Knowledge bases

A knowledge base makes the documents of one document dataset searchable by Annota Brain. Brain answers from the knowledge bases you select and cites the pages it used.

How knowledge bases work

• One dataset, one knowledge base. Each knowledge base indexes exactly one document dataset from Annota Studio, and each dataset can back only one knowledge base.
• It follows the dataset live. When documents are added, changed, or removed in the dataset, the knowledge base updates in the background. You do not need to create a dataset version first.
• Indexing prepares each document for Brain. Brain indexes the extracted text of each document page by page and writes a short summary of it. Only new or changed documents are indexed again.
• Your content stays yours. Knowledge bases and Brain conversations are not used to train any model.

You find your knowledge bases in Brain under Knowledge. Use the product switcher at the top of the sidebar to move between Studio and Brain.

Create a knowledge base

You can start from new files or from a document dataset you already have.

1. In Brain, open Knowledge and select Create knowledge base.
2. Enter a Name.
3. Choose where the documents come from:
   • Upload files creates a new document dataset. You add files from the knowledge base page right after it opens.
   • From an existing document dataset indexes a dataset from Studio. Choose it under Document dataset. Only document datasets you can edit and that do not back another knowledge base are listed.
4. For an existing dataset, decide whether to keep Approved documents only on (the default). When it is on, only documents approved in review are indexed. When it is off, every document with completed text extraction is indexed.
5. Select Create knowledge base. The knowledge base page opens.

You can also start from Studio: open a document dataset and select Use in Brain. A dataset that already backs a knowledge base shows Open knowledge base instead, and the dataset list marks it In Brain.

Check the indexing status

The knowledge base page has two tabs, Documents and Settings. At the top of Documents a status card shows how the knowledge base is doing:

Status	Meaning
Syncing	Documents are waiting to be indexed or are being indexed.
Up to date	Every document that can be indexed is indexed.
Needs attention	The last sync failed or some documents failed. Select Retry to index them again.

The card also counts documents that are indexed, waiting, failed, or excluded. A failed sync retries automatically. If your organization is out of credits, waiting documents are indexed after a top up. See Add documents for what each document state means.

Under the status card you can search the full text of the knowledge base with Search full document text. Each search uses credits. Select a result to open the page in the document reader.

Change the settings

1. Open the knowledge base and select the Settings tab.
2. Under General, change the Name or the Description, then select Save changes. The description helps people recognize the knowledge base; it does not change how Brain answers.
3. Under Indexing, turn Approved documents only on or off. The change applies in the background.

Select Open dataset to manage the documents in Studio. Only people who can edit the knowledge base can change its settings.

Share a knowledge base

A knowledge base has no sharing of its own: it shares the access of its dataset. Select Share on the knowledge base page to share the dataset with members, groups, or the whole organization. People with view access can ask Brain about it and read its documents; people with edit access can also add documents and change its settings. A knowledge base is private to its creator until it is shared. See Sharing and access.

Delete a knowledge base

1. Open the knowledge base and select the Settings tab.
2. Under Danger zone, select Delete next to Delete knowledge base.
3. Type the name of the knowledge base and confirm with I understand, delete permanently.

This deletes the knowledge base, its index, and its summaries. The dataset and its documents remain in Studio. Only the owner or an organization owner or admin can delete a knowledge base.

Note

You cannot delete a dataset while a knowledge base indexes it. Delete the knowledge base first.

Costs

Indexing uses credits for each page of every new or changed document. Text extraction of new uploads is charged separately, and searches and answers are billed by the tokens they use. The knowledge base page shows the current indexing rate. See Credit usage.

Next steps

• Add documents
• Ask questions
• Sharing and access