The Knowledge sync control room
“Saved” and “available to chat” are two different states.
Sync is the bridge. It compares the current processed version of every selected page with the last successful remote version, updates only what changed, and cleans up page knowledge that has been deselected.
Selection is a plan; Sync is publication
Section titled “Selection is a plan; Sync is publication”Selecting a page records local intent. Saving page metadata records an editorial change. Neither event alone proves OpenAI has the new copy. Sync performs the remote work.
For each selected page, SmartSite builds a hash from its processed content, title, saved metadata, and content-processor version. It compares that with the last synchronized record. A missing record needs creation, a different hash needs updating, and a matching hash can remain current. Previously synchronized pages no longer selected are removal work for synchronization.
This design keeps ordinary WordPress editing fast and gives an administrator a visible publication moment. It also means “I changed the page yesterday” is incomplete diagnosis; the next question is “Did the changed source become Pending, and did a later sync update it successfully?”
Read the status without guessing
Section titled “Read the status without guessing”| Status or result | Exact operational meaning | Your next move |
|---|---|---|
| Not synced | The page is selected locally but has no matching successful synchronized record. | Run Sync and inspect this item’s outcome. |
| Pending | The current processed hash differs from the last successful synchronized hash. | Confirm the edit is approved, then run Sync. |
| Synced / Current | The present processed page matches the hash recorded at successful synchronization. | No sync work for that page. Continue editorial testing; Current is not a truth score. |
| Created | This run created the page’s remote knowledge file/attachment. | Test retrieval after the run finishes. |
| Updated | This run replaced an older synchronized version with the current one. | Use a new conversation to verify the changed fact. |
| Already Current | The comparison found no update necessary. | Do not repeatedly resync it to solve an unrelated answer issue. |
| Removed | A previously synchronized page no longer selected was removed during this run. | Confirm the removal was intended and test whether another source still contains the fact. |
| Error | That item’s remote operation did not finish successfully. | Treat the run as partial until you review the specific item and retry. |
The summary’s Pending count tells you how much page work remains. Vector Store Connected says the retrieval container exists. These indicators answer different questions. A connected store can contain a Pending old version; no Pending pages does not guarantee that an uploaded document has completed indexing.
A sync run is incremental
Section titled “A sync run is incremental”- Review intent. Check selected pages, deselections, Pending count, uploaded file states, and the active OpenAI configuration.
- Start Sync. Keep the browser tab open while the step-based session works through the queue.
- Read the result by category. Created, Updated, Already Current, Removed, and Errors describe individual outcomes, not decorative totals.
- Protect partial success. Do not undo successful items because one page failed.
- Correct the failed item. Inspect source availability, content, API response, or remote-store condition.
- Run Sync again. Current items should remain current; unresolved work is retried.
- Test in a new chat. Ask about a changed fact and inspect retrieval evidence in Analytics.
The incremental sync session expires after 30 minutes. If a tab closes, connection drops, or the run sits too long, restart it. The hash comparison prevents unchanged successful pages from needing blind recreation.
What happens when a run only partly succeeds
Section titled “What happens when a run only partly succeeds”A run with nine successful pages and one error is not a total failure and not a clean release. The nine successful items can remain available. The failed page retains unresolved work. Record the item and error, fix it, then rerun.
If the stored vector store is missing or has expired, the synchronization implementation can recreate it and retry the operation. Treat that as recovery infrastructure—not a reason to ignore repeated expiry, account, or API errors.
Deselecting, removing, and the delay that matters
Section titled “Deselecting, removing, and the delay that matters”Unticking a selected page changes local selection. The remote page copy is cleaned up when a subsequent sync processes removals. Until then, do not assume the old synchronized material has disappeared from retrieval.
The page’s explicit Remove action can initiate removal work directly in the management interface, but the safe operational habit is the same: check the resulting counts/status and run synchronization when pending work remains. Uploaded document removal is different again: it removes the vector attachment/OpenAI file, local copy, and WordPress record through the file-removal operation.
| Action | Immediate local effect | Remote expectation | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deselect a WordPress page | Page ID leaves the selected set. | Previously synchronized page is removed when Sync processes deselections. | Run Sync and look for Removed / healthy state. |
| Use the page Remove control | The page leaves managed selection and removal is requested. | Review the response and any remaining sync work rather than assuming from the button alone. | Refresh status, sync if indicated, then test. |
| Remove an uploaded file | Local file record and copy are deleted. | Vector attachment and OpenAI file are deleted as part of the destructive operation. | Confirm the file disappears, then test source diagnostics. |
A change calendar example
Section titled “A change calendar example”At 09:00, an editor changes a return period from 30 to 14 days. The Knowledge Base should show that page as Pending. At 09:10, an administrator runs Sync and sees one Updated and several Already Current items. At 09:15, a new conversation asks for the return period in two phrasings and Chat History shows the policy source retrieved.
If the editor changes the page but it remains Current, inspect whether the processed content actually contains the change. Text rendered only through a script, image, or unsupported builder structure may not enter the processed representation as expected.
Plan high-impact changes as releases
Section titled “Plan high-impact changes as releases”When pricing, eligibility, legal language, emergency information, or service availability changes at a known time, agree on the source owner, Knowledge Base operator, test questions, and rollback wording before editing. Make the WordPress change, confirm Pending, synchronize, read the per-item result, and run the agreed questions from a new conversation. Do not schedule a website publication and assume the chat changes automatically.
If synchronization fails during a time-sensitive release, the safest response depends on the content. You may need to correct and retry immediately, temporarily disable the affected chat experience, or adjust Assistant instructions so it does not answer that topic until the approved source is available. Do not leave a known obsolete high-impact answer live simply because most items in the run succeeded.
Do not use sync as a quality ritual
Section titled “Do not use sync as a quality ritual”Repeated synchronization cannot fix a contradictory source, vague Assistant instruction, disabled knowledge capability, weak visitor question, or irrelevant uploaded file. Sync answers one question: does the remote page knowledge match the current approved processed version? Once it says Current, move the investigation to retrieval and content quality.
The result screen worth reading
Section titled “The result screen worth reading”- Capture
- After changing one synchronized page, open the sync result modal showing one Updated, one Already Current, and no secret filenames.
- Show
- Vector-store badge, pending count, Sync button, result categories, item errors
- Viewport
- Desktop, 1440 × 900
- Annotate
- Use numbered callouts only for controls referenced in the procedure.
- Redact
- OpenAI keys, tokens, secrets, personal information, private URLs, IP addresses, and conversation text
Leave the control room with evidence
Section titled “Leave the control room with evidence”- Unsure what was published? Return to the source-to-answer model.
- Current source, wrong answer? Use the five-layer diagnosis.
- Managing document indexing instead? Open the document library guide.