Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do I need before I can attach documents to agents?
Answer:
Before you can attach knowledge documents to AI agents:
1. Add Custom Agent:
- Go to Project Settings → Ask Me Anything section
- Click Add Custom Agent
2. Configure Agent ID:
- Contact Cast support: support@cast.app
- Request agent ID setup for Knowledge Base integration
- Provide your project name and organization details
- Once configured, the Knowledge Base Documents section will automatically appear
3. Create Documents:
- Upload documents and wait for “Uploaded” status
- Then you can attach them to your agent
Q: How long does document processing take?
Answer:
Processing time depends on the document source type:
- Inline text: Less than 5 seconds
- File upload: 5-10 seconds
- Single URL: 30-60 seconds
- Website crawl: 2-10 minutes depending on page count
Q: Can I edit a document after creation?
Answer:
You cannot directly edit documents after creation. However, you can:
- For URL documents: Use the refresh action to re-scrape and update content
- For other documents: Delete and recreate with updated content
When you refresh a URL document, all attached agents are automatically updated to use the new version.
Q: How many documents can I attach to one agent?
Answer:
There is no hard limit on the number of documents per agent. However, we recommend:
- Start with 2-3 focused documents
- Test agent responses
- Add more documents gradually based on needs
- Use topic-specific documents rather than large comprehensive ones
Q: What happens when I refresh a document?
Answer:
When you refresh a URL-based document:
- System re-scrapes content from the source URL
- New version is created on the AI platform
- All attached agents are automatically updated to use the new version
- Old version is removed from agents
- No manual re-attachment is required
This ensures agents always have the latest information without manual intervention.
Q: Can the same document be attached to multiple agents?
Answer:
Yes. A single document can be attached to multiple agents across different projects. This is useful for:
- Company-wide policies that all agents need
- Product documentation for both product and support agents
- Pricing information for sales and support agents
To attach to multiple agents, simply repeat the attachment process in each agent’s settings.
Q: Why is my document stuck in “Processing” status?
Answer:
If a document remains in “Processing” status for more than 10 minutes:
- Refresh the page to check if status updated
- Wait longer for large crawls (can take up to 10 minutes)
- Check for issues:
- Website may be blocking automated scrapers
- Network connectivity problems
- Service rate limits reached
- Delete and recreate if still stuck after 15 minutes
Q: Why did my URL scraping fail?
Answer:
Common reasons for URL scraping failures:
URL requires authentication:
- URLs behind login pages cannot be scraped
- Solution: Use publicly accessible pages only
Website blocks automated scrapers:
- Some sites block automated access
- Solution: Try a different page or use file upload
Network timeout:
- Connection issues or slow response
- Solution: Retry the operation
Invalid or broken URL:
- URL may have typos or be inactive
- Solution: Verify URL loads in browser first
Q: Can I schedule automatic document refresh?
Answer:
Automatic scheduled refresh is not currently available. You must manually refresh URL-based documents to update content. We recommend:
- Setting calendar reminders for important documents
- Refreshing monthly or weekly based on content change frequency
- Using the refresh action when you know source content has changed
Q: What file formats are supported for upload?
Answer:
Supported file formats:
- PDF (.pdf)
- Markdown (.md)
- Plain Text (.txt)
- HTML (.html)
- CSV (.csv)
- JSON (.json)
Not supported:
- DOCX, XLSX (convert to PDF or text first)
- Images (PNG, JPG)
- Archives (ZIP)
- Executables
Q: Why can’t I delete a document?
Answer:
You cannot delete a document if it is currently attached to any agents. To delete:
- Navigate to each agent using the document
- Detach the document from the agent
- Repeat for all agents
- Return to Knowledge Base and delete
The “Agents” column shows how many agents are using each document.
Q: Can I preview all document types?
Answer:
Preview is only available for text-based documents:
- Plain text (.txt)
- Markdown (.md)
- HTML (.html)
- Inline text documents
PDF, CSV, and JSON files cannot be previewed in the interface. Use the download action to view these files on your computer.
Q: Where are documents stored?
Answer:
Documents are stored in secure cloud storage and uploaded to the AI platform for agent access. All documents are:
- Encrypted at rest and in transit
- Organization-specific (isolated from other organizations)
- Backed up with standard redundancy
- Available for download at any time
Q: Why isn’t my agent using the attached document?
Answer:
If your agent isn’t referencing attached documents:
Check document status:
- Verify document shows “Uploaded” status (green)
- Processing must be complete before attachment works
Verify attachment:
- Check the agent’s attached documents list to confirm document is there
- Re-attach if necessary
Ask relevant questions:
- Questions must be related to document content
- Try more specific questions about topics in the document
Test with clear questions:
- “What is [topic from document]?”
- “Tell me about [specific item in document]”
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue: File too large error
Problem: File exceeds 10 MB size limit
Solutions:
- Compress PDF files using online tools
- Split large documents into smaller topic-specific files
- Convert to text format which is typically smaller
- Remove unnecessary images from PDFs
Issue: Website crawl timing out
Problem: Crawl exceeds processing time limit
Solutions:
- Reduce max_pages to 20 or fewer
- Use more specific include/exclude patterns
- Break into multiple smaller crawls
- Use single URL scraping for specific pages instead
Issue: Cannot attach document to agent
Problem: Knowledge Base Documents section not visible or attach button is disabled
Causes and solutions:
Agent ID not configured:
- The Knowledge Base Documents section appears only after agent ID is configured
- Contact support@cast.app
- Request agent ID setup for your project
- Once configured, the section will automatically appear
Custom Agent not added:
- Go to Project Settings → Ask Me Anything
- Click Add Custom Agent
- Refresh the page
Document still processing:
- Wait for “Uploaded” status before attaching
- Processing must be complete
Wrong organization:
- Ensure you’re viewing the correct organization
- Documents are organization-specific
Insufficient permissions:
- Verify you have project admin or appropriate permissions
- Contact your organization administrator
Issue: Document content is incomplete
Problem: Scraped content missing information from source page
Possible causes:
- Heavy JavaScript pages may not scrape completely
- Dynamic content loaded after page load
- Content in iframes or embedded elements
Solutions:
- Try refreshing the document
- Use a more direct URL to specific content
- Consider file upload instead of URL scraping
- Use inline text to paste content manually
Issue: Search not finding documents
Problem: Known documents not appearing in search results
Check:
- Search is case-insensitive but requires partial matches
- Search looks at title and source only, not content
- Verify document wasn’t deleted
- Check correct organization is selected
Issue: Error status with no message
Problem: Document shows error but no specific message
Steps:
- Click on the document row to view details
- Check error message in document details
- Try the retry action
- If retry fails, delete and recreate
- Contact support if issue persists
Need Help?
If you continue to experience issues:
- Email support: support@cast.app
- Include document ID and error details
- Describe steps taken before the issue occurred
- Specify which document source type you’re using