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Q&A Mode Guide

Table of Contents​

  1. Introduction
  2. How Q&A Mode Works
  3. Getting Started with Q&A
  4. Writing Effective Questions
  5. Understanding Responses
  6. Advanced Usage
  7. Best Practices
  8. Common Use Cases
  9. Troubleshooting
  10. FAQ

Introduction​

Q&A Mode transforms your project documentation into an intelligent knowledge base that you can query in natural language. Instead of manually searching through documents, simply ask questions and get instant, accurate answers with source references.

Key Benefits​

  • Instant Answers: Get information in seconds, not minutes
  • Source Citations: Every answer includes document references
  • Context-Aware: Understands your project's specific terminology
  • Natural Language: Ask questions as you would to a colleague
  • Cross-Document: Searches across all your documentation

When to Use Q&A Mode​

  • Finding specific technical details quickly
  • Understanding relationships between components
  • Clarifying implementation details
  • Onboarding new team members
  • Refreshing memory on project decisions
  • Cross-referencing information

How Q&A Mode Works​

The Technology​

Q&A Mode uses advanced AI to:

  1. Embed your documentation into a searchable vector database
  2. Understand the context and intent of your questions
  3. Retrieve the most relevant information from your docs
  4. Generate accurate, contextual answers
  5. Cite specific documents and sections

The Process​

graph LR
    A[Your Question] --> B[AI Understanding]
    B --> C[Document Search]
    C --> D[Context Retrieval]
    D --> E[Answer Generation]
    E --> F[Response with Citations]

Embedding Generation​

When you first enable Q&A Mode:

  1. System analyzes all your documents
  2. Creates semantic embeddings (takes 2-5 minutes)
  3. Stores embeddings for instant retrieval
  4. Updates automatically when documents change

Getting Started with Q&A​

Step 1: Enable Q&A Mode​

  1. Navigate to your project workspace
  2. Click the "Q&A" or "Chat" button in the toolbar
  3. Wait for initial embedding generation (first time only)
  4. Start asking questions!

Step 2: Understanding the Interface​

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Q&A Mode - TaskFlow Pro            │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                     │
│  Previous questions appear here...  │
│                                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  💬 Ask anything about your project │
│  [Type your question here...]       │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Step 3: Ask Your First Question​

Start simple:

"What database are we using?"
"What are the main features?"
"How does authentication work?"

Writing Effective Questions​

Question Types That Work Well​

1. Specific Technical Queries​

✅ Good: "What authentication method are we using for the API?"

  • Clear topic (authentication)
  • Specific component (API)
  • Single focus

✅ Good: "How are user sessions stored in the database?"

  • Specific data (user sessions)
  • Clear context (database storage)

2. Architecture Questions​

✅ Good: "What services communicate with the payment system?"

  • Relationship-focused
  • Specific system component

✅ Good: "How does the caching layer work with the database?"

  • Technical relationship
  • Clear components

3. Implementation Details​

✅ Good: "What are the rate limits for API endpoints?"

  • Specific technical detail
  • Clear scope

✅ Good: "Which React components handle user authentication?"

  • Technology-specific
  • Clear functional area

4. Cross-Reference Questions​

✅ Good: "How do the user flows relate to the database schema?"

  • Connects multiple documents
  • Clear relationship query

Questions to Avoid​

❌ Too Vague: "Tell me about the project" ✅ Better: "What are the three main features of our MVP?"

❌ Too Broad: "How does everything work?" ✅ Better: "How does the user registration process work?"

❌ Multiple Questions: "What database are we using and how does authentication work and what about payments?" ✅ Better: Ask each question separately

❌ Outside Scope: "What's the best programming language?" ✅ Better: "What programming languages are we using in this project?"

Understanding Responses​

Response Structure​

Each Q&A response includes:

Answer: Direct response to your question with specific details

Sources:
📄 Technical Stack (Section: Database Architecture)
📄 Database Schema (Section: User Tables)

Related Information: Additional context that might be helpful

Interpreting Citations​

Citations show you:

  • Document Name: Which document contains the information
  • Section: Specific section within the document
  • Relevance: Why this source was selected

Confidence Indicators​

The AI expresses different confidence levels:

  • High Confidence: "According to the Technical Stack document..."
  • Medium Confidence: "Based on the available documentation..."
  • Low Confidence: "I don't find specific information about..."

Advanced Usage​

1. Complex Queries​

Relationship Questions​

"How do the authentication system and user permissions interact with the database schema?"

Comparative Questions​

"What's the difference between how we handle regular users versus admin users?"

Implementation Path Questions​

"What needs to be implemented first: the authentication system or the database schema?"

2. Follow-Up Questions​

Build on previous answers:

You: "What API framework are we using?"
AI: "We're using Express.js with Node.js..."
You: "What middleware does our Express setup include?"

3. Validation Questions​

Verify understanding:

"Can you confirm that we're using JWT tokens for API authentication with a 24-hour expiration?"

4. Integration Questions​

Understand connections:

"How does the Stripe payment integration interact with our user subscription model?"

Best Practices​

1. Be Specific​

Instead of asking general questions, focus on specific aspects:

❌ General: "How does the API work?" ✅ Specific: "What are the authentication requirements for the API endpoints?"

2. Use Project Terminology​

Use the exact terms from your documentation:

"How does the 'TaskPrioritizer' service calculate priority scores?"

3. Ask One Thing at a Time​

Break complex questions into parts:

First: "What data does the analytics dashboard display?"
Then: "How is the analytics data collected?"
Then: "Where is the analytics data stored?"

4. Provide Context When Needed​

If asking about specific scenarios:

"In the context of a user uploading a file, how is the file size limit enforced?"

5. Verify Critical Information​

For important details, ask confirmation questions:

"To confirm: user passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a salt factor of 10?"

Common Use Cases​

1. Developer Onboarding​

New team members can quickly understand the project:

"What's the project architecture overview?"
"What are the main API endpoints?"
"How do I set up the development environment?"
"What are the coding standards we follow?"

2. Feature Implementation​

When implementing new features:

"What's the current user authentication flow?"
"Which database tables store user preferences?"
"What are the existing API rate limits?"
"How are errors currently handled in the API?"

3. Debugging and Troubleshooting​

When investigating issues:

"What are the database indexes on the users table?"
"How are API errors logged?"
"What's the session timeout configuration?"
"Which services depend on the cache layer?"

4. Architecture Decisions​

When making technical decisions:

"Why did we choose PostgreSQL over MongoDB?"
"What scalability considerations are documented?"
"What are the performance requirements?"
"How is the system designed to handle concurrent users?"

5. Client/Stakeholder Questions​

Quick answers for meetings:

"What are the main user personas?"
"What's the planned mobile app architecture?"
"What third-party services do we integrate with?"
"What are the key performance metrics?"

Troubleshooting​

Issue: "No relevant information found"​

Causes:

  • Information not in documentation
  • Question too vague
  • Using different terminology

Solutions:

  1. Rephrase with specific terms
  2. Check if information exists in docs
  3. Add missing info via Command Mode

Issue: Incomplete Answers​

Causes:

  • Question too broad
  • Multiple topics in one question

Solutions:

  1. Break into smaller questions
  2. Ask follow-up questions
  3. Be more specific

Issue: Incorrect Information​

Causes:

  • Outdated documentation
  • Misunderstood context

Solutions:

  1. Verify with source documents
  2. Update docs via Command Mode
  3. Report persistent issues

Issue: Slow Response Time​

Causes:

  • Large documentation set
  • Complex question
  • System load

Solutions:

  1. Simplify question
  2. Wait a moment and retry
  3. Check system status

Tips for Power Users​

1. Question Templates​

Create templates for common queries:

Architecture Review:

"What are the main components of the [system name] and how do they interact?"

Implementation Check:

"What's the implementation status of [feature name] according to the task list?"

Technical Spec:

"What are the technical requirements for [component name]?"

2. Systematic Exploration​

Explore your project systematically:

  1. Start with high-level architecture
  2. Drill down into specific components
  3. Explore integrations and dependencies
  4. Verify implementation details

3. Documentation Gaps​

Use Q&A to identify missing documentation:

  • If Q&A can't answer something important
  • Add it via Command Mode or Custom Documents
  • Re-ask to verify it's now findable

4. Team Knowledge Sharing​

Share useful Q&A patterns with your team:

  • Document common questions
  • Create onboarding question lists
  • Share complex query examples

FAQ​

Q: How current is the Q&A information?​

A: Q&A always uses the latest version of your documentation. When documents are updated, the embeddings are automatically refreshed.

Q: Can Q&A access external information?​

A: No, Q&A only searches within your project's documentation. It cannot access external websites or documentation.

Q: How many questions can I ask?​

A: Unlimited! Q&A doesn't consume credits - only the initial embedding generation uses credits.

Q: Can I export Q&A conversations?​

A: Currently, Q&A sessions are not exportable, but you can copy individual answers.

Q: Does Q&A work with custom documents?​

A: Yes! Custom documents are fully integrated into the Q&A system.

Q: Can multiple team members use Q&A simultaneously?​

A: Yes, each team member can have their own Q&A session without interference.

Q: How accurate are the answers?​

A: Q&A directly quotes from your documentation, ensuring high accuracy. Always verify critical information with the cited sources.

Q: Can Q&A understand context from previous questions?​

A: Yes, Q&A maintains conversation context, allowing for natural follow-up questions.

Summary​

Q&A Mode transforms your static documentation into an interactive knowledge base. By asking clear, specific questions, you can instantly access any information in your project documentation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ask specific, focused questions
  • Use project terminology
  • Leverage follow-up questions
  • Verify critical information
  • Use Q&A for onboarding and exploration

Remember: The quality of answers depends on the quality of your documentation. Keep your docs updated with Command Mode for the best Q&A experience.

Ready to try Q&A Mode? Open your project and click the Q&A button to start exploring your documentation through natural conversation!