Using Knowledge Bases

Knowledge bases give AI assistants context about your specific business, products, or domain.

What is a Knowledge Base?

A knowledge base is a collection of documents that an Ask can reference when responding. Instead of relying only on general AI knowledge, the Ask draws from your specific content.

Benefits

• Accurate answers: Responses based on your actual documentation
• Brand consistency: AI uses your terminology and style
• Up-to-date info: Include latest product specs, pricing, policies
• Reduced hallucination: Grounded in real content

Supported Formats

• PDF: Product manuals, reports, guides
• Markdown/Text: Documentation, FAQs
• Word Documents: Policies, procedures
• CSV: Product catalogs, data tables
• JSON: Structured data, API docs

Creating a Knowledge Base

1. Prepare Your Documents

Organize content by topic:

• Keep documents focused (one topic per doc)
• Use clear headings and structure
• Remove redundant information

2. Upload Documents

1. Go to your Ask settings
2. Click "Knowledge Bases"
3. Create a new knowledge base
4. Upload your documents
5. Wait for processing

3. Reference in Conversations

Use @kb to reference your knowledge:

@kb:product-catalog What's the price of the Pro plan?

Best Practices

Document Organization

• Group related content: One KB for products, another for policies
• Use clear names: product-specs not kb1
• Keep current: Update when info changes

Query Optimization

• Be specific: "What's the return policy for electronics?"
• Mention the KB: @kb:policies helps routing
• Ask follow-ups: Refine based on initial answers

Content Quality

• Clear formatting: Headers, lists, tables
• Complete information: Don't assume context
• Consistent terminology: Use same terms throughout

Common Use Cases

Customer Support

• FAQ documents
• Return/refund policies
• Troubleshooting guides

Sales Enablement

• Product specifications
• Pricing sheets
• Competitor comparisons

Internal Tools

• Company policies
• Process documentation
• Training materials

Limitations

• Max file size: 10MB per document
• Processing time: 1-5 minutes depending on size
• Token limits: Very large KBs may not all fit in context

Tips for Better Results

1. Chunk large docs: Split 50+ page docs into sections
2. Add metadata: Include dates, categories in content
3. Test queries: Try common questions after uploading
4. Monitor usage: Check which KBs get referenced most

Start building: Create an Ask with Knowledge