Best Practices¶

Section: 11-user-documentation
Document: Optimization Tips & Best Practices
Audience: Power users, administrators

🎯 Overview¶

Learn how to maximize your chatbot's effectiveness, performance, and user satisfaction through proven best practices.

📚 Data Preparation¶

Clean, Well-Structured Documents¶

✅ Do:

Use clear headings and subheadings
Break content into logical sections
Remove unnecessary images (slow processing)
Use bullet points and numbered lists
Include table of contents for long docs

❌ Avoid:

Scanned PDFs without OCR
Documents with only images
Heavily formatted layouts (columns, tables)
Password-protected files
Corrupted or damaged files

Example: Good vs. Bad Document Structure¶

❌ Bad:

COMPANY INFO: We are XYZ Corp located at 123 Main St,  we sell widgets and gadgets and have been in business since 2010 call us at 555-1234 email info@xyz.com hours 9-5 M-F

✅ Good:

# XYZ Corporation

## About Us
XYZ Corp has been a leading provider of widgets and gadgets since 2010.

## Location
123 Main Street, Cityville, ST 12345

## Contact Information
- Phone: (555) 123-4567
- Email: info@xyz.com

## Business Hours
Monday - Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST
Weekends: Closed

Optimal Document Length¶

Document Type	Ideal Length	Max Recommended
FAQ Document	5-20 Q&As	50 Q&As
Product Guide	2-10 pages	50 pages
Policy Document	1-5 pages	20 pages
Single Q&A	1 question	N/A

Why shorter is better:

Faster processing
Better search accuracy
Easier to update
Lower token costs

Tip: Split large documents by topic

Remove Irrelevant Content¶

Remove:

Legal disclaimers (unless needed)
Decorative text
Marketing fluff
Repetitive sections
Outdated information

Keep:

Factual information
Clear answers to common questions
Product/service details
Contact information
Policies and procedures

✍️ Writing Effective System Prompts¶

Be Specific About Role¶

❌ Generic:

You are a helpful assistant.

✅ Specific:

You are Emma, a customer support specialist for TechGadgets, an online electronics retailer. You help customers with product questions, order tracking, and returns.

Include Tone Guidelines¶

Examples:

Formal/Professional:

Tone: Professional, formal
- Use proper grammar and punctuation
- Address customers as "you"
- Avoid contractions (use "do not" not "don't")
- Be respectful and courteous

Casual/Friendly:

Tone: Friendly, conversational
- Be warm and approachable
- Use contractions naturally
- Add personality
- Keep it light but helpful

Set Clear Boundaries¶

Important boundaries to set:

What NOT to do:

Do NOT:
- Make up information
- Promise refunds or discounts
- Share confidential information
- Discuss competitors

Escalation path:

If you cannot answer a question:
"I don't have that information right now. Let me connect you with a human agent who can help."

Length guidelines:

Keep responses:
- Under 3 sentences for simple questions
- Under 200 words for complex questions

Example: Complete System Prompt Template¶

You are [NAME], a [ROLE] for [COMPANY], a [BUSINESS TYPE].

Your responsibilities:
- [Task 1]
- [Task 2]
- [Task 3]

Guidelines:
- Always be [TONE ADJECTIVES]
- If you don't know something, admit it politely
- Never make up information
- Keep responses under [X] sentences when possible

Boundaries:
- Do NOT discuss [TOPICS TO AVOID]
- Do NOT make promises about [WHAT YOU CAN'T PROMISE]
- For [SPECIFIC SITUATIONS], direct users to [ESCALATION PATH]

Tone: [FORMAL/CASUAL/FRIENDLY/PROFESSIONAL]
Language: [LANGUAGE]

Example interactions:
User: [SAMPLE QUESTION 1]
You: [SAMPLE ANSWER 1]

User: [SAMPLE QUESTION 2]
You: [SAMPLE ANSWER 2]

⚙️ Performance Optimization¶

Choose Appropriate LLM Model¶

Use Case	Recommended Model	Why
Simple FAQ	GPT-3.5 Turbo	Fast, cost-effective
Customer support	GPT-4 Turbo	Balanced quality & speed
Complex queries	GPT-4	Maximum accuracy
Budget-conscious	GPT-3.5 Turbo	Lowest cost

Cost comparison (per 1K messages):

GPT-3.5 Turbo: ~$0.50
GPT-4 Turbo: ~$2.00
GPT-4: ~$6.00

Tune Temperature¶

Temperature = Creativity level (0.0 to 1.0)

Temperature	Best For	Behavior
0.0 - 0.3	Factual Q&A, Support	Consistent, deterministic answers
0.4 - 0.7	General purpose	Balanced creativity & accuracy
0.8 - 1.0	Creative tasks	Varied, creative responses

Examples:

Customer Support (Temperature 0.2):

Same question → Same answer (consistent)
Factual, professional
No "hallucinations"

Marketing Copy (Temperature 0.9):

Same prompt → Different creative outputs
More varied language
Higher risk of inaccuracy

Recommended: Start at 0.7, adjust based on testing

Limit Max Tokens¶

Max Tokens = Maximum response length

Setting	Typical Length	Best For
256	1-2 sentences	Quick answers
512	1 paragraph	FAQ responses
1024	2-3 paragraphs	Detailed explanations
2048	1 page	Comprehensive guides

Benefits of lower limits:

✅ Faster responses
✅ Lower costs
✅ More concise answers (users prefer!)

Tip: Start with 512 tokens, increase only if needed

Use Guardrails Effectively¶

What are guardrails?

Content filters that block certain topics
Prevent inappropriate responses
Maintain brand safety

When to use:

Public-facing chatbots
Regulated industries (healthcare, finance)
Brand reputation protection

Example topics to restrict:

Politics
Religion
Medical advice (unless qualified)
Legal advice
Financial advice
Competitor comparisons

🔒 Security Best Practices¶

Protect Your Account¶

Strong passwords:
Minimum 12 characters
Mix of letters, numbers, symbols
Unique (not used elsewhere)
Enable MFA (when available)
Extra security layer
Protects against password theft
Don't share credentials:
Use team invites instead
Assign proper roles (Viewer, Editor, Admin)

Data Security¶

Don't upload sensitive data:
No credit card numbers
No personal identifiable information (PII)
No passwords or API keys
No confidential business secrets
Use IP whitelisting (Enterprise):
Restrict access to corporate network
Prevent unauthorized access
Regular security audits:
Review uploaded content quarterly
Remove outdated/unnecessary data
Check team member access

💡 Conversation Design¶

Write Effective Greeting Messages¶

❌ Generic:

Hello! How can I help you?

✅ Specific:

Hi! I'm Emma, your customer support assistant for TechGadgets. I can help you with:
• Product information
• Order tracking
• Returns and exchanges
• Technical support

What can I help you with today?

Benefits:

Sets expectations
Guides user questions
Increases engagement
Reduces "I don't know" responses

Handle Fallback Scenarios¶

When chatbot doesn't know answer, it should:

Acknowledge limitation honestly:

"I don't have that specific information in my knowledge base."

Offer alternative:

"However, I can help you with [RELATED TOPIC]. Would that be useful?"

Provide escalation:

"For detailed assistance, please contact our support team at support@company.com or call (555) 123-4567."

Example fallback system prompt:

If you cannot answer a question:
1. Say: "I don't have that information right now."
2. Suggest related topics you can help with
3. Provide: "For more help, contact support@company.com"

Test Thoroughly Before Launch¶

Testing checklist:

Content coverage:

Top 10 most common questions answered
Edge cases handled (weird questions)
Fallback responses appropriate

Accuracy:

Factual information correct
No outdated information
No contradictory answers

Tone:

Matches brand voice
Appropriate formality level
Consistent across responses

Performance:

Response time acceptable (<5 seconds)
No errors or crashes
Works on mobile

Test with real users:

Beta test with small group
Collect feedback
Iterate based on results

📊 Monitor & Improve¶

Track Key Metrics¶

Essential metrics:

Conversation volume:
Total conversations/day
Trending up or down?
Common questions:
What do users ask most?
Add missing content
"I don't know" rate:
Track unhandled questions
Goal: <10% of conversations
User satisfaction (if available):
Thumbs up/down
Goal: >80% positive

Continuous Improvement Process¶

Weekly:

Review conversation logs
Identify common unanswered questions
Add 2-3 new Q&A pairs

Monthly:

Analyze analytics dashboard
Update outdated content
Refine system prompt
A/B test different approaches

Quarterly:

Comprehensive content audit
Remove irrelevant data
Major updates to knowledge base
User feedback surveys

🚀 Advanced Tips¶

Use Multiple Chatbots¶

Why multiple chatbots?

Separate knowledge domains
Different languages
Department-specific (sales vs. support)
A/B testing

Example setup:

Sales Bot: Product info, pricing, demos
Support Bot: Troubleshooting, FAQs
HR Bot: Internal employee questions

Leverage Analytics¶

Use data to:

Identify content gaps
Understand user intent
Optimize response times
Track ROI

Key questions:

Which hours are busiest?
What questions stump the bot?
Which content gets used most?
Where do users drop off?

Start Small, Scale Smart¶

Phase 1: MVP (Week 1)

1 chatbot
10-20 Q&A pairs
Simple system prompt
Limited audience

Phase 2: Expand (Month 1)

Add more content based on usage
Refine based on feedback
Increase audience

Phase 3: Optimize (Month 2-3)

Advanced features (guardrails, custom voice)
Multiple chatbots if needed
Full deployment

Phase 4: Scale (Month 4+)

Team collaboration
API integrations
Enterprise features

✅ Quick Reference Checklist¶

Before Launch:

Clear, well-structured training documents
Custom system prompt with personality
Greeting message guiding users
Fallback responses for unknown questions
Tested with 10+ real questions
Appropriate LLM model selected
Temperature tuned (start: 0.7)
Guardrails configured if needed

After Launch:

Monitor conversations daily (first week)
Add missing content weekly
Review analytics monthly
Update outdated info quarterly
Collect user feedback continuously

Ready to build an amazing chatbot? 🚀

Related Guides:

- Quick Start ¶

Troubleshooting