End-user flow
How users ask questions (for testing AA)
Users do not need any special AI prompt. They ask questions the same way they normally post in your community.
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What the user posts |
What happens |
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A genuine question (in a AA Target Board) |
AA validates it as a question, searches CLM, and posts an answer if confidence is high enough (after any configured delay). |
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A non-question engagement post |
AA does not activate. |
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A question in a board that is NOT a Target Board |
AA does not run in that board (even if CLM is enabled). |
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Tip for testers: |
What happens after a post is published
When a community member publishes a post, AnswerAssist follows a predictable series of checks before it ever generates an answer.
Step 1: Post is created
The post is created normally in the selected board
Step 2: AA checks whether it should run in this board
AA first checks your Admin Settings:
- Is AA enabled?
- Is this board included in your Target Boards configuration?
If the post is not in a Target Board (or AA is disabled), AA does not process it.
Step 3: Post is classified as a “Question” vs “Non-question”
If AA is enabled for the board, the system classifies the post:
- Question (Query): AA continues to the next step
- Non-question: AA does not generate an answer (this includes general engagement posts, announcements, “love this”, etc.)
Step 4: Timing and delay rules
If the post is a Question, AA then checks your Answer Delay configuration.
- If your delay is 0 hours, AA can attempt generation immediately.
- If your delay is > 0, AA waits for that time window before attempting generation.
Step 5: Retrieval from CLM (finding supporting sources)
AA searches the CLM knowledge base using your Reference Boards configuration.
Only content from boards you selected for CLM ingestion can be used as supporting sources/citations.
Step 6: Evidence and citation eligibility
Before AA posts anything publicly, it validates whether it has enough credible supporting content to meet your configured standards, including:
- Minimum citation requirement
- Relevance threshold
- Confidence threshold
Step 7: Output decision (what AA does next)
Based on the above checks, AA will do one of the following:
- Post an AI Answer (when confidence + evidence/citations meet your thresholds)
A question with an AI Generated answer through the AA
- Show an expert card / expert suggestions (if enabled, and AA cannot confidently answer)
- Take no action (for non-questions, or when evidence is insufficient and expert suggestions are not applicable)
Step 8: Logging and visibility for admins
Regardless of the final outcome, the result is logged in the Answer Queue so you can understand:
- why an answer was (or was not) generated
- whether the post was classified as a question
- and what thresholds/citation rules caused the decision