Knowledge vs. Files: what's the difference? Guide
Knowledge is what your agent reads every run; Files are its identity, memory, and the outputs it produces. Here's how to use each.
Last updated July 16, 2026
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Every Praxivara agent has both a Knowledge base and a set of Files. They sound similar, but they play different roles: Knowledge is the reference material your agent reads every time it works, while Files are the agent's own identity, memory, and the outputs it creates. Understanding the distinction helps you put the right thing in the right place.
The short version
Think of it this way: Knowledge is what you hand the agent to read. Files are what the agent is and what it makes.
| Knowledge | Files | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Reference facts you provide — docs, brand guidelines, price lists, FAQs | The agent's persona and memory, plus every output it produces |
| Who creates it | You (or the AI builder on your behalf) | The agent itself as it runs |
| When it's used | Read on every run to ground the agent | Built and updated over time; outputs appear as work is completed |
| Can you edit it directly | Yes — upload, add notes, and remove items yourself | No — files are read-only for you; changes go through the AI builder |
What Knowledge is for
The Knowledge base is everything your agent reads on every run so its output is accurate and on-brand. This is where your specifics live: product documentation, brand and tone guidelines, a current price list, an FAQ, or any reference the agent should treat as ground truth.
You manage Knowledge directly from the agent's Knowledge tab. You can:
- Upload files such as PDF, Word, text, CSV, or Markdown (up to 25 MB each), or drag and drop them in.
- Add a short text note directly, with a title and body, when you just want to record a fact.
- Ask the AI builder on the Build tab to add knowledge for you.
- Review what the agent already knows, and remove anything outdated — like last quarter's price list.
The agent also picks up facts on its own as it works, so its knowledge grows alongside what you provide.
Tip: If your agent is giving generic answers, it is usually missing the right knowledge. Add the specific document or note it needs, then run a quick test to confirm the improvement.
What Files are for
The Files tab holds two different kinds of files, and you can switch between them:
Agent files — the agent's mind
These are the identity and memory files the agent builds about itself: who it is, its purpose, what it knows about you, and what it has learned over time. Reading them is a good way to understand how the agent thinks and why it behaves the way it does. They are safe to open and read.
Output files — what the agent produces
Every report, PDF, image, or other file the agent generates lands here. You can preview or download any of them. Outputs also appear on the agent's Deliveries view, so if you can't find something on the Files tab, check there too.
Files are read-only for you. If you want to change an agent file — for example, to refine its purpose or correct something in its memory — ask the AI builder on the Build tab to make the edit rather than editing the file yourself.
Note: If no agent files are showing yet, that's expected — they are created on the agent's first run. Give the agent a task and they'll appear.
Which one should I use?
Use this quick check when you're deciding where something belongs:
- Reference material the agent should read every time — a style guide, a policy, a product catalog — goes in Knowledge.
- The way the agent thinks about its role or remembers your preferences lives in Files and is shaped through the AI builder.
- Something the agent made — a finished report or generated image — is an output File.
In practice, you'll spend most of your time adding to Knowledge, since that's what keeps the agent accurate and current. Files are mostly there for you to review — to see how the agent thinks and to collect what it produces.
Putting it together
A well-set-up agent has a Knowledge base rich enough to ground it in your business, and a set of Files that reflect a clear sense of who it is and a growing record of its work. Keep Knowledge tidy by removing outdated items, let the AI builder shape the agent's identity, and use the Files tab to preview and download everything it delivers.