> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.poly.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connected knowledge

> Manage multiple external knowledge sources to inform your agent's responses.

Import existing content – help articles, PDFs, internal docs – so your agent can reference it without rewriting everything as individual topics. Connected Knowledge aggregates sources and re-syncs automatically.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/polyai/Qu880HppNqT19Eyr/images/connected-knowledge/connected-knowledge.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Qu880HppNqT19Eyr&q=85&s=0e46f3e952877351f24f87a6569d9ad0" alt="collected-knowledge" width="3014" height="1436" data-path="images/connected-knowledge/connected-knowledge.png" />

The **Connected** tab is found under **Build > Knowledge > Connected** in Agent Studio. [Raven](/agent-settings/model-use) is the recommended model — it paraphrases unstructured content more naturally than other models.

<Note>
  **Use Connected Knowledge when** you want to expose large volumes of external content quickly without curating individual topics. **Use [Managed Topics](/managed-topics/introduction) instead** when you need actions, flows, or precise control over what the agent says and does. Both use [RAG (retrieval-augmented generation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrieval-augmented_generation) to match user queries.
</Note>

## Supported sources

* Websites
* Documents (PDF, CSV, JSON)
* Help desk systems (Zendesk, Gladly)

Sources sync automatically and can be reused across projects.

## How Connected knowledge differs from Managed Topics

Both tabs expose information to your agent. Key differences:

| Capability                              | Connected tab                     | Managed Topics tab                               |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Trigger actions, functions, flows, SMS  | No                                | Yes                                              |
| Precise control over agent responses    | No                                | Yes                                              |
| Auto-sync from external sources         | Yes                               | No                                               |
| Best for frequently updated FAQ content | Yes                               | --                                               |
| Best for stable, structured info        | --                                | Yes                                              |
| Fine-grained behavior control           | No                                | Yes                                              |
| Setup complexity                        | Low – no prompting skill required | Higher – requires more expertise and maintenance |

**Connected** = fast import of external content. **Managed Topics** = precise control with actions and flows.

If both tabs contain conflicting information, **Managed Topics always takes priority**.

## Add a new source

1. Go to **Build → Knowledge → Connected tab**
2. Select **New source**
3. Choose one of:
   * **Upload files**
   * **Add URL**
   * **Zendesk**
   * **Gladly**
   * Additional integrations are in development – contact your PolyAI representative for the latest availability
4. Complete the required details and click **Add**

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/polyai/Qu880HppNqT19Eyr/images/connected-knowledge/add-new-source.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=Qu880HppNqT19Eyr&q=85&s=15dd9f93b1440319d9c0b62d539f833f" alt="new-source" width="3018" height="1628" data-path="images/connected-knowledge/add-new-source.png" />

Your agent will begin **Syncing** the content. Once ready, the source appears in the list.

## Supported source types

| Source Type                               | Details                                                                              |
| ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Upload files – Text & structured data** | `.txt`, `.csv`, `.json`, `.xml`, `.md`, `.html`, `.rtf`                              |
| **Upload files – PDF**                    | `.pdf`                                                                               |
| **Upload files – Microsoft Office**       | `.docx`, `.doc`, `.docm`, `.xlsx`, `.xls`, `.xlsm`, `.pptx`, `.ppt`, `.pptm`, `.msg` |
| **Upload files – OpenDocument**           | `.odt`, `.ods`, `.odp`                                                               |
| **Upload files – Email files**            | `.eml`                                                                               |
| **Upload files – E-books**                | `.epub`                                                                              |
| **URL scraping**                          | Public documentation pages and help center articles                                  |
| **Zendesk** *(beta)*                      | Help Center content with API sync                                                    |
| **Gladly** *(beta)*                       | Knowledge source sync                                                                |
| Additional integrations                   | In development – contact your PolyAI representative for the latest availability      |

## What exactly gets scraped when I upload a URL?

URL scraping traverses linked pages from the provided URL, with the following limits:

1. **Depth** → Only one level below the initial [URL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL).
2. **Breadth** → A maximum of 10 embedded pages.

If your page contains more than 10 links, not all will be scraped. In that case, upload additional URLs individually or use integrations like [Zendesk](/integrations/zendesk)/[Gladly](/integrations/gladly) for complete coverage.

Where possible, connect applications such as Zendesk rather than relying on website scraping.

## Keeping content fresh

After external content changes:

* click **Update** to re-scrape files or URLs
* or use the **Sync** icon per source

<Warning>
  If a URL requires login or credentials change, syncing may fail. Update access and retry.
</Warning>

## Group and manage sources

Group sources by product line, team, region, or document type. Sort by **newest**, **oldest**, **type**, or **name**. Each source offers:

* **Sync**
* **Rename**
* **Move to group**
* **Remove**

## Why isn't my agent using the sources I connected?

Several factors affect retrieval:

### Data structure

Connected knowledge splits content into 2000-character chunks with 500-character overlap. Very large documents or widely separated related sections may struggle more with relevance.

**What to do:**

* Restructure documents into smaller, tighter pieces.
* Repeat key headings or terms.
* Or curate the material as a managed topic for guaranteed usage.

### Update state

Two updates must be current:

* **Source Update** → keeps the data in each source fresh
* **Agent Update** → applies knowledge connection changes to the agent

Both can be triggered manually. Agent updates also run automatically every few minutes.

### Environments, variants, saved changes

Each source must be enabled in the correct **environment** and **variant**. Any edits must be **saved** before leaving the page.

## Conflicting information?

If the [Managed Topics](/managed-topics/introduction) and Connected knowledge contain conflicting data, **the Managed Topics tab wins**. Content from the Managed Topics tab is always prioritized.

## Viewing Connected Knowledge in Conversation Review

When your agent retrieves content from Connected Knowledge during a conversation, you can see exactly which sources were used in [Conversation Review](/analytics/conversations/review).

1. Open a conversation in **Analytics > Conversations > Voice**.
2. In the **Diagnosis** dropdown, toggle **Sources** on.
3. Each turn where Connected Knowledge was retrieved shows a **Sources** tag beneath the agent's response, alongside any matched Managed Topics.
4. Click a source name to open an inline preview panel showing the exact text chunks the agent used.
5. Use **Open in Knowledge** in the panel to navigate directly to the source in the Knowledge area.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/polyai/oJYezcMyRUCRUcF2/images/release-notes/2603/sources-conversation-review.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=oJYezcMyRUCRUcF2&q=85&s=30136d02337a40f96ad576f18627ad3f" alt="sources-conversation-review" width="1658" height="722" data-path="images/release-notes/2603/sources-conversation-review.png" />

This is useful for:

* Verifying the agent retrieved the correct content for a given question
* Debugging cases where the agent's response seems inaccurate or incomplete
* Confirming that newly added or updated sources are being picked up

Combine the **Sources** and **Topic citations** diagnosis layers to see both Connected Knowledge and Managed Topics side by side for each turn.

## Behavior and configuration notes

* **Use PolyAI's Raven LLM** for best results – it paraphrases structured and unstructured content more naturally.
* Connected knowledge results are given ranking priority to ensure they surface alongside Managed Topics.
* Connected knowledge and Managed Topics data are merged at runtime.
  * Any [system-prompt style](/flows/introduction) guidance applies to both.

## Related pages

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Managed Topics" icon="book" href="/managed-topics/introduction">
    Create curated topics alongside connected sources. Managed Topics always take priority.
  </Card>

  <Card title="RAG overview" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/managed-topics/RAG/introduction">
    Understand how retrieval-augmented generation works across your knowledge.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conversation diagnosis" icon="stethoscope" href="/analytics/conversations/diagnosis">
    Verify which knowledge sources were retrieved on each turn.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>