The knowledge base allows Pointer to better understand your product and provide accurate, contextual responses to user questions. If you do not have robust documentation, you can still use Pointer, but your responses might be less accurate.

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Knowledge source types

Pointer supports three distinct types of knowledge sources, each optimized for different use cases:

Rules

Always-active guidelines that influence every AI response, perfect for company policies and key instructions.

Files

Upload any text-based document to add detailed product information, documentation, and reference materials.

Links

Automatically scrape and maintain web content, keeping your knowledge base current with live documentation.

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Rules

Rules are high-priority knowledge elements. They’re perfect for establishing consistent guidelines, company policies, and important context that should always be considered.

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Creating rules

To create a rule:

  1. Visit the Pointer dashboard
  2. Navigate to the Knowledge page
  3. Click the Add rule button
  4. Enter the rule title and content
  5. Click the Save button

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Rules overview

Rules consist of two components:

  • Title: A descriptive name that identifies the rule’s purpose
  • Content: The rule text, which must be between 30 and 5,000 characters

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When to use rules

Rules are ideal for:

  • Company policies that affect all customer interactions
  • Product guidelines that should always be referenced
  • Brand voice and communication standards
  • Critical warnings or important notices
  • Foundational concepts that apply across your entire product

Keep rules focused and specific. Since they’re included in every query, well-crafted rules significantly improve response quality while poorly written ones can introduce confusion.

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Rule prioritization

When multiple rules are relevant to a query, Pointer automatically prioritizes the most applicable ones based on:

  • Contextual relevance to the user’s specific question
  • Query intent and the type of response needed
  • Content specificity and how directly the rule addresses the topic

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Files

Files are perfect for detailed documentation, manuals, guides, and reference materials.

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Creating files

To create a file:

  1. Visit the Pointer dashboard
  2. Navigate to the Knowledge page
  3. Click the Add file button

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Supported file formats

You can upload various text-based file formats including:

  • Markdown files (.md, .mdx)
  • Text documents (.txt)
  • Documentation files (.rst, .asciidoc)
  • Rich text files (.rtf)
  • Other text-based formats

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Best practices for files

Because files are not publicly available, Pointer will not able to directly cite them in responses (but can still use them to answer questions).

Add URLs to automatically scrape and maintain live content in your knowledge base. Links keep your information current without manual updates.

To add a link to your knowledge base:

  1. Visit the Pointer dashboard
  2. Navigate to the Knowledge page
  3. Click the Add link button
  4. Enter the complete URL you want to scrape
  5. Click the Save button

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Manual re-scraping

Click the refresh icon next to any link to manually re-scrape its content and update your knowledge base with the latest information. Although we automatically re-scrape links weekly, this is an additional way to ensure your knowledge base is up to date.

Click the magnifying glass icon to discover related links. Pointer analyzes the current link and finds related pages. For example, if you add a link to your website (e.g., https://pointer.so), it will find related pages (e.g., https://pointer.so/pricing).

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Access permissions

Knowledge base management requires appropriate permissions:

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Admin access required

Only admins of your Pointer project can manage knowledge sources (including adding, removing, and updating sources).

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Why admin-only access

This restriction ensures that only trusted team members can manage knowledge sources.

Ensure your team has designated admin members who can maintain the knowledge base. Without admin access, team members cannot add or modify knowledge sources.

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Optimizing your knowledge base

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Comprehensive coverage

Create a robust knowledge base by combining all source types. This includes:

  • Rules: For company policies and key instructions
  • Files: For detailed documentation, manuals, guides, and reference materials
  • Links: For live content and up-to-date information

Make sure to include information that addresses frequent user inquiries and provides multiple perspectives.

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Maintaining quality

Ensure high-quality responses by:

  • Regular content audits: Review and update sources periodically
  • Removing outdated information: Delete or update obsolete content
  • Testing AI responses: Ask common questions to verify answer quality
  • Monitoring analytics: Use analytics to identify knowledge gaps