Quick lookup for General Bots terms. If you're lost, start here.
---
## A
**A2A Protocol** - Agent-to-Agent Protocol. Enables bots to communicate and delegate tasks to each other in multi-agent systems. Messages include request, response, broadcast, and delegate types.
**ADD BOT** - BASIC keyword to add a bot to the current session with triggers, tools, or schedules.
**Argon2** - Password hashing algorithm used for secure credential storage. Makes brute-force attacks computationally infeasible.
**Auto-Bootstrap** - The automatic first-run process that installs and configures all dependencies: PostgreSQL, cache, storage, and LLM servers.
---
## B
**BASIC** - The scripting language for General Bots dialogs. Inspired by the 1964 language, simplified for conversational AI. Powers all `.bas` scripts with keywords like TALK, HEAR, and LLM.
**BM25** - Best Match 25. Sparse retrieval algorithm for keyword-based search. Used in hybrid RAG alongside dense (semantic) search.
**BOOK** - BASIC keyword to schedule calendar appointments.
**Bot Memory** - Persistent storage scoped to a single bot, shared across all users. Access with `SET BOT MEMORY` and `GET BOT MEMORY`.
**Bot Package** - A folder ending in `.gbai` containing everything to run a bot: scripts, documents, and configuration.
**BotSession** - The active conversation between user and bot. Tracks state, history, and context. Persists to database, cached for speed.
**Bootstrap** - Initial setup process that installs all dependencies automatically on first launch.
**BROADCAST TO BOTS** - BASIC keyword to send a message to all bots in the current session.
---
## C
**Cache** - In-memory storage component for sessions, temporary data, and semantic caching. Provides sub-millisecond access times.
**Collection** - A folder of documents in `.gbkb/` that becomes searchable knowledge. Each subfolder is a separate collection.
**Chunking** - The process of splitting documents into smaller pieces for embedding and retrieval. Default chunk size is optimized for context windows.
**config.csv** - The configuration file for each bot. Simple key-value pairs in CSV format. Lives in the `.gbot/` folder.
**Context** - Information available to the LLM during a conversation. Includes history, knowledge base results, and user-provided context via `SET CONTEXT`.
**Context Compaction** - Automatic summarization of older conversation history to fit within token limits while preserving important information.
**CREATE DRAFT** - BASIC keyword to compose and save an email draft to the user's mailbox.
**CREATE TASK** - BASIC keyword to create a task with assignee and due date.
---
## D
**DELEGATE TO BOT** - BASIC keyword to send a task to another bot and optionally wait for a response.
**Dense Search** - Semantic search using vector embeddings. Finds content by meaning rather than exact keywords.
**Dialog** - A `.bas` script defining conversation flow. Contains BASIC code with keywords like TALK and HEAR.
**Drive** - Built-in S3-compatible object storage. Stores documents, templates, and uploads. Auto-installed during bootstrap.
---
## E
**Embedding** - Text converted to numerical vectors for similarity search. Similar meanings produce similar vectors.
**Embedding Model** - Neural network that generates embeddings. Default is BGE, replaceable with any GGUF-compatible model.
**Episodic Memory** - Summaries of past conversations stored for long-term context. Automatically generated when conversations end.
**Event Handler** - BASIC code triggered by events. Use `ON` keyword with triggers like `"login"`, `"email"`, or cron expressions.
---
## F
**FIND** - BASIC keyword to search database tables with filter criteria. Returns matching records.
**FOR EACH** - BASIC keyword for iterating over collections and query results.
---
## G
**.gbai** - "General Bot AI" package folder. Contains the entire bot. Example: `support.gbai/` becomes the bot at `/support`.
**.gbdialog** - Subfolder containing BASIC scripts. Must include `start.bas` as the entry point. Tools go in `tools/` subdirectory.
**.gbdrive** - File storage configuration subfolder. Maps to Drive buckets for document management.
**.gbkb** - "Knowledge Base" subfolder. Each subdirectory becomes a searchable collection with automatic indexing.
**.gbot** - Configuration subfolder containing `config.csv` with bot settings.
**.gbtheme** - Optional UI customization subfolder for CSS, images, and HTML templates.
**General Bots** - Open-source enterprise conversational AI platform. Combines LLMs with structured dialogs, knowledge bases, and multi-channel support.
**GET** - BASIC keyword to retrieve data from APIs, files, or session variables.
**GET USER MEMORY** - BASIC keyword to retrieve cross-session user data accessible from any bot.
**GraphQL** - Query language for APIs. Supported via the `GRAPHQL` keyword for complex data retrieval.
---
## H
**HEAR** - BASIC keyword to wait for and capture user input. `name = HEAR` stores the response in a variable.
**Hot Reload** - Automatic reloading of BASIC scripts when files change. No restart needed.
**Hybrid Search** - RAG approach combining dense (semantic) and sparse (keyword) retrieval using Reciprocal Rank Fusion.
**HTMX** - Frontend library used for dynamic UI updates without full page reloads.
---
## I
**INSERT** - BASIC keyword to add records to database tables.
**Intent** - What the user wants to accomplish. Detected from natural language via LLM classification.
---
## K
**Keyword** - A BASIC command like TALK, HEAR, or LLM. About 50+ available. Written in uppercase by convention.
**Knowledge Base (KB)** - Documents searchable by the bot. Organized in folders under `.gbkb/`. Activate with `USE KB "foldername"`.
---
## L
**LiveKit** - WebRTC platform used for video meetings in General Bots.
**LLM** - Large Language Model. The AI that powers natural conversation. Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, and local models via llama.cpp.
**llama.cpp** - C++ library for running LLM inference locally. Used for self-hosted model deployment.
**Local-First** - Architecture principle where everything runs locally by default. No cloud dependencies required.
---
## M
**MCP** - Model Context Protocol. Standard format for defining tools that LLMs can call. Supported alongside OpenAI function format.
**Memory** - Data persistence system with four scopes: User Memory (cross-bot), Bot Memory (per-bot), Session Memory (temporary), and Episodic Memory (conversation summaries).
**Model Routing** - Dynamic selection of LLM models based on task requirements. Use `USE MODEL "fast"`, `"quality"`, `"code"`, or `"auto"`.
**Multi-Agent** - Architecture where multiple specialized bots collaborate on complex tasks.
**Multi-Channel** - Same bot works across WhatsApp, Telegram, Teams, Web, and other channels without modification.
---
## N
**No Forms** - General Bots philosophy since 2017: people should converse, not fill forms. Conversations replace traditional UI forms.
---
## O
**ON** - BASIC keyword to define event handlers for triggers, schedules, or webhooks.
**OIDC** - OpenID Connect. Authentication protocol handled by the Directory service (Zitadel).
---
## P
**Package Manager** - Built-in system that installs bot packages. Drop a `.gbai` folder and it's automatically loaded.
**PARAM** - Declares tool parameters. `PARAM name, email` means the tool needs these inputs. LLM collects them automatically.
**PostgreSQL** - The database for General Bots. Stores users, sessions, messages, and bot configuration. Auto-installed and auto-configured.
**POST** - BASIC keyword to make HTTP POST requests to external APIs.
**Pragmatismo** - Brazilian software company that created and maintains General Bots.
---
## Q
**Qdrant** - Vector database for semantic search at scale. Optional component for large knowledge bases.
---
## R
**RAG** - Retrieval-Augmented Generation. Pattern where relevant documents are retrieved and provided to the LLM as context.
**Reranking** - Optional LLM-based scoring of search results for improved relevance. Adds latency but improves quality.
**Rhai** - Rust scripting engine that powers the BASIC interpreter. Sandboxed and safe.
**RRF** - Reciprocal Rank Fusion. Algorithm for combining rankings from multiple search methods in hybrid RAG.
**RUN PYTHON / JAVASCRIPT / BASH** - BASIC keywords to execute code in sandboxed environments.
---
## S
**SAVE** - BASIC keyword to write data to CSV files or database tables.
**Script** - A `.bas` file with BASIC code. `start.bas` is the entry point; other scripts are tools or utilities.
**Semantic Cache** - Caching system that matches similar (not just identical) queries to reuse LLM responses.
**Semantic Search** - Finding content by meaning rather than exact keywords. Powered by embeddings and vector similarity.
**SEND MAIL** - BASIC keyword to send emails with optional HTML and attachments.
**Session** - Active conversation state between user and bot. Expires after inactivity (default 30 minutes).
**Session Memory** - Temporary storage for the current conversation. Access with `SET` and `GET`.
**SET** - BASIC keyword to store values in session variables or update database records.
**SET BOT MEMORY** - BASIC keyword to store persistent bot-level data.
**SET CONTEXT** - BASIC keyword to add information to the LLM context. Influences all subsequent responses.
**SET SCHEDULE** - BASIC keyword for cron-based task scheduling. Accepts natural language like `"every monday at 9am"`.
**SET USER MEMORY** - BASIC keyword to store cross-session user data accessible from any bot.
**Sparse Search** - Keyword-based search using algorithms like BM25. Excels at exact matches and rare terms.
**SSE** - Server-Sent Events. Used for real-time streaming of LLM responses.
**Stalwart** - Email server component providing IMAP/SMTP/JMAP support.
**Suite** - The complete General Bots workspace application with Chat, Drive, Tasks, Mail, Calendar, and other apps.
**SWITCH** - BASIC keyword for multi-way conditional branching.
---
## T
**TALK** - BASIC keyword to send messages to the user. Supports text, markdown, and multimedia.
**Template** - Pre-built bot configuration in the `templates/` folder. Copy and modify to create new bots.
**Token** - Unit of text for LLMs. Roughly 4 characters. Context windows are measured in tokens.
**Tool** - A `.bas` file the LLM can call automatically. Define with `PARAM` declarations and a `DESCRIPTION`. Place in the `tools/` folder.
**TRANSFER CONVERSATION** - BASIC keyword to hand off the entire conversation to another bot.
---
## U
**UPDATE** - BASIC keyword to modify existing database records.
**USE KB** - BASIC keyword to activate a knowledge base for semantic search. `USE KB "policies"` makes the policies collection searchable.
**USE MODEL** - BASIC keyword to switch LLM models. Options: `"fast"`, `"quality"`, `"code"`, or `"auto"`.
**USE TOOL** - BASIC keyword to enable a tool for LLM use. The AI determines when to call it.
**User Memory** - Persistent storage scoped to a user, accessible across all bots and sessions.
---
## V
**Vault** - HashiCorp Vault. Secrets management service for storing credentials securely. Only `VAULT_*` environment variables are used.
**Vector** - Mathematical representation of meaning. Similar meanings produce similar vectors.
**Vector Database** - Database optimized for storing and searching embeddings. Qdrant is the default option.
---
## W
**WAIT** - BASIC keyword to pause execution for a specified duration.
**WEBHOOK** - BASIC keyword to create HTTP endpoints that trigger bot actions.
**WebSocket** - Real-time connection for chat. Enables instant messaging without polling. Path: `/ws`.
---
## Z
**Zitadel** - Identity and access management service. Handles authentication, users, and permissions.
