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Attach knowledge from chat

Written By Stanislas

Last updated 16 days ago

Overview

Attach knowledge from chat gives the AI access to your documents, files, or data sources for a single conversation. The AI grounds its answers on the selected sources and includes citations when possible.

Use it when you need a quick, accurate answer based on specific content — a contract, a report, or a webpage — without setting up a full agent. You can attach sources already stored in your workspace Knowledge base, or create a brand-new source on the spot.

Prerequisites

To attach knowledge from chat, you need:

  • A Swiftask account with access to Chat

  • Knowledge sources already available in your workspace (optional, if you want to reuse existing content)

  • The file, URL, or connection details ready if you plan to create a new source

Step-by-step guide

Attach an existing knowledge source

1. Open a chat conversation

Navigate to Chat in Swiftask.

2. Click the book icon

In the input toolbar, click the book icon (next to the skills icon).

Chat input toolbar with book icon

3. Review the "Select knowledge sources" modal

The modal opens with a search bar and a Recent list of your available sources, each with a toggle switch.

Select knowledge sources modal

4. Select your sources

Use the search bar to find a specific source, or browse the Recent list. Toggle on each source you want to use.

Selected sources immediately appear under Selected knowledge sources at the top of the modal with a tag you can remove at any time.

Selected knowledge sources tag

5. Check the attached knowledge indicator

Close the modal. A red dot now appears on the book icon in the chat toolbar to confirm that knowledge sources are active for this chat session.

Red dot on book icon indicating attached knowledge

6. Start chatting

Ask your question. The AI grounds its answer on the selected sources. You can remove any source at any time by reopening the modal and toggling it off.

Create a new knowledge source from chat

1. Click "New" in the modal

In the Select knowledge sources modal, click the New button in the top right corner.

2. Choose a source type

A dropdown opens with the available source types: Document, Dropbox Files, File(s), Google drive, SharePoint, Sitemap, SQL Database Query, Webpage, Website.

New source type dropdown

3. Configure your source

Select a source type to launch its quick setup flow:

  • Document – Write a note or reference guide directly in Swiftask.

  • Dropbox Files – Sync files from your Dropbox account.

  • File(s) – Upload PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, and other files from your computer.

  • Google drive – Sync files from your Google Drive.

  • SharePoint – Sync files from your SharePoint workspace.

  • Sitemap – Import all pages listed in a sitemap.xml file.

  • SQL Database Query – Connect and query an SQL database as a knowledge source.

  • Webpage – Import content from a single web page URL.

  • Website – Crawl and import an entire website.

4. Save and use it

Once created, the source is indexed, added to your workspace Knowledge base, and automatically available for your current chat session.

Practical use cases

  • Contract review: Upload a contract as a File(s) source and ask the AI to summarize key clauses, without creating an agent.

  • Policy lookup: Attach your HR policy document already stored in Knowledge base to get accurate, sourced answers.

  • Competitive research: Create a Webpage source from a competitor's pricing page and ask the AI to compare it with your offer.

  • Data lookup: Create a SQL Database Query source to ask questions directly about your business data during a chat.

Tips & best practices

  • Check the red dot on the book icon to know at a glance whether knowledge is active in your conversation.

  • Reuse existing sources from the Recent list instead of recreating the same content, to avoid duplicates.

  • Toggle off sources you no longer need to keep the AI's answers focused.

  • Give new sources a clear, descriptive name so you can find them easily next time.

  • Sources created from chat are saved to your workspace Knowledge base — they stay available for future chats and agents.

Troubleshooting

"I can't find my source in the list"

  • Cause: A search filter is active, or the source isn't shared with you.

  • Fix: Clear the search bar, or check sharing permissions in the Knowledge base.

"The red dot is not showing on the book icon"

  • Cause: No sources are currently toggled on.

  • Fix: Click the book icon, toggle on at least one source, and verify it appears under Selected knowledge sources.

"My new source isn't available right after creation"

  • Cause: The source is still being indexed.

  • Fix: Wait for the indexing progress indicator to complete, then toggle the source on.

Additional resources

  • Create Document – Write notes directly in Swiftask

  • Import documents / files – Upload files from your computer

  • Import website / webpage – Add webpage, website, or sitemap content to your knowledge base

  • Import from Cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint) – Sync files from cloud storage

  • Introduction to Knowledge base – Learn what Knowledge base is and why it matters

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