Custom Knowledge

Add custom Q&As, FAQs, and specific content directly to your knowledge base. Create manual entries for common questions and edge cases.

Custom Knowledge allows you to directly add specific content, Q&As, FAQs, and other information that might not exist in your other sources. This is perfect for handling edge cases, adding context-specific information, or providing answers to questions unique to your implementation.

When to Use Custom Knowledge

Custom Knowledge is ideal for:

Specific Q&As: Answers to common questions not covered elsewhere
Product-specific information: Pricing, policies, contact details
Contextual overrides: Corrections or clarifications to other sources
Quick updates: Information that needs immediate availability
Internal knowledge: Details not documented publicly
Temporary content: Time-sensitive announcements or notices

Adding Custom Knowledge

Navigate to Custom Knowledge

In your project dashboard, go to Sources → Custom Knowledge

Choose Content Type

Select how you want to add content:

Q&A Pairs: Direct question-answer format
Knowledge Articles: Longer-form content
FAQ Import: Bulk import from existing FAQs
Raw Text: Paste content directly

Add Your Content

Q&A Format

Question: How do I reset my password?
Answer: To reset your password, click on "Forgot Password" on the login page. Enter your email address, and we'll send you a reset link. The link expires after 24 hours for security.
Tags: [authentication, password, account]
Priority: High

Article Format

Title: Getting Started with Ask0
Category: Onboarding
Content: |
  Ask0 is designed to be simple to set up...

  ## First Steps
  1. Create your account
  2. Add your first source
  3. Embed the widget

  ## Best Practices
  - Start with your most important content
  - Test with real questions
  - Monitor analytics regularly

Save and Index

Click "Save" to immediately add the content to your knowledge base. Unlike web sources, custom knowledge is indexed instantly.

Content Formats

Q&A Pairs

The simplest format for direct questions and answers:

- question: What are your business hours?
  answer: We're available Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST. For urgent issues, our emergency support is available 24/7.
  tags: [support, hours, contact]

- question: Do you offer a free trial?
  answer: Yes! We offer a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card required.
  tags: [pricing, trial, getting-started]

Knowledge Articles

For more comprehensive information:

---
title: API Rate Limits
category: Technical
tags: [api, limits, developer]
priority: normal
---


Our API implements rate limiting to ensure fair usage:

## Standard Limits
- **Authentication**: 10 requests per second
- **Data retrieval**: 100 requests per minute
- **Data modification**: 30 requests per minute

## Handling Rate Limits
When you exceed limits, you'll receive a 429 status code...

Structured Data

Add structured information for better parsing:

{
  "type": "product_info",
  "name": "Enterprise Plan",
  "content": {
    "price": "$999/month",
    "features": [
      "Unlimited users",
      "Priority support",
      "Custom integrations",
      "SLA guarantee"
    ],
    "comparison_notes": "Best for teams over 50 people"
  }
}

Bulk Import

CSV Import

Import multiple Q&As from a CSV file:

question,answer,category,tags,priority
"How to export data?","Navigate to Settings > Export...","data-management","export,data",high
"What formats are supported?","We support JSON, CSV, and XML","data-management","export,formats",medium

FAQ Page Import

Automatically extract Q&As from existing FAQ pages:

Provide your FAQ page URL
Ask0 identifies question-answer patterns
Review and edit extracted content
Approve for import

Migration from Other Systems

Import from other platforms:

Intercom Articles
Zendesk Help Center
Confluence Pages
Notion Databases

Managing Custom Knowledge

Organization

Organize content effectively:

Categories:
  - Getting Started
    - Account Setup
    - First Steps
    - Basic Features
  - Advanced Features
    - API Usage
    - Integrations
    - Customization
  - Troubleshooting
    - Common Issues
    - Error Messages
    - Performance

Versioning

Track changes to custom knowledge:

Entry: Password Reset Process
Version: 3
Last Updated: 2024-01-15
Changed By: admin@company.com
Change Notes: Updated for new authentication system
Previous Versions:
  - v2: 2023-12-01
  - v1: 2023-06-15

Priority and Ranking

Control how custom knowledge is prioritized:

Priority Levels:
  Critical: Always shown first (system outages, urgent updates)
  High: Preferred over crawled content
  Normal: Equal weight with other sources
  Low: Only used if no other sources match

Advanced Features

Conditional Content

Show different answers based on context:

question: How do I upgrade my plan?
conditions:
  - if: user_plan == "free"
    answer: Click on "Upgrade" in your dashboard to see available plans...
  - if: user_plan == "pro"
    answer: Contact our sales team at sales@company.com for Enterprise...
  - default:
    answer: You're already on our highest plan!

Dynamic Variables

Use placeholders for personalized responses:

answer: |
  Hi {{user_name}}!
  Your current plan is {{user_plan}}.
  You've been with us since {{signup_date}}.

  To upgrade, visit: {{upgrade_url}}

Expiring Content

Set expiration for time-sensitive information:

question: What's the holiday schedule?
answer: We'll be closed December 25-26 and January 1.
valid_from: 2024-12-01
valid_until: 2025-01-02
fallback: Check our website for current holiday hours.

Integration with Other Sources

Source Priority

Custom knowledge can override other sources:

Override Rules:
  - Match: "pricing"
    Action: Prefer custom knowledge
  - Match: "refund policy"
    Action: Use only custom knowledge
  - Match: "technical specs"
    Action: Combine with documentation

Conflict Resolution

Handle conflicting information:

Conflict Strategy:
  - Check custom knowledge first
  - If confidence < 80%, check documentation
  - Prefer most recently updated source
  - Flag conflicts for review

Best Practices

Tips for Effective Custom Knowledge:

Keep answers concise and actionable
Use consistent terminology
Include relevant links and resources
Update regularly based on user feedback
Tag content thoroughly for better retrieval

Do's and Don'ts

Do:

✅ Provide clear, direct answers
✅ Include examples when helpful
✅ Update outdated information promptly
✅ Use tags and categories consistently
✅ Review analytics to identify gaps

Don't:

❌ Duplicate content from other sources
❌ Add speculative or unverified information
❌ Use internal jargon without explanation
❌ Create overly long responses
❌ Forget to remove expired content

API Management

Manage custom knowledge programmatically:

// Add Q&A pair
const qa = await ask0.customKnowledge.create({
  type: 'qa',
  question: 'What is the refund policy?',
  answer: 'We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee...',
  tags: ['billing', 'refund'],
  priority: 'high'
});

// Bulk import
const imported = await ask0.customKnowledge.bulkImport({
  format: 'csv',
  data: csvContent,
  category: 'FAQs'
});

// Update entry
await ask0.customKnowledge.update(entryId, {
  answer: 'Updated answer with new information...',
  lastModified: new Date()
});

// Search custom knowledge
const results = await ask0.customKnowledge.search({
  query: 'refund',
  limit: 10
});

Monitoring and Analytics

Track custom knowledge performance:

Usage Frequency: How often each entry is referenced
User Feedback: Ratings on custom knowledge answers
Gap Analysis: Questions without custom knowledge
Update History: Track changes over time