# What is a Knowledge Base?

> Provide reusable background to individuals without confusing it with audience evidence.

Source: https://imario.ai/docs/knowledge-base/about

A Knowledge Base collects documents, links and notes that can supply context to connected individuals. Use it for product facts, company background or material an individual should be able to consult.

## Choose the right destination

A Knowledge Base is not the same as [Library](https://imario.ai/docs/materials/library), which organizes task materials. It also differs from [audience data](https://imario.ai/docs/audiences/build-from-data), which establishes or grounds the people being studied.

For example, a product specification can support a synthetic employee answering questions. To test a customer's first impression of that product, show the intended stimulus in the research task rather than assuming a background connection produces an equivalent experience.

## Connect deliberately

Create and populate a base, wait for processing, then connect it through an individual's **Capabilities → Knowledge** controls. See [Connect knowledge](https://imario.ai/docs/synthetic-individuals/manage/connect-knowledge-bases).

Direct chat can retrieve relevant passages and cite them. Material used at generation may already have influenced a profile. These mechanisms differ; a file update does not rewrite a generated identity or a completed interview.

Do not assume every research method has the same live retrieval behavior. Attach study-critical material to the task and inspect its actual scope.

Next, [build a Knowledge Base](https://imario.ai/docs/knowledge-base/build) or [manage existing material](https://imario.ai/docs/knowledge-base/manage).