The problem
Staff interrupt each other with the same questions, and answers sit in PDFs nobody can find.
Step by step
- Collect the documents the assistant should use. Remove anything out of date or confidential.
- Start with an internal version for staff, not customers.
- Use a tool that lets you upload files and set instructions, such as custom GPTs, Claude projects or a Gemini Gem, or a chatbot builder for your website.
- Instruct it to answer only from the documents and to say when it does not know.
- Test it with 20 real questions and fix the documents where answers are wrong.
- Only put a customer-facing version on your website once staff trust the internal one.
The prompt
You answer questions for {business} staff using only the attached documents.
If the answer is not in the documents, say "I do not know, ask {person}".
Always name the document you used.
Never give legal, medical or financial advice.
Replace the {highlighted} parts with your details, or fill them in with the prompt builder.
Check before you use it
- Answers quote the right document.
- It refuses questions it cannot answer.
- Someone owns updating the documents.
Privacy
- Do not upload customer lists, contracts or anything with personal data.
Do’s and don’ts
Do
- Start with a tidy, up-to-date FAQ document.
- Tell visitors they are talking to an AI assistant.
- Give an easy way to reach a person.
Don’t
- Let the bot quote prices, refunds or legal terms it cannot see in your documents.
- Feed it customer records or staff files.
- Launch without testing it with fifty real questions first.
When not to use AI for this
Customer-facing bots for anything regulated (health, legal, money) need professional advice first.
Tools that can help
We are not paid by any of these companies, and we list well-known options, not a ranking. Features and plans change; check the provider’s site and its data terms before you sign up. See all AI tools by category.
Useful for
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a developer to build a chatbot?
Not for an internal assistant. Most main AI tools let you upload documents and set instructions without code. Website chatbots usually need a plugin or a builder.
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