# Using Backend Data Sources in SmartForms
FormWise allows **SmartForm owners** to attach backend data sources to their AI-powered tools. These sources help the AI provide **more accurate, context-aware responses** by referencing **pre-uploaded documents, scraped URLs, and other structured data.**
**โ What Can Be Used as a Backend Data Source?**
* **๐ Pre-Uploaded Files:** PDFs, CSVs, TXT files
* **๐ Web Scraping:** Extracting content from URLs
* **๐ Web Browsing:** Searching the web for real-time metadata
* **๐ Multiple Prompt Steps:** Using different data sources across prompt chaining
By attaching **backend data** before user submissions, you ensure that AI responses are **aligned with your industry, niche, or proprietary knowledge.** However, **too many files or combining multiple retrieval methods** can cause **timeouts or token issues**โthis guide will help you optimize performance.
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### **1๏ธโฃ Uploading Backend Data Sources in SmartForms**
#### **๐น Where to Upload Backend Data Sources**
๐ **Before attaching them to a SmartForm, all backend data sources must be uploaded in the "Documents" tab inside the SmartForm builder.**
๐น **Steps to Upload:**\
1๏ธโฃ Go to the **SmartForm builder** โ **Navigate to the "Documents" tab.**\
2๏ธโฃ Click **"Upload Document"** and select a **PDF, CSV, or TXT file.**\
3๏ธโฃ If you want to **scrape a URL**, enter the **URL** in the provided field.\
4๏ธโฃ Once uploaded, these **documents & scraped URLs** are now available to reference inside your SmartFormโs **prompt instructions.**
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### **2๏ธโฃ Attaching Backend Data Sources to Prompt Steps**
Once documents are uploaded, you can **attach them to specific prompt steps** to guide how AI should use the data.
๐น **How It Works:**\
โ Each SmartForm **prompt step** can have its own **backend data sources** attached.\
โ You can include **pre-uploaded documents**, **scraped URLs**, or **enable web browsing** within each step.\
โ If using **multiple prompt steps (prompt chaining),** you can attach different **data sources at each step.**
๐ **Example Use Case:**\
**Step 1:** AI pulls insights from a **pre-uploaded industry report (PDF).**\
**Step 2:** AI references a **scraped competitor website (URL) for comparisons.**\
**Step 3:** AI searches **real-time trends via web browsing** before generating the final response.
๐จ **Too many data sources in one step can overload AI processingโspread them across multiple steps when needed.**
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### **3๏ธโฃ Best Practices for Using Backend Data Sources**
#### **๐น File Size Limits (Per Upload)**
๐ **Pro Plan:** **2MB max per file** (multiple files allowed).\
๐ **Agency Plan:** **20MB max per file** (multiple files allowed).
๐ **You can attach multiple files per SmartForm, but too many large files can cause token issues and slow performance.**
#### **๐น No Hard Limit on File Uploads, But Be Cautious**
โ Thereโs **no upper limit** on the number of files you can attach.\
๐จ However, AI **only processes a certain amount of text at a time.** If too much information is loaded, **responses may be incomplete, slow, or cause a timeout.**
#### **๐น Using Web Scraping & Web Browsing**
๐จ **Avoid combining all retrieval methods (file uploads, web scraping, and web browsing) in one step.**\
๐ **Web Scraping (URLs):** The AI **extracts content** from the webpage and **treats it like an uploaded file.**\
๐ **Web Browsing:** AI searches for **real-time metadata** from search engine results and summarizes findings.
โ **Best Practice:** If your SmartForm **already has uploaded PDFs and CSVs, avoid adding unnecessary web browsing or web scraping** unless the request specifically needs it.
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### **4๏ธโฃ How Retrieval Works (RAG Explained in Simple Terms)**
When AI processes a **backend data source**, it does **not "train" on the file** but instead:\
1๏ธโฃ **Extracts key insights** from the uploaded file or scraped URL.\
2๏ธโฃ **Retrieves relevant portions** based on the SmartForm prompt.\
3๏ธโฃ **Generates a response using both AI knowledge + retrieved data.**
๐ **Think of it as a "smart document search" where the AI finds and summarizes what matters most.**
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### **5๏ธโฃ Customizing How AI Uses the Data (Prompt Injection in Data Sources)**
Each **backend data source** allows you to **inject a short instruction** that tells AI **how to use the uploaded content.**
๐น **Default Instruction:**\
๐ **"Use this data to substantiate your response."**
๐น **Best Practices for Custom Instructions:**\
โ If analyzing **financial reports**, use: **"Use this data to generate financial summaries."**\
โ If comparing **competitor websites**, use: **"Use this scraped data to compare industry trends."**\
โ If referencing **a policy document**, use: **"Use this PDF to answer questions about our policies."**
๐ **Customizing this instruction ensures AI retrieves only relevant data instead of processing everything at once.**
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### **6๏ธโฃ Avoiding Timeouts & Optimizing Performance**
If **your SmartForm tool is timing out**, try these fixes:\
โ **Reduce file sizes** (split large PDFs into sections).\
โ **Limit the number of attached documents per prompt step.**\
โ **Avoid combining multiple retrieval methods in the same step.**\
โ **Use precise prompt instructions** to make AI focus on the right data.
๐ **Example Fix:**\
โ **Bad:** "Analyze the entire 50-page report and summarize it."\
โ **Better:** "Find and summarize the top 3 insights from the report."
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#### **๐ Conclusion**
Backend data sources make **SmartForms more powerful** by allowing AI to reference **custom documents, structured data, and real-time information.**
โ **Upload your files first in the โDocumentsโ tab before attaching them to SmartForm prompts.**\
โ **Be mindful of file size limits & avoid combining too many retrieval methods in a single step.**\
โ **Use clear prompt instructions to optimize how AI retrieves data.**
By following these best practices, youโll ensure that **your SmartForms run efficiently and deliver high-quality AI-powered responses.** ๐
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