Build your AI agent's knowledge base

Learn how to add FAQs, import FAQs in bulk, connect websites, upload files (PDF, Excel, CSV), and manage your agent's knowledge base so it can answer customer questions accurately.

What’s covered

• Knowledge base overview

• Managing FAQs

• Adding and managing websites

• Re-syncing web content

• Uploading files (PDF, Excel, CSV)

• Key takeaways

• Frequently asked questions

Understanding the knowledge base

The Knowledge tab is where you teach your AI agent what to say. It is divided into three sections:

• FAQs: Question-and-answer pairs you create manually for direct customer queries.

• Websites: Live web pages that your agent crawls and learns from automatically.

• Files: PDF, Excel, and CSV files you upload as-is, which the agent reads directly to answer customer queries.

Together, these sources create your agent’s central knowledge base—the core information it uses whenever it replies to a customer.

How to add a FAQ

FAQs are the most direct way to train your agent. Each FAQ connects a common customer question with the exact response you want to give.

• Open Knowledge → FAQs.

• Select the Add FAQ button at the top right.

• Type the question in the Question field exactly as a customer would ask it.

• Type your response in the Answer field. Keep it short and direct.

• Click Add FAQ to publish it immediately.

How to import FAQs in bulk from Excel

If you have a large list of questions, you can upload them all at once using a simple spreadsheet.

• Prepare your file: Create an Excel sheet with questions in one column and answers in another column, then save it to your device.

• Open import option: In FAQs, click the three-dot menu next to Add FAQ, then select Import.

• Upload file: Select your Excel sheet. All FAQ pairs import directly into your agent's knowledge base.

How to edit an existing FAQ

• Find the question in the FAQ table.

• Click the Edit (pencil) icon on that row.

• Update the question or answer.

• Click Update FAQ to save your changes.

Tips for writing effective FAQs Short, 2-to-3-sentence answers work best for AI agents to process and deliver quickly. Write questions using the real words and phrases your customers use, not internal team terminology. Aim to add 20 to 50 of your most common customer questions when building your initial knowledge base.

How to add a website to your knowledge base

The Websites tab lets your agent learn directly from your online help center, product catalog, or landing pages. Once crawled, the agent refers to your web pages to answer customer questions.

1. Navigate to Knowledge → Websites and paste your URL into Enter Website URL.

2. Add request headers for protected pages. If the page requires a login or authorisation token:

   • Click the Settings icon next to the URL field.

   • Click + Add header under Request headers.

   • Enter your key and value (e.g., Authorization, Cookie, or API Key).

   • Click Save.

3. Click Add website to begin crawling the page content.

4. Wait for the status to change from Queued to Done before testing customer questions.

How to re-sync the website

Whenever you make updates to your live website, you should refresh the source so your AI agent stays up to date.

• Locate the URL row in the website management table.

• Click the Refresh icon to trigger a fresh crawl.

How to add files to your knowledge base (New)

Your AI agent's knowledge base also supports PDF, Excel, and CSV files. You can upload these files as-is — no need to convert them into FAQs or web pages first — and the agent will use their contents directly to answer customer queries.

File size limits Files can technically be uploaded up to 20 MB, but we recommend keeping each file under 5 MB for best performance.

• Navigate to Knowledge → Files.

• Click Add file / Upload and select a PDF, Excel, or CSV file.

• Wait for the status to change to Done before testing customer questions.

Note: Excel and CSV files are compressed on your device, so the size shown in your file's properties is not the size that counts. Once uploaded, DoubleTick decompresses the file into raw format so the AI agent can read it — and this decompressed size can be significantly larger than the on-device file size (for example, a 6–8 MB Excel file can expand to around 48 MB after decompression). Keep this in mind, especially if you're uploading multiple files.

Note about older PDFs: The AI agent can read information from PDFs, Excel files, and CSVs. However, some older PDFs use legacy fonts that store text in a format the agent cannot read correctly. For example, Punjabi PDFs created using legacy fonts such as GurbaniLipi may appear as unreadable text to the agent, even though the text looks normal in the PDF itself. For best results, upload PDFs with Unicode text. If your PDF uses a legacy font, convert the content to Unicode or use a Unicode font before uploading it.

Key takeaways

• FAQs work best for short, direct answers to common customer questions.

• Excel bulk imports allow you to set up hundreds of FAQs in a few clicks.

• Website crawling lets your agent learn automatically from public or protected pages.

• Always re-sync web sources whenever you update your live website content.

• PDF, Excel, and CSV files can be uploaded directly to the knowledge base.

• PDFs with legacy, non-Unicode fonts (for example, older Punjabi PDFs using GurbaniLipi) may not be read correctly. Use Unicode text for best results.

Frequently asked questions

Which knowledge source should I use?

Use FAQs for exact answers to common questions. Use websites for live web content. Use files for existing PDFs, Excel files, or CSV files.

Can I import FAQs in bulk?

Yes. Upload an Excel sheet with questions in one column and answers in another.

When should I re-sync a website

Re-sync the website whenever you update its content. This keeps your agent’s answers current.

Can I add a password-protected website

Yes. Add the required request headers before crawling the website. For example, use Authorization, Cookie, or API Key.

What file types can I upload

You can upload PDF, Excel, and CSV files. The agent reads their contents directly.

What is the maximum file size

Files can be up to 20 MB. Keep each file under 5 MB for best performance.

Why isn't my AI agent reading a PDF correctly?

This usually happens with older PDFs that use legacy fonts, which store text in a format the agent can't parse, even though the text looks normal when you open the PDF. Convert the content to Unicode, or use a Unicode font, before uploading it.

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