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Popular Questions Overview

Popular Questions Management lets you control which questions appear as "frequently asked" suggestions to users. This page explains the feature and how to use it effectively.

Popular Questions tracks which questions users ask most often and can display them as helpful suggestions. You have control over which questions appear and which are hidden.

Think of It Like...​

Imagine a library's "Most Requested Books" display:

  • Without management: Every frequently borrowed book appears, even ones with missing pages or outdated information.
  • With management: You curate the display, hiding problematic books while keeping helpful ones visible.

Popular Questions management gives you the same curation power over the chatbot's suggested questions.

1. Quality Control​

Not all frequently asked questions deserve to be promoted:

  • Questions with poor answers should be hidden
  • Confusing or misleading questions can be blocked
  • Questions about outdated information can be removed

2. User Experience​

Showing only high-quality popular questions:

  • Helps users find useful information faster
  • Builds confidence in the chatbot's reliability
  • Reduces frustration from poor suggestions

3. Automatic Filtering​

The system automatically filters questions based on feedback:

  • Questions with excessive negative feedback are hidden
  • Questions with more thumbs-down than thumbs-up are filtered
  • You can override these filters when appropriate

How It Works​

Automatic Filtering Rules​

The system automatically hides questions that meet these criteria:

ConditionAction
More than 2 thumbs downAuto-filtered
More thumbs down than up (with 2+ negative)Auto-filtered

Example: A question with 3 thumbs up and 4 thumbs down would be auto-filtered because it has more negative than positive feedback.

Manual Controls​

You have three manual controls:

ActionWhat It Does
BlockManually hide a question from popular questions
UnblockRemove manual block, let normal rules apply
Allow AnywayOverride auto-filter, force question to appear

The Interface​

When you open Popular Questions, you'll see:

Filter Controls​

At the top of the page:

  • Time Window: Filter by Today, This Week, This Month, or All Time
  • Limit: Show Top 10, 20, or 50 questions
  • Show auto-filtered: Checkbox to reveal hidden questions
  • Apply: Button to refresh the list with your filters

Blocked Questions Section​

If you've manually blocked any questions, they appear in a red-highlighted section at the top labeled "Manually Blocked Questions."

Each question card shows:

  • Question text: The actual question users asked
  • Times asked: How frequently this question appears
  • Feedback stats: Thumbs up and thumbs down counts
  • Status badges: "AUTO-FILTERED" or "BLOCKED" if applicable
  • Action buttons: Block, Unblock, or Allow options

Visual Indicators​

Card ColorMeaning
WhiteNormal question, appearing in popular questions
Yellow borderHas some negative feedback but not filtered
Red borderBlocked or auto-filtered (not showing to users)

Common Tasks​

  1. Go to Popular Questions in the sidebar
  2. Select your preferred time window (default: This Week)
  3. Choose how many questions to display
  4. Click Apply to load the list

Block a Question​

  1. Find the question you want to hide
  2. Click the Block from Popular button
  3. Confirm the action in the popup
  4. The question moves to the "Manually Blocked" section

Unblock a Question​

  1. Look in the "Manually Blocked Questions" section
  2. Find the question you want to restore
  3. Click the Unblock button
  4. Confirm the action

Override Auto-Filtering​

Sometimes good questions get auto-filtered due to initial negative feedback:

  1. Check the Show auto-filtered questions checkbox
  2. Click Apply to reveal filtered questions
  3. Find the question with the "AUTO-FILTERED" badge
  4. Click Allow Anyway to override the filter
  5. The question will now appear in popular questions despite its feedback
When to Override

Override auto-filtering when:

  • Initial negative feedback was due to a bug (now fixed)
  • The question is important despite mixed reviews
  • Feedback was about related issues, not the question itself

Best Practices​

Regular Review​

  • Check popular questions weekly
  • Look for questions with increasing negative feedback
  • Block questions that consistently confuse users

Don't Over-Block​

  • Only block truly problematic questions
  • Let the automatic system handle most filtering
  • Remember: blocking removes potentially useful suggestions

Use Feedback Wisely​

  • High thumbs-up = users find this helpful
  • High thumbs-down = something's wrong with the answer
  • Before blocking, consider fixing the cached answer instead
Before You Block

If a popular question has poor feedback, consider whether the problem is:

  1. The question itself → Block it
  2. The answer quality → Fix the cache entry instead (see Cache Management)

Relationship to Other Features​

Popular Questions + Cache​

  • Popular questions often become good cache candidates
  • If you see a popular question without a cache entry, consider creating one
  • Blocked questions might indicate cache entries that need updating

Popular Questions + Conversations​

  • Check Conversations to see how the chatbot answered these questions
  • Use conversation feedback to decide what to block or allow

Troubleshooting​

Question Not Appearing​

If a question should appear but doesn't:

  1. Check if it's manually blocked
  2. Check if it's auto-filtered (enable "Show auto-filtered")
  3. Check if it meets the minimum ask count for your time window

Can't Find Blocked Questions​

The "Manually Blocked Questions" section only appears if you have blocked questions. If it's not visible, you haven't blocked anything yet.

Filter Not Working​

  • Make sure to click Apply after changing filters
  • Try a broader time window if no questions appear
  • Check your internet connection if the page doesn't load

Next Steps​

Remember: Popular Questions management is about quality, not quantity. Focus on ensuring users see helpful, accurate suggestions!

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