DESIGNER GUIDE

Give workers trusted knowledge

Create knowledge bases for approved business information and make them available to the workers that need to answer from that content.

Solution designer10–15 minutes

Scope: workspace knowledge base and Agentic Worker

Keep knowledge separate from behaviour

Behaviour instructions tell a worker what it should do. Knowledge bases provide the approved information it may answer from. Do not paste large policies, manuals or product catalogues into the worker’s behaviour instructions.

How knowledge fits into a worker

Each step in the chain has to be completed before a worker can answer from approved content.

Approved business documents
             ↓
Knowledge base
             ↓
Search-model credential
             ↓
Prepared for search
             ↓
Attached to an Agentic Worker
             ↓
Worker answers from approved content

Creating a base is only the first stepThe interface indicates that a search model is required before a base can be prepared for search. A newly created base should not be treated as ready to answer questions.

Key terms

Knowledge base: A workspace collection that groups documents intended to answer one related kind of question.
Document: An approved source placed inside a knowledge base.
Search model: The configured model used to prepare or search the knowledge base.
Credential: The configured provider credential associated with the selected search model.
Ready to answer questions: A workspace status indicating that a knowledge base has completed the preparation required by the platform.
Worker attachment: The configuration that allows a specific Agentic Worker to answer from a knowledge base.

Before you begin

Prepare the content and the credential before creating anything in the workspace.

Confirm that the correct workspace is active.
Identify the specific questions the knowledge base should help answer.
Gather approved and current source material.
Remove drafts, duplicates and obsolete versions.
Confirm that a suitable search-model credential is available.
Decide which workers genuinely require access.
Use fictional questions and non-sensitive content during initial testing.
Assign an owner for future content review.

Do not upload content merely because it existsA knowledge base should contain information the worker is authorised to use. Exclude confidential, obsolete, duplicated or unrelated material.

1. Understand the Knowledge page

The Knowledge page is the workspace view of every collection a worker may answer from.

Designer Knowledge page showing zero knowledge bases, zero ready to answer questions, zero documents, zero storage and a New knowledge base action. — The Knowledge page summarises knowledge bases, readiness, documents and storage for the workspace.

Summary: Reports the number of knowledge bases, how many are ready to answer questions, how many documents exist and the storage used.
Knowledge bases: The default tab, showing the collections available in the workspace.
All documents: The second tab, providing access to documents across knowledge bases when documents exist.
New knowledge base: Starts creation of a new collection.

The screenshot shows an empty workspaceTreat all values shown as examples. Do not expect fictional knowledge-base rows, document counts or readiness states to match your own workspace.

Use one base for one coherent subjectFor example: delivery and returns policy, commercial insurance guidance, employee onboarding procedures or product support documentation. Avoid one very broad base containing unrelated departments and policies.

2. Create a knowledge base

Naming, describing and pointing the base at a search-model credential.

New knowledge base dialog showing Name, Description, Search model information, Credential selection and Create base. — Name the knowledge base, describe its purpose and select a search-model credential.

Name: A clear subject-based name such as Delivery and Returns Policy or Employee Benefits Handbook. Avoid vague names such as Documents, General, Knowledge 1 or Files.
Description: Explain what content belongs in the base, which questions it should answer and which workers or business process it supports.
Search model: The dialog explains that the search model can be selected now or later in base settings, and that it is required before the base can be prepared for search.
Credential: Select a configured credential made available to the workspace.
Create base: Creates the knowledge-base container.

1Open Knowledge.
2Select New knowledge base.
3Enter a concise subject-based name.
4Add a description explaining the purpose and content boundary.
5Select a search-model credential when one is available.
6Select Create base.
7Open the created base.
8Continue using the document controls available in the current interface.
9Confirm that the base reaches the appropriate ready state before attaching it to a production worker.

The search credential is a prerequisiteA base can be named before selecting a credential, but it cannot be prepared for search until the required search model has been configured.

3. Choose the correct search credential

Credentials are configured by administrators and selected by designers.

Responsibility boundary
Role	Responsibility
Partnership or workspace administrator	Configures provider credentials and determines which resources are available
Solution designer	Selects an available credential when creating or configuring the knowledge base

Do not place credentials in contentNever paste API keys, tokens or provider secrets into knowledge-base descriptions, documents, worker behaviour instructions or test questions.

When no suitable credential is available, ask the workspace or partnership administrator to configure the required provider. Credential management is covered in the Admin AI and tools guide.

4. Plan the knowledge content

The document-management workflow is not shown in this interface, so plan the content itself before you build.

Content planning
Question	Guidance
What should the base answer?	Define the approved question types
What should it not answer?	Set clear content boundaries
Which source is authoritative?	Prefer approved final documents
How current is the content?	Exclude obsolete versions
Who owns updates?	Assign a business content owner
Is access appropriate?	Include only content the worker may use
Are there duplicates?	Keep one authoritative version where possible

Prefer authoritative materialUse approved policies, manuals, product documentation and controlled procedures rather than informal notes or unreviewed drafts.

Separate different subjectsCreate different knowledge bases when the subject, audience, owner or access boundary differs.

Use clear source documentsDocuments with meaningful headings, complete sentences and explicit definitions are easier to maintain than poorly structured exports.

Keep dates and versions visibleWhen the source material includes effective dates or versions, retain them so designers can understand whether the information is current.

Scope of this guideThis guide does not describe document upload, supported file types, indexing progress, chunking or document-action menus. None of those interfaces are shown in the current Designer screenshots.

5. Attach knowledge to an Agentic Worker

A worker answers only from the knowledge bases made available to it.

Agentic Worker Knowledge tab showing no knowledge bases yet, Open Knowledge page and New knowledge base actions. — The worker’s Knowledge tab is where approved knowledge bases are made available to that worker.

Open Knowledge page: Opens the workspace Knowledge area to manage knowledge bases.
New knowledge base: Starts creation of a knowledge base without first leaving the worker configuration.
Knowledge-base area: Shows which knowledge bases the worker can answer from once bases are available.

1Open the Agentic Worker in Composer.
2Select the Knowledge tab.
3Review whether a suitable knowledge base already exists.
4Select Open Knowledge page to manage workspace knowledge.
5Select New knowledge base when a new subject collection is required.
6Prepare the knowledge base using the controls provided by the current product.
7Return to the worker’s Knowledge tab.
8Use the available selection controls to make the approved base available to the worker.
9Save the worker.
10Test representative knowledge questions.

Do not attach every base to every workerA worker should receive only the knowledge relevant to its responsibility. Broad access can produce irrelevant answers and weaken information boundaries.

ExampleThe ACME Support Process Router may not need a knowledge base if it only classifies intent. A customer-facing support worker may need access to a Delivery and Returns Policy base.

6. Test knowledge-based answers

Readiness is a technical state. Only testing shows whether the answers are correct.

Knowledge test matrix
Test	What to confirm
Direct question	The worker returns the approved policy answer
Alternative wording	Different phrasing retrieves the same relevant information
Unsupported subject	The worker does not invent an answer outside the base
Conflicting content	The worker does not mix obsolete and current guidance
Missing information	The worker states that the answer is unavailable or follows the approved fallback
Sensitive question	The worker respects its instructions and access boundaries
Updated content	The answer reflects the latest approved source

1Define the expected answer from the authoritative source.
2Open the worker Test panel.
3Reset the conversation.
4Ask one representative question.
5Compare the result with the approved source.
6Ask the same question using different wording.
7Ask an unsupported question.
8Confirm that the worker does not invent missing information.
9Test after content changes.
10Record the accepted result separately from technical readiness.

No citation interface is shownDesigner is not documented here as displaying citations, source links, retrieval scores or document excerpts. Verify answers against the authoritative source yourself.

7. Review and maintain knowledge

Knowledge ages faster than configuration. Plan the review cycle when the base is created.

Business content changes
          ↓
Review source documents
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Update the knowledge base
          ↓
Confirm readiness
          ↓
Retest affected questions
          ↓
Review attached workers

Assign a business owner to each knowledge base.
Review material when policies, products or procedures change.
Remove obsolete or duplicated sources.
Retest questions affected by a content update.
Review which workers use the base.
Keep behaviour instructions and knowledge responsibilities separate.

A worker can be technically available but factually outdatedReadiness indicates that the platform can use the base. It does not prove that the source material is current or approved.

Knowledge review checklist

Complete this before a knowledge-backed worker reaches customers.

The correct workspace is active.
The base has one coherent subject.
The name clearly describes that subject.
The description defines what belongs in the base.
A suitable search-model credential is available.
Only approved and current sources are included.
Obsolete and duplicate content has been removed.
A business owner is responsible for updates.
The base has reached the required ready state.
The base is attached only to relevant workers.
Direct and alternative questions have been tested.
Unsupported questions do not produce invented answers.
The worker was retested after content changes.
No secrets or live customer data were placed in the content.

Next steps

Connect models and tools

Select configured models, add controlled tools and prepare deployment resources.

Integrations and providers

Configure the worker

Set identity, behaviour, guardrails, memory and execution limits.

Agentic workers

Knowledge troubleshooting

Common issues when a base or a knowledge-backed answer does not behave as expected.

Knowledge troubleshooting
Problem	Likely cause	Action
Create base is unavailable	Required fields or credential selection are incomplete	Complete the visible fields or select a credential
The base cannot be prepared for search	No search-model credential is configured	Select an available credential or contact the administrator
No knowledge bases appear in the worker	None exist, none are ready or the workspace is incorrect	Open Knowledge, confirm the base and review the workspace
The worker cannot answer from the base	The base is not attached or not ready	Review the worker Knowledge tab and base status
The answer is outdated	The knowledge content has not been maintained	Update the authoritative source and retest
The answer combines unrelated information	The base contains overly broad or conflicting content	Separate subjects and remove obsolete sources
The worker invents an unsupported answer	The behaviour instructions do not define the fallback clearly	Strengthen the instructions and test unsupported questions
The worker has access to irrelevant information	Too many knowledge bases were attached	Limit access to bases required by the worker
A test uses information from an earlier conversation	Test context was not reset	Reset the worker Test panel before an independent test

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