How to Build a Knowledge Base for a Chatbot from Your Own Documents – the Documents Section in Binom
The knowledge base for the Binom chatbot is the "Documents" section: here you upload rules, price lists, instructions and service descriptions, and Binom answers customers based on them, not "off the top of its head." Customers get an accurate answer according to your rules at any time, and you don't have to write scripts by hand. Documents are added on the "Documents" page, through a dialog with Tutor, or by importing from Google Drive.
Ways to upload documents to AI
| Method | Where | When it's convenient |
|---|---|---|
| File upload | Documents → "Upload file" | You have ready-made files on your computer |
| Dialog with Tutor | Tutor → attach a file to a message | You want to explain right away what matters in the file and how to apply it |
| Google Drive | Documents → "Import Google Drive files" or "Import Google Drive folder" | Materials are stored in the cloud and change regularly |
| Notion | Integrations → Notion | Your company's knowledge base is kept in Notion |
Tutor is Binom's built-in mentor: in a dialog with it, you tell it about your company and share materials, and it turns them into knowledge for your AI employee.
How to upload a document on the "Documents" page
- Open Documents in the left menu of your account.
- Click "Upload file" and select a file. Only one file is uploaded at a time.
- The message "Document uploaded successfully" will appear, and the file will be in the list with the status "Pending" or "Processing".
- Wait for the status "Indexed": from that moment, Binom uses the document in its answers. Meanwhile, a hint appears above the list: "Processing uploaded documents may take some time."
Regular working files, such as PDF and DOCX, are suitable: you don't need to rewrite texts specially (for more details, see whether you need to prepare texts for training). If the format is not supported, the message "This file type is not supported" will appear.
How to pass files through Tutor
- Open Tutor.
- Attach a file with the "Attach file" button next to the input field, or drag and drop files into the chat window. PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, and JPG, PNG, GIF images up to 30 MB are supported.
- Write what the material is and how to use it, for example: "This is the price list for services from October 1, old prices no longer apply."
- Tutor will report "Files attached: …". If a file was skipped due to format or size, the message "Skipped … files: unsupported format or file too large." will appear.
How to import documents from Google Drive
The "Import Google Drive files" and "Import Google Drive folder" buttons appear on the Documents page after you connect an account in Integrations → Google Drive. Selected files and folders are updated automatically every 15 minutes. If there is no connection, the hint next to the button will say: "Connect Google Drive in the Integrations section to use document import."
Document or card: which to choose
Documents hold the bulk of the knowledge: regulations, catalogs, instructions. But if you need to pin down one exact fact that matters more than anything written in the files (for example, "The director's name is Lida", even though older documents mention other names), create a knowledge card. A card is a priority piece of knowledge: if it conflicts with a document, Binom relies on the card.
How to check that Binom is using a document
- Make sure the document has the status "Indexed".
- Open a new chat, for example in incognito mode. You don't need to check chats that are already open, as the dashboard itself advises.
- Ask a question whose answer appears only in this document.
If the answer is outdated, see why the bot answers with old data. For a full check before launch, see how to test your AI employee.
How to delete or find a document
In Documents, there is a "Search by name" field, filters "Type" and "Status", and collections "All", "Needs attention", "Processing", "Mine". To delete a document, click the "Delete" icon in its row and confirm. Several documents can be deleted by selecting their checkboxes and clicking "Delete selected". A document you have shared with another Binom cannot be deleted while the access is still open.
Possible problems
Document has the status "Error"
For causes and solutions, see document indexing statuses and errors.
"Storage limit is almost reached…"
What to check: the warning appears when 90% of the document storage is used; when it is fully used, the "Upload file" button becomes inactive.
What to do: delete outdated or duplicate documents.
How to tell it's resolved: the warning is gone and the "Upload file" button is active.
No buttons, or the message "You do not have permission to manage this section." appears
What this means: only users with the Owner, Admin or Editor access level for the selected Binom can add, change and delete knowledge. Operators and Viewers see the section without editing buttons.
What to do: ask the account owner to grant you the Editor level or higher. For more details, see access levels in a team.
How to tell it's resolved: after refreshing the page, the add buttons are active.
If the problem persists, write to support@binomai.com or send "I want to talk to a person" in the Tutor chat. Include the Binom name, the file or card name, and attach a screenshot of the message.
Other common questions
Can I train a chatbot on my own documents?
Yes. Upload files to Documents or pass them to the Tutor. After indexing, Binom answers based on them.
Can the same documents be used for several Binoms?
Yes, you can share a document with another Binom in your company: how to pass documents to a new Binom.
How long will it take for a document to start working?
Until the status changes to "Indexed". Processing can take some time. To check the result, see why the bot answers based on old data.
