Usage
Learn how to use knowledge bases effectively
First step: Prepare your documents
Before uploading files to your knowledge base, it's crucial to understand how the AI will process them. The quality of your documents directly determines how well the LLM can answer questions.
Understanding how AI processes your documents
When someone asks a question, the AI doesn't read your entire knowledge base from start to finish. That would take a lot of time and resources. Instead, when documents are uploaded to the knowledge base, they are automatically organised in a way that LLMs can understand. This happens through a process called 'chunking'.
The files are converted to text and cut into bite-sized 'chunks'. The chunks are organised by topic, making it possible for the LLM to quickly find and compare relevant information with incoming queries. In short:
Break documents into chunks - Like tearing pages out of a book and organising them by topic
Search for relevant chunks - Like looking through index cards to find the right information
Use the most relevant chunks - Like pulling out the most helpful pages to answer the question
Important to note is that when a question is asked, the LLM doesn't read the entire 'library', but only the chunks that its filing system deems the most relevant. As you can probably imagine, it is crucial that the right chunks are selected. Without them, the LLM doesn't have the information it needs and won't be able to answer the request properly. Because chunking happens automatically and uses simple rules (like cutting every x words), it doesn't always split documents at logical points. This means context can get lost and related information might end up in different chunks. You can help the LLM by creating documents that work well with this automatic chunking process.
Document guidelines
Avoid complex PDFs
PDFs can be problematic for knowledge bases because they often contain complex formatting that doesn't translate well when chunked.
Structure and formatting
Use clear headings and sections to break up your content.
Use bullet points and lists to make information scannable.
Write concise and focused text
Keep paragraphs short and focused on one topic.
Ensure each section covers only one topic.
Write context-rich content
Include relevant details that provide complete information.
Explain terminology and add synonyms
Define technical terms, jargon and acronyms.
Include alternative terms and synonyms.
Managing your knowledge base
Edit the knowledge base details
Click on the Edit button in the top right corner to edit the details of the knowledge base. The most important detail is the description. The description is used to generate an LLM intent that can be used in your App to recognize if a user talks about the contents of your knowledge base or not. Carefully tweak this description when you need to use an intent trigger based on this LLM intent.
Upload files to your knowledge base
On the knowledge base page you can add files by dragging files on the page or simply clicking the button "Upload files". The knowledge base supports the file types defined in the limitations section.
If the upload is successful, a green checkmark icon is displayed in front of the file name. It might take a minute or so before it appears. If an explanation mark appears that means that the upload was not successful. You can click on the icon to review the explanation of the failure so you can take corrective measures.
Remove files from your knowledge base
Right click on the file name of one of your files in the knowledge base to open the context menu. Click on the delete button to remove the file from your knowledge base.
Rename files
Files can be renamed for the sake of keeping track and organising your knowledge base. Use descriptive names that help you identify the content quickly.
Metadata
Each file can contain one or more metadata items. These are used for the platform to keep track of the files on the Azure services that are used to provide the knowledge base services.
Folders
Using the context menu by right clicking on a file you can create and manage folders. Files can be organised in folders. Folders don't have an effect on the workings of the knowledge bases. They are simply for you to organise and keep track of your files.
Troubleshooting
When using a knowledge base, you can see which chunks the LLM used to generate its answer. This is especially useful when an answer doesn't make sense or you want to verify the source. The view this information, click the LLM request in the conversation view and click on the knowledge tab. There you can review how the LLM queried your knowledge base and which chunks it used. This helps you understand the reasoning behind the response and identify any issues with your documents or prompting.
Best practices
Start with your most important information - Upload the documents that answer the most common questions first
Test with real questions - Ask the types of questions your customers would ask and see if the LLM finds the right information
Keep documents updated - Remove outdated information and add new content regularly
Use descriptive file names - Make it easy to find and manage your files
Organise with folders - Group related documents together for easier management
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