# Teach Onlo from your knowledge

Add one trusted source and wait until Onlo can use it to answer customer questions.

- **Audience:** Workspace administrators responsible for the accuracy of AI answers
- **Intent:** Get started
- **Active work:** 5 minutes
- **Waiting:** Depends on the source size while Onlo indexes it
- **Where this happens:** Complete this in Onlo. No code is required.

Canonical page: https://onlo.ai/docs/guides/get-started/add-knowledge

## Before you start

- Access to AI setup → Knowledge base
- One current website, document, or FAQ whose answers you can verify

## Why add knowledge?

Onlo uses your knowledge sources to answer company-specific questions. Without a trusted source, it cannot reliably know your policies, product, or support process.

## Add your first source

1. **Open Knowledge base.** In Onlo, open AI setup → Knowledge base and select Add source.
   - **Expected result:** Onlo shows the supported source choices.
2. **Choose the smallest useful source.** Choose Website, Document, or FAQ. Start with content that answers one common customer question clearly.
   - **Expected result:** You can enter a URL, upload a supported file, or write a direct question and answer.
3. **Add the source.** Provide the requested content and finish the add flow.
   - **Expected result:** The source appears in the Knowledge base list.
4. **Wait for Fresh.** Leave the page open or return later while the source changes from Indexing to Fresh.
   - **Expected result:** Fresh confirms that Onlo finished indexing the source.

### Expected result

Find the source in Knowledge base and inspect its status.

**Success:** The source appears with a Fresh status and no error indicator.

**If you do not see this:**

- Wait until Indexing finishes before testing the source.
- Open an error state and correct an unreachable URL, unsupported file, or missing content.
- Use a short FAQ as a controlled source if a large website or document is difficult to diagnose.

## Customer questions

### Which source should I add first?

Choose the smallest current source that answers a question your customers ask often.

### Can I edit or replace it later?

Yes. Start small, verify the result in Playground, then add or revise sources as you find gaps.

### Does Fresh mean every answer is correct?

No. Fresh means indexing finished. Test representative questions in Playground before customers rely on the source.

## Common mistakes

- Adding a large help center before proving one small, current source.
- Testing while the source still shows Indexing.
- Uploading conflicting or obsolete policy documents without deciding which one is authoritative.

## You have completed this guide when

- [ ] At least one trusted source appears in Knowledge base.
- [ ] The source status changes from Indexing to Fresh.
- [ ] You know which customer question the source should answer.

## Troubleshooting

### The source stays on Indexing.

**Likely cause:** The source is still processing or cannot be read completely.

**Recovery:** Wait for the status to settle. If it changes to an error, correct the source and add or re-index it again.

### The source shows an error.

**Likely cause:** The URL is unreachable, the file is unsupported, or the content could not be processed.

**Recovery:** Open the source, correct the input, and retry. Use a short FAQ to verify the Knowledge base itself works.

### The source is Fresh but answers are wrong.

**Likely cause:** The source may not contain the answer clearly or may conflict with another source.

**Recovery:** Ask a more specific question in Playground, inspect the cited source, and revise conflicting content.

## Related pages

- [Test your AI before customers do](https://onlo.ai/docs/guides/get-started/test-ai): Use realistic questions in Playground to verify answers, uncertainty, and human handoff behavior.