Support bot that answers from your knowledge base

You need: a fetch_... key with a spend limit (create one, limits), a balance (top up), Python 3.10+. For Telegram — the bot from Telegram bot with AI.

1. 1
   Write the knowledge base

   Create knowledge_base.md: delivery, payment, returns, warranty, opening hours, contacts. Be specific, with numbers. Sample below.

2. 2
   Save the code

   Copy the code from "Full code" below into support.py, next to the knowledge base.

3. 3
   Try it in the terminal

   bashCopy

   pip install openai
   export ZUKKO_API_KEY="fetch_..."
   python support.py

   Ask questions covered by the knowledge base and some that aren't. Each returns JSON: the reply, needs_human and the reason.

4. 4
   Test on 20 real questions

   Use real customer questions, awkward ones included. The bot must not invent prices or delivery times. Automated check: LLM as a judge.

1Sample knowledge base

# Delivery
- Within the city by courier: 1–2 days, $5, free over $80.
- Nationwide: 3–7 days, the price is shown at checkout.
- Pickup: 1 Example St., Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00.

# Payment
- Card on the website, bank transfer, cash to the courier.

# Returns
- Within 14 days of delivery if the item hasn't been used.
- Refunds go back to the original payment method within 10 business days.

# Contacts
- Support hours: Mon–Fri 9:00–21:00.

2Full code

The model is claude-haiku-5-5 (or deepseek-v4.1-flash): both stick to the JSON schema. Unanswered questions go to unanswered.jsonl — add them to the knowledge base once a week. Changed the knowledge base? Restart the bot.

import asyncio
import json
import logging
import os
from datetime import datetime, timezone
from pathlib import Path

from openai import APIConnectionError, APIStatusError, AsyncOpenAI

log = logging.getLogger("support")

MODEL = os.environ.get("ZUKKO_SUPPORT_MODEL", "claude-haiku-5-5")
COMPANY = "Example Store"
KNOWLEDGE_BASE = Path(os.environ.get("KB_FILE", "knowledge_base.md")).read_text(encoding="utf-8")

3Connect to Telegram

1. 1
   Put the files together

   support.py and knowledge_base.md go in the folder with bot.py from Telegram bot with AI.

2. 2
   Create an operator chat

   Create a Telegram group and add the bot to it.

3. 3
   Paste the code into bot.py

   It replaces on_message and adds an /id command. In main(), add app.add_handler(CommandHandler("id", show_id)).

   bot.py (add)Copy

   from support import answer as support_answer
   
   ADMIN_CHAT_ID = int(os.environ["ADMIN_CHAT_ID"])  # the chat where operator requests arrive
   
   
   async def show_id(update: Update, context: ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE) -> None:
       """/id command: shows the chat id you need for ADMIN_CHAT_ID."""
       await update.message.reply_text(f"chat id: {update.effective_chat.id}")
   
   
   async def on_message(update: Update, context: ContextTypes.DEFAULT_TYPE) -> None:
       chat_id = update.effective_chat.id
       if chat_id == ADMIN_CHAT_ID:
           return  # stay silent in the operators' chat

   Show all code · 40 lines
4. 4
   Get the chat id

   Send /id in the operators' group. The bot replies with the id (group ids start with a minus).

5. 5
   Start

   Set export ADMIN_CHAT_ID="-100..." and start the bot. Questions that need a person arrive in the operator chat; the operator contacts the customer directly.

4If it doesn't work