Build a private Q&A application without code - Alibaba Cloud Model Studio

Build a Q&A application powered by large language models using your private documents—no code required.

Important

Console restrictions: Only International Edition users who created applications before April 21, 2025 can access the Application Development tab, as shown in the following figure.
This tab contains the following features: Applications (agent application and workflow application), Components (prompt engineering and plug-in), and Data (knowledge base and application data). These are all preview features. Use them with caution in production environments.
API call limits: Only International Edition users who created applications before April 21, 2025, can call the application data, knowledge base, and prompt engineering APIs.

Results overview

Application without a dedicated knowledge base

Without a knowledge base, the model cannot answer specific questions about products.

Application with a dedicated knowledge base

With a knowledge base, the model accurately answers product-specific questions.

Step 1: Build your first Alibaba Cloud Model Studio agent application (about 1 minute)

Create a blank app: Go to Application ManagementApplication Management. Click Create App → Agent Application → Create Now. Name it ”Alibaba Cloud Model Studio Phone Advisor””Phone Advisor”.
Select a model: Choose a Large Language Model (LLM) for your app. We recommend the Qwen-Max model. Model inference incurs charges. Check your free quota in Model List → View Details.
Design a prompt: Define the agent’s role and task. Set it to: You are an Alibaba Cloud Model Studio phone advisor. Your job is to compare phone specs, analyze customer needs, and recommend personalized options.
Configure welcome message and preset questions: Click the button in the top-right corner. Add common questions to start conversations quickly. Welcome message: Hello, I am the Alibaba Cloud Model Studio Phone Advisor. I am here to help you choose the perfect Alibaba Cloud Model Studio phone. Preset question 1: What models of Alibaba Cloud Model Studio phones are available? Preset question 2: Recommend the best-value phone for me. Predefined Question 3: Please help me select a mobile phone from Alibaba Cloud Model Studio that offers the best photography performance and is priced under USD 500.
Test the app: Click any question on the right to start a conversation. For example: “Please help me select an Alibaba Cloud Model Studio smartphone that has the best camera and is priced under USD 500.” Without a knowledge base, answers are vague or hallucinated. Next, you'll add one.

Step 2: Build a knowledge base (about 3 minutes)

Upload knowledge documents

Go to the App Data page and click Import Data. Documents are organized by category. For this tutorial, use Default Category.
Use the sample document we provide: Alibaba Cloud Model Studio Phone Product Introduction.docx. Upload it and click Confirm. The wizard has multiple settings. For this tutorial, use defaults—just upload the document.
Wait for Alibaba Cloud Model Studio to finish importing. Processing takes 1–6 minutes depending on document size.

Create a knowledge base

Go to the Knowledge Base page. Click Create Knowledge Base to build your custom knowledge base.
Enter a Knowledge Base Name and click Next. Name it “Alibaba Cloud Model Studio Phones”. Use default settings for other options.
Under Select Category, check Default Category. Click Next. Select documents to include in your knowledge base. Use default settings.
Select Smart Chunking and click Finish Import to create your knowledge base. Smart chunking is recommended—it delivers the best retrieval results for most documents.
Wait for Alibaba Cloud Model Studio to finish parsing. Processing takes 1–2 minutes depending on document size.

Step 3: Add the knowledge base to your app and publish (about 1 minute)

Go to Application ManagementApplication Management. Find your app, hover over it, and click ConfigureConfigure.
Click the + button next to Knowledge > Documents to add your knowledge base.
Click any question on the right to start a conversation. Example: “Help me pick the best camera phone under $500.” With a knowledge base, the app now answers accurately.
Publish the app: After confirming all changes are correct, click Publish.

What to do next

Learn about prompts, plugins, publishing channels, and more: Agent Applications.
Integrate external tools or automate workflows: Workflow Applications. Compare features: Application Types.
Build custom RAG applications with code: Assistant API.