> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.asa.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Best practices for training Asa

> Practical ways to keep Asa accurate: what to train, how to maintain content, and how to learn from shopper conversations.

Asa answers from what you train in the [dashboard](https://app.asa.so). Strong content beats volume — clear, current, non-conflicting sources produce the most trustworthy storefront answers.

<Steps titleSize="h4">
  <Step icon="seedling" title="Start with what shoppers ask most">
    Train the sources that resolve real questions first.

    1. Go to **Add Content** in the sidebar.
    2. Connect **Shopify** if you sell there — products, policies, and key pages cover most pre-purchase and support questions.
    3. Add policies, sizing guides, or FAQs via **Files**, **Websites**, or **Notion** / **Google Drive** if they live outside Shopify.

    <Check>
      In **Manage Content**, every item you need at launch shows **Trained**. Use **View Content** on a row to confirm Asa extracted what you expect.
    </Check>

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Connect Shopify" href="/integrations/shopify" icon="shopify">
        Auto-sync products, pages, policies, and blogs.
      </Card>

      <Card title="How sources are counted" href="/resources/trained-source-count" icon="calculator">
        Plan limits and what counts as one source.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step icon="arrows-rotate" title="Keep content current">
    | Practice                                  | Why it helps                                                                                                                                                           |
    | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | **Use integrations over one-off uploads** | Shopify, Notion, and Google Drive stay closer to your live catalog and docs. Shopify updates retrain the same source — they do not inflate your count with duplicates. |
    | **Remove outdated trained sources**       | Delete retired products, old policies, or broken URLs from **Manage Content** so Asa cannot cite stale answers.                                                        |
    | **Retrain after major edits**             | Changed a Notion page or re-uploaded a file? Retrain from **Manage Content** so the latest version is what shoppers get.                                               |

    <Warning>
      Conflicting facts across sources (two different return windows, mismatched shipping copy) can confuse answers. Pick one canonical source per topic and remove or fix duplicates.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step icon="comments" title="Learn from conversations">
    Use **Activity > Conversations** to read what shoppers actually ask and where Asa escalated to your team (**redirected** conversations).

    | Signal                                 | What to do                                                                                                            |
    | -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Same question many times               | Add or improve a trained source (product copy, policy page, Notion FAQ).                                              |
    | Wrong or thin answer                   | Open **View Content** on the relevant source; fix the source material, then retrain.                                  |
    | Team handles the same macro repeatedly | Turn the answer into a **Snippet** under **Add Content > Snippet** — snippets do not use plan knowledge source quota. |

    On **Starter** and **Growth**, **Activity > Analytics** helps you spot volume and themes over time as traffic grows.
  </Step>

  <Step icon="scale-balanced" title="Prioritize quality over quantity">
    More files do not always mean better support.

    * Train pages shoppers reference — shipping, returns, sizing, ingredients, compatibility — not internal drafts.
    * Write in plain language; Asa passes through structure and facts from your sources.
    * Stay within your [knowledge source limit](/resources/trained-source-count). If you hit the cap, remove low-value trained rows or upgrade on [Plans and pricing](/resources/plan-pricing).

    <Tip>
      **Snippets** are ideal for short, stable answers (warranty one-liner, promo rules). Publish trained snippets as widget FAQs from **Manage Content** when you want them on the greeting screen.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step icon="wand-magic-sparkles" title="Tune behavior after content is solid">
    Once training looks good, align how Asa speaks and when it hands off:

    * **Configuration > Appearance** — brand look and widget placement ([Make Asa your own](/get-started/make-asa-your-own)).
    * **Configuration > Responses** — tone, length, human support contact, and **Guidance** instructions.
    * **Configuration > Responses > Handover** — when to route to Gorgias or your team ([Gorgias integration](/integrations/gorgias)).

    Content quality and behavior settings work together; fix training gaps before chasing tone tweaks alone.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Quick reference

| Do                                                       | Avoid                                                            |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Connect Shopify and train high-intent catalog + policies | Training every product when only a subset is in stock or on sale |
| Delete unused sources in **Manage Content**              | Leaving conflicting return or shipping copy in multiple files    |
| Use **Snippet** for repeatable short answers             | Uploading the same FAQ as PDF, URL, and Notion page              |
| Review **Conversations** weekly after launch             | Ignoring redirected threads that reveal missing policies         |

Need help prioritizing content for your catalog? Contact [help@alphablocks.ai](mailto:help@alphablocks.ai).