Knowledge Base

Your ChurchWiseAI Chatbot uses a knowledge base to answer questions accurately and helpfully. This article explains what powers the chatbot, how to add your own content, and how the system stays up to date.

What Powers the Chatbot

The chatbot draws from multiple sources to give great answers:

Your Church Profile

The most important source. Everything you enter in your dashboard settings -- service times, address, staff names, ministry descriptions, events -- becomes part of what the chatbot knows. Keep this information current for the best results.

Custom FAQs

Question-and-answer pairs you create through the FAQ management tool (Chat Pro and above). These let you address the exact questions your visitors ask most often.

Uploaded Documents

Available on Chat Pro ($29.95/mo) and above.

You can upload church documents -- bulletins, handbooks, new member guides, event brochures, ministry descriptions -- and the chatbot will use them to answer questions. This is the fastest way to give the chatbot deep knowledge about your church without typing everything manually.

Supported formats include PDF and common document types. The system processes your documents using RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) so the chatbot can find and reference the most relevant sections when answering a question.

Shared Content Library

Your chatbot also has access to a library of over 26,000 sermon illustrations, scripture references, and theological content. This helps it give thoughtful, biblically grounded answers to faith questions.

Theological Tradition

Based on your denomination (or the tradition you select), the chatbot adjusts its tone and perspective when discussing theology, scripture interpretation, and church practice.

Adding Your Church's Content

You can expand the chatbot's knowledge by adding content specific to your church:

Sermon Series

Share details about current or upcoming sermon series so the chatbot can tell visitors what your church is studying right now.

Ministry Information

Add descriptions of your ministries -- children's, youth, women's, men's, missions, and others. Include meeting times, locations, and who to contact.

Event Details

Keep upcoming events updated so the chatbot can answer questions like "What is happening this weekend?" or "When is your next family event?"

Church History and Mission

Add your church's story, mission statement, and core values. This helps the chatbot represent your church authentically when visitors ask "Tell me about your church."

Document Upload (Pro+)

Upload documents directly from the Settings tab. The chatbot processes them and makes the content available for answering visitor questions. This is especially useful for:

• New member handbooks
• Weekly bulletins or newsletters
• Ministry team descriptions
• Facility rental policies
• Volunteer guides

How the Knowledge Base Updates

When you change information in your dashboard:

• Church profile updates take effect on the next conversation. There is no delay -- the chatbot always pulls the latest version of your church data.
• FAQ changes take effect immediately after saving.
• Uploaded documents are processed shortly after upload and become available for the chatbot to reference.
• Content library updates happen on our end as new illustrations and resources are added to the shared library. This happens regularly without any action needed from you.

Best Practices

• Review quarterly -- Set a reminder to check your church details each quarter. Service times, staff, and ministries often change with the seasons.
• Be specific -- Instead of "We have a youth group," write "Our youth group meets every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall for students in grades 6-12."
• Think like a visitor -- What would a first-time visitor want to know? Make sure the chatbot has answers to those questions.
• Keep it concise -- The chatbot works best with clear, focused content. Long paragraphs are less effective than short, direct descriptions.
• Use document upload for bulk content -- If you have existing documents that describe your church well, uploading them is faster and more thorough than re-typing information into FAQ pairs.
• Use FAQ pairs for quick wins -- For the top five or ten questions you hear most, a custom FAQ gives the chatbot a precise, church-approved answer every time.