Zeni Chatbot - API Reference - Knowledge XML

XML feed specification for intelligent, collection-based knowledge routing.

XML feeds power dynamic content that auto-syncs with your databases. Each feed can be assigned to a data collection with specific keywords and URL patterns for intelligent routing. The chatbot automatically selects relevant content based on context.

Required Structure

Wrap all records inside <items> and use one <item> per entry:

<items>
    <item>
        <id>123</id>
        <title>Example title</title>
        <description>Long, plain-text body used for answers.</description>
        <category>Optional category</category>
        <price>Optional numeric price</price>
        <modified>2025-12-31 23:59:59</modified>
        <keywords>comma,separated,keywords</keywords>
        <url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/item/123</url>
    </item>
</items>

<items>

<item>

<title>Example title</title>

<description>Long, plain-text body used for answers.</description>

<category>Optional category</category>

<price>Optional numeric price</price>

<keywords>comma,separated,keywords</keywords>

<url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/item/123</url>

</item>

</items>

Field Specifications

id: Unique, stable identifier (string or number). Used to track updates and prevent duplicates.
title: Concise title displayed in search results and citations.
description: Main content body (plain text only, no HTML). This is the primary knowledge source for answers.
category: Optional grouping for filtering (e.g., “electronics”, “support”, “billing”).
price: Optional numeric value for product-related items.
modified: Timestamp in YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS format. Enables incremental syncing with ?modified=YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.
keywords: Comma-separated routing keywords that help the system match questions to the right collection.
url: Public URL displayed when citing this source in conversations.

Implementation Guidelines

Protocol: Serve over HTTPS with Content-Type: application/xml.
Collection assignment: Each XML feed is linked to a data collection in the admin console’s “Knowledge XMLs” tab.
Incremental sync: Append ?modified=YYYYMMDDHHMMSS to fetch only items changed after the specified timestamp.
Encoding: UTF-8 required. Properly escape XML special characters; keep description content as plain text.
Item count: Optional count attribute on <items> helps with progress tracking: <items count=”123″>.
Routing optimization: Items with matching keywords are prioritized when that collection is active.

Sample Minimal Feed

<items count="2">
    <item>
        <id>1</id>
        <title>Shipping policy</title>
        <description>We ship worldwide within 5 business days.</description>
        <modified>2025-11-01 10:00:00</modified>
        <keywords>shipping,delivery,policy</keywords>
        <url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/policies/shipping</url>
    </item>
    <item>
        <id>2</id>
        <title>Return window</title>
        <description>Returns accepted within 30 days with receipt.</description>
        <modified>2025-11-01 10:05:00</modified>
        <url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/policies/returns</url>
    </item>
</items>

<item>

<title>Shipping policy</title>

<description>We ship worldwide within 5 business days.</description>

<keywords>shipping,delivery,policy</keywords>

<url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/policies/shipping</url>

</item>

<item>

<title>Return window</title>

<description>Returns accepted within 30 days with receipt.</description>

<url>https://chat.sbzsystems.com/policies/returns</url>

</item>

</items>

Platform Exporters

The management console provides ready-to-use export scripts for connecting to popular platforms such as WordPress, OpenCart and WHMCS, as well as custom databases. These generate properly formatted XML feeds that auto-sync with your existing content. Each exporter can be configured to target specific data collections for organized, multi-site deployment.