diff --git a/fern/products/ask-fern/ask-fern.yml b/fern/products/ask-fern/ask-fern.yml index 42e2acd04..835d03215 100644 --- a/fern/products/ask-fern/ask-fern.yml +++ b/fern/products/ask-fern/ask-fern.yml @@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ navigation: contents: - page: What is Ask Fern? path: ./pages/getting-started/what-is-ask-fern.mdx + - page: How it works + path: ./pages/getting-started/how-it-works.mdx - link: Customer showcase href: https://buildwithfern.com/showcase#ask-fern-customers - section: Configuration diff --git a/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/how-it-works.mdx b/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/how-it-works.mdx new file mode 100644 index 000000000..27f7d9602 --- /dev/null +++ b/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/how-it-works.mdx @@ -0,0 +1,56 @@ +--- +title: How Ask Fern works +description: Learn how Ask Fern's RAG system transforms your documentation into an intelligent, searchable knowledge base with automatic indexing, semantic search, and AI-powered responses. +--- + +Ask Fern is a **Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)** system that appears as a side panel on your documentation site, transforming your documentation into an intelligent, searchable knowledge base. + +## Visual design and behavior + +Ask Fern appears as a resizable side panel on your documentation site. Users can drag to resize it or use the expand/minimize button to control their viewing experience. + +Key behaviors: +- **Adaptive layout** – Seamlessly integrates with all [Fern Docs layouts](/docs/configuration/what-is-docs-yml#layout-configuration) +- **Persistent navigation** – Side panel stays open as users browse different pages or click links provided by the AI responses +- **Document-specific queries** – Users can ask questions about the current page through a dropdown option +- **Mobile optimization** – Expands to full screen when users start typing on mobile devices + +The interface maintains your site's design language while providing a familiar chat experience that feels native to your documentation. + +## How it works + +The main parts of the Ask Fern system are: + +* **Content and code indexing** – Fern automatically processes your + documentation pages and Fern-generated SDK code, breaking them into semantic + chunks and converting each chunk into a vector using sentence embedding + models. They're stored in a database that serves as Ask Fern's search index. +* **Query processing** – When users ask questions, Ask Fern vectorizes their + query and searches the database to find the most relevant documentation and + code chunks. +* **Response generation** – Ask Fern uses the retrieved chunks as context to + generate accurate answers with [citations](/ask-fern/features/citations) for the user. If the initial context isn't sufficient, it performs an additional keyword search. + + + +Each Ask Fern user query follows these steps: + +```mermaid +sequenceDiagram + autonumber + participant U as User + participant C as /chat Endpoint + participant V as Documentation Database + participant A as Ask Fern + + U->>C: Submit question via Ask Fern searchbox + C->>C: Convert query to vector + C->>V: Search for relevant chunks + V->>C: Return matching documents + C->>A: Send query + context + A->>V: Perform additional keyword search if needed + V->>A: Return additional chunks + A->>A: Generate response + A->>U: Return answer with citations +``` + \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/what-is-ask-fern.mdx b/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/what-is-ask-fern.mdx index 0213788c0..34788b8a1 100644 --- a/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/what-is-ask-fern.mdx +++ b/fern/products/ask-fern/pages/getting-started/what-is-ask-fern.mdx @@ -1,29 +1,29 @@ --- title: What is Ask Fern? -subtitle: Let your customers find answers in your documentation instantly. +description: Let your customers find answers in your documentation instantly. --- -Ask Fern is available on the [Pro plan](https://buildwithfern.com/pricing#Docs) of Fern Docs. Billing is by usage. - -## Overview +Ask Fern is Fern's AI Search feature that indexes your documentation and provides an interface for your end users to ask questions and get answers. It appears as a side panel on your documentation site. - -Accessing AI Search - +Ask Fern helps you: -Ask Fern is Fern's AI Search feature that indexes your documentation and provides an interface for your users to ask questions and get answers. It helps our customers +- **Reduce support burden** – Enable your users to quickly find answers in your documentation without contacting your support team. +- **Accelerate user onboarding** – Help users integrate your product faster by surfacing relevant code samples and guides. +- **Identify documentation gaps** – Understand where your docs need improvement through user search patterns and feedback. -- **Decrease the time to find needed information** – Help users quickly locate crucial documentation without navigating through a maze of tabs and endpoints. -- **Integrate your product faster** – Accelerate implementation with ready-to-use code samples that demonstrate practical applications. -- **Surface where your docs have gaps** – Identify documentation weaknesses through user feedback and search patterns. - - -Preview of AI Search - +Ask Fern is available on the [Pro plan](https://buildwithfern.com/pricing#Docs) of Fern Docs. Billing is by usage. -## Features +## Get started + + Learn about Ask Fern's interface, behavior, and technical architecture. + + + + +## Features + + + Point users to the exact source of the answer. @@ -56,57 +62,4 @@ Ask Fern is Fern's AI Search feature that indexes your documentation and provide Add custom documents to Ask Fern. - - Users can "Ask AI" or search your docs directly with Algolia. - - - - Create seamless UX by offering a one-stop-shop for all API questions. - - - - -## How it works - -Ask Fern is a **Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)** system built on top of your documentation site that transforms your documentation into an intelligent, searchable knowledge base. The main parts of the Ask Fern system are: - -* **Content indexing** – Fern automatically processes your documentation pages, - breaking them into semantic chunks and converting each chunk into a vector - using sentence embedding models. They're stored in a database that serves as - Ask Fern's search index. -* **Query processing** – When users ask questions, Ask Fern vectorizes their - query and searches the database to find the most relevant documentation - chunks. -* **Response generation** – Ask Fern uses the retrieved chunks as context to - generate accurate answers with [citations](/ask-fern/features/citations) for the user. If the initial context isn't sufficient, it performs an additional keyword search. - -### Life of a query - -Each Ask Fern user query follows these steps: - -```mermaid -sequenceDiagram - autonumber - participant U as User - participant C as /chat Endpoint - participant V as Documentation Database - participant A as Ask Fern - - U->>C: Submit question via Ask Fern searchbox - C->>C: Convert query to vector - C->>V: Search for relevant chunks - V->>C: Return matching documents - C->>A: Send query + context - A->>V: Perform additional keyword search if needed - V->>A: Return additional chunks - A->>A: Generate response - A->>U: Return answer with citations -``` \ No newline at end of file + \ No newline at end of file