Ask a question. Get the answer from your own PDFs.
Staff type a question in plain English. Sentra CMS reads every city PDF and set of CivicCA minutes they’re allowed to see and answers with the document and page each fact came from.
What it looks like on a normal day
- When
“How much did we approve for paving Spring Street?”
Then$29,800, from the April 21, 2026 Board minutes — with a link to the exact page.
- When
“What’s the side-yard setback in a residential district?”
ThenThe answer from the zoning ordinance PDF, citing the section and page.
- When
The answer isn’t in any document
ThenIt says so, and lists the closest documents instead of guessing.
Answers with receipts
Every PDF in Documents — drafts and archived ones too — plus meeting minutes from CivicCA. Each sentence in the answer carries a numbered citation to the document and page.
- Department-limited: staff only see answers from documents they can view
- New and replaced PDFs are read within a minute; everything re-checked nightly
- Scanned PDFs without text are listed so you can fix them in PDF check
Questions
Is this public?
No. Ask the documents is for signed-in staff. Residents use Ask the city, which answers only from your published site.
Can it make things up?
Answers come only from your documents and cite their pages. When the documents don’t say, it tells you so. Check the source before relying on an answer.
Related features
AI assistant & content advisor
A staff assistant that only drafts, “Ask the city” for residents (answers only from your site, routes the rest), and a content advisor.
Learn moreDocuments & PDF check
Every upload is checked. Failing PDFs are held, fixed with SentraCheck, or turned into web pages.
Learn moreMeetings & calendars (CivicCA)
CivicCA agendas, minutes and video on your site, department calendars, and website updates suggested from minutes.
Learn moreSee Sentra CMS with your own website
We’ll scan your current site for free, then show you what it looks like on Sentra CMS, accessible from day one.