Google Docs Q&A Chatbot

An AI-powered chatbot that provides precise answers to user questions based strictly on the content from a supplied Google Document. Ideal for research, content review, analysis, and education, this assistant ensures responses are directly grounded in the uploaded document, without referencing external sources or making unsupported assumptions.

How the AI Flow works - Google Docs Q&A Chatbot

How the AI Flow works

User Opens the Chat

The workflow starts when a user opens the chat interface.

User Uploads or Inputs a Google Document

The user provides a Google Doc or its content as input.

Document Content is Retrieved

The system fetches the content of the provided Google Document.

AI Agent Answers Questions Based on Document

An AI agent processes the user's question using only the retrieved document content to generate a precise, context-aware answer.

Answer Displayed to User

The chatbot displays the AI-generated answer directly in the chat interface.

Prompts used in this flow

Below is a complete list of all prompts used in this flow to achieve its functionality. Prompts are the instructions given to the AI model to generate responses or perform actions. They guide the AI in understanding user intent and generating relevant outputs.

Welcome Message

Displays a welcome message to the user, instructing them to upload or paste their Google Doc for analysis.

                đź‘‹ Welcome to the Google Docs-Based AI Assistant!
I'm here to help you find accurate answers strictly based on the document you provide 📄. I’ll extract only the most relevant information—no assumptions, no outside sources—just clear, document-grounded responses.

Please upload your document or paste the text you'd like me to work with, and I’ll get started! 🔍📚

System Prompt for Factual Q&A Over Provided Document

Guides the LLM to answer only using information found in the user's provided Google Doc, explicitly restricting use of outside knowledge and specifying how to r...

                You are an AI assistant specialized in answering questions based *strictly* on a provided document. Your primary goal is to extract relevant information from the text given to you and formulate an accurate answer.

**Instructions:**

1. **Source Restriction:** Base your answer *solely* on the content of the Google Document provided below. Do *not* access or incorporate any external websites, prior knowledge, or information not present in the text.
2. **Accuracy:** Ensure your answer directly reflects the information stated in the document. Avoid making assumptions or interpretations beyond what is written.
3. **Completeness:** If the document contains the answer, provide it as completely as possible based on the text.
4. **Handling Missing Information:** If the answer to the user's question cannot be found within the provided document text, explicitly state "Based on the provided document, I could not find the answer to your question." or a similar phrase. Do not attempt to guess or synthesize an answer.
5. **Quoting (Optional but Recommended):** When possible, briefly quote the relevant sentence(s) from the document that support your answer.

Components used in this flow

Below is a complete list of all components used in this flow to achieve its functionality. Components are the building blocks of every AI Flow. They allow you to create complex interactions and automate tasks by connecting various functionalities. Each component serves a specific purpose, such as handling user input, processing data, or integrating with external services.

Flow description

Purpose and benefits

Workflow Description: “A Chatbot from Google Docs”

Overview

This workflow creates a specialized AI assistant that answers user questions strictly based on the content of a Google Document provided by the user. The assistant is designed to deliver responses that are grounded in the provided document, without referencing external sources or making unsupported assumptions. This makes it highly suitable for scenarios where accuracy and traceability to original content are crucial, such as research, legal review, education, and content analysis.

How the Workflow Operates

  1. Chat Initialization and User Greeting

    • When a user opens a chat session, a trigger node detects this action.
    • The assistant immediately displays a welcome message, instructing the user to upload a Google Document or paste relevant text. The message emphasizes that answers will be strictly based on the document content.

  2. User Input and Document Upload

    • The user can interact with the assistant by submitting questions and attaching a Google Document.
    • The system captures the input (question and/or document) via a dedicated chat input node.

  3. Document Retrieval

    • Upon receiving user input, the workflow uses a Google Docs Retriever component to fetch the content of the uploaded or linked Google Document.
    • This ensures that the assistant has access to the exact text that should serve as the basis for all responses.

  4. Chat History Management

    • A chat history node keeps track of the ongoing conversation, enabling context-aware responses and continuity throughout the chat session.

  5. AI Agent with Strict Document Grounding

    • An advanced AI agent node is configured with strict system instructions:
      • Source Restriction: Only use information present in the provided document.
      • Accuracy and Completeness: Answers must be direct and thorough, reflecting only the document’s content.
      • Handling Missing Information: If the answer is not in the document, the assistant will explicitly state that.
      • Quoting: When applicable, the agent is encouraged to cite relevant text from the document.
    • The agent receives the user’s question, the document (as a tool), and the chat history to generate its response.

  6. Response Output

    • The AI-generated answer is displayed to the user in the chat interface.
    • Throughout, the workflow ensures that responses are transparent, traceable, and never rely on information outside the provided document.

Key Steps in the Workflow

StepComponentFunctionality
Chat openedChatOpenedTriggerDetects new chat session and initiates workflow
Welcome messageMessageWidgetInforms user about the assistant’s document-grounded approach
User inputChatInputCaptures user questions and document uploads
Document retrievalGoogleDocsRetrieverExtracts content from the user-provided Google Document
Track conversationChatHistoryMaintains chat history for context-aware interactions
AI processingToolCallingAgentAnswers questions using only the document, following strict accuracy and quoting guidelines
Display answerChatOutputPresents the assistant’s response to the user

Advantages and Use Cases

  • Accuracy and Transparency: Ensures that all responses are strictly rooted in a single, user-specified source of truth.
  • Scalability: Automates the process of answering questions about large or complex documents—ideal for teams with high information demands.
  • Auditability: Responses can always be traced back to the original document, reducing risk and boosting confidence.
  • Efficiency: Saves time by quickly extracting relevant information, especially in research, legal, and educational settings.

Ideal Users

  • Researchers: Quickly extract findings or references from academic papers.
  • Analysts: Summarize reports or answer targeted questions about lengthy documents.
  • Legal Reviewers: Verify that answers are based solely on contract or policy text.
  • Educators/Students: Generate quiz questions or clarify content from textbooks or handouts.
  • Content Teams: Validate facts or summaries based only on approved source material.

Summary

This workflow builds a focused, document-grounded AI chatbot, automating and scaling the process of extracting, verifying, and communicating information directly from Google Docs. It is especially useful whenever it is essential to guarantee that answers do not stray beyond the provided material, enhancing reliability and trust in automated Q&A scenarios.

Let us build your own AI Team

We help companies like yours to develop smart chatbots, MCP Servers, AI tools or other types of AI automation to replace human in repetitive tasks in your organization.

Schedule a demo Try it now

Learn more