[September 2024] Auto-answer, search filter, new connections and more!
Auto-answer, but with a twist
Remember when we introduced auto-answer? You loved the idea and how it worked, but there was one problem:
Albus would jump into every conversation – even in threads where you were debating whose cat is cuter.
Yeah, it was kind of spammy and made the overall experience distracting and poor.
We’ve fixed that!
Auto-answer still works the same way:
Albus actively reads the channel messages you’ve connected, automatically understands the context, and provides relevant answers – even without being tagged.
The only difference now is:
Albus will ask for permission from the sender before chiming in.
If you think Albus can help, simply click “Yes” to let it step in. Otherwise, it stays quiet.
No more unnecessary replies and you’re in control.
AI Agents in Custom APIs:
Remember AI agents? Umm ok, here’s a quick refresher:
Agents are like a team for Albus. Each agent has a unique skill and role. One decodes your questions, another finds information across all your apps, and a third summarizes data.
All agents work together to craft the perfect answer for you.
Now, the exciting part is that you can enable AI agents while creating your Custom APIs.
Remember Custom APIs?
Yes, precisely that! Custom APIs allow you to build tailored apps for your specific use cases, like answering security questionnaires with just a click.
You can turbocharge (not ChatGPT suggested, promise) your workflow by combining Custom APIs with AI agents.
Filter your search
Often, you know exactly where the information is stored but cannot remember the specific details.
Like PRDs are usually in Confluence, tech tickets in Jira, or sales transcript in Gong.
In such cases, you can specify the sources, connections or specific page in [ ], <>, { }.
Example:
- [Jira] What is the status of ticket-1984
- <employee handbook> How do I submit a claim for reimbursement?
Why make Albus search everywhere when you know just where to look?
By narrowing the source, you get faster, more accurate answers without waiting for a broad search.
Also, Albus is smart enough to handle typos, so even if you mistype, it will still find information from the specified source.
Generate images with Albus
Now here’s something fun. You can ask Albus to create images!
Use the “image” command in brackets to let Albus know you want to generate an image and watch your words transform into beautiful images.
Example:
- @Albus [image] Cat riding a bicycle in the city suburbs.
Go and try it out. Make sure to make your creativity run wild!
New connections
We’ve also added new integrations! You can now connect Dropbox, Capsule CRM, and OneDrive as knowledge sources.
Just like with any other work app, you can connect these in one click, and you’re good to go!
[June 2024] Albus gets smarter, new connections and more
Ask more complex questions!
Albus is now not just limited to searching for information.
He can also analyze information from connected apps and documents to give you the answers you need.
How?
We’ve given Albus a team of AI helpers (we call them agents).
Until now, you had a 1:1 conversation with Albus. You asked a question, he understood it, searched for information, and then responded.
But with AI agents, Albus now has his own team. Each agent has a unique skill and role assigned.
When you ask a question, here’s what happens:
Train Albus on shared Google Drive
Albus can now connect with your shared Google Drive, not just your personal drive.
What’s changed?
- Documents and folders on shared drives will now appear in the search results of Google Drive.
- You can add an entire shared drive as a source.
- Or select specific files and folders from shared drives, just like you do with your personal drive.
Help Scout connection
You can now connect Help Scout as one of your information sources.
Worried about mixing internal sensitive docs with customer-facing ones?
No need! We’ve ensured that Albus is smart about sharing information:
What’s changed?
- Albus will only access public docs when external users ask questions.
- However, users with Help Scout accounts can access information from private docs through Albus.
This way, you don’t have to worry about your internal data getting exposed through Albus.
Add multiple URLs at once
Until now, if you want to train Albus on web pages then you have to add URL one-by-one
We’ve heard your frustration, and we’ve fixed it!
What’s new?
You can now copy and paste multiple URLs directly into the input field of the ‘web’ connection. No more tedious task of adding individual link!
Zendesk connection
You can now connect Zendesk with Albus.
Albus digs deep into all your knowledge articles, tickets, and even comments to find the exact information you need. Resolve customer questions faster than ever before!
[May 2024] Introducing AI agents, access to GPT-4o and more
Introducing AI agents
Okay, let’s get straight to the point.
How do AI agents impact you?
- You will now get more accurate and relevant answers from Albus.
- You can also ask more complex questions, and Albus will handle them with ease.
(for instance question which require to extract info from multiple reports)
Do you need to do anything?
- Nope! We’ve enabled this feature for every customer. Keep asking questions as you normally do. Just expect higher quality answers.
Sounds interesting, but what are AI agents?
Until now, you had a 1:1 conversation with Albus. You asked a question, he understood it, searched for information, and then responded to you.
But with AI agents, Albus now has his own team. Each member (or agent) has a unique skill and mastery in its domain.
For example, one agent excels at summarizing context, while another is best at understanding your question. Each agent is trained in a specific task and performs it exceptionally well.
Now, when you ask a question, instead of having 1:1 conversation, this is what happens in the backend:
Different agents will work together to give you the perfect answer!
Search online with GPT-4o
Albus has been upgraded with GPT-4o, the latest and most powerful language model.
Here’s what it means for you:
- Albus now comprehends human language better than ever, including non-English languages.
- Albus’ intelligence has evolved exponentially across text-based tasks. From refining emails, drafting custom docs to writing blogs, Albus can handle it all with ease.
Chat with Web Pages
You can now ask any question from any public web-page by simply inserting a link.
There’s no need to add the page as a source first. Just insert the link along with your question, and Albus will provide you with the answer!
Coda Connection
You can now add Coda as your information source.
Just like other work apps, you can connect Coda with just one click and you’ll be ready to go!
[April 2024] Custom API, New Connections and more
Custom API is LIVE:
Custom API is now available to all users, opening up endless automation possibilities. You can now build custom apps tailored to your unique use cases.
See how other customers are already saving massive time:
Security Questionnaires? Done in Seconds!
With one click, Albus will analyze all your security-related docs to automatically fill 80% of the security questionnaire.
Instead of going through multiple documents, all you need to do now is simply review the pre-filled responses, tweak answers if needed, and you’re done!
Complete RFPs in minutes:
Answering the RFP questionnaire is a pain. With 100+ questions and each question taking at least 5 minutes to answer, it used to be a 500-minute boring task. Albus cuts that down to just 10 minutes!
The best part?
It works right inside Google Sheets!
And it doesn’t end there. As mentioned above, you can build custom apps tailored to your needs.
Let’s talk if there are any repetitive tasks that are driving your team mad. We will automate it with help of custom API!
SharePoint file storage enabled:
Until now, SharePoint was supported as a knowledge base connector, which means you were able to connect only external data sources such as databases, websites, or other software applications.
However, Albus now supports file storage connectors in addition to knowledge base connectors. This means Albus will now be able to analyze and provide answers from external file storage systems such as OneDrive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.
Canny and Square Payroll connections:
You can now integrate Canny and Square Payroll as your information sources.
Just like other work apps, connect these apps with just one click and you’re ready to go!
You can get answers to questions like:
- What is the status of thread analytics ticket on canny?
- Share phone number and permanent residential address of Chintan?
Search on Slack with context and names:
We often face this – you vaguely remember a conversation and who shared it….but just cannot recall the specific details.
Well now you don’t have to worry about it or spend time trying to find that message on Slack.
Albus understands conversation context and people’s names in Slack better than ever before.
For instance, Albus can now easily answer questions like:
[March 2024] New feedback flow and wiki command
New feedback flow for Albus’ responses:
We’ve revamped the old thumbs up/down feedback for Albus’ responses on Slack.
If Albus falls short in providing an accurate answer then, then with just a couple of clicks, you can seamlessly search for the answer through alternative data sources (wiki/online) or escalate the query directly to an admin.
The new flow ensures a complete feedback loop after receiving an answer from Albus.
Mix and match [wiki] command - any way you like:
Previously, directing Albus to exclusively search within your internal knowledge base required adding [wiki] before the start of your question in a specific format.
It was not intuitive. You had to remember adding before the question and in a specific way. But not anymore.
With the latest update, you can use [wiki] in any way you like. Whether it’s [WiKi], <Wiki>, {wiki}, or any other combinations, Albus understands them all.
Btw same goes for [ai] command if you want Albus to answer from an internet knowledge base.
Ask multiple questions simultaneously:
You can now ask multiple questions simultaneously on the web platform without waiting for Albus to answer the previous question. Go ahead, and just shoot your questions in a go!
The web dashboard is now intelligent enough to allow you to switch tabs, ask multiple questions and refresh the page. Even if you move away from your Ask Albus chat instance, it can now pull your answers.
Also the quality of search is now unified for the web and Slack platforms. So unlike before, you’ll now get equally good responses on either platform.
SharePoint connection:
You’ve been diligently organizing information on SharePoint. But why stop there?
You can now add SharePoint as your information source which means you can get answers from the knowledge base simply by asking questions. No more scouring through endless files and documents within Sharepoint.
[March 2024] New Connections and Custom Personas
Linear and Hailey HR connections:
You can now add Linear and HaileyHR as your information sources. As always, it is one click integration and you are ready to go.
With Linear on board, you can now ask Albus about any issue status or project details. No more digging through tickets. For instance, just ask “What is the status of Stripe issue API?” and Albus will give you all required information.
Similarly, Albus can make sense of all your organization’s information present in Hailey. Whether you need specific company policy details or contract information for a particular employee, just Ask Albus.
Introducing Custom Personas:
Until now, Albus only had five pre-set personas to choose from. But why settle for one-size-fits-all when you can craft your own? You can now create fully customized AI personas within Albus!
With custom personas, you get to define exactly how Albus communicates. You can define Albus’s personality, voice and behavior when he responds to teammates.
Training empty slack channels:
We’ve heard your feedback loud and clear – you want to be able to add and train any Slack channel from day one, whether it has existing messages or not. Consider it done!
You can now connect empty slack channels as data sources.
Albus will be prepped from the start for maybe a new project channel that hasn’t kicked off yet. Or a private channel for an upcoming product launch.
[February 2024] Automatically identifies connectors, better formatting and understand thread context.
Automatically identify Connectors:
Albus can now automatically identify the connectors(eg: Slack, Jira, HubSpot, Google Drive and more). Instead of having to specify your data source every time, you can ask questions naturally, and Albus will identify the right connector/source on his own to take reference from and respond accordingly.
For example, before you had to say:
“We maintain our sales sheet in Airtable. Based on that, what is the deal status for Quantum Textile Innovation?”
But now you can simply ask:
“What is the deal status for Quantum Textile Innovation?”
Albus is smart enough to detect the relevant connector to fetch you the correct answer, fast. No more mentioning connector names repeatedly!
Albus Understands Conversations:
When you @ Albus in a thread, there’s no need to repeat the question. Albus will automatically understand the context, follow the discussion, and provide the exact answer or add value to the conversation.
This feature will be particularly useful in public channels, where Albus can answer specific questions. All you need to do is tag Albus and let him handle the rest.
This will also enable your team to experience Albus’ capabilities first hand, ultimately driving increased adoption of Albus as their primary point of contact for any questions across work apps.
Better Formatting:
We’ve upgraded Albus from markdown formatting to Slack’s native text formatting. This means no more dealing with those annoying asterisks, underscores, and special characters in your answers!
Previously, Albus’ markdown syntax resulted in cluttered text full of distracting symbols. However, with Slack’s native formatting, the text will look cleaner and more readable.
You’ll get the answers you need but now in smoothly formatted text.
Faster answers with Direct Search
Albus now features direct search capabilities (specifically useful for straightforward questions), ensuring faster responses. This means you’ll receive quicker answers to simple questions through direct keyword search.
For instance, Direct Search in Google Drive means Albus goes into your Google Drive, conducts a native keyword search and evaluates the search results. Of Course Albus will consider both the embedded search and direct search before sharing the final and most relevant answer with you.
If you want to check the deal status of MoonCaptial. Now along with embedded search it will do direct search(on the relevant connector) and share the most relevant answer with you after considering both.
[February 2024] Generate Graphs, Search Improvements and more.
Enhance Albus search with Description:
Help Albus to help you (faster)!
You can now add descriptions to connectors and data sources within it. This helps Albus better understand and contextualize your connected data, eventually providing you with most relevant answers quickly.
You can add customized descriptions for each of your connections and connected data sources. Don’t worry – the descriptions for connected sources will be auto-populated, so all you need to do is review them and make any required edits.
Once the app is connected, you can edit the description. Click on the three dots and you will find an option to edit the description!
Similarly for the sources, click on the three dots and select edit description to make any changes.
Learn more about how you should describe your connections and sources.
Generate Graphs from sheet:
You can instantly generate and download any type of graph or chart to visualize your data. Just ask Albus to create a pie chart, bar graph, scatter plot, or any other graph type you need.
Generate custom graphs with just a simple question and easily visualize your data heavy sheets.
For instance you can ask a question like “Show me a bar graph of sales by country” and
Putting Faces to the names:
Your member dashboard just got a makeover with the addition of profile pictures!
Say goodbye to boring lists and hello to friendly faces. There will finally be faces to names as profile pictures will be displayed throughout the team member list.
Albus will pull profile pictures from Slack. If you are signed in from the web or the user does not have a profile picture in Slack then the initials of the first name and last name will be displayed.
No Token limits:
We have removed token limits for both plans, free and paid. Huge shoutout to Sam as OpenAI reduced their prices 🙂
Previously, the free plan had a 4M token limit shared by the entire team, while the paid plan had a 4M token limit per license. Now there is no limit to token usage, regardless of plan.
[January 2024] New Connections & Admin Support
Airtable and Basecamp connection:
You can now add Airtable and Basecamp as your information sources. As always, it is one click integration and you are ready to go. No more hassle of juggling between rows in Airtable or different projects in Basecamp.
Ask Albus. Get Answers. Done
Introducing Zapier Automation (beta release):
The highly anticipated Zapier integration is live now. You can now automate workflows by creating Zaps with Albus. Currently we only support Google Drive, we’ll be expanding to many more apps soon (like real soon).
Give it a try today by creating a Zap such as: “When a new file is added to a folder, automatically train it on Albus.”
Get admin support anytime:
Now, even if your team hits the monthly questions limit, they can still escalate issues to the admin for help.
Both users from free and pro plan can access the admin escalation functionality even after the question quota is over.
