How to write the knowledge your chatbot answers from

Written by the Allinaa team · Updated October 15, 2026

An AI assistant is only as good as the text it answers from. Good knowledge is short, factual and specific, and it says plainly what the assistant must not do.

Sections every small business needs

Who you are: business name, what you do in one sentence, the area you serve.
Services: one short line per service, with what it includes and what it doesn't.
Prices: stated in one of the three ways described below.
Hours and time zone, including holiday closures.
Location and service area: address, parking, the ZIP codes or towns you cover.
Policies: booking, cancellation, deposits, refunds, warranties as you really apply them.
How to get help from a person: when and how the assistant should hand over.
Do not answer: topics the assistant must decline.

Write facts, not marketing

Marketing copy is written to impress. Knowledge is written to be repeated. Compare:

Weak: "We offer comprehensive, top-quality lawn solutions for every need."
Strong: "Weekly lawn mowing, April to October. Includes edging and blowing clippings off paths. Does not include weeding or leaf removal; those are separate services."

The second version lets the assistant answer "Do you pull weeds?" correctly. The first gives it nothing to work with, so it may guess.

Use one fact per sentence. Avoid "usually" and "about" unless that is the true answer. Write numbers and units the way customers say them: "30 minutes", "Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Central".

Prices: exact, ranges or "quote required"

Pricing questions are where a wrong answer costs the most. Choose one form per service:

Exact: for fixed-price items. "Standard teeth cleaning for adults: (your price). Insurance may cover part of it; we check your plan at the front desk."
Range: when it varies within known limits. "Interior painting of one bedroom: (low) to (high), depending on size and wall condition. Final price after a free estimate."
Quote required: when it varies too much. "Roof repair prices depend on the damage. We give a written quote after an inspection. Do not estimate a price."

The phrase "Do not estimate a price" matters. Without it, a helpful AI may try to give a ballpark figure.

The "do not answer" list

Every business has questions the assistant should decline and pass on. Write them down explicitly:

Medical, legal, tax or financial advice. See the guide on regulated industries.
Diagnosing a problem from a description ("Is this leak serious?").
Confirming availability you can't see ("Can you come today at 3?").
Discounts or exceptions to policy.
Questions about other customers or staff.
Anything that requires a card number, password or ID number.

Escalation instructions

Tell the assistant what to do when it reaches the edge of its knowledge. A good rule: "If you don't know, say so, and offer the inquiry form so a team member can follow up." Add urgent cases with the exact wording you want: "If someone describes a gas smell, tell them to leave the building and call 911 and the gas company, then offer our emergency line."

On Allinaa, the assistant can ask a few short questions to understand a request and then offer the inquiry form. The visitor confirms the details and agrees to be contacted before anything is saved.

Keeping it current: who owns updates

Knowledge goes stale quietly. Name one person who owns it, and tie updates to events that already happen in your business: a price change, a new service, a seasonal schedule, a staff change. Review the whole text every three months even if nothing seems to have changed.

On Allinaa Standard, the Allinaa team makes knowledge updates for you, up to 2 hours a month. In your cabinet you can propose a change, and corrections to individual answers are reviewed and applied by the team, never automatically.

Template you can copy

About: (Business name) is a (type of business) in (city, state). We serve (area or ZIP codes).

Services: (Service): (what it includes). Does not include (exclusions). (Repeat per service.)

Prices: (Service): (exact price / range and what it depends on / "Quote required after (visit, call, photos). Do not estimate a price.")

Hours: (Days and times, time zone). Closed on (holidays).

Location: (Address). Parking: (details). Accessibility: (details).

Policies: Booking: (how). Cancellation: (rule). Payment: (methods, deposit).

Hand over to a person when: (situations). Urgent cases: (instructions).

Do not answer: (list). Instead say: "That's a question for our team. Can I take your details so someone can reply?"

Start your knowledge from your website with the setup wizard's website scan, then fill it out with this template during the free trial.

Frequently asked questions

How long should the knowledge be?

As long as it needs to be and no longer. Most small businesses fit everything on a few pages of short, factual lines.

Should I paste my whole website in?

No. Website copy is written to sell. Start from it, then cut marketing language and add the facts customers ask about.

What if my prices change often?

State a range or say a quote is required, and tell the assistant not to estimate. Update the text whenever the range changes.