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4. Creating an additional knowledge entry

 Creating an additional knowledge entry
======================================

Updated 1 month ago · 2 min read

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Additional knowledge is how your team tops up the chatbot's knowledge base. If there is something you would like it to be able to answer, you can propose it at any time.

You do not have to wait for the chatbot to fail first. If you know a question is coming, because rates notices go out next week or a facility is closing for maintenance, you can get ahead of it.

Creating an entry
-----------------

1. Go to **Additional knowledge** in the dashboard.
2. Choose the option to create a new entry.
3. Give the entry a short **Title**, pick a **Content type**, and write the information you want the chatbot to use in **Content**. Ideally a question and answer pair.
4. Click **Save**.

![The Additional knowledge create form in the dashboard, with fields for the title, the content type and the content](https://assist.knowledge.civ.io/storage/7se6d3Ci81wZoFZGR3dApi7HoO9uojc2j1NAVLdZ.png)

Writing a good entry
--------------------

- **Answer the question directly.** Lead with the answer rather than background.
- **One topic per entry.** Several small, focused entries work better than one long one covering everything.
- **Use plain language,** and phrase things the way a user would, not the way an internal policy does.
- **Include the details people actually ask for:** opening hours, costs, deadlines, what to bring, who to contact.
- **Avoid anything that dates quickly,** or make the date explicit so it is obvious when the entry needs revisiting.

What happens next
-----------------

When you save an entry, Civio Assist automatically checks it against the topics your chatbot is set up to cover, and screens it for anything unsafe.

- An entry that passes the check goes live straight away. It shows as **Active** in the list, and the chatbot uses it on similar questions from then on.
- An entry that does not pass is held as **Pending create** for a Civio admin to review. While it is pending, it is *not* affecting replies. Once approved, it is added to the chatbot's knowledge base like any other entry.

![The Additional knowledge list showing one entry marked Pending create for review and one marked Active](https://assist.knowledge.civ.io/storage/R2DOPYnVOi9b8O1ruX0mDu4eD7fHxXRRngCV9Nbn.png)

You can edit or delete your own entries whenever you like. Edits to a live entry go through the same automatic check, and deleting a live entry waits for a Civio admin to approve it. If a pending change is time-critical, flag it to your Civio representative.

Starting from a real conversation
---------------------------------

The best entries usually come from questions the chatbot has already failed. When you find one while reading conversation history, the **Update knowledge base** action takes you straight from the message to a new Additional knowledge entry. See [Suggesting knowledge straight from a conversation](/articles/manual-context-from-a-conversation).

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