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The Knowledge Base is a self-service library of articles, guides, and documentation that helps customers find answers without contacting support.

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Overview

A well-maintained knowledge base:
  • Reduces support ticket volume
  • Provides instant answers 24/7
  • Improves customer satisfaction
  • Scales support without adding agents
  • Creates a searchable resource library

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Article Structure

Each knowledge base article contains:

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Core Fields

  • Title: Clear, descriptive article name
  • Content: Rich text article body with formatting
  • Category: Organizational grouping
  • Status: Draft, Published, or Archived
  • Author: Article creator
  • Views: Track article popularity
  • Published On: Publication timestamp

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Article Lifecycle

1

Draft

Create and edit content without making it public
2

Published

Make article visible to customers and agents
3

Archived

Remove outdated articles from search without deletion

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Creating Articles

Agents can create knowledge base articles:
1

Navigate to Knowledge Base

Go to /kb in the agent portal
2

Click New Article

Start creating a new article
3

Add Title

Write a clear, searchable title describing the topic
4

Choose Category

Select appropriate category for organization
5

Write Content

Use the rich text editor to create the article
6

Preview & Publish

Review the article and change status to “Published”

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Content Editor Features

The article editor supports:

Rich Formatting

Bold, italic, headings, lists, quotes, code blocks

Images & Media

Upload images, videos, and other visual content

Links

Internal article links and external resources

Tables

Organize data in structured tables
Use headings to structure long articles. This improves readability and helps with search optimization.

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Article Categories

Organize articles into logical categories:

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Category Management

  • Create hierarchical category structure
  • Assign multiple articles to categories
  • Custom icons for visual identification
  • Description for category purpose

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Category Examples

Common Categories:
  - Getting Started
  - Account Management
  - Troubleshooting
  - Billing & Payments
  - Features & How-To
  - FAQs
  - API Documentation
Well-organized categories make it easier for customers to find relevant articles without searching.

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Publishing Articles

Control article visibility with status:

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Draft Status

  • Article is being written or edited
  • Not visible to customers
  • Visible to agents for collaboration
  • No publication date

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Published Status

  • Immediately available to customers and agents
  • Appears in search results
  • Accessible via direct link
  • Publication timestamp recorded

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Archived Status

  • Removed from active listings
  • Not in search results
  • Still accessible via direct link
  • Preserves historical content
Archive outdated articles rather than deleting them. This preserves links and allows agents to reference old information.

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Agent Knowledge Base View

Agents have full access to manage articles:

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Article List

  • View all articles regardless of status
  • Filter by status, category, author
  • Sort by views, date, title
  • Search across all content
  • Quick edit and publish actions

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Article Editor

Full editing capabilities:
  • Rich text formatting
  • Media uploads
  • Category assignment
  • Status changes
  • SEO-friendly URLs

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Article Analytics

  • View count tracking
  • Search term analysis (if configured)
  • Customer feedback (helpful/not helpful)
  • Related ticket reduction

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Customer Knowledge Base View

Customers see a simplified, user-friendly interface:

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Homepage

Search Bar

Prominent search for quick answers

Popular Articles

Most viewed or helpful articles

Categories

Browse by topic

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Search Functionality

Powerful search features:
  • Full-text search: Search article titles and content
  • Instant results: As-you-type suggestions
  • Relevance ranking: Best matches first
  • Highlighting: Search terms highlighted in results

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Article View

Clean reading experience:
  • Full article content with formatting
  • Table of contents for long articles
  • Related articles suggestions
  • Feedback buttons (helpful/not helpful)
  • “Contact Support” link if article doesn’t help
Customers only see published articles. Draft and archived articles are hidden from customer view.

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Integrating with Tickets

Agents can reference articles when replying to tickets: 
You can find detailed steps here:
[How to Reset Your Password](/kb/articles/reset-password)
This helps customers and reduces repetitive explanations.

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Article Suggestions

Some configurations show related articles:
  • When creating tickets (reduce ticket creation)
  • In ticket sidebar (help agents find solutions)
  • After ticket resolution (prevent future tickets)

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Creating Articles from Tickets

1

Identify Common Issue

Notice the same question being asked repeatedly
2

Resolve Ticket

Solve the customer’s problem
3

Create Article

Document the solution in the knowledge base
4

Link in Future Tickets

Reference the article when similar tickets arrive

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Article Feedback

Gather customer input on article quality:

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Feedback Mechanism

  • “Was this helpful?” buttons (Yes/No)
  • Optional comment field
  • Track feedback over time

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Using Feedback

Update articles with low positive feedback

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Search & Discovery

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For Customers

Search Methods:
  • Search bar on knowledge base home
  • Category browsing
  • Popular/featured articles
  • Related article links
Search Tips for Customers:
  • Use specific keywords
  • Try different phrasings
  • Check multiple articles for complete understanding

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For Agents

Advanced Search:
  • Search all articles including drafts
  • Filter by status and category
  • Search by author
  • Find articles by ID

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Best Practices for Article Writing

Use descriptive titles that match how customers search. “How to reset your password” is better than “Password issues”.
Put the answer at the top. Don’t make customers read through background before finding what they need.
Visual guides are easier to follow than text descriptions alone.
Review articles regularly and update when features change.
Match the technical level to your customers. Avoid jargon unless necessary.
Real examples make abstract concepts concrete.
Tell customers what to do if the article doesn’t solve their problem.

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Article Structure Template

A well-structured article includes: 
# Article Title

## Overview
Brief description of what this article covers.

## Before You Begin
Prerequisites or things to know first.

## Step-by-Step Instructions
1. First step with screenshot
2. Second step with screenshot
3. Third step...

## Common Issues
- Problem: [issue]
  Solution: [fix]

## Related Articles
- [Link to related topic]
- [Link to next steps]

## Still Need Help?
If this article didn't solve your problem, [contact support](link).

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Organizing Your Knowledge Base

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Category Strategy

1

Identify Main Topics

Group similar articles into broad categories
2

Create Subcategories

Break down broad topics into specific areas
3

Avoid Over-Categorizing

Too many categories makes navigation difficult
4

Use Descriptive Names

Category names should be immediately clear
Getting Started:
  - Quick Start Guide
  - Account Setup
  - First Steps

Features:
  - Feature Guides
  - How-To Articles
  - Best Practices

Troubleshooting:
  - Common Issues
  - Error Messages
  - Diagnostic Steps

Account & Billing:
  - Account Settings
  - Billing Questions
  - Subscription Management

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Article Maintenance

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Regular Review Process

Monthly Review

Check article feedback and update poor performers

Quarterly Audit

Verify all articles are current and accurate

After Updates

Update articles when product changes

Feedback Response

Address customer comments and suggestions

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Article Retirement

When features change or content becomes outdated:
  1. Don’t delete immediately - Archive instead
  2. Add deprecation notice - Note at top of article
  3. Redirect if possible - Link to updated article
  4. Update related articles - Remove links to deprecated content

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Permissions & Access

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Agent Roles

  • Agents: Can create, edit, and publish articles
  • Agent Managers: Full article management access
  • System Managers: Complete knowledge base control

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Customer Access

  • View published articles only
  • Search and browse categories
  • Provide feedback on articles
  • Cannot edit or create articles

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Guest Access

Some organizations allow:
  • Public knowledge base access
  • No login required to read articles
  • Useful for SEO and discovery
Guest access can be configured in knowledge base settings.

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SEO Considerations

Optimize articles for search engines:
  • Title tags: Include keywords naturally
  • URLs: Clean, descriptive slugs
  • Headings: Use proper heading hierarchy
  • Internal links: Link between related articles
  • Meta descriptions: Clear article summaries

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Analytics & Metrics

Track knowledge base performance:

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Key Metrics

  • Total Views: Overall article usage
  • Top Articles: Most viewed content
  • Search Terms: What customers look for
  • Feedback Ratio: Helpful vs not helpful
  • Ticket Deflection: Reduced ticket creation

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Success Indicators

Articles solving common problems get many views

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Multilingual Support

If your organization serves multiple languages:
  • Create articles in each language
  • Use consistent categorization
  • Link translated versions together
  • Maintain all versions when updating

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Mobile Optimization

The knowledge base is responsive:
  • Mobile-friendly article layout
  • Touch-optimized navigation
  • Fast loading on mobile networks
  • Easy search on small screens
Test articles on mobile devices to ensure images and formatting work well on small screens.

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Integration Points

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Portal Integration

  • Embedded in customer portal
  • Accessible without login (if configured)
  • Linked from ticket creation flow

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Ticket Integration

  • Link articles in agent replies
  • Suggest articles based on ticket content
  • Create articles from ticket resolutions

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Search Integration

  • Combined search with tickets
  • Unified search results
  • Article suggestions in ticket search

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Common Use Cases

Product Documentation

Feature guides, tutorials, and how-tos

FAQs

Frequently asked questions and answers

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions

Policies

Terms of service, privacy policy, SLAs

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