Knowledge base best practices¶
Content quality
A knowledge base is only as useful as its source material. Clean, current, customer-safe documents produce better answers than a large pile of mixed files.
Prepare the content before tuning retrieval settings.
A knowledge base gives an agent access to company-specific information such as FAQs, product documentation, policies, or uploaded documents.
Use it for facts. Use prompts for behavior.
What belongs in a knowledge base¶
Good content:
- product FAQs,
- service descriptions,
- pricing rules that are approved for customers,
- support articles,
- policy documents,
- onboarding instructions,
- troubleshooting guides.
Avoid content that is:
- outdated,
- contradictory,
- private or customer-specific unless intentionally scoped,
- too long without headings,
- full of internal notes that customers should not hear.
Prompt vs. knowledge base¶
| Put this in the prompt | Put this in the knowledge base |
|---|---|
| Agent role and tone | Product facts |
| What to collect from the caller | FAQs and policies |
| When to use tools | Support articles |
| What not to do | Documented procedures |
| Fallback behavior | Approved public information |
Writing knowledge-base content¶
Agents work best with clear, structured information.
Good format:
# Return policy
Customers can return unopened items within 30 days.
## Exceptions
Custom orders cannot be returned unless damaged.
## What the agent should say
Ask for the order number and explain that a team member will review the case.
Common mistakes¶
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Uploading outdated documents | Agent gives old answers | Review source documents regularly. |
| Mixing internal and customer language | Agent may expose internal wording | Create customer-safe versions. |
| One huge unstructured file | Harder retrieval | Use headings and shorter sections. |
| Expecting knowledge to control behavior | Agent may answer facts but act incorrectly | Put behavior rules in the prompt. |
Testing knowledge usage¶
Ask questions that should be answered from the knowledge base:
- direct question: "What is your return policy?"
- partial wording: "Can I send something back?"
- edge case: "What if my custom order arrived damaged?"
- unknown: "Do you offer a discount for my company?"
The agent should answer known information clearly and avoid inventing unknown information.