Writing FAQs That Prevent Wrong Answers
FAQs and your business description do different jobs in Bot Studio. Mixing them up is the most common reason an AI receptionist gives an answer that's technically true but not what you meant.
FAQs and business description aren't interchangeable
Your business description is where you give Botnira natural-language instructions and context -- how to talk about your services, when a discount applies, how to handle a common request. It's flexible by design, and Botnira reasons from it rather than repeating it word for word.
FAQs exist for the opposite case: a question where you want the exact same answer, delivered the same way, every single time -- no interpretation, no variation. Think of your business description as briefing a new employee, and your FAQs as a script for the handful of questions where the wording genuinely matters (a legal disclaimer, an exact refund window, a precise address).
Good candidates for an FAQ entry
Policy wording that must be exact
Cancellation windows, warranty terms, refund policies -- anywhere the precise wording matters and you don't want it paraphrased.
Fixed facts
Your address, parking instructions, exact opening hours for a specific location -- static details that don't benefit from being "reasoned about."
Questions you get constantly
If the same question comes up every day, giving it a dedicated FAQ entry is more reliable than folding it into a longer business description.
Writing an FAQ that holds up
Write the answer exactly as you want it delivered
Since the answer is static, write it in full, finished sentences -- not notes to yourself. Whatever you type is what the customer sees or hears, word for word.
Cover how customers actually ask it
People rarely phrase things the way a business would. If your cancellation policy gets asked as "can I get a refund," "what if I need to cancel," and "is this refundable" -- capture that range rather than assuming one phrasing covers it all.
Keep it in sync with your business description
An FAQ that contradicts what you've written elsewhere in Bot Studio is worse than having no FAQ at all -- it creates an inconsistent answer depending on how the question is asked. When you update a policy, update it in both places.
Test it in Live Preview before you save
Ask the question a few different ways in Live Preview and confirm the answer comes back the way you intended. This takes thirty seconds and catches most issues before a real customer ever sees them.
Common mistakes
- Using an FAQ for something that needs judgment. "Can I get a discount if I'm a returning customer?" often needs context (which the business description handles) rather than one fixed answer.
- Writing FAQs no one will ever ask. Every entry is something Botnira has to weigh against real questions -- keep the list focused on what customers actually ask, not everything you can think of.
- Letting FAQs go stale. A price, a policy or an address that's changed but wasn't updated in the FAQ will keep going out to customers until someone catches it. See our guide on keeping your training up to date.
Related guides
Training Your AI Receptionist
The full walkthrough of Bot Studio, including business description and fallback message.
Read the guide →Keeping Your Training Up to Date
When and how to revisit your business description and FAQs as things change.
Read the guide →How Multi-Language Training Works
Write once, answer in 95+ languages -- how the translation actually works.
Read the guide →