---
title: Add context sources
description: Add public web pages and custom notes so Knowledge Assistant can answer from more than your docs pages.
---

Context sources let the Knowledge Assistant answer from approved material
outside your published docs pages. Use them for product pages, support guidance,
policy details, launch notes, and other information that helps the assistant
answer reader questions accurately.

Context sources are available on Pro plans.

## Source types

| Source type | Best for | Avoid using it for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web pages | Public marketing pages, product pages, changelogs, support pages, or other web content | Private pages, localhost URLs, or internal systems |
| Custom notes | Support policy, product positioning, launch details, escalation guidance, or concise facts that do not belong on a public docs page | Long duplicate copies of docs pages |

Published docs pages and API reference pages are indexed from your docs site.
You do not need to add them again as context sources.

## Add web pages

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Knowledge Assistant">
    In the Radiant dashboard, open the Knowledge Assistant page for your docs
    project.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find pages">
    In the Web pages section, choose **Add URL** and paste a public site or
    page, such as `https://example.com` or `https://example.com/changelog`.

    Radiant reads that site's sitemap and lists matching pages. A path limits
    the list to pages under that path. Local, private, and internal hostnames
    are blocked.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose pages">
    Every listed link starts checked. A domain can include 100 pages, so
    uncheck extras before adding them if more than that are selected. Pages
    are grouped by path. The site folder starts open, and the folders inside
    it start collapsed. Open a folder to see the pages inside it. Each folder
    shows how many pages it contains. Uncheck anything the assistant should
    not use. Pages already saved stay checked and cannot be added again.

    If the site has no sitemap, or the page you want is not listed, choose
    **Add only this URL**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    Saved pages from the same domain appear on one card. The card shows
    Processing while Radiant fetches those pages one after another. Open the
    domain name to see each page. A page shows Available when it is ready, or
    Failed if that page could not be fetched.

    Choose **Manage** on the card to refresh indexed pages. Refresh does not
    look for new pages on the site.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Manage pages">
    Open the domain name. **Included** lists what is already indexed. Each page
    shows a check and how long ago it was indexed. A page that never indexed
    shows **Failed to index**. A page that indexed before, whose latest fetch
    failed, keeps that check and time and also shows **Failed to update**.
    Check the pages you want to refresh or remove, then choose **Refresh** or
    **Delete**. Checking a folder selects
    every indexed page inside it. Nothing is checked until you check it.

    **Excluded** lists the sitemap. Radiant starts loading that list when you
    open the domain, and keeps it until you close the panel. Nothing is
    checked until you check it. Pages already included stay locked. Checking a
    page adds it. Unchecking a page does not remove it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Add a custom note

Use custom notes for information that should help the assistant answer, but does
not need a full public docs page.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Knowledge Assistant">
    In the Radiant dashboard, open the Knowledge Assistant page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the note">
    In the Custom notes section, add a title and the note content.

    Titles can be up to 120 characters. Note content can be up to 50,000
    characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Let the note process">
    The note shows Processing while Radiant prepares it. When it shows
    Available, the assistant can use it in answers.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Status labels

- **Processing** means Radiant is preparing the source.
- **Available** means the assistant can use the latest processed version.
- **Failed** means the source could not be prepared.

If an update fails after a source was previously available, the assistant can
continue using the last available version while you retry or edit the source.

## What belongs in custom notes

Good custom notes are concise and specific. They often answer questions like:

- What should support say when a user asks about an unavailable feature?
- Which plan is required for a feature?
- What product positioning should the assistant use?
- What terminology should the assistant prefer?
- Where should the assistant send users when it cannot answer from docs?

<Callout type="tip" title="Prefer docs pages for durable knowledge">
If the information should be visible to readers and linked from answers, make it
a docs page. Use custom notes for supplemental guidance that helps the assistant
answer accurately.
</Callout>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need to add my docs pages as context sources?">
    No. Published docs pages and generated API reference pages are indexed from
    the docs site. Add context sources only when the assistant needs approved
    material outside those pages.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I add private URLs?">
    No. Web page context sources must be public HTTP or HTTPS URLs. Local,
    private, and internal hostnames are blocked.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When does the assistant use a new source?">
    The assistant can use a source after it finishes processing and shows
    Available in the dashboard.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<Columns columns={2}>
  <Column>

  <Card title="Customize the assistant" href="/knowledge-assistant/customize-assistant" icon="lucide:sliders-horizontal">
    Configure the public UI.
  </Card>

  </Column>
  <Column>

  <Card title="Write docs for better answers" href="/knowledge-assistant/write-docs-for-better-answers" icon="lucide:file-search">
    Improve retrieval quality.
  </Card>

  </Column>
</Columns>