---
title: Knowledge Stack Basics
description: Get started with Knowledge Stacks in Msty
navTruncate: false
---

::MstyStudioDocsNotice
::

Knowledge Stacks let you chat with your content - from simple documents to entire knowledge bases. Think of it as having a smart assistant that has read and understood all your materials.

::alert{type="info" icon="tabler:info-circle"}
All processing happens privately on your device. Your content stays under your control!
::

## What Can You Add?

::tabs
  ::div{label="Files" icon="tabler:file"}
    ### Documents & Files
    Supported formats include:
    - Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), RTF
    - Text: Markdown, TXT, CSV
    - Data: JSON, JSONL
    - Books: EPUB
    - And many more!

    ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/file-import.webp" alt="File import interface"}
    ::
  ::

  ::div{label="Obsidian" icon="tabler:notebook"}
    ### Obsidian Vaults
    Import entire vaults while preserving:
    - Folder structure
    - Internal links
    - Metadata
    - Attachments

    ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/obsidian-import.webp" alt="Obsidian import interface"}
    ::
  ::

  ::div{label="Folders" icon="tabler:folder"}
    ### Folder Import
    Add entire folders of content:
    - Maintains structure
    - Processes all supported files
    - Bulk import capability

    ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/folder-import.webp" alt="Folder import interface"}
    ::
  ::

  ::div{label="Notes" icon="tabler:pencil"}
    ### Quick Notes
    Add custom notes directly:
    - Type or paste text
    - Supports markdown
    - Perfect for quick additions
    
    ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/custom-notes-import.webp" alt="Custom notes interface"}
    ::
  ::

  ::div{label="YouTube" icon="tabler:brand-youtube"}
    ### YouTube Content
    Add video knowledge:
    - Paste single or multiple URLs (space-separated)
    - Auto-fetches transcripts
    - Includes video metadata
    
    ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/youtube-import.webp" alt="YouTube import interface"}
    ::
  ::
::

## Getting Started

::steps
  ### 1. Create a Stack
  Click the Knowledge Stack button in the sidebar
  
  ::image-plain{src="/how-to/create-knowledge-stack/new-stack-button.webp" alt="New Knowledge Stack button"}
  ::

  ### 2. Add Content
  - Drag & drop files or folders
  - Browse for content
  - Paste YouTube links
  - Type quick notes

  ### 3. Configure Settings
  Click the gear icon to adjust:
  - Embedding model (local/remote)
  - Chunk settings
  - Processing options

  ::alert{type="tip" icon="tabler:bulb"}
  Start with default settings - they work great for most content! See [Advanced Features](/features/knowledge-stack/advanced-features) for customization.
  ::

  ### 4. Save & Activate
  Choose your workflow:
  - **Save Draft**: Store for later
  - **Compose**: Build and activate
  - **Three-dot Menu**: 
    - "Compose new changes": Update with new content
    - "Recompose Stack": Apply setting changes
::

## Using Your Stack

1. **Start a Chat**
   - Click the chat icon
   - Select your Knowledge Stack(s)
   - Multiple stacks can be active at once

2. **Adjust Search**
   - Set similarity (Low to Highest)
   - Choose number of chunks (default: 15)
   - Enable Jina AI reranking (optional)

3. **Ask Questions**
   - Use natural language
   - Get sourced answers
   - Reference multiple stacks

::alert{type="info" icon="tabler:info-circle"}
Want to understand how it works? Check out our guides on:
- [Embeddings](/features/knowledge-stack/embeddings)
- [RAG Technology](/features/knowledge-stack/rag-explained)
- [Advanced Settings](/features/knowledge-stack/advanced-features)
::

## Best Practices

1. **Organize Content**
   - Group related materials
   - Use clear names
   - Keep stacks focused

2. **Optimize Processing**
   - Start with default settings
   - Test with sample questions
   - Adjust based on results

3. **Manage Updates**
   - Use "Compose new changes" for content updates
   - "Recompose Stack" for setting changes
   - Review results after major changes

::alert{type="tip" icon="tabler:bulb"}
New to Knowledge Stacks? Start with a small set of related content to get familiar with the features!
::