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What types of knowledge connectors are available and when should they be used?

Two types of knowledge connectors are available in Genesys Cloud: knowledge workbench V2 and knowledge fabric connectors.

Knowledge workbench V2 article-based connectors

These connectors allow administrators to connect to structured knowledge articles stored in external CRM systems.

  • Salesforce
  • ServiceNow
  • Universal connector for articles

When an administrator connects using these types of connectors, a copy of the article is created in a Genesys Cloud knowledge base.

Knowledge fabric connectors

These connectors enable administrators to connect to document-based and web-based knowledge sources and to use AI-powered search and answer generation.

  • SharePoint folders
  • Web crawler (available in the Genesys Cloud AppFoundry)
  • File Connector API

When an administrator connects using fabric connectors, the text from these files is ingested directly into AWS.

Note: Currently, Genesys Cloud knowledge fabric allows ingestion of text only. Images are not supported.

Feature comparison table

Supported feature or use caseKnowledge workbench V2Knowledge fabric
Touchpoints in Genesys Cloud where you can use the feature
  • Agent Copilot
  • Virtual Agent
  • AI Guides
  • Bot and digital bot flows
  • Knowledge portal and app
  • Agent Copilot
  • Virtual Agent
  • AI Guides
  • Agentic virtual agent
Source typeStructured CRM articles from Salesforce, ServiceNow, and the universal connectorSupported file types include .txt, .md, .doc, .docx, .csv, .xls, .xlsx, and .pdf
Connection methodsConnect Genesys knowledge base to Agent Copilot, Virtual Agent, AI Guides, bot flows, digital bot flows, knowledge portal, and knowledge appConnect knowledge configurations to Agent Copilot, Virtual Agent, AI Guides, and Agentic Virtual Agent
Primary use cases
  • Showing standard responses (not generated by AI)
  • Showing AI-generated responses from the knowledge articles included in the connected knowledge base source
Showing AI-generated responses from the fabric sources
Are connected articles copied into the Genesys Cloud knowledge base?YesNo
Are AI-generated answers from different connected sources supported?

Yes (answers can be generated from different articles in the same knowledge base)

Yes (answers can be generated from fabric connected sources)
Is context-aware search supported?NoYes
Are source references displayed in answers?Yes, with limited supportYes

Touchpoints in Genesys Cloud that support knowledge fabric sources

You can use the knowledge fabric sources in various touchpoints such as:

  • Agent Copilot
  • Virtual Agent
  • Agentic virtual agent
  • AI Guides
Note: Currently, knowledge fabric is not supported in bot and digital bot flows.

Use cases for knowledge fabric

Genesys recommends using knowledge fabric in the following scenarios:

  • Your organization’s knowledge is stored in unstructured formats (such as documents) or on websites.
  • You want to search multiple sources simultaneously.
  • You want to provide context-aware experiences.
  • You require AI-powered answer generation.
  • You want a modern self-service or agent assist experience.

Choosing between knowledge workbench V2 and knowledge fabric

If you prefer using Salesforce or ServiceNow article-based knowledge, you can select these connected sources by selecting the knowledge base they are associated with in the touchpoint configuration settings.. Genesys Cloud provides the flexibility between traditional article-based knowledge and the AI-powered knowledge fabric approach.