Knowledge bases
Teach an agent a client's services, prices and policies.
A knowledge base holds the reference material an agent draws on during calls: a client’s services, prices, policies and FAQs. It keeps the prompt short and lets you update facts without rewriting the agent.
Plan: Requires a plan that includes knowledge bases. By default, Agency and Agency Pro include it.
- Retell is connected. See Connect Retell.
- At least one source: a public web page, some text, or a document.
- An agent to attach it to. See Build an agent.
What a knowledge base does#
When you add sources, they’re processed (ingested) so the agent can look up relevant passages while it talks. An agent only uses a knowledge base once it’s attached, and the change reaches callers when you publish the agent.
Find them under Knowledge Bases in the sidebar. Inside a client’s portal the item is called Knowledge. If a client’s plan doesn’t include knowledge bases, the item is hidden inside that client.
Create a knowledge base#
A knowledge base belongs to the workspace you create it in. Open the client’s workspace first to make one for that client, or stay in the agency workspace to make one you can share across agency agents.
- Open the formOn Knowledge Bases, click “New knowledge base”. The “Create a knowledge base” form opens.
- Name itEnter a “Name” of up to 40 characters, such as the client’s name and the topic.
- Add the first sourcesUnder “First sources”, add at least one: “URLs” (one per line), “Text” (the first line becomes the title), or “Upload files”.
- Choose auto-refreshIf you added URLs, decide whether to turn on “Auto-refresh URL sources”. See Auto-refresh.
- CreateClick “Create knowledge base”. You see “Knowledge base created — ingesting sources”.
Sources and limits#
| Source | Limits |
|---|---|
| URLs | Up to 50 at a time. Each must be HTTPS, publicly reachable, and have no username or password in the address. |
| Text | Paste any reference text. The first line becomes the source’s title. |
| Files | Up to 10 files per upload, 25 MB each. Accepted types: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, MD, HTML (or HTM) and CSV. |
Pages behind a login or on a private network can’t be read. Export that content to a file, or paste it as text.
Auto-refresh#
“Auto-refresh URL sources” periodically re-crawls linked pages to keep answers current. It’s only available when the knowledge base has at least one URL, and you set it when you create the knowledge base. Knowledge bases with it on show an “Auto-refresh” badge.
Ingestion status#
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “In progress” | Sources are being processed. The agent can’t use the new material yet. |
| “Complete” | Everything is processed and ready. |
| “Refreshing” | An auto-refresh is re-crawling URL sources. |
| “Error” | At least one source couldn’t be processed. |
Filter the list by status to find problems. On a knowledge base with an error, you see “Ingestion failed. Check the source, remove or replace it, then try again.” Use “Check status” to ask the voice provider for the latest status.
Attach it to an agent#
From the knowledge base
- Open the knowledge baseOn Knowledge Bases, click the knowledge base.
- Choose the agentUnder “Attach to an agent”, pick an agent and click “Attach”. You see “Attached to agent”. The agent appears under “Attached agents”.
From the agent
In a prompt agent’s builder, open “Knowledge Base” in the right rail and attach one there. For a conversation flow agent, attach knowledge in the canvas under “Global settings” → “Knowledge base”.
Which agents can use which knowledge bases#
Wozena keeps each client’s material away from other clients:
| Agent belongs to | Can use |
|---|---|
| A client | That client’s knowledge bases and agency-shared knowledge bases. |
| The agency workspace | Agency-shared knowledge bases only. |
A client’s knowledge base can never be attached to another client’s agent, or to an agency agent that might answer for other clients. If you try, you see “A client's knowledge base can't be attached to an agency-wide agent” or “This knowledge base belongs to a different client workspace”.
Add, remove and detach#
- Add sources: open the knowledge base and click “Add sources”. You see “Sources added — ingesting”.
- Remove a source: click “Remove” next to it and confirm.
- Detach from an agent: under “Attached agents”, click “Detach”. Publish the agent afterwards.
- Delete a knowledge base: use “Delete” on the list.
Creating, adding sources and attaching all need a plan that includes knowledge bases.
Tips for good sources#
These are recommendations.
- One client, one topic. Keep each knowledge base to one client and a clear subject, so the right material comes back.
- Link the specific pages. Add the pricing, services and FAQ pages rather than only the home page.
- Write the way callers ask. A short FAQ in question-and-answer form works well as a text source.
- Remove what’s out of date. Old price lists and expired offers lead to wrong answers. Delete them rather than adding a newer file alongside.
- Keep instructions in the prompt. Behaviour such as tone, guardrails and when to transfer belongs in the prompt, not the knowledge base.
- Test it. After publishing, place a test call and ask questions the sources should answer.
Troubleshooting#
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| “Upload at most 10 files at a time” | Split the upload into batches of 10 or fewer. |
| “<file name> exceeds the 25 MB file limit” | Compress or split the file, or paste the key parts as text. |
| “Source URLs must be valid HTTPS URLs without credentials” | Use https:// addresses on public sites, with no username or password in the address. |
| “Ingestion failed. Check the source, remove or replace it, then try again.” | Open the source to check it loads, then remove it and add it again, or replace it with a file. |
| The agent doesn’t use the new information | Check the status is Complete, the knowledge base is attached, and you published the agent after attaching. |
| Knowledge Bases is missing inside a client | That client’s plan doesn’t include knowledge bases. See Clients. |
| A paywall or upgrade message when you create or attach | Your plan doesn’t include knowledge bases. See Your Wozena plan. |