Knowledge base: How to integrate the Knowledge Base into the Flow Builder
What is the Knowledge Base Component?
The Knowledge Base Component is a node that lets you add and configure how the Knowledge Base behaves in your conversational flow. You can decide how it should trigger and which sources it should use to gather information.
With this component, your conversational flow can leverage AI to answer customer inquiries using only the knowledge you’ve provided. This ensures that the bot’s responses are accurate, controlled, and based entirely on your selected sources.
With the Knowledge Base Component, we can create smarter, more controlled conversations by making sure the bot responds only with the knowledge we choose.
Key Concepts
Knowledge Base: The Knowledge Base is a dashboard section where you can upload and manage all the files and URLs your bot can consult whenever the Knowledge Base feature is triggered.
Source: Sources are the files and/or URLs that contain the information your conversational app uses to respond accurately to user questions.
Currently, sources can be added in the following formats:
- PDF (.pdf)
- Word Documents (.docx)
- Text Files (.txt)
- Excel Sheets (.xlsx)
- CSV Files (.csv)
- URLs (https://webpage.com)
By combining file types and URLs, you can build a comprehensive and up-to-date Knowledge Base that enhances the quality of your app’s answers.
Knowledge Base Instructions
Inside the Knowledge Base Component, under the Settings tab in the Edit Panel, you can provide instructions on how the Knowledge Base should respond.
Examples include:
- Avoid making assumptions
- Keep responses short
- Follow a specific tone or personality
These instructions help you customize the way answers are delivered to match your brand’s communication style.
How to use it?
Set up your Knowledge Base
First, go to the Knowledge Base section in the Dashboard and add the sources you want your bot to use. (See [link to Knowlege Base help center section])
Activate the Knowledge Base in Flow Builder
In Flow Builder, click the Knowledge Base button in the top bar to activate it in your conversational app.
Once activated, you’ll find the Knowledge Base Flow in the Flows dropdown, where you can manage all related settings.
Add the Knowledge Base Component
Inside the Knowledge Base Flow, drag the Knowledge Base Component from the build panel into your flow.
Under the Sources tab, select the sources you want this component to consult.
Under the Settings tab, define the instructions the Knowledge Base should follow.
Optionally, enable context retention so the bot can use past messages to provide more accurate responses.
Note: You can also personalize Knowledge Base usage with conditional nodes. For example, you might select different sources depending on the customer’s country.
To show a specific message or action after a Knowledge Base response, simply add another node and connect it with the follow-up arrow.
Important: When a customer sends a message, the flow works as follows:
- AI Agents trigger first (if active).
- If inactive or unable to respond, the Knowledge Base (if active) triggers next.
- If neither can respond, the customer is shown the Fallback Message.
Examples or Use Cases
QA Assistant Knowledge Base Instructions
You're a QA assistant.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Only answer questions that are directly related to the provided context.
- Do not fabricate information or make assumptions.
- The context may be in another language, but you should not take that language into account when generating the response.
- The language to use when answering must be the same as the question.
FORMATING:
- Keep responses concise but being helpful, friendly, and avoiding unnecessarily long messages.
- Use a human-friendly format with clear paragraphs for readability.
PERSONALITY:
- Maintain a polite, friendly, respectful, and professional tone.
- Be helpful and cooperative.
- Use first-person plural pronouns (we, us, our) to foster a sense of collaboration.
Best Practices
Adding sources: Avoid uploading sources with conflicting information to prevent inconsistent answers.
Editing Instructions: If you customize the default instructions, try to keep the same structure to ensure smooth functionality.