Author Portal
The Author Server is InSkill's editing portal that allows your team to make changes to your InSkill account without affecting the on-line production server.
To begin working on the author server, your administrator must first give you access. Once access is granted you can begin to work on the author server by first creating a product on the production server. This is done to create the product assay in the author portal. The author portal is exactly the same as production, however, the top has a red bar demonstrating its in author mode. In other words, products and components cannot be initially created in the author server and instead must be first created in the production server. Please note: Initial settings of the created product will be shown on the author server. Any secondary edits on production will not show up on author.

Author portal is evident by red bar found at the top of the screen under content tab (above)
Once edits are approved by management, they can be pushed to the production server by simply selecting "Push Product Changes" on the product's settings. Doing this will sync the edits done on author server to the production server. Please note that product changes can only be pushed and not pulled therefore it is critical to be sure the changes are finalized before syncing with the production server.
The Author Portal: Developing and Testing Content
The Author Portal is a dedicated staging environment designed as a "sandbox" for the authoring team. It allows you to create, refine, and verify content in a safe space before it is deployed to live production environments and end-users.
Identifying the Author Environment
To prevent accidental modifications to live data, the Author Portal is clearly distinguished from the production (Expert) portal:
- The URL: the web address will specifically denote the author server.
- The Red Bar: A prominent Red Navigation Bar at the top of the screen serves as a constant visual reminder that you are working in a staging area.
Editing and Managing Content
The Author Portal is initially populated by creating an exact copy of your production environment. Once active, it becomes the primary workspace for updating and refining your intelligence assets.
Core Authoring Capabilities:
Within this portal, you can create or modify the foundational elements of your industrial AI:
- Copilots: Adjust high-level settings and GPT configurations.
- Resources: Upload and manage the manuals, videos, and documents used as source material.
- Tasks: Build and edit interactive, step-by-step diagnostic procedures.
- Scripts: Develop custom logic for complex data retrieval or external integration.
- Solutions: Refine the "Gold Standard" answers used to ground the AI's responses.
Testing Your Content
Before pushing updates to production, you must verify the performance of two primary areas: GPT Interaction and Task Logic.

1. InSkill GPT Testing
When testing the GPT, simulate the real-world behavior of a technician in the field:
- Ask Natural Questions: Phrased queries should mirror what a user would ask under pressure.
- Verify Resources: Ensure the AI is accurately citing and pulling from the correct documents.
- Provide Feedback: If the GPT provides an incorrect or suboptimal answer, use the Comments or Thumbs Down feature. This specific action alerts the engineering team so the underlying issue can be addressed.
2. Task Logic Testing
Diagnostic tasks must be run through completely to ensure the workflow is technically sound:
- Dependency Check: Verify that "answer-dependent paths" function correctly. (e.g., If a user selects "Yes," does the next step reflect that choice accurately?)
- Escalation Verification: If you have implemented automatic escalations (such as creating a Salesforce or Dynamics ticket), trigger them during testing to confirm data is passing to the external system as designed.
Pushing Changes to Production
Once your copilot has been optimized and verified, it is ready for deployment. Deployment is handled on a per-copilot basis, providing granular control over your release schedule.
Steps to Deploy:
- Navigate to the specific Copilot you wish to update.
- Select the Settings tab.
- Locate the information prompt under the copilot name and click the Push Changes button.
Upon clicking, the Expert (Production) server will be updated to match your current Author version. Your users will immediately have access to the updated content within the Expert Portal.
Updated 9 days ago
