Configure and validate knowledge
Knowledge sources connect, or ground, an agent's responses in information that you select. Good grounding starts with relevant, current content and continues through source descriptions, permissions, citations, and testing.
Select a knowledge source
Choose a source based on where the information lives and how it's maintained.
| Knowledge source | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Uploaded file | A focused document or small set of documents that the maker controls. |
| Public website | Public information from a specific web domain. |
| SharePoint | Organizational documents and sites that should respect a signed-in user's permissions. |
| Dataverse | Structured business data stored in tables and available through Dataverse search. |
Start with a small set of sources you trust rather than adding everything that might be relevant. When sources overlap, conflict, or contain outdated information, the agent has a harder time deciding what to use.
Also think about who can access each source. SharePoint and Dataverse use existing authentication and permissions, so the agent can't show users content they couldn't already access. Before publishing, make sure the required licenses, authentication, environment settings, and permissions are in place.
Configure useful source details
In the Build tab, use the Knowledge section to add and manage sources. Give each source a specific name and description. The description should identify:
- The content the source contains.
- The questions the source should answer.
- The authority or scope of the source.
- Any information that the source doesn't contain.
For example, Approved equipment standards by job role, work location, and accessibility need. This source doesn't contain current stock levels. is more useful than Equipment document.
Validate grounding and citations
Test each source with questions that have known answers. Include one question that the source can't answer. In Preview, inspect the response and available activity details, then check that:
- The agent uses the intended source.
- The response matches the source without adding unsupported details.
- Citations identify the source when citations are available.
- Source links open for a user with the expected permissions.
- The agent states that it lacks approved information when no source contains the answer.
Add an instruction such as Cite the source used for each equipment rule or policy statement. when users need to verify grounded claims. Avoid instructions that remove references or force a response format that suppresses citation markers.
If an answer is wrong, first identify whether the source contains the right information. Refine the source selection or description when the agent finds the wrong information. Refine the agent instructions when it finds the right information but uses it incorrectly.