Empty or vague answers
If the assistant replies with “I don’t know,” empty text, or overly generic answers, retrieval or tool routing is usually misconfigured.
Quick diagnosis
Section titled “Quick diagnosis”| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Always “I don’t know” | No KB attached or indexing incomplete |
| Wrong topic answers | Irrelevant KB attached; tune master prompt |
| Works in test, not widget | Different deployment / assistant linked |
| Tool data ignored | Tool not attached or description unclear |
| No citations shown | RAG disabled or min_score too high |
Checklist
Section titled “Checklist”1. Knowledge base attached and indexed
Section titled “1. Knowledge base attached and indexed”- Assistants → [your assistant] → Knowledge bases — at least one KB attached.
- Knowledge bases → Status — must be
ready, notindexingorerror. - Re-upload failed documents shown in the documents list.
curl "https://api.chatevo.ai/api/v1/knowledge-bases/kb_YOUR_ID/status" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $CHATEVO_API_KEY"2. Content actually answers the question
Section titled “2. Content actually answers the question”- Open the KB and confirm relevant documents exist.
- Search the dashboard KB preview with the same question.
- Add missing FAQs or import URLs.
3. RAG settings
Section titled “3. RAG settings”Under Assistants → RAG settings:
| Setting | Too aggressive symptom | Suggested start |
|---|---|---|
min_score | No chunks pass threshold | 0.65 – 0.75 |
top_k | Misses relevant chunks | 6 – 10 |
| Hybrid off | Keyword-only misses | Enable hybrid search |
See RAG settings and Search settings.
4. Master prompt scope
Section titled “4. Master prompt scope”Overly restrictive prompts cause empty answers:
❌ "Never answer unless 100% certain"✅ "Answer from the knowledge base when relevant. If uncertain, say what you found and offer to escalate."See Master prompt.
5. Tools for live data
Section titled “5. Tools for live data”Document-only assistants cannot answer real-time questions (stock, order status, pricing):
- Attach the right tool
- Write a clear tool description so the model knows when to call it
- Test the tool independently first
6. Smart query understanding (Starter+)
Section titled “6. Smart query understanding (Starter+)”On supported plans, vague questions are rewritten before retrieval. If disabled on your plan, visitors must ask more specific questions.
See Smart query understanding.
7. Deployment points to correct assistant
Section titled “7. Deployment points to correct assistant”Deployments → Web widget — confirm the linked assistant is the one you configured and tested.
Test procedure
Section titled “Test procedure”| Step | Action | Expected |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ask exact phrase from your FAQ in test panel | Answer with citation |
| 2 | Ask paraphrased question | Answer with citation |
| 3 | Ask live-data question | Tool call in trace |
| 4 | Repeat on live widget | Same behavior |
Still empty?
Section titled “Still empty?”Export the conversation from Analytics and contact support@chatevo.ai with:
- Assistant ID
- Question asked
- Expected document or tool