7.10 AI Fallback Strategy
When a visitor asks a question in the Website Assistant, Pop first attempts to retrieve answers from the Knowledge Base (KB). If the KB does not return a match, the snippet is not relevant enough, or confidence is too low, the system automatically enters the AI Fallback Strategy.
Fallback ensures that visitors always receive a helpful response and never experience a "dead end" during a conversation.
Pop supports three fallback modes with configurable priority rules.
🧩 1. When Fallback Is Triggered
Fallback activates under the following conditions:
| Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| KB Miss | No retrieval results |
| Low Relevance | Similarity score falls below threshold |
| Invalid Content | Snippet too short, incomplete, or corrupted |
| KB Disabled | This site has KB integration turned off |
| Unsuitable for KB | Open‑ended questions, chit‑chat, subjective asks |
When any of these occur, fallback is triggered automatically.
🧩 2. Fallback Modes (Configurable)
You can choose one of the following three modes in the admin panel.
Mode 1: Fixed Reply
The system returns a preconfigured static message.
Suitable for:
- No KB prepared yet
- Strong content safety requirements
- Scenarios where AI answers must be restricted
Example:
Sorry, I’m unable to answer this question right now. Please contact the administrator or check the Help Center.
Mode 2: AI Response
The system sends the visitor’s question to the AI model and returns the generated response.
Suitable for:
- KB covers only part of the domain
- AI is stable and helpful
- You want intelligent fallback when KB misses
AI uses:
- The site’s current model configuration
- Assigned persona (if enabled)
- Conversation history (if enabled)
Mode 3: Hybrid Priority Strategy
A multi‑layer fallback combining both fixed reply and AI.
Example strategies:
Fixed Reply → AI (official recommended: safer)
AI → Fixed Reply (more intelligent while ensuring a final safe fallback)
Available priority modes:
| Priority Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Fixed → AI | Safe and stable (recommended) |
| AI → Fixed | More intelligent |
| Fixed Only | Maximum control |
| AI Only | For fully AI‑driven sites |
🧠 3. Internal Fallback Logic Flow
The complete flow:
User Question
↓
Knowledge Base Retrieval (Hybrid)
↓
Matched?
├─ Yes → Return KB Answer (with snippet)
└─ No → Enter Fallback
Fallback:
├─ Fixed Reply → Return static message
├─ AI Response → Generate via model
└─ Hybrid → Try based on configured priority
This guarantees a response in all scenarios.
⚙ 4. Admin Configuration Options
In Website Assistant → Support Settings, you can configure:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable Knowledge Base | Fallback triggers only when KB misses |
| Fallback Mode | Fixed / AI / Hybrid |
| Fixed Reply Content | Text returned when fixed mode is used |
| AI Model | Model used during fallback |
| AI Temperature | Controls creativity level |
| Similarity Threshold | Determines what counts as KB “match” |
| Risk Word Filtering | Prevents AI from outputting sensitive content |
🧪 5. Examples
Example 1: "What is your pricing?"
- KB has no pricing document
- Fallback mode: Fixed Reply
System returns:
“Pricing information is currently unavailable. Please contact the administrator.”
Example 2: "How do I call this API?"
- KB matches the API documentation → snippet returned
- Fallback does not activate
Example 3: "What do you think about the future of AI?"
- KB cannot match
- Fallback mode: AI Response
AI generates an open‑ended answer.
📝 6. Best Practices
✔ Use Hybrid KB Retrieval to reduce fallback frequency
A more accurate KB means a more professional assistant.
✔ Keep fixed replies concise
Clear and direct is best.
✔ For regulated industries, use: “Fixed Reply → AI”
Ensures safety and compliance.
✔ Monitor KB hit rate regularly
Low hit rate indicates KB improvement is needed.
📌 Summary
The purpose of AI fallback is not to replace the Knowledge Base. Instead, it ensures:
- Visitors never receive a blank response
- A consistent and smooth support experience
- Controlled safety when content is uncertain
With proper configuration, you can balance stability and intelligence to fit your business requirements.