Omni Blobby: subject-matter playbook (creation spec)
Spec for creating a repeatable playbook so each subject-matter area (for example revenue, support, product usage) is documented and implemented consistently for Blobby, Omni’s AI assistant.
Audience: Domain owners (analytics, data, or business) plus someone who can edit the shared semantic model (Modeler or Connection Admin).
How Blobby “learns”
Blobby does not use a separate ML training pipeline. Accuracy comes from configuring the Omni semantic model: topics, field visibility, labels, synonyms, explicit AI instructions, and example queries.
Impact order (strongest first): ai_context → ai_fields → sample_queries → synonyms → field labels and descriptions.
References: Optimizing models for AI, Omni AI overview.
What good looks like
For each subject area, Blobby should:
- Map how people actually ask (slang, acronyms, “revenue” vs “sales”) to the right fields and filters.
- Respect non-obvious rules (grain, definitions, time zone, what counts as “active”, etc.).
- Avoid irrelevant or internal-only fields when the model is large.
- Be verifiable with a short test matrix of questions and expected query behavior.
Scope template (one playbook per subject area)
| Section | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Business definition | What this area covers and what it explicitly excludes. |
| Primary topics/views | Which Omni topics and views Blobby should use (topic names, base views). |
| Key questions | 5–15 real questions stakeholders ask. Use Analytics → AI usage in Omni when available. |
| Terminology map | Business term → view.field (include timeframes such as created_at[month] where relevant). |
| Data nuances | Grain (for example row = line item vs order), default filters, UTC vs local time, known caveats. |
| Fields to expose or hide | Must-include and must-exclude patterns for ai_fields (or tag negations). |
| Synonyms | Per important dimension/measure: abbreviations and alternate names. |
| Sample queries | 3–5 golden questions with correct query structure (build in a workbook first, then encode in YAML). |
| Test plan | Questions to re-run in Blobby after changes; pass/fail and follow-up edits. |
Deliverables
- Written playbook using the scope template (location per team convention: Notion, Confluence, or this repo).
- Model changes in the shared model (Omni UI or Model YAML API), typically:
ai_contexton relevant topic(s) (terminology, nuances, behavior).synonymson critical dimensions and measures.ai_fieldswhen the model is noisy or too large.sample_querieswith realistic prompts and validqueryblocks.- Optional: an AI-specific topic using
extendsfor a curated Blobby surface — see topic parameters.
- Field descriptions where labels alone are ambiguous — see synonyms and modeling.
- Verification record: test questions, expected outcome, date, and owner sign-off.
Process (for the playbook author)
- Discover — Inventory topics and views for this area; note existing
ai_context,ai_fields, andsample_queries. - Harvest language — Collect real phrases from stakeholders and from Omni AI usage analytics when possible.
- Draft
ai_context— Terminology map, grain and definitions, default behaviors (for example “top N”, trend granularity). - Curate fields — Add
ai_fields(wildcards, negation, tags) if Blobby is distracted by irrelevant views. - Add synonyms — Field-level alternates; keep narrative and cross-field rules in
ai_context. - Author
sample_queries— Build correct queries in a workbook, then copy structure into topic YAML (prompt, optional extraai_context,query). - Polish descriptions — Especially enums, status values, money, and dates.
- Optional narrow topic — If one topic is still too broad, add an
extendstopic labeled for AI with a tight field list. - Test — Run the test plan; iterate
ai_contextand examples until stable. - Govern — Document intent in commit messages; record who owns updates when the warehouse or business definitions change.
Prerequisites and constraints
- Permissions: Modeler or Connection Admin for model/API edits.
- Layers: Changes usually target the shared model (API
mode: extension). Know the difference from schema-only and workbook-only layers — see Omni modeling. - API: Set
OMNI_BASE_URLand API key; use{base}/openapi.jsonto verify endpoints and schemas when automating.
Documentation links
| Topic | Link |
|---|---|
| Optimizing models for AI | https://docs.omni.co/ai/optimize-models.md |
| Omni AI | https://docs.omni.co/ai.md |
| Synonyms | https://docs.omni.co/modeling/dimensions/parameters/synonyms |
| Topic parameters | https://docs.omni.co/modeling/topics/parameters.md |
| Model YAML API | https://docs.omni.co/api/models.md |
Optional RACI
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Domain owner | Vocabulary, definitions, approval of “correct” answers |
| Modeling owner | YAML changes, ai_fields, synonyms, sample query encoding |
| QA | Runs test plan in Blobby after each promotion |