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Documents

Documents are how you train your Hay agent. Every piece of information you upload becomes knowledge your agent can use to answer customer questions accurately.

What Are Documents? #

Documents are your agent's knowledge base - everything from FAQs to policy manuals. When a customer asks a question, Hay searches through your documents to find relevant information and generates accurate responses.

Think of it like training a new employee by giving them all your company documentation.

Why Documents Matter #

With good documentation:

  • ✅ Agent answers accurately
  • ✅ Customers get consistent information
  • ✅ Resolution rate increases
  • ✅ Fewer escalations to humans

Without enough documentation:

  • ❌ Agent guesses or says "I don't know"
  • ❌ Inconsistent answers
  • ❌ More escalations
  • ❌ Frustrated customers

Uploading Documents #

Step 1: Go to Documents #

  1. Click Documents in the left sidebar
  2. Click Import Documents

Step 2: Choose Your Method #

Upload Files

  • Drag and drop files
  • Click to browse and select
  • Upload multiple files at once

Supported formats:

  • PDF documents
  • Word documents (.doc, .docx)
  • Text files (.txt)
  • Markdown files (.md)
  • CSV files (for data)

Paste Text Directly

  • Copy and paste content
  • Great for FAQs or quick information
  • No file needed

Import from URL

  • Paste a webpage URL
  • Hay extracts the content
  • Perfect for existing help centers

Step 3: Processing #

Hay processes your documents:

  1. Extracts text and content
  2. Breaks into searchable chunks
  3. Creates smart connections
  4. Makes it instantly available

Usually takes: 5-30 seconds depending on size

Step 4: Review and Organize #

After upload:

  • Give document a clear title
  • Add description (what information does it contain?)
  • Add tags for organization
  • Click Save

Types of Documents to Upload #

1. FAQs (Most Important!) #

Your frequently asked questions are gold.

Example:

Q: How long does shipping take?
A: Standard shipping takes 5-7 business days.
Express shipping takes 2-3 business days.

Q: What's your return policy?
A: We accept returns within 30 days of purchase.
Items must be unused and in original packaging.

Q: Do you ship internationally?
A: Yes, we ship to over 50 countries.
International shipping takes 10-14 business days.

2. Policies #

Upload your official policies:

  • Return and refund policy
  • Privacy policy
  • Shipping policy
  • Terms of service
  • Warranty information

3. Product Information #

Help customers learn about your products:

  • Product descriptions
  • Feature lists
  • Specifications
  • User manuals
  • Setup guides

4. Troubleshooting Guides #

Common issues and solutions:

  • Step-by-step fixes
  • Error messages and meanings
  • "How to" guides
  • Video transcripts

5. Process Documentation #

Internal processes that help answer questions:

  • How orders are processed
  • How refunds work
  • Account creation steps
  • Subscription management

6. Company Information #

Basic facts about your business:

  • Business hours
  • Contact information
  • Location/address
  • About us
  • Team information

Document Best Practices #

Writing for AI #

Your agent understands documents better when they're clear and structured.

✅ Do:

  • Use clear headings
  • Write complete sentences
  • Include context (who, what, when, where, why)
  • Use bullet points for lists
  • Define acronyms

❌ Don't:

  • Use vague references ("this", "that" without context)
  • Assume prior knowledge
  • Use internal codes without explanation
  • Leave information incomplete

Good Example: #

# Refund Policy

We offer full refunds within 30 days of purchase.

Eligibility:
- Item must be unused and in original condition
- Original packaging must be included
- Proof of purchase required (order number)

Process:
1. Customer requests refund
2. We provide return shipping label
3. Customer ships item back
4. Refund processed within 5-7 business days
5. Money returned to original payment method

Exceptions:
- Sale items: Store credit only
- Custom orders: No refunds
- Digital products: No refunds after download

Bad Example: #

Refunds: 30 days. See mgr for exceptions.

(Too vague, uses abbreviations, no helpful details)

Organizing Documents #

Use tags to categorize:

By Topic:

  • #shipping
  • #returns
  • #products
  • #billing
  • #technical-support

By Product:

  • #product-line-A
  • #product-line-B

By Urgency:

  • #critical-info
  • #policy

Keep Documents Updated #

Set reminders to review:

Monthly:

  • Check for outdated information
  • Add new FAQs from recent conversations
  • Update policies if changed

After Changes:

  • New products launched → Upload specs
  • Policy updated → Replace old version
  • New issues discovered → Add solutions

Managing Your Documents #

Viewing Documents #

Go to Documents to see all uploaded content.

What you'll see:

  • Document title
  • Date uploaded
  • Size
  • Tags
  • Usage statistics (how often referenced)

Editing Documents #

To update existing document:

  1. Click on the document
  2. Click Edit
  3. Update content
  4. Click Save

Changes are reflected immediately.

Searching Documents #

Use the search bar to find specific documents:

  • Search by title
  • Search by content
  • Filter by tags
  • Sort by most-used

Deleting Documents #

To remove a document:

  1. Click on the document
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm

⚠️ Warning: Deleting is permanent. Agent will no longer have access to this information.

Document Analytics #

See which documents are most valuable:

Usage Stats:

  • How many times referenced
  • Which conversations used it
  • Success rate when used
  • Last used date

Find:

  • Most helpful documents (high usage + good outcomes)
  • Unused documents (may need better tagging)
  • Documents that lead to escalations (may need clarification)

Advanced Features #

Document Sources #

Hay remembers where information comes from:

When agent answers a question, you can see:

  • "📄 Source: Shipping Policy, page 2"
  • "📄 Source: Product Manual - Setup Guide"

This helps with:

  • Verifying accuracy
  • Finding outdated info
  • Tracking down errors

Document Priority #

Mark important documents as priority:

  • High priority = Search these first
  • Normal = Standard search
  • Low priority = Use only if needed

Version Control #

Keep track of document versions:

  • Upload new version
  • Old version archived automatically
  • Rollback if needed

Common Scenarios #

"My agent gives wrong answers" #

Solutions:

  1. Check if information exists in documents
  2. If missing → Add the correct information
  3. If exists but wrong → Update the document
  4. If document is confusing → Rewrite more clearly

"Agent says 'I don't know' too often" #

Solutions:

  1. Identify what questions cause this
  2. Add documents covering those topics
  3. Make sure FAQs are comprehensive
  4. Include more context in documents

"Information is inconsistent" #

Solutions:

  1. Search for conflicting information
  2. Remove outdated documents
  3. Consolidate similar documents
  4. Keep one "source of truth" per topic

"Too many documents, hard to manage" #

Solutions:

  1. Consolidate similar documents
  2. Use clear naming convention
  3. Archive old/unused documents
  4. Use tags effectively

Document Checklist #

Before going live, make sure you have:

Essential Documents:

  • ☐ Top 20 FAQs
  • ☐ Shipping/delivery information
  • ☐ Return policy
  • ☐ Contact information
  • ☐ Business hours

Recommended Documents:

  • ☐ Product information
  • ☐ Troubleshooting guides
  • ☐ Account management help
  • ☐ Pricing information
  • ☐ Special promotions/policies

Nice to Have:

  • ☐ Company background
  • ☐ Detailed product specs
  • ☐ Advanced troubleshooting
  • ☐ Industry-specific information

Tips for Success #

Start Small #

Don't try to upload everything at once:

  1. Start with 10-20 most important FAQs
  2. Test your agent
  3. See what questions it struggles with
  4. Add more documentation to fill gaps

Quality Over Quantity #

Better to have 20 well-written, accurate documents than 200 poorly organized ones.

Use Customer Language #

Write documents in terms customers use:

  • ❌ "SKU lookup procedure"
  • ✅ "How to find your product number"

Include Examples #

When explaining processes, show examples:

To find your order number:
1. Check your confirmation email
2. Look for "Order #12345" near the top
3. It's always 5 digits starting with #

Test Your Documentation #

After uploading:

  1. Go to Playground
  2. Ask questions as a customer would
  3. See if answers are accurate
  4. Adjust documents as needed

Common Questions #

How many documents should I have? #

Start with 15-25 core documents. Add more as you discover gaps. Most successful setups have 50-150 documents.

Can documents be in different languages? #

Yes! Upload documents in the languages you support. Hay can understand and respond in multiple languages.

How long does it take for documents to be available? #

Usually 5-30 seconds after upload. Large documents may take up to a minute.

Can I upload confidential documents? #

Hay keeps all documents secure and private to your organization. However, only upload information you're comfortable your AI agent sharing with customers.

What if my document contains errors? #

Simply edit or re-upload the correct version. The agent will use the updated information immediately.

Next Steps #

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Queue Management