Connect Your Agent to Knowledge Bases - Dasha BlackBox Documentation

Ground your agent in factual data. Connect knowledge bases so your agent searches documentation, FAQs, and product manuals — reducing hallucinations and staying current. What you’ll learn: Knowledge base setup, document formats, RAG configuration, and update workflows.

Why Use Knowledge Base Integration?

Reduce Hallucinations

Language models sometimes generate plausible-sounding but incorrect information. Knowledge base integration grounds responses in factual data, dramatically reducing false or misleading answers.

Always Current Information

Product details, pricing, policies, and procedures change. Knowledge bases can be updated instantly, ensuring agents always provide current information without retraining.

Domain Expertise

General language models lack specialized knowledge about your specific products, services, or business. Knowledge bases provide domain-specific expertise.

Verifiable Answers

Responses based on documentation can be traced back to source material, important for compliance, quality assurance, and trust.

Handling Complex Queries

Detailed technical questions, multi-step processes, or nuanced policies are better handled by retrieving exact information than relying on model knowledge.

How to Configure Knowledge Base Integration

Step 1: Create or Upload Knowledge Bases

Before integrating with agents, you need knowledge bases in your Dasha BlackBox account:

Navigate to Knowledge Bases in your dashboard
Click Create Knowledge Base
Upload documentation, FAQs, or content (must be in Markdown format)
Process and index the content

Knowledge bases can contain:

Product documentation
FAQs and help articles
Company policies
Technical manuals
Training materials
Process documentation

Step 2: Enable Knowledge Base Integration

Open your agent’s configuration
Navigate to the Features tab
Find Knowledge Base Integration and toggle it on

Step 3: Select Knowledge Bases

Choose which knowledge bases this agent can access:

Use the search/filter to find knowledge bases
Click checkboxes to select relevant bases
Selected knowledge bases appear as removable chips
Agent can search all selected knowledge bases during conversations

Best practice: Only connect knowledge bases relevant to the agent’s purpose. Don’t give support agents access to internal HR policies they’ll never need.

Step 4: Test Knowledge Retrieval

Make test calls asking questions that should be answered from knowledge bases:

Ask specific factual questions from your documentation
Verify agent retrieves and uses correct information
Ask edge cases or ambiguous questions
Ensure agent handles “not found” scenarios gracefully

Configuration Examples

Example: Customer Support Agent

{
  "knowledgeBaseIntegration": "enabled",
  "connectedKnowledgeBases": [
    "Product Documentation (v2.4)",
    "FAQs - Common Issues",
    "Warranty and Returns Policy",
    "Troubleshooting Guide"
  ]
}

Rationale: Support agent needs product details, common solutions, policies, and troubleshooting steps.

Example: Sales Agent

{
  "knowledgeBaseIntegration": "enabled",
  "connectedKnowledgeBases": [
    "Product Catalog",
    "Pricing and Plans",
    "Competitive Comparison Guide",
    "Case Studies"
  ]
}

Rationale: Sales agent needs product information, pricing, competitive positioning, and social proof.

Example: Appointment Scheduling

{
  "knowledgeBaseIntegration": "enabled",
  "connectedKnowledgeBases": [
    "Service Descriptions",
    "Location and Hours",
    "Preparation Instructions"
  ]
}

Rationale: Scheduling agent needs service details, availability information, and instructions for appointments.

Example: Technical Support

{
  "knowledgeBaseIntegration": "enabled",
  "connectedKnowledgeBases": [
    "Technical Documentation",
    "API Reference",
    "Known Issues and Workarounds",
    "System Requirements"
  ]
}

Rationale: Technical support needs detailed technical information, API details, known problems, and requirements.

Common Use Cases

Product Support

Knowledge Bases: Product documentation, troubleshooting guides, FAQs Queries: “How do I reset my password?”, “What are the system requirements?”, “Why isn’t feature X working?”

Policy Information

Knowledge Bases: Return policies, warranty information, terms of service Queries: “What’s your return policy?”, “How long is the warranty?”, “Can I cancel my subscription?”

Appointment Information

Knowledge Bases: Service descriptions, preparation instructions, location details Queries: “What should I bring to my appointment?”, “Where is your office located?”, “What does the consultation include?”

Technical Support

Knowledge Bases: API documentation, technical specifications, known issues Queries: “What’s the syntax for this API call?”, “What version supports feature X?”, “Is there a known issue with Y?”

Billing and Account Questions

Knowledge Bases: Billing FAQs, plan descriptions, account management guides Queries: “How do I update my payment method?”, “What’s included in the pro plan?”, “Why was I charged?”

Knowledge Base Content Best Practices

Structure

Use clear headings and sections:

# Password Reset

## How to Reset Your Password

1. Go to the login page
2. Click "Forgot Password"
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for reset link
5. Follow the link and create new password

## Troubleshooting

### I didn't receive the reset email

Check your spam folder. If still not found, contact support at...

### The reset link expired

Links expire after 24 hours. Request a new reset link.

Write for Voice

Knowledge bases used by voice agents should be conversational: Good: “To reset your password, go to the login page and click Forgot Password. Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a reset link within a few minutes.” Less Good: “Password Reset Procedure: 1) Navigate to auth interface 2) Select passwd recovery option 3) Submit email addr for verification token delivery”

Include Variations

Include different ways people ask the same question:

# Shipping Time

**Question:** How long does shipping take?
**Also asked as:**
- When will my order arrive?
- What's your delivery time?
- How fast is shipping?

**Answer:** Standard shipping takes 5-7 business days...

Keep Updated

Set review schedule:

Critical information (pricing, policies): Monthly review
Product documentation: Review with each release
FAQs: Add new questions as they arise
Seasonal information: Update before relevant periods

Monitoring and Optimization

Key Metrics

Retrieval success rate - How often does agent find relevant information?
Answer accuracy - Are retrieved answers correct?
Knowledge base usage - Which bases are accessed most frequently?
Failed queries - What questions couldn’t be answered?
Caller satisfaction - Are callers happy with answers provided?

Improvement Process

Monitor failed queries: Track questions where agent couldn’t find information
Identify gaps: What content is missing from knowledge bases?
Add content: Create documentation for common unanswered questions
Refine existing content: Improve content that retrieves poorly
Test improvements: Verify new content retrieves correctly
Repeat: Continuous improvement based on usage data

Content Quality Signals

Good retrieval (agent easily finds correct information):

Well-structured content with clear headings
Comprehensive coverage of topic
Uses common terminology and phrasing
Includes examples and variations

Poor retrieval (agent struggles to find information):

Vague or unclear content
Missing common questions
Uses jargon without explanation
Poorly organized or fragmented information

Technical Considerations

Supported Formats

Currently, knowledge bases must be uploaded in Markdown format (.md files). Your documentation, FAQs, and content should be formatted as Markdown documents for upload.

Vector Embeddings

Knowledge bases use semantic embeddings:

Content is converted to vector representations
Searches find semantically similar content (not just keyword matches)
“How do I reset my password?” matches “Password recovery process”

Update Latency

After updating knowledge bases:

Changes typically propagate within minutes
Re-indexing may be required for large updates
Test retrieval after significant changes

Context Limits

Retrieved information consumes agent context:

Agents balance between conversation history and retrieved content
Very long knowledge base passages may be truncated
Focus on concise, relevant content for best results

Troubleshooting

Problem: Agent Doesn’t Use Knowledge Base Information

Solution: Verify knowledge base integration is enabled and bases are selected. Check knowledge base actually contains relevant information. Update system prompt to encourage knowledge base usage: “Search knowledge bases for factual information before answering questions.”

Problem: Agent Retrieves Wrong Information

Solution: Review knowledge base organization. Ensure content has clear context and isn’t ambiguous. Improve headings and structure. Consider splitting overly broad knowledge bases into focused ones.

Problem: Agent Can’t Find Information That Exists

Solution: Improve content searchability with clearer headings, better keywords, and question variations. Ensure content is indexed (re-index if needed). Use language similar to how callers ask questions.

Problem: Retrieved Information is Outdated

Solution: Implement knowledge base update process. Review and refresh content regularly. Set up alerts for content age. Consider version control for documentation.

Problem: Too Many Knowledge Bases Confuse Agent

Solution: Reduce number of connected bases. Combine related bases. Only connect bases directly relevant to agent’s purpose. Use more focused, purpose-built knowledge bases.

Next steps

Tools & Functions

Extend agent capabilities beyond knowledge bases

Post-Call Analysis

Extract insights from conversations

Language Switching

Multi-language knowledge base support

MCP Connections

Connect to external data sources

Documentation Index

​Why Use Knowledge Base Integration?

​Reduce Hallucinations

​Always Current Information

​Domain Expertise

​Verifiable Answers

​Handling Complex Queries

​How to Configure Knowledge Base Integration

​Step 1: Create or Upload Knowledge Bases

​Step 2: Enable Knowledge Base Integration

​Step 3: Select Knowledge Bases

​Step 4: Test Knowledge Retrieval

​Configuration Examples

​Common Use Cases

​Product Support

​Policy Information

​Appointment Information

​Technical Support

​Billing and Account Questions

​Knowledge Base Content Best Practices

​Write for Voice

​Keep Updated

​Monitoring and Optimization

​Key Metrics

​Improvement Process

​Content Quality Signals

​Technical Considerations

​Supported Formats

​Vector Embeddings

​Update Latency

​Context Limits

​Troubleshooting

​Problem: Agent Doesn’t Use Knowledge Base Information

​Problem: Agent Retrieves Wrong Information

​Problem: Agent Can’t Find Information That Exists

​Problem: Retrieved Information is Outdated

​Problem: Too Many Knowledge Bases Confuse Agent

​Next steps