Setting Up Need Theo's Knowledge
The more Theo knows about your business, the better it can help your customers. This guide shows you how to set up your knowledge base for the best results.
How Knowledge Works
When someone calls or chats, Need Theo searches your knowledge base to find relevant information. It uses this to:
- Answer questions about your services
- Provide correct business hours
- Quote accurate pricing
- Give directions to your location
- Book appointments at the right times
The more complete your knowledge, the more helpful Need Theo becomes.
Types of Knowledge
Theo supports seven types of knowledge sources:
| Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| Business Profile | Basic info: name, hours, address, contact |
| FAQ | Common questions customers ask |
| Website | Importing your existing website content |
| Documents | PDFs, Word docs, menus, policies |
| Text | Custom content you write directly |
| Audio | Call recordings, training materials |
| Images | Visual content like menus, signs, photos |
Business Profile
Your business profile contains the core facts about your business.
What It Includes
- Business Name - How Need Theo refers to your business
- Address - Your physical location
- Phone & Email - Contact information
- Website - Your business URL
- Business Type - Industry category (salon, plumber, restaurant, etc.)
- Hours of Operation - When you're open each day
- Timezone - Important for scheduling
What It Doesn't Include
The business profile is for basic facts only. For detailed information like:
- Pricing → Use FAQs or Documents
- Service descriptions → Use FAQs, Text, or Website import
- Policies → Use Documents or FAQs
- Menu items → Use Documents or FAQs
Setting Up Your Business Profile
- Go to Settings → General
- Fill in your business information
- Set your hours for each day
- Make sure your timezone is correct
- Enable "Sync business profile to knowledge base"
Your business profile syncs automatically with your agents.
FAQs
FAQs are the most powerful way to improve Theo's answers. They directly teach Theo how to respond to specific questions.
When to Use FAQs
- Questions customers ask repeatedly
- Pricing information
- Service details
- Policies (cancellation, refunds, etc.)
- Anything with a clear question-and-answer format
Creating Good FAQs
Write questions like customers ask them:
- "How much does a haircut cost?"
- "Do you offer free estimates?"
- "What areas do you serve?"
Write answers that are helpful and complete:
- Include specific details
- Keep it conversational
- Add helpful context
FAQ Examples
Plumber FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much is a service call? | Our standard service call is $89, which covers the first hour of diagnosis. Most repairs range from $150-$500 depending on parts needed. |
| Do you handle emergencies? | Yes! We offer 24/7 emergency service. There's an additional $75 after-hours fee for nights, weekends, and holidays. |
| What areas do you serve? | We serve the greater Portland metro area including Beaverton, Tigard, Lake Oswego, and Milwaukie. |
| Do you give free estimates? | We provide free estimates for larger jobs like water heater replacements or bathroom remodels. For smaller repairs, the $89 service call includes diagnosis. |
Salon FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much is a haircut? | Women's cuts are $45-65 depending on length and style. Men's cuts are $25-35. All cuts include a wash and style. |
| Do I need an appointment? | Yes, we're appointment-only. Walk-ins may be accepted if we have availability, but we recommend booking ahead. |
| What's your cancellation policy? | Please give us 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations may be charged a $25 fee. |
| How should I prepare for a color appointment? | Come with clean, dry hair. Don't use any heavy styling products. Wear a button-down shirt so we don't mess up your hair putting it on after! |
Restaurant FAQs
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you take reservations? | Yes! Reservations are recommended for parties of 4 or more, especially on weekends. You can book online or call us directly. |
| Do you have vegetarian options? | Absolutely! We have a full vegetarian section on our menu, plus our chef can modify many dishes. Just let your server know. |
| Is there parking? | We have a small lot behind the building with 15 spaces. Street parking is also available, and there's a public garage one block away. |
| Do you deliver? | Yes, we deliver within 5 miles through DoorDash and UberEats. You can also order pickup directly through our website. |
Website Import
Import content directly from your existing website. Theo will crawl your site, read the pages, and use that information to answer questions.
How It Works
- Enter your website URL
- Choose how many pages to import (up to 500)
- Need Theo crawls your site and extracts content
- Content is processed and made searchable
Advanced Options
When importing a website, you can enable:
- Download linked documents - Automatically imports PDFs, Word docs, and other files linked on your pages
- Download linked audio - Imports audio files like podcasts or recordings
- Process inline images - Analyzes images on your pages using AI vision
What Gets Imported
Theo will import:
- Main pages (Home, About, Services, Contact)
- Product/service pages
- Blog posts
- FAQ pages
- Any publicly accessible page
Not imported:
- Password-protected pages
- Content behind logins
- Very large files (over 20MB)
- Complex web applications
Managing Website Pages
After import, you can:
- Enable/disable specific pages - Control which pages are used
- Re-scrape pages - Update content that changed
- Schedule automatic updates - Keep content fresh (daily, weekly, monthly)
Documents
Upload files for Theo to learn from.
Supported File Types
| Type | Formats |
|---|---|
.pdf | |
| Word | .docx (modern format only) |
| Excel | .xlsx |
| PowerPoint | .pptx |
| Text | .txt |
Maximum file size: 20MB
Good Documents to Upload
- Service menus with pricing
- Policy documents
- Training materials
- Product catalogs
- Warranty information
- Employee handbooks (for consistent answers)
How Documents Are Processed
- Upload your file
- Theo extracts the text and images
- Content is broken into searchable chunks
Text Content
Add custom text directly when you don't have a document or want to write something specific.
When to Use Text
- Detailed service descriptions
- Company history or background
- Seasonal information
- Anything you want to write from scratch
Tips for Text Content
- Be specific and detailed
- Use clear, conversational language
- Break up long content with headers
- Include the information customers actually need
Audio Files
Upload audio for Theo to transcribe and learn from.
Supported Formats
- MP3
- WAV
- M4A
- OGG
- FLAC
- AAC
Maximum file size: 20MB
Good Audio to Upload
- Recorded training calls
- Product explanations
- Service walkthroughs
- Podcast episodes about your business
- Voicemail greetings (for consistent messaging)
How It Works
- Upload your audio file
- Theo transcribes the speech to text
- The transcription becomes searchable knowledge
Images
Upload images for Theo to analyze and describe.
Supported Formats
- PNG
- JPG / JPEG
- GIF
- WebP
Maximum file size: 20MB
Good Images to Upload
- Menu boards
- Service pricing signs
- Product photos
- Location/storefront images
- Before/after examples
How It Works
- Upload your image
- AI vision analyzes the image
- A detailed description is generated
- The description becomes searchable knowledge
This is useful when you have visual content that contains important information (like a photographed menu board).
Assigning Knowledge to Agents
Knowledge needs to be assigned to agents before it's used.
How to Assign Knowledge
- Go to your Agent settings
- Find the Knowledge section
- Select which knowledge items to include
- Save your changes
Important Notes
- Business Profile: Only one per agent
- Other Knowledge: Assign as many as needed
- Unassigned knowledge: Won't be used even if it exists
Best Practices
Start with FAQs
FAQs have the biggest impact on answer quality. Start by adding the 10-20 questions customers ask most often.
Keep It Current
- Update prices when they change
- Add seasonal information
- Remove discontinued services
- Review monthly for accuracy
Be Specific
Instead of: "We do plumbing"
Use: "We handle drain cleaning ($150-250), faucet repairs ($125-300), toilet installation ($200-400), water heater replacement ($800-2000), and full bathroom remodels (call for estimate)"
Don't Duplicate
If information is in your business profile, you don't need it in an FAQ too. Focus FAQs on details the profile doesn't cover.
Test Regularly
After adding knowledge:
- Go to your Agent
- Open Test Chat
- Ask questions related to your new knowledge
- Verify the answers are correct
Quick Start Checklist
Get Theo answering questions well with this minimum setup:
- Business Profile - Name, address, hours, contact info
- 5-10 FAQs - Most common customer questions with answers
- Website import - If you have a website with good content
- Price list - FAQ or document with your pricing
After the Basics
Expand your knowledge with:
- More FAQs based on real customer questions
- Policy documents
- Detailed service descriptions
- Seasonal or promotional information
Troubleshooting
Theo gives wrong answers
- Check your knowledge for incorrect information
- Look for conflicting answers in different knowledge items
- Make sure the knowledge is assigned to the agent
- Try making the FAQ question more specific
Website import failed
- Verify the URL is correct and publicly accessible
- Check if pages require login
- Try importing fewer pages
- Import specific pages individually if full site fails
Document won't upload
- Check file size (max 20MB)
- Verify it's a supported format
- Try saving as a different format
- For old Word/PowerPoint files, save as .docx/.pptx
Knowledge seems to be ignored
- Verify the knowledge is assigned to your agent
- Check that the knowledge status is "Active"
- Test with a direct question about the knowledge content
Need Help?
- Check our Knowledge Library guide for detailed management instructions
- Check our Troubleshooting Guide
- Email support@needtheo.com