Create Your First Guru

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What is a Guru?

A Guru is an intelligent AI assistant that answers questions about specific topics based on the knowledge sources you provide. Transform your existing content into a powerful Q&A system that can support users, provide documentation assistance, and serve as an expert knowledge base.

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Supported Data Sources

Create comprehensive knowledge bases from multiple content types:

• Websites (sitemap import or crawling)
• PDF documents and manuals
• Custom text snippets
• Excel files and spreadsheets
• GitHub repositories and codebases
• Confluence documents
• Technical documentation
• Zendesk tickets and articles
• Jira issues and project data
• YouTube videos and tutorials

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Deployment Options

After creating your Guru, deploy it across multiple channels:

• Gurubase Platform: Direct access through the web interface
• Website Widget: Embed directly into your website
• Slack Integration: Add as a Slack bot for team support
• Discord Integration: Deploy as a Discord bot for community support
• GitHub Integration: Integrate with repositories for code assistance
• API Access: Programmatic integration with your applications

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Creating a New Guru

The creation process differs depending on your Gurubase deployment:

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Gurubase.io (Hosted Platform)

If you’re using Gurubase.io, request a new Guru from our team by completing this form. Our team will set up your Guru and provide access credentials.

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Self-Hosted Installation

For self-hosted deployments, follow these steps to create your Guru:

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1. Access the Dashboard

Navigate to your Gurubase dashboard at http://localhost:8020 and click the “Create New Guru” button to begin the setup process.

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2. Configure Basic Settings

Complete the essential configuration fields:

• Guru Name: Choose a descriptive, memorable name for your AI assistant
• Guru Logo: Upload a logo image (PNG or JPEG format, maximum 1MB)
• Topics: Add comma-separated topics that define your Guru’s expertise (e.g., “programming, microservices, containers”). This contextual information helps the AI provide more accurate, relevant responses

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3. Add Knowledge Sources

Build your Guru’s knowledge base by adding relevant content sources:

• Websites: Add website URLs to index and answer questions about your website content. You can use sitemap import or crawl website to add multiple pages at once.
• PDF Documents: Upload PDF files to index and answer questions about your documentation.
• GitHub Repositories: Link your GitHub repositories to enable code-aware assistance and documentation.
• Zendesk Tickets: Link your Zendesk tickets to enable support and answer questions about your Zendesk content.
• Jira Issues: Link your Jira issues to enable support and answer questions about your Jira content.
• YouTube Videos: Add YouTube video URLs to index and answer questions about your YouTube content. You can use channel import or playlist import to add multiple videos at once.
• Confluence Documents: Add Confluence document URLs to index and answer questions about your Confluence content.
• Excel Files: Upload Excel files to index and answer questions about your spreadsheet data.
• Custom Text Snippets: Add custom text snippets to index and answer questions about your custom content

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4. Publish Your Guru

Click “Publish Guru” to initiate the creation process. The system will:

1. Index all provided sources
2. Process and embed the content
3. Make your Guru available for questions

Processing time varies based on the volume and complexity of your sources.

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Managing Your Guru

Once deployed, use these management tools to maintain and optimize your Guru’s performance.

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Website Source Management

Efficiently manage your website sources:

1. Click the menu icon (⋮) next to any website source
2. Select “Edit” to access the URL management interface
3. Available actions:
   • Search: Find specific URLs within your indexed content
   • Selective Deletion: Remove outdated or irrelevant URLs
   • Index Status: Monitor when each URL was last processed

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PDF Privacy Controls

Control document visibility and access:

1. Click the menu icon (⋮) next to any PDF source
2. Toggle between “Public” and “Private” visibility settings
3. Private PDFs: Accessible only to you and your team members
4. Public PDFs: Visible in answer references and citations

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Content Reindexing

Keep your knowledge base current with regular updates:

1. Click the menu icon (⋮) next to any source
2. Select “Reindex” to fetch the latest content
3. The system will process updates and refresh your Guru’s knowledge base

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Additional Management Features

Maintain your Guru with these additional capabilities:

• Profile Updates: Modify name, topics, and basic configuration
• Indexing Monitoring: Track processing status across all sources
• Guru Deletion: Remove Gurus that are no longer needed

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Next Steps

Expand your Gurubase implementation with these advanced features and integrations.