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Understanding Orko

Orko is Teela's AI-powered query engine, and it's the brain behind how your plain-English questions turn into accurate data results. You don't need to understand databases, write SQL, or know how your data is structured. Orko handles all of that for you.

What Orko Does for You​

When you type a question into Teela, Orko takes it from there. Here's what happens from your perspective:

  • Understands your question. Orko reads your plain-English question and figures out what data you're looking for.
  • Knows your database. Orko understands the structure of your data, including which tables exist, how they relate to each other, and what columns contain what information.
  • Translates to the right query. Orko builds the right database query to get your answer, handling all the technical details behind the scenes.
  • Works across different databases. Whether your data lives in PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, or another supported database, Orko adjusts automatically. You don't need to know or care which database type your team uses.

How Orko Learns Your Business​

Orko doesn't just know databases in general. It knows your data specifically. That's because your admin trains it with information about your business:

  • Documentation that describes what your data means (for example, "the mrr column represents Monthly Recurring Revenue")
  • Aliases that map your team's everyday language to the right data (so when you say "revenue," Orko knows exactly which column to look at)
  • SQL examples that show Orko the right way to answer common questions for your specific data

This training is what makes Orko feel like it actually understands your business, not just your database.

Why Orko Gets Better Over Time​

Orko isn't static. It improves as your team uses it:

  • Admin training. Your admin can add new documentation, aliases, and examples at any time. As they do, Orko's understanding of your data grows.
  • Your feedback. When you give a thumbs up or thumbs down to a result, that signal helps Orko learn what's working and what needs improvement.
  • Growing knowledge. The more questions your team asks and the more training your admin provides, the smarter Orko gets about your particular data and terminology.

What Makes Orko Different From Writing SQL Yourself​

Even if you're comfortable with SQL, Orko offers some real advantages:

  • Business terminology. You can use your team's language ("churn rate," "ARR," "qualified leads") without needing to know the underlying column names.
  • Automatic joins. Orko knows how your tables relate to each other and connects them automatically. No need to remember which key links customers to orders.
  • Context awareness. When you ask a follow-up question, Orko remembers what you just asked and builds on it. No starting from scratch.
  • Error-free syntax. No more missing commas, mismatched parentheses, or wrong column names. Orko always produces valid queries.

What Orko Is Great At​

Orko handles a wide range of questions, but it particularly shines with:

  • Aggregations: totals, averages, counts, minimums, maximums ("What's the average order value?")
  • Filtering: narrowing down by date, status, region, or any other attribute ("Show me only active customers in California")
  • Multi-table queries: pulling together data from related tables ("Show me customer names alongside their order totals")
  • Time-based analysis: trends, comparisons across periods, month-over-month changes ("How did revenue change from Q1 to Q2?")
  • Grouping and breakdowns: seeing data sliced by category ("Break down sales by product line and region")

Tips for Working With Orko​

Here are a few simple ways to get the best results:

  1. Be specific. The clearer your question, the better Orko can answer it. "Total revenue by region for Q1" is much better than "show me some revenue data."

  2. Use your team's vocabulary. Your admin has trained Orko on your business terms, so don't hesitate to use them. If your team says "NPS score" or "active subscribers," go ahead and ask that way.

  3. Give feedback. Thumbs up and thumbs down are small actions that make a big difference. They help your admin understand where Orko needs more training, and they contribute to better results for everyone.

  4. Start simple and build up. Ask a straightforward question first, then use follow-ups to get more specific. This is often more effective than trying to pack everything into one complex question.

  5. Don't worry about phrasing. You don't need to phrase things in a special way. Just ask naturally, the way you'd ask a coworker.

The Feedback Loop​

Your feedback is genuinely valuable. Here's how it works:

  • Thumbs up tells Orko (and your admin) that the answer was spot-on. This reinforces the right behavior.
  • Thumbs down flags that something wasn't right. Your admin can see this feedback and use it to improve Orko's training.

Over time, this creates a positive cycle: you ask questions, give feedback, your admin refines the training, and Orko gets better at answering everyone's questions.

Keep Learning​