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The Frappe Helpdesk knowledge base enables you to create and publish articles that help customers find answers to common questions without contacting support.

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Overview

The knowledge base consists of:
  • Articles: Individual help documents with rich content
  • Categories: Organizational structure for grouping related articles
  • Search: Full-text search to help users find relevant content
  • Feedback: Article ratings to measure helpfulness

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Setting Up Categories

Categories help organize your knowledge base and make it easy for users to browse related topics.
1

Create Your First Category

Navigate to Knowledge Base in the agent interface. The system automatically creates a “General” category when you first access the knowledge base.To create additional categories:
  1. Click “New Category”
  2. Enter a descriptive category name
  3. The system creates the category and a placeholder article
2

Organize Categories

Plan your category structure based on:
  • Product features or modules
  • Common support topics
  • User personas or roles
  • Issue types or departments
Example category structure:
  • Getting Started
  • Account Management
  • Billing & Payments
  • Troubleshooting
  • Advanced Features
3

Manage Category Hierarchy

While Frappe Helpdesk uses a flat category structure, you can use naming conventions to create logical groupings:
  • “Billing - Subscriptions”
  • “Billing - Invoices”
  • “Billing - Payment Methods”
Each category must contain at least one article. You cannot delete a category if it’s the last one, or if it would leave articles orphaned.

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Creating Articles

Articles are the core of your knowledge base. They should be clear, concise, and actionable.
1

Create a New Article

  1. Navigate to the desired category
  2. Click “New Article” or use the article creation button
  3. Enter a descriptive title that clearly indicates what the article covers
2

Write Content

Use the rich text editor to create your article content:
  • Headings: Structure your content with H2 and H3 headings
  • Lists: Use bullet points and numbered lists for step-by-step instructions
  • Images: Add screenshots and diagrams to illustrate concepts
  • Links: Reference related articles and external resources
  • Code Blocks: Include code snippets for technical articles
  • Tables: Organize data in a clear, scannable format
3

Set Article Metadata

Configure article settings:
  • Title: Clear, descriptive title (appears in search results)
  • Category: Assign to the appropriate category
  • Status: Draft or Published
  • Author: Automatically set to the creator
4

Preview Before Publishing

Review your article to ensure:
  • Content is accurate and up-to-date
  • Formatting is correct
  • Images and links work properly
  • Instructions are clear and complete
5

Publish the Article

Change the status to “Published” to make the article visible to customers. Only published articles appear in:
  • Knowledge base search results
  • Category listings on the customer portal
  • Article suggestions when creating tickets

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Article Management

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Editing Articles

Keep your knowledge base current by regularly updating articles:
  1. Open the article in edit mode
  2. Make your changes
  3. Save the article
  4. The modified timestamp updates automatically
Draft articles are only visible to agents, allowing you to prepare content before publishing.

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Moving Articles Between Categories

Reorganize your knowledge base as needed:
1

Select Articles to Move

From the article list, select one or more articles to move.
2

Choose Target Category

Click “Move to Category” and select the destination category.
3

Confirm the Move

The system validates that the source category will still have at least one article after the move.
See the implementation in helpdesk/api/knowledge_base.py:62-81.

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Deleting Articles

Deleting articles is permanent. Consider changing the status to “Draft” instead of deleting if you might need the content later.
  1. Select the articles to delete
  2. Click the delete button
  3. Confirm the deletion
The delete functionality is implemented in helpdesk/api/knowledge_base.py:47-49.

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Category Management

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Merging Categories

Consolidate categories when your knowledge base structure evolves:
1

Identify Categories to Merge

Determine which categories should be combined. For example, merging “Email Setup” and “Email Configuration” into a single “Email” category.
2

Select Target Category

Choose which category will remain after the merge.
3

Merge Categories

The system:
  • Moves all articles from the source category to the target
  • Deletes the source category
  • Updates article counts
Implementation: helpdesk/api/knowledge_base.py:115-133
You cannot merge the “General” category, as it’s the default category for the knowledge base.

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Search Configuration

The knowledge base uses full-text search to help users find relevant articles quickly.

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Search Features

  • Title Matching: Prioritizes articles with query terms in the title
  • Content Search: Searches article body text
  • Relevance Ranking: Orders results by relevance score
  • Instant Results: Returns results as users type

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Improving Search Results

Optimize your articles for better discoverability:
  1. Use Clear Titles: Include keywords users might search for
  2. Add Synonyms: Use common terminology in addition to technical terms
  3. Structure Content: Use headings that match common questions
  4. Update Regularly: Keep articles current to maintain relevance

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Article Feedback

Gather feedback to improve your knowledge base quality.

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How Feedback Works

  • Users can rate articles as helpful or not helpful
  • Feedback is tracked per user to prevent duplicate ratings
  • Aggregate feedback helps identify articles that need improvement
Implementation: helpdesk/api/knowledge_base.py:11-43

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Using Feedback Data

1

Monitor Article Performance

Review feedback ratings to identify:
  • Highly-rated articles (good examples to follow)
  • Low-rated articles (candidates for improvement)
  • Articles with no ratings (may need better promotion)
2

Improve Low-Rated Articles

For articles with negative feedback:
  • Review the content for accuracy
  • Add more detail or examples
  • Improve formatting and structure
  • Add screenshots or videos
3

Promote Helpful Articles

Reference highly-rated articles in:
  • Ticket responses
  • Email signatures
  • Onboarding materials
  • Training documentation

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Article Views and Analytics

Track article usage to understand what content is most valuable:
  • View Count: Number of times an article has been viewed
  • View Tracking: Implemented with rate limiting to prevent inflation (see helpdesk/api/knowledge_base.py:149-153)
  • Popular Articles: Identify frequently accessed content
View counts are rate-limited to once per hour per user to ensure accurate metrics.

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Customer Portal Integration

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Article Display

Published articles appear in the customer portal:
  • Browse by Category: Organized category view with article counts
  • Search: Full-text search across all published articles
  • Article View: Clean, readable layout with feedback options

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Suggesting Articles

When customers create tickets, the system can suggest relevant knowledge base articles based on:
  • Keywords in the ticket subject
  • Ticket type or category
  • Previously viewed articles
Enable this feature in HD Settings under “Knowledge Base” > “Prefer Knowledge Base”.

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Agent Access

Agents have additional capabilities:
  • View Draft Articles: Access unpublished content
  • Create and Edit: Full editorial control
  • Quick Reference: Insert article links in ticket responses
  • Analytics: View article statistics and feedback

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Best Practices

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Content Strategy

  1. Start with FAQs: Convert frequently asked questions into articles
  2. Document Solutions: Turn ticket resolutions into knowledge base articles
  3. Use Templates: Create article templates for consistency
  4. Maintain Quality: Review and update articles quarterly
  5. Get Feedback: Ask customers what topics they need help with

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Writing Tips

  1. Be Specific: Use concrete examples and specific instructions
  2. Keep it Simple: Write in plain language, avoid jargon
  3. Use Visuals: Screenshots and diagrams improve comprehension
  4. Structure Content: Break long articles into sections
  5. Include Search Terms: Use words customers actually search for
  6. Test Instructions: Verify that steps work as written

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Organization

  1. Logical Categories: Group related topics together
  2. Consistent Naming: Use a clear, consistent naming scheme
  3. Avoid Duplication: Maintain one authoritative article per topic
  4. Link Related Content: Cross-reference related articles
  5. Archive Old Content: Remove or update outdated articles

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Maintenance

  1. Regular Reviews: Schedule quarterly content audits
  2. Update for Changes: Revise articles when features change
  3. Monitor Feedback: Address low-rated articles promptly
  4. Track Metrics: Analyze views and search terms
  5. Prune Unused Content: Remove articles that aren’t helpful

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Integration with Tickets

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Referencing Articles in Responses

When responding to tickets, agents can:
  1. Search for relevant articles
  2. Insert article links into responses
  3. Help customers find answers themselves
This reduces response time and empowers customers to solve future issues independently.

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Building the Knowledge Base from Tickets

Use tickets as source material:
  1. Identify common questions from ticket data
  2. Document solutions to frequent issues
  3. Create articles based on detailed resolutions
  4. Link back to the original ticket for context

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