---
title: Turn your syllabus into a Q&A assistant
description: A five-minute quick win — upload one document and let it answer the logistics questions students ask most.
sidebar:
  label: Syllabus Q&A
  icon: file-text
---

Students ask the same logistics questions over and over: When are office hours? What's the late policy? When is the midterm? You can hand those off to an assistant in about five minutes with a single document — your syllabus.

:::note[Before you start]
You'll need an approved instructor account and your syllabus saved as a PDF or Word (`.docx`) file. New here? See [Getting started](/instructors).
:::

## Step 1 — Create the assistant

From your [dashboard](https://teachanything.ai/dashboard), click **New chatbot** and name it something like **"Course Q&A."** For the instructions, keep it focused on logistics:

> You are a helpful assistant for this course. Answer students' questions about
> the syllabus — schedule, deadlines, grading, office hours, and policies —
> using only the uploaded syllabus. Be concise and specific. If something isn't
> covered in the syllabus, say so and suggest the student email the instructor.

Click **Create**.

## Step 2 — Upload your syllabus

Open the assistant, click **Upload**, and add your syllabus file. Wait for it to finish processing (its status will say when it's ready).

That's the entire setup — one document is enough for this.

## Step 3 — Try the questions students actually ask

1. **Ask a logistics question**

    "When are office hours?" or "What happens if I turn in a lab late?" The
    answer should come straight from your syllabus.

2. **Turn on sources**

    Enable **Show sources** so students can see the answer came from the
    official syllabus — that builds trust.

:::tip[Keep it current]
When your syllabus changes, remove the old file and upload the new version. The assistant updates as soon as the new file finishes processing.
:::

## Step 4 — Share it

Turn on sharing in the assistant's settings, copy the link, and post it on your course page or pin it in your LMS. Students can ask it anything about the course logistics, any time.

## What's next

**[Go further](/tutorials/first-assistant)**

Add readings and slides to answer course *content* questions too, not just
logistics.

**[Embed it](/tutorials/embed-on-your-site)**

Put the Q&A assistant right on your course website.