5. Select "Company Knowledge" from the dropdown
  6. Set "Number of sources to use" to 3 (default is good)
  7. Update your AI instructions to:
You are a helpful customer service assistant.
Search the knowledge base for information before answering.
If you find relevant information, use it in your answer.
Always be clear and friendly.
  1. Click "Save Configuration"

Configure AI Assistant with Knowledge

Set up knowledge search for accurate responses

Customer Question(customer_message)

AI will search your documents before answering

OFFON
3

More sources = more context, but slower responses

The AI will search "Company Knowledge" and use the top 3 most relevant pieces of information to answer questions.

💡 Notice: Instructions now include knowledge search guidance

Ready with Knowledge Search! ✨

Your AI will now search your knowledge base before responding, giving accurate answers based on YOUR company information.

What just happened? Now, every time your AI sees a question:

  1. It searches your knowledge base for relevant information
  2. It reads the top 3 most relevant pieces of information
  3. It uses that information to craft an accurate answer
  4. It responds to the customer

Step 4: Test with Specific Questions ​

Time to see the difference!

Here's how:

  1. Click "+ Add Row" in your table

  2. In the "Customer Question" column, type a question YOUR knowledge base can answer:

    • If you uploaded an FAQ: "What's your return policy?"
    • If you added product info: "What ingredients are in [product name]?"
    • If you added shipping info: "Do you ship to [country]?"

  3. Press Enter and watch!

Customer Conversations

With knowledge search enabled

Knowledge Search: ON
Customer Question AI Answer Status
What's your return policy?
Our return policy allows returns within 30 days of purchase. Items must be in their original packaging and unused. To initiate a return, please contact our support team with your order number. Refunds are processed within 5-7 business days after we receive the returned item.

📚 Sources used:

  • •Return_Policy.pdf - Section 2.1
  • •FAQ_2024.pdf - Question 15
 Complete

🎉 Notice the Difference!

  • ✓The AI gave a specific answer based on YOUR return policy (30 days, original packaging, 5-7 day refund)
  • ✓The response cites which documents it used (Return_Policy.pdf, FAQ_2024.pdf)
  • ✓No generic answer—this is accurate, company-specific information!

What you'll see:

  • The AI searches your knowledge base
  • It finds the relevant document/section
  • It crafts an answer using YOUR information
  • The response includes a reference to where it found the information

Try asking the same question without knowledge: Add a new column without knowledge search enabled and compare! You'll see the difference immediately.

💡 🎉 The Magic Moment

Your AI just answered a question using YOUR specific business information! It's no longer giving generic answers—it knows about your company!

Let's break down what's happening behind the scenes:

The Flow:

  1. Customer asks: "What's your return policy?"
  2. AI searches knowledge base for: "return policy"
  3. AI finds relevant sections from your uploaded documents
  4. AI reads the top 3 most relevant sections
  5. AI crafts an answer based on what it found
  6. AI responds with accurate information

Why this is powerful:

  • ✅ Answers are always accurate (based on your docs)
  • ✅ Answers stay up-to-date (update docs, answers update)
  • ✅ AI cites sources (shows where it found the info)
  • ✅ No hallucinations (AI uses real information, not guesses)

Managing Your Knowledge Base ​

Your knowledge base isn't static—you can update it anytime!

Adding More Documents ​

  1. Click the "Company Knowledge" column cell
  2. Click "Manage Knowledge Base"
  3. Click "+ Add Document"
  4. Upload or paste new information

Updating Existing Documents ​

  1. Go to "Manage Knowledge Base"
  2. Find the document you want to update
  3. Click "Edit" or "Replace"
  4. Upload the new version
  5. All future AI answers will use the updated information!

Removing Outdated Information ​

  1. Go to "Manage Knowledge Base"
  2. Find the document to remove
  3. Click "Delete"
  4. Confirm removal

💡 ⚠️ Important

When you update or remove documents, future answers will reflect those changes. However, previous answers in existing rows won't automatically update—only new questions will use the new information.

Best Practices for Knowledge Bases ​

1. Keep It Organized ​

Name your documents clearly:

  • ✅ "Return Policy - Updated 2024"
  • ✅ "Product Catalog - Electronics"
  • ❌ "Document1.pdf"
  • ❌ "Untitled.docx"

2. Use Clear Language ​

Your knowledge base documents should be:

  • Clear and concise
  • Well-formatted with headings
  • Free of jargon or abbreviations
  • Written for customer understanding

3. Keep It Updated ​

Set a reminder to:

  • Review knowledge base monthly
  • Update when policies change
  • Add new products/services immediately
  • Remove discontinued items

4. Test New Content ​

After uploading new documents:

  1. Ask test questions about the new information
  2. Verify AI finds and uses it correctly
  3. Adjust if needed

5. Don't Overload ​

Start with:

  • FAQ (most important!)
  • Key policies (return, shipping, privacy)
  • Top 5-10 products

Add more as needed. Too many documents can slow down searches.

Advanced Tips ​

Multiple Knowledge Bases ​

You can create multiple knowledge bases for different purposes:

  • "Product Info" - Technical specifications, features
  • "Policies" - Returns, shipping, terms of service
  • "Support Guides" - Troubleshooting, how-tos

Configure your AI to search specific knowledge bases based on the question type!

Knowledge Base Priorities ​

If your AI is giving answers from the wrong documents:

  1. Make sure document titles are descriptive
  2. Add a "priority" or "importance" tag to critical documents
  3. Remove or archive outdated documents

Source Attribution ​

Enable "Show Sources" in your AI configuration to have the AI cite where it found information:

Example response:

"According to our Return Policy (updated Jan 2024), you can return items within 30 days of purchase. Returns must be in original packaging and unused."

Source: Return Policy - Section 2.1

What's Next? ​

Your AI now has knowledge! But what if you want it to DO things, not just SAY things?

In the next section, you'll learn how to:

  • Give your AI tools (search contacts, send emails, create tickets)
  • Make your AI take actions based on conversations
  • Build multi-step workflows

Continue to Section: Giving Your Agent Tools →

Quick Troubleshooting ​

"My AI isn't using the knowledge base"

  • Check that "Search Knowledge Base" is enabled in AI column settings
  • Verify you selected the right knowledge base column
  • Make sure documents are fully uploaded

"The AI says it can't find information"

  • Check that your documents contain the information
  • Try rephrasing the question
  • Verify documents uploaded successfully

"The answer is from old information"

  • Update the document in your knowledge base
  • Test with a NEW row (old rows keep old answers)

"Knowledge search is slow"

  • Too many documents? Consider splitting into multiple knowledge bases
  • Very large documents? Break them into smaller sections
  • Check your upload finished completely

🎉 Congratulations! ​

You just:

  • ✅ Added a knowledge base to your chatbot
  • ✅ Uploaded your company documents
  • ✅ Connected knowledge to your AI
  • ✅ Tested accurate, specific responses

Your AI agent is now significantly smarter! It knows about YOUR business and can answer questions accurately based on YOUR information.

This is huge! Most chatbots give generic, unhelpful answers. Yours now gives accurate, company-specific information automatically.

Ready to make your agent even more powerful? Let's give it tools in the next section!

Previous: Creating Your First Chatbot
Continue to Section: Giving Your Agent Tools →

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