Learn how to use the Knowledge Plugin with practical examples that actually work.

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How Knowledge Actually Works

The Knowledge Plugin allows agents to learn from documents in three ways:
  1. Auto-load from docs folder (recommended for most use cases)
  2. Upload via Web Interface (best for dynamic content)
  3. Hardcode small snippets (only for tiny bits of info like “hello world”)

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Basic Character Examples

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Example 1: Document-Based Support Bot

Create a support bot that learns from your documentation:
characters/support-bot.ts
import { type Character } from '@elizaos/core';

export const supportBot: Character = {
  name: 'SupportBot',
  plugins: [
    '@elizaos/plugin-openai', // Required for embeddings
    '@elizaos/plugin-knowledge', // Add knowledge capabilities
  ],
  system: 'You are a friendly customer support agent. Answer questions using the support documentation you have learned. Always search your knowledge base before responding.',
  bio: [
    'Expert in product features and troubleshooting',
    'Answers based on official documentation',
    'Always polite and helpful',
  ],
};
Setup your support docs: 
your-project/
├── docs/                           # Create this folder
│   ├── product-manual.pdf         # Your actual product docs
│   ├── troubleshooting-guide.md   # Support procedures
│   ├── faq.txt                    # Common questions
│   └── policies/                  # Organize with subfolders
│       ├── refund-policy.pdf
│       └── terms-of-service.md
├── .env
│   OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
│   LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true      # Auto-load all docs
└── src/
    └── character.ts
When you start the agent, it will automatically:
  1. Load all documents from the docs folder
  2. Process them into searchable chunks
  3. Use this knowledge to answer questions

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Example 2: API Documentation Assistant

For technical documentation:
characters/api-assistant.ts
export const apiAssistant: Character = {
  name: 'APIHelper',
  plugins: [
    '@elizaos/plugin-openai',
    '@elizaos/plugin-knowledge',
  ],
  system: 'You are a technical documentation assistant. Help developers by searching your knowledge base for API documentation, code examples, and best practices.',
  topics: [
    'API endpoints and methods',
    'Authentication and security',
    'Code examples and best practices',
    'Error handling and debugging',
  ],
};
Organize your API docs: 
docs/
├── api-reference/
│   ├── authentication.md
│   ├── endpoints.json
│   └── error-codes.csv
├── tutorials/
│   ├── getting-started.md
│   ├── advanced-usage.md
│   └── examples.ts
└── changelog.md

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Example 3: Simple Info Bot (Hello World Example)

For very basic, hardcoded information only:
characters/info-bot.json
{
  "name": "InfoBot",
  "plugins": [
    "@elizaos/plugin-openai",
    "@elizaos/plugin-knowledge"
  ],
  "knowledge": [
    "Our office is located at 123 Main St",
    "Business hours: 9 AM to 5 PM EST",
    "Contact: support@example.com"
  ],
  "system": "You are a simple information bot. Answer questions using your basic knowledge."
}
Note: The knowledge array is only for tiny snippets. For real documents, use the docs folder!

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Real-World Setup Guide

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Step 1: Prepare Your Documents

Create a well-organized docs folder: 
docs/
├── products/
│   ├── product-overview.pdf
│   ├── pricing-tiers.md
│   └── feature-comparison.xlsx
├── support/
│   ├── installation-guide.pdf
│   ├── troubleshooting.md
│   └── common-issues.txt
├── legal/
│   ├── terms-of-service.pdf
│   ├── privacy-policy.md
│   └── data-processing.txt
└── README.md  # Optional: describe folder structure

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Step 2: Configure Auto-Loading

.env
# Required: Your AI provider
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

# Auto-load documents on startup
LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true

# Optional: Custom docs path (default is ./docs)
KNOWLEDGE_PATH=/path/to/your/documents

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Step 3: Start Your Agent

elizaos start
The agent will:
  • Automatically find and load all documents
  • Process PDFs, text files, markdown, etc.
  • Create searchable embeddings
  • Log progress: “Loaded 23 documents from docs folder on startup”

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Using the Web Interface

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Uploading Documents

  1. Start your agent: elizaos start
  2. Open browser: http://localhost:3000
  3. Select your agent
  4. Click the Knowledge tab
  5. Drag and drop files or click to upload
Best for:
  • Adding documents while the agent is running
  • Uploading user-specific content
  • Testing with different documents
  • Managing (view/delete) existing documents

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What Happens When You Upload

When you upload a document via the web interface:
  1. The file is processed immediately
  2. It’s converted to searchable chunks
  3. The agent can use it right away
  4. You’ll see it listed in the Knowledge tab

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How Agents Use Knowledge

When users ask questions, the agent automatically: 
// User asks: "What's your refund policy?"
// Agent automatically:
// 1. Searches knowledge base for "refund policy"
// 2. Finds relevant chunks from refund-policy.pdf
// 3. Uses this information to answer

// User asks: "How do I install the software?"
// Agent automatically:
// 1. Searches for "install software"
// 2. Finds installation-guide.pdf content
// 3. Provides step-by-step instructions

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The Knowledge Provider

The knowledge plugin includes a provider that automatically injects relevant knowledge into the agent’s context: 
// This happens behind the scenes:
// 1. User sends message
// 2. Knowledge provider searches for relevant info
// 3. Found knowledge is added to agent's context
// 4. Agent generates response using this knowledge

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Configuration Examples

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Production Support Bot

.env
# AI Configuration
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

# Knowledge Configuration
LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true
KNOWLEDGE_PATH=/var/app/support-docs

# Optional: For better processing
CTX_KNOWLEDGE_ENABLED=true
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...  # For enhanced context

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Development Setup

.env
# Minimal setup for testing
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true
# Docs in default ./docs folder

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Best Practices

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DO: Use the Docs Folder

✅ Recommended approach for most use cases: 
1. Put your documents in the docs folder
2. Set LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true
3. Start your agent
4. Documents are automatically loaded

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DO: Use Web Upload for Dynamic Content

✅ When to use the web interface:
  • User-uploaded content
  • Frequently changing documents
  • Testing different documents
  • One-off documents

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DON’T: Hardcode Large Content

❌ Avoid this: 
{
  "knowledge": [
    "Chapter 1: Introduction... (500 lines)",
    "Chapter 2: Getting Started... (1000 lines)",
    // Don't do this!
  ]
}
✅ Instead, use files: 
docs/
├── chapter-1-introduction.md
├── chapter-2-getting-started.md
└── ...

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Testing Your Setup

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Quick Verification

  1. Check the logs when starting: 
    [INFO] Loaded 15 documents from docs folder on startup
  2. Ask the agent about your documents: 
    You: "What documents do you have about pricing?"
Agent: "I have information about pricing from pricing-tiers.md and product-overview.pdf..."
  3. Use the Knowledge tab to see all loaded documents

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Troubleshooting

No documents loading?
  • Check LOAD_DOCS_ON_STARTUP=true is set
  • Verify docs folder exists and has files
  • Check file permissions
Agent not finding information?
  • Ensure documents contain the information
  • Try more specific questions
  • Check the Knowledge tab to verify documents are loaded

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Summary

  1. For production: Use the docs folder with auto-loading
  2. For dynamic content: Use the web interface
  3. For tiny snippets only: Use the knowledge array
  4. The agent automatically searches knowledge - no special commands needed

Quick Start

Get started in 5 minutes