Module 4: Best Practices for Knowledge Management

This module covers essential guidelines for organizing and preparing documents for optimal AI agent performance. Proper file management directly impacts agent accuracy, response quality, and system maintainability.

4.1 Clear Naming Conventions

Why It Matters: File names appear as citations in AI agent responses, making them visible to end users. Additionally, when agents need to reference specific files in their instructions for routing purposes, clear naming makes configuration much easier.

Best Practices:

• Use descriptive, human-readable file names that clearly indicate the content

• Include version numbers or dates when applicable

• Use consistent naming patterns across your organization

• Avoid special characters, spaces, or overly long names

• Consider the end-user experience when they see these names as citations

Examples:

• Good: customer_support_policies_v2.md, product_pricing_2024.md, onboarding_checklist.md

• Poor: doc1.pdf, untitled_document_final_final.docx, CSP_v2_updated_by_john_20241006.pdf

4.2 File Size Management

The 10MB/200-Page Rule: Files larger than 10MB (approximately 200 pages) should be split before processing to ensure optimal performance and processing efficiency.

Implementation Guidelines:

• Review large documents and identify natural break points (chapters, sections, topics)

• Split documents logically rather than arbitrarily

• Maintain context and coherence within each split section

• Update file names to reflect the split structure (e.g., employee_handbook_part1.md, employee_handbook_part2.md)

• Consider creating a master index file that references all related split documents

Tools and Techniques:

• Use raia Academy's document transformation features to assist with splitting

• Maintain a document map showing relationships between split files

• Test agent performance with split documents to ensure no loss of context

4.3 File Consolidation Strategy

The Small File Problem: Having hundreds of small files (under 100KB each) creates management overhead and can impact system performance. Consolidation improves efficiency and reduces complexity.

When to Consolidate:

• Multiple small files covering related topics

• FAQ documents that can be combined

• Policy documents from the same department

• Training materials for the same subject area

Consolidation Guidelines:

• Group related content logically

• Maintain clear section headers within consolidated files

• Aim for consolidated files between 1-5MB for optimal processing

• Create a table of contents for large consolidated files

• Preserve original file names as section headers or references

Example Consolidation: Instead of 50 individual FAQ files, create:

• customer_support_faqs_consolidated.md

• technical_support_faqs_consolidated.md

• billing_faqs_consolidated.md

4.4 Quality Assurance Checklist

Before uploading documents to the vector store, ensure:

• File names follow naming conventions

• Large files are appropriately split

• Small related files are consolidated where appropriate

• Documents are in the correct format (Markdown or JSON)

• Content is current and accurate

• Sensitive information is properly handled

• File structure supports agent routing requirements

This systematic approach to knowledge management ensures that your AI agents have access to well-organized, properly formatted information that enhances their ability to provide accurate and helpful responses.