What are file groups?
With file groups, makers can group up to 500 files into a single knowledge source, where agents can narrow their scope of search when queried about relevant and related data.
Allowing to query over a collection of files enables the extension of query scenarios to include proper determination of content.
File group requirements
- Two files minimum.
- Only for local file upload.
File group example scenario: Imagine Contoso international airlines want to build a consumer bot for their customers where they can ask questions about their upcoming travel. One of the most common questions they get is about baggage policies.
Situation: We know baggage policies differ based on the type of travel (domestic vs international), customer tier (economy, business, first class) and perhaps other attributes.
Solution: Contoso has a collection of PDFs where each policy is written in detail, but they have a document for each customer tier. In this case, each criteria such as “type of flight” and “seat type” can be set up as a variable that helps the agent filter through the knowledge to find the most relevant chunk that satisfies the criteria and retrieve the most accurate answer.
What makes file groups?
File groups are made of three components:
- Name and Description: Helps the agent know what the knowledge is about.
- Instructions: Instructs the agent how to find the knowledge for each given query.
- Knowledge: The desired files with the information to ground the agent.
How are file groups different from individual files?
While individual files are each considered their own knowledge sources, a file Group uses multiple files as a single knowledge source, and uses instructions to help the agent understand the right chunk to find and provide the right information back to the user.
When using individual files as a knowledge source, all knowledge sources will be searched on simultaneously, and the answer provided to the users depends on one or more chunks the agent was able to find in the one or more files, regardless of important variables that may help narrow down the scope of the answer.
When using file groups, searching for the right information happens in two stages. First, the agent looks at the agent level instructions to understand and get to the right file. Next the agent looks for the file group instructions to understand how to find the right chunks in the file to answer the user’s query. This way, the agent provides more accurate answers from the right file.
An example of a file group is for a scenario where an organization has information that is nuanced, depending on specific dimensions, such as geographic location, or designation.
How to create a file group
This is a Public Preview enabled feature. Once enabled, the feature can be seen when uploading more than two files at the same time, which is indicated via a toggle that says, "Group these files (preview)".
Once the toggle is turned on, the name and description are changed to indicate a group of files, and a new "Instructions" field is added. Here the user can add specific instructions with variables to help the Agent find the right knowledge for a given situation.
When a file collection is added as a knowledge source, it is represented using a folder icon. This can be seen in the Overview page (Knowledge section) or the Knowledge page itself.
When to create a file group
File groups can be created at the time of adding new knowledge, via the “Add knowledge” button.
Is it possible to create file groups using pre-existing files?
Currently it is not possible to create a group using pre-existing files: the same files can be re-uploaded as a new group.
Is it possible to create file groups and upload individual files at the same time?
While it is possible to have both individual files and file collections as knowledge sources for the same agent, it is currently not possible to upload individual files and file collections at the same time: either a set of files is uploaded as a group or as individual files. Makers can do multiple individual files and file group uploads to an agent as needed.
Is it possible to create multiple file groups?
It is possible to create multiple file groups, one at a time, up to 500 knowledge sources.
Is it possible to select a folder to upload a file group?
While direct folder upload is not supported, it is possible to select all acceptable files inside of a folder to create a file group.
How to remove a file group
When adding new knowledge to an agent, the user has the option to either upload individual files or a group (for more than two files). Before pressing the “Add” button to add the files to the agent, the user can un-toggle the grouping at any time, deciding to upload them as individual knowledge sources.
For existing file groups, by hovering on the knowledge source, a hover menu becomes visible. When selected, there is an option to delete the entire file group.
Note
Deleting the file group includes deleting the files, the Name, Description, Instructions and indexed data. This action is permanent and not reversible, meaning that the user will have to re-upload a new file group in case of deletion.
How to know which files are in each file group
To see the details of a file group such as the individual files that make it, the user can select the name of the file or the hover menu to "Edit" the group. This takes the user to the Knowledge details page.
In the Knowledge Details page, individual files can be deleted within a file group, up to two files that are a requirement to make the group.
Is it possible to update or replace a file within a file group?
To update a file inside a group, the old file must be manually removed (deleted) and the new file manually added to the file group:
- In the Overview or Knowledge pages, select the desired file group.
- In the Knowledge details page of the file group, select Edit.
- Remove the old file by selecting the hover menu, followed by Delete.
- Drag and drop or select the option to upload the desired updated file.
Can more files be added to a file group?
At any time, new files can be added to a file group:
- In the Overview or Knowledge pages, select the desired file group. 1 In the Knowledge details page of the file group, select the “Edit” button.
- Drag and drop or select the option to upload the desired file(s).
Can files be removed from a file group?
At any time, files in an existing file group can be removed until there’s only two files left. Two files is the minimum requirement for a file group to exist.
To remove a file inside a file group:
- In the Overview or Knowledge pages, select the desired file group.
- In the Knowledge details page of the file group, select the “Edit” button.
- Remove the desired file by selecting the hover menu, followed by “Delete”.
Repeat the process for all files to be removed.
What are the instructions for the file group?
Instructions is a rich text field, where users can include variables such as a user’s location, or Date of Birth, to create requirements for the agent to perform a knowledge search.
What happens if instructions are not provided in a file group?
If instructions are not provided in a file group, the agent will search through all the knowledge contained in that file group, instead of taking certain variables into account and going straight to the most relevant information.
This feature must be enabled or configured by administrators, makers, or business analysts to be available for their users.