A knowledge base lets an assistant answer from approved documents instead of guessing. Use it for FAQs, pricing, policies, eligibility rules, product details, and support scripts.
Before You Start
Prepare clean source files:
| Requirement | Guidance |
|---|
| Source type | Upload files for document knowledge, use CSV for deterministic row-based data, or add FAQs/URLs when available in your workspace |
| Supported file types | PDF, DOCX, TXT, CSV, JSON, and other text-readable files. Export spreadsheets to CSV when you need structured deterministic retrieval. |
| File quality | Use text-based files when possible. Avoid scanned PDFs unless they have searchable text. |
| File count | Up to 4 files per knowledge base |
| File size | Up to 512 MB per file |
| Source owner | Confirm the documents are approved for customer-facing answers |
| Refresh plan | Decide who will retrain the knowledge base when documents change |
Step 1 - Open Knowledge Base
- Click Knowledge Base in the left sidebar.
- Click Create Knowledge Base.
Choose the knowledge base type.
| Type | Use It When |
|---|
| Deterministic KB | You need structured, predictable answers from fields you define |
| Non Deterministic KB | You have general documents such as FAQs, SOPs, or manuals |
Create a Deterministic Knowledge Base
Use this for structured information such as pricing tables, policy rules, eligibility fields, product catalogs, or plan comparisons.
- Click Deterministic KB.
- Enter a clear KB Name.
- Upload a CSV or other structured text file.
- Click Edit Schema.
- Add the fields the assistant should retrieve, such as
product_name, price, policy_code, or eligibility_status.
- Choose the data type for each field.
- Click Train Knowledge Base.
Training can take a few minutes. Wait until the knowledge base is ready before attaching it to an assistant.
Create a Non Deterministic Knowledge Base
Use this for less structured documents such as FAQs, help articles, policy documents, SOPs, or product manuals.
- Click Non Deterministic KB.
- Enter a clear KB Name.
- Upload source files such as PDFs, DOCX files, TXT files, CSVs, JSON files, or clean text-readable documents.
- Click Train Knowledge Base.
The assistant will search the uploaded content during calls and use the most relevant information it finds.
Attach the Knowledge Base to an Assistant
- Click Assistants in the left sidebar.
- Open the assistant that should use the documents.
- Click Assistant Settings and then Knowledge Base.
- Select the trained knowledge base.
- Click Save.
Run a test call and ask questions that should use the knowledge base. Confirm the assistant answers from the right source.
Tips for Better Answers
Keep each knowledge base focused on one business topic. A focused pricing KB or FAQ KB is easier to test than one large mixed document set.
- Use clear document titles and headings.
- Remove old or conflicting information before upload.
- For deterministic knowledge bases, make schema field names match your source columns.
- Retrain after every source document update.
- Test with real customer questions before launch.
Developer Handoff
If engineers use the knowledge base through APIs or need to verify production setup, send them:
| Item | Why They Need It |
|---|
| Knowledge base name | Helps them confirm the right document set is attached |
| Knowledge base type | Explains whether answers are schema-driven or document-search based |
| Source document owner | Tells them who approves updates |
Assistant name and agent_id | Lets them confirm the assistant is attached to the correct knowledge base |
| Test questions | Gives them sample cases for QA and support workflows |
