> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.clarasdr.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Knowledge base

> Ground Clara's answers in your pitch decks, product docs, FAQs, and website with retrieval-augmented generation.

A knowledge base is a collection of your content - documents, plain text, and website pages - that Clara searches when answering buyer questions. Instead of generic model knowledge, Clara answers from your material, in your voice.

Knowledge bases are reusable: attach one knowledge base to many agents, or give each agent its own.

## Content types

| Type              | What it is                                     | Best for                                      |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Documents**     | PDF and DOCX files                             | Pitch decks, product docs, policies, reports  |
| **Plain text**    | Pasted raw text                                | FAQs, scripted answers, word-for-word control |
| **URL & website** | Single pages or a full site crawl of your docs | Public docs, help centers, product pages      |

## How retrieval works

Two retrieval modes are available:

* **Agentic retrieval** *(recommended)* - Clara decides when and which knowledge base to search based on the question. More precise, less noise.
* **Traditional retrieval** - every query searches all attached knowledge bases. Simpler and more predictable.

With agentic retrieval, the knowledge base **name and description matter**: Clara reads them to decide whether to search it. Name it for the domain - `Product-Docs`, `Pricing-2026` - and describe when to use it.

<Warning>
  A vague name or empty description means Clara may never pick the knowledge base, no matter how good the content is.
</Warning>

## Creating a knowledge base

1. In your workspace, open **Knowledge base**.
2. Click **Create New**.
3. Add a **name** and a **description** that says when Clara should use it - for example: *"Use this whenever the buyer asks about pricing, plans, or limits."*
4. Add content: upload files, paste text, or add URLs.
5. **Save & Create**. Content is queued for processing: extraction, cleaning, chunking, and indexing run automatically.

## Organizing knowledge bases

| Guideline                     | Why                                                                                         |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One knowledge base per domain | Focused collections retrieve more accurately                                                |
| Around 5–50 documents each    | Quality drops sharply once mixed content exceeds \~50 documents                             |
| Split by topic, not by team   | Clara picks the right base by name and description                                          |
| Descriptive file names        | File names appear in retrieval reasoning - `pricing-2026.pdf` beats `document-final-v2.pdf` |

<Tip>
  Ten focused documents per knowledge base beat one giant mixed library. Multiple small knowledge bases beat one catch-all.
</Tip>

## Attaching to agents

1. Open the agent and go to the **Knowledge base** section.
2. Select one or more knowledge bases.
3. Save. Changes apply on the next conversation.

Multiple agents can share the same knowledge base - update the content once and every attached agent picks it up on the next session.

## Content best practices

* Prefer clean text over complex PDFs - multi-column and footnote-heavy layouts retrieve poorly
* Split large material into smaller documents; they retrieve better
* Re-upload changed documents rather than editing in place
* Large files and full-site crawls can take a few minutes to index; content answers correctly once indexed