## Use knowledge files as knowledge source

URL: https://docs.atlan.com/apps/knowledge-sources/knowledge-files

> Point an Atlan agent at the knowledge files already uploaded to your workspace, with no connector and no credentials to set up.

# Use knowledge files as knowledge source 

Your workspace already holds documents: the SOPs, policies, runbooks, and contracts uploaded into [knowledge folders](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/knowledge-folders/llms.txt). An agent can read those directly, so you can generate governed glossary terms from what you have without connecting anything.

> **Info**
>
> Unlike GitHub and Confluence, this source has nothing to connect and no credentials to manage. It's available in every workspace where Agents studio is enabled.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

* At least one knowledge file uploaded to a knowledge folder. See [Create knowledge folder](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/knowledge-folders/create-knowledge-folder/llms.txt)
* Permission to open Agents studio. During private preview this is limited to workspace admins and governance admins

## What agents can do with this source

An agent using knowledge files can:

* Find the folders and files in your workspace
* Read the full text of a file, including tables extracted from PDFs
* Draw glossary terms and definitions from what those documents say, with a citation back to the file each term came from

Everything an agent reads here is content someone in your workspace already uploaded. The agent never writes back to a knowledge file.

## Select it on agent

Knowledge files are chosen when you create a context agent from an agent template, not in **Settings**.

1. Create a context agent from an agent template, or edit an existing one.
2. At the **Sources and scope** step, tick **Knowledge Files**.
3. Optionally narrow what it reads under **Where does it look?**.

You can select it alongside GitHub or Confluence. An agent can use several sources in one run.

## Point agent at specific folders or files

Under **Where does it look?**, name the knowledge folders or files you want the agent to focus on, one per line:

```
Policies
Refund Policy.pdf
```

> **Info**
>
> This is a hint, not a filter. Leaving it empty lets the agent search every knowledge file it can see.

## What to expect

Read these before you judge a run's output.

**Citations point to the asset page.** A knowledge file has no public URL, so a term drawn from one cites the file's asset page in Atlan rather than an external link.

**There is no freshness signal.** A Confluence page carries a last-edited date and a Git file carries a commit; a knowledge file carries neither. When two documents cover the same subject, the agent chooses on content and says which it used. Review that choice rather than assuming it picked the newer one.

**Large libraries may be read in part.** If your workspace holds more knowledge files than an agent can enumerate in one pass, the agent works from the files it was given and says so in its report. Use **Where does it look?** to point it at the right folder rather than relying on it to find one file among hundreds.

**Search quality varies by workspace.** Some workspaces have semantic search over knowledge file content enabled, which lets an agent find the relevant passage inside a long document. Where it isn't enabled, the agent reads whole files instead and is more likely to miss a detail buried in a long one. If results look shallow on a large document set, contact [Atlan support](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/submit-request/submit-request/llms.txt) to check whether semantic search is enabled for your workspace.

## Validate results

After selecting the source, confirm it works before you rely on it:

* **Knowledge Files** appears ticked at the **Sources and scope** step of the agent.
* Run a **sample run**. A sample publishes nothing and returns proposed terms with citations, so a sample that comes back citing your own documents confirms the agent can read them.
* Open a citation. It opens the knowledge file you expected.

## Troubleshooting

| What you see | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A run returns nothing | No knowledge files are uploaded, or the names under **Where does it look?** match nothing | Confirm files exist in a knowledge folder, then clear the scope field and re-run |
| The agent used the wrong document | Two files cover the same subject and neither carries a freshness signal | Name the correct folder or file under **Where does it look?** |
| Terms look shallow on long documents | Semantic search may not be enabled for your workspace | [Raise a support request](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/submit-request/submit-request/llms.txt) to check |
| A large document fails to upload | Files are capped at 10 MB each | Split the document or reduce its size, then upload again |

## Need help

If you need assistance after reviewing this page, contact [Atlan support](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/submit-request/submit-request/llms.txt).

## See also

- [Knowledge sources](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/knowledge-sources/llms.txt): how the other sources connect
- [Knowledge folders and files](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/governance/knowledge-folders/knowledge-folders-and-files/llms.txt): what knowledge files are and who can upload them
- [Create an agent from a template](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/context-agents-studio/create-an-agent-from-a-template/llms.txt): use this source in an agent
- [Understand agent templates](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/platform/context-agents-studio/concepts-agent-templates/llms.txt): what agents do with a knowledge source

_Last updated: 15 September 2026._

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