Knowledge base

The knowledge base is the document store that your agent accesses during conversations. When a caller asks a question, the agent searches the uploaded documents and uses the relevant information in its response.

5:00

How It Works Technically

When you upload a document, ScaleTalk processes it in several steps:

After that, any agent with access to the knowledge base can search these documents during calls.

Supported File Formats

Maximum file size: 50 MB per file.

Managing Documents in the Agent Tab

In the Knowledge Base tab of your agent, you can add documents. Click + Add Document — a menu opens with two options:

• Upload New Document — Upload a file via drag-and-drop or the file dialog
• Select from Library — Link an already uploaded document from your workspace to this agent

After uploading, the document is automatically processed:

1. The document is uploaded
2. Text is extracted and split into searchable sections
3. The status changes from "Pending" through "Processing" to "Ready"

Document Status

Checking indexing

Above the document list you can see how many documents are actually searchable — e.g. "RAG: 3/3 documents indexed", along with the number of chunks and tokens.

Advanced: tuning and testing retrieval

Advanced in the knowledge tab holds the controls for how the search runs. On a small knowledge base you can ignore them; on a large one they decide answer quality.

Retrieval mode

On demand is more accurate but costs a short pause for the search. With many similar-sounding projects, products or locations, that moment is worth it.

Search depth

How many passages the agent searches per question. The slider runs from Faster to More thorough, with a default of 8 passages.

• Lower: fewer passages, faster answers — fine for small, well-structured knowledge bases
• Higher: a more thorough search, slightly slower — needed when a lot of similar material sits side by side

Test retrieval

Just below, you can enter a question and see which passages the agent would find — with the saved settings and without an AI answer. That cleanly separates two failure modes:

• The right passages come back but the answer is still wrong → the prompt is at fault
• The wrong passages, or none, come back → the knowledge base or the search depth is at fault

If nothing comes back, rephrase the question or raise the search depth.

Best Practices: Structuring Content

What Belongs in the Knowledge Base?

The knowledge base is suited for established factual knowledge that doesn't change with every call:

Company Information

• Company name, address, contact details
• Business hours and availability
• Directions and parking situation
• Team overview: Who is responsible for which area

Services and Products

• Service overview with brief descriptions
• Price lists (where fixed prices exist)
• Package offerings and their scope
• Typical process of a service

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• The 10-20 most common questions received by phone
• Clear, concise answers to each question
• Questions about returns, warranties, delivery times, etc.

Policies and Processes

• Cancellation terms and deadlines
• Warranty conditions
• Complaint process
• Privacy notices (what the agent is allowed to say about them)

How to Structure Content

ScaleTalk splits documents into sections (chunks) and searches them semantically. Therefore, structuring is crucial.

One Topic per Section

Clear Headings

Use headings that reflect the question a caller would ask:

# Business Hours

Monday to Friday: 08:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Saturday: 09:00 AM – 01:00 PM
Sundays and public holidays: Closed

# Parking

There are 5 free customer parking spots directly in front
of the building. Alternatively, there is the underground
parking garage at the market square (2-minute walk, paid).

# Returns and Exchanges

Products can be returned within 14 days of purchase.
Requirement: Original packaging and receipt.

No Duplicates

Each piece of information should appear exactly once in the knowledge base. If the same information is worded slightly differently in two documents, it can lead to contradictory answers.

FAQ Format

For frequently asked questions, a simple question-and-answer format works best:

# Frequently Asked Questions

## Do you have parking?
Yes, directly in front of the building. 5 free spots.

## How long does an initial consultation take?
About 30 minutes. The initial consultation is free.

## Can I reschedule my appointment?
Yes, free of charge up to 24 hours before. Later
cancellations cost 30 euros.

## Do you also offer home visits?
Yes, within a 20 km radius. Surcharge: 25 euros.

Formatting Price Lists Correctly

Prices are one of the most common reasons for calls. Structure them so the agent can reliably find them:

# Price List

## Women's Haircuts
- Wash, Cut, Blow-dry: 52 euros
- Wash, Cut, Blow-dry (long hair): 62 euros
- Trim ends: 25 euros

## Men's Haircuts
- Classic men's haircut: 28 euros
- Clipper cut: 18 euros

## Coloring
- Highlights from: 65 euros
- Full coloring from: 55 euros

Note: All prices include VAT.
For elaborate coloring, we provide a
customized quote on site.

The "from" for variable prices and the note at the end prevent the agent from quoting fixed prices where only guide prices exist.

Team and Responsibility Information

If your agent should route calls to the right person, it needs clear responsibility information:

# Team and Responsibilities

## Mr. Mueller – Managing Director
Responsible for: Quotes, contracts, complaints
Available: Mon–Fri, 09:00–16:00

## Ms. Schmidt – Accounting
Responsible for: Invoices, reminders, payments
Available: Mon–Thu, 08:00–14:00

## Mr. Weber – Technical
Responsible for: Outages, technical support, maintenance
Available: Mon–Fri, 07:00–17:00

Common Mistakes

Checklist

• Business hours and availability documented
• Address, directions, and parking situation described
• Service overview with prices available
• 10-20 most common questions prepared as FAQ
• Team and responsibilities documented
• Cancellation terms and deadlines documented
• Each piece of information appears only once (no duplicates)
• Each section has a clear heading
• Documents are up to date — no outdated prices or hours
• Test call made and FAQ questions asked