In this article, you will learn which information MagicAI Chat already gets from the software automatically, what you need to provide through your own knowledge sources, when the Guidelines and Studio information tabs are the better place, and how to structure your content so the chatbot answers your members accurately.
Contents
- How MagicAI Chat uses your information
- What comes automatically from the software
- What belongs in your knowledge sources
- Knowledge sources, Guidelines or Studio information
- File format recommendations
- Tips for better answers
- How often to update
- Related articles
How MagicAI Chat uses your information
MagicAI Chat can do more than answer questions. Depending on the capabilities you enable in the chat configuration, it also acts directly: it books trial sessions and classes, takes a member's cancellation request or lets members request a freeze period. Those actions come from the software. This article covers the information side, that is, everything MagicAI Chat needs to know in order to answer questions precisely.
MagicAI Chat answers exclusively on the basis of the content available to it. It does not make up answers, and it can only answer what is actually stored. If a member asks a question for which no matching information exists, MagicAI Chat cannot help. Complete, up-to-date knowledge sources are therefore decisive for the quality of MagicAI Chat.
Two kinds of information are available to MagicAI Chat:
- System data: information that comes automatically from the software (for example opening hours, contracts, class schedule, membership offers).
- Knowledge sources: content you provide yourself (files, URLs or your Zendesk Help Center).
Anything that does not come from the system and is not stored in your knowledge sources cannot be answered by MagicAI Chat. For short behavioural rules and for temporary facts about individual studios, the chat configuration also has the Guidelines and Studio information tabs (see Knowledge sources, Guidelines or Studio information).
What comes automatically from the software
The following information is pulled directly from the software, depending on which capabilities you have enabled. You do not need to add it to your knowledge sources. On the contrary, duplicated information can lead to contradictory answers.
| Comes from the software (when the capability is enabled) | Do not duplicate in your sources |
|---|---|
| Opening hours, address and contact details of the studio (Studio information) | Opening hours, address, phone number |
| Membership offers and prices (Membership offers) | Price lists, rate overviews |
| Available trial session slots and booking (Trial session booking) | Available trial session dates |
| Available appointments and booking (Appointment discovery, Appointment booking) | Available appointments |
| Class schedule and available classes (Course schedule, Course booking) | Class times and class descriptions |
| Cancellation process (Contract cancellation) | Cancellation steps (MagicAI Chat guides the member through the process) |
| Requesting freeze periods (Customer self-service) | Freeze steps (MagicAI Chat guides the member through the process) |
Important: These restrictions only apply when you have enabled the relevant capability. If a capability is enabled, rely on the system data. If your sources contain, for example, an old price while the software delivers the current one, the answers can contradict each other.
If you deliberately did not enable a capability, for example because you have a special case such as a paid trial session that MagicAI Chat cannot handle, then it does make sense to cover that topic in your knowledge sources. The table above is not a blanket ban but a guideline: whatever the system already delivers automatically, you do not need to maintain twice.
What belongs in your knowledge sources
Your knowledge sources cover everything that does not come automatically from the system, which means everything your studio does individually. The list below shows typical questions your members ask that can only be answered through your knowledge sources.
Trial session and registration
- What do I need to bring to a trial session?
- How does the trial session work?
- What is the minimum age to sign up?
- Can I view the studio beforehand?
- What does a day pass include? Does it cover the sauna and parking, and may I enter more than once?
Facilities and offering
- Is there parking? Is it free?
- Are there showers, lockers and towels?
- Is there a sauna or wellness area? Is it separated by gender or mixed?
- Does the sauna have its own opening hours that differ from the studio's?
- Is there WiFi in the studio?
- Are there drinks or a water dispenser?
- How large is the training area?
- Do you offer personal training? Roughly what does it cost?
Guests and companions
- Can I bring a friend?
- What does a day pass cost?
- Is there a “bring a friend” promotion?
- What is the minimum age for guests?
- Can children accompany their parents into the studio without training themselves?
Membership and contract
- How does signing a contract work?
- What do I need to bring to sign a contract?
- Are there student, pupil or senior rates?
- Do you offer corporate fitness options (Hansefit, EGYM Wellpass, Urban Sports Club, etc.)?
- How does signing up via corporate fitness work?
- Can I change my rate (upgrade or downgrade)?
- Can I change my home studio?
- Is there a current special offer or promotion? Until when is it valid and what conditions apply?
- I signed up online. From when can I come to the studio?
- Can I transfer my membership to another person?
- Can I give a membership as a gift?
- Can I keep using the studio until the end of my contract after I have cancelled?
- I have cancelled. Can I undo it?
- Is there a right of withdrawal after signing up?
Payment
- When is the membership fee debited?
- My payment failed. What should I do?
- Is there a registration fee or an administration fee?
- How does a refund for overpayment work?
- Why was a different amount debited than expected?
- Which payment methods are accepted?
- Are there other mandatory recurring fees besides the monthly fee?
House rules
- What clothing do I need to wear?
- Do I need a towel?
- Am I allowed to take photos or film in the studio?
- May I bring my dog?
- What are the rules for the sauna and wellness area?
- Do I have to wipe down equipment after use?
- Can I enter the studio more than once a day?
- What should I do if a piece of equipment is broken?
App and access
- What can I do in the app?
- I cannot log in to the app. What should I do?
- How does 24/7 access work?
- The entrance door will not open. What should I do?
- I lost my membership card. How do I get a new one?
- Is there a digital membership card, and how do I use it?
- How do I top up consumption credit?
Other
- Are you hiring? How can I apply?
- Is the studio accessible for people with disabilities?
- When is the studio busiest?
- Are there special programmes (for example Hyrox or rehab sport)?
- Can I just come and train with a corporate fitness option (for example Wellpass or Hansefit), or do I need to register separately?
- Is the studio open on public holidays, and if so, do different opening hours apply?
- How do I get a membership confirmation (for example for my health insurer)?
Knowledge sources, Guidelines or Studio information
Besides the Knowledge sources tab, the chat configuration has two more tabs for your own content: Guidelines and Studio information. All three complement each other, and each has its own purpose.
| Tab | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge sources | Detailed content from documents, your website or your Zendesk Help Center: everything your studio does individually, as listed above. | Your FAQ page, a PDF with your house rules |
| Guidelines | Behavioural rules the chatbot must follow. A guideline applies to the studios you choose, or to All Studios. | “Do not give medical advice. Refer members to the trainers in the studio.” |
| Studio information | Situation-dependent or temporary facts that apply to one or more studios. | “The sauna at Example Fitness Anytown is closed for maintenance from 3 to 14 November.” |
An entry on the Guidelines or Studio information tab holds a maximum of 500 characters. Changes there are published immediately, without Update knowledge sources. Longer content therefore belongs in your knowledge sources, while a rule on how the chatbot should behave belongs on the Guidelines tab rather than in a document.
Do not repeat standard data on the Studio information tab either: address, opening hours and amenities are provided automatically. The Studio information tab is not the same as the Studio information capability, which delivers exactly this standard data from the software.
How to create entries on both tabs is described in Setting up MagicAI Chat: Guidelines tab and Studio information tab.
File format recommendations
You add your sources on the Knowledge sources tab of the chat configuration (Settings / MagicAI / Chat, then open the configuration). The tab lists all sources with the columns Source, Type and Crawl mode. With Add knowledge source you choose the Source type: File, URL or Zendesk. The step-by-step instructions are in Setting up MagicAI Chat: Knowledge sources tab.
Recommended formats
- Text files (.txt, .md): best suited. Clear structure, easy to update.
- Word documents (.docx): accepted as well. Structure them with clear headings, just like a text file.
- PDF: works as long as the text is selectable. Scanned documents or image-only PDFs are not recognised.
Each file source holds exactly one file of up to 10 MB. For several documents, create several sources.
Not suitable
- Scanned PDFs (text cannot be extracted)
- Image-only PDFs
Other formats, such as Excel spreadsheets or image files, cannot be uploaded. If your information is in a spreadsheet, convert it into text with complete sentences, because the relationships between columns would otherwise be lost.
Website as a source
- MagicAI Chat can read your existing website or FAQ page. Enter the URL and choose the Crawl mode.
- Crawl entire website starts from this URL and automatically fetches up to 50 subpages to a maximum depth of 5 levels.
- Fetch this page only processes only this exact URL, without subpages.
- The page must be publicly accessible (no login required).
Important: If your whole website or FAQ area is to serve as a source, add its start page once with Crawl entire website. You do not need to add every subpage as its own source. Use Fetch this page only for individual pages you want to include without their subpages. Several single pages from the same domain are allowed.
Tips for better answers
The quality of MagicAI Chat's answers depends directly on how your knowledge sources are built. Here are the most important recommendations.
Every section must be understandable on its own
MagicAI Chat searches for the text sections that match a question. A section that makes no sense without the text before it leads to poor answers.
Less effective
Cancellation
You can cancel at any time. The notice period is 5 working days.
Better
Cancelling your Example Fitness membership
The Example Fitness membership can be cancelled monthly. The notice period is 5 working days before the next renewal date.
Give headings context
Less effective
Guests
Better
Guest policy at Example Fitness Anytown
This lets MagicAI Chat assign the section more accurately, even when the question is phrased generally.
One topic per section
Each section should answer exactly one question. Do not mix several topics in one long paragraph.
Keep conditions and restrictions with the statement
If a rule has exceptions or prerequisites, they must sit in the same section, not further down or in a separate paragraph.
Less effective
What is the minimum age to become a member?
You must be at least 15 years old.
Signing a contract for minors
A legal guardian must be present when the contract is signed in the studio.
Better
What is the minimum age to become a member?
You must be at least 15 years old. If you are a minor (15 to 17), your legal guardian's consent is required. A legal guardian must be present when the contract is signed in the studio. Online registration is not possible for minors.
Use the FAQ format
The most effective format is question and answer.
Example
How can I cancel my Example Fitness membership?
The Example Fitness membership can be cancelled monthly via:
the Member App (fastest option), email to info@example-fitness.com, post to [address].
The notice period is 5 working days before the renewal date.
Use consistent terminology
Always use the same term for the same concept. If you alternate between “app”, “training app”, “member portal” and “online area”, it is harder for MagicAI Chat to recognise that they all mean the same thing.
Facts, not marketing
MagicAI Chat searches for facts. Marketing copy such as “Experience your best workout” does not help. “The studio offers 500 m² of training space with 80 machines” does.
Avoid contradictions
The same information should appear in only one place. If opening hours appear in three different places with different details, MagicAI Chat gives contradictory answers. Duplicated content also takes up slots in the search results and may crowd out other relevant information.
Sections not too short and not too long
A good section is 3 to 8 sentences and answers one question completely, including all conditions and restrictions. Sections that are too short (1 to 2 sentences) give too little context. Sections that are too long (more than half a DIN A4 page) make it harder for MagicAI Chat to find the relevant passage.
How often to update
System data (opening hours, prices, class schedule and so on) is pulled from the software in real time, so you do not need to update anything manually here. Entries on the Guidelines and Studio information tabs are published immediately when you save them.
For your knowledge sources:
- Manual update: if you added sources or the content behind a source has changed, click Update knowledge sources in the header of the Knowledge sources tab so MagicAI Chat works with the current content. Under Last digest run you see when the sources were last processed.
- Automatic update: if you do not run a manual update, all knowledge sources are automatically re-indexed every night. Website and Help Center content is read again in the process, so keep your website and your Zendesk Help Center up to date, otherwise MagicAI Chat passes on outdated information.
- File sources: MagicAI Chat works with the file as you uploaded it. Changes to the document on your computer do not reach the chatbot by themselves, so replace it yourself: open the row menu of the source in the Knowledge sources tab, choose Edit knowledge source and upload the new version. You can remove a source with Delete in the same menu, as long as the configuration keeps at least one source. Then click Update knowledge sources.
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Note: This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence and editorially reviewed.