The knowledge base checklist: what to teach your AI agent first
An AI agent is only as good as what you teach it. Here is a practical checklist of what to add first, and how to keep it accurate.
By the Sanma team ·
An AI agent that speaks for your business should only say what you would say. In Sanma, that comes from two places: your knowledge base (the facts, policies, and answers) and your catalog (products, services, and prices). This checklist covers what to add first so your agent is useful from day one.
1. The basics customers ask about constantly
- Opening hours, including holidays and seasonal changes
- Address, parking, and how to find you
- Phone number, email, and the best way to reach a person
- The areas you serve, if you travel to customers
2. Your services, in plain words
Describe each service the way you would explain it on the phone: what it is, how long it takes, who it is for, and what the customer needs to do beforehand. Short paragraphs work better than long brochures.
3. Prices, in the catalog
Put prices in the catalog rather than in free text. The agent prices orders only from the catalog, recalculates totals, and reads them back for the customer to confirm. If a price varies, say so ("from $55, confirmed at your appointment") so the agent states it as a range instead of a promise.
4. Policies that prevent awkward conversations
- Cancellations, rescheduling, and no shows
- Deposits, payment methods, and refunds
- Age limits, pets, accessibility, and anything customers often ask about
5. Your real FAQ
Ask your team which questions they answer most. Write each one as a question with a short answer. This is often the single most useful source you can add.
6. Internal notes, marked internal
Some information should guide the agent without being quoted: how you prefer to handle urgent jobs, which staff member handles what. In Sanma you can mark a source as internal so it informs answers but is never read out to customers.
Keep it accurate
Every source in Sanma must be approved before the agent uses it, so nothing goes live by accident. When the agent meets a question it can't answer, it adds it to a short list in your dashboard. Answer it once and the agent knows it next time. A few minutes a week on that list keeps your agent sharp.
Ways to add knowledge
Paste text, link a page from your website, or upload a document (PDF, Word, or text). Add catalog items one by one or import them from a CSV file. Then use the test chat to ask the questions your customers ask, before anyone else does. Ready to try? Start free.
