How to Configure Knowledge Base in BoldDesk Customer Portal
Setting up Knowledge Base configuration is a crucial process for managing content effectively. This guide provides a detailed walkthrough to help you configure articles seamlessly. The Knowledge Base portal has the following configuration:
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KB Home Configuration
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Article Configuration
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Enable AI Assistance in KB Search
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Enable Satisfaction Feedback
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SEO
To get these configurations, please ensure you have enabled Knowledge Base.
KB (Knowledge Base) Home Configuration
| Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| Banner Heading | The main headline text displayed on the top banner of the knowledge base home page. |
| Banner Description | Refers to the section at the top of a knowledge base page that provides key information about the portal. |
| Banner Text Color | Controls the color of the text in the banner heading and description. |
| Banner Background | Specifies the background color or gradient of the top banner section. |
| Background Color | Sets the background color for the entire portal page (outside the banner) to define the overall visual theme. |
| Background Image | Allows you to upload or set an image as the background of the portal or banner to add visual interest/branding to the knowledge base. |
| Show Popular Articles | Displays a section highlighting the most viewed or engaged articles. |
| Number of Articles to Show | Specifies how many articles are displayed in the portal per page. |
| This Portal Can Be Viewed By | Defines who can access the portal based on privacy: Logged-in users or All Users. |
| SEO | A section dedicated to configuring metadata that helps search engines index your portal properly, improving the visibility and discoverability of your knowledge base on search engines like Google. It includes Meta Title, Meta Description, and Open Graph. |
| OG Image | The image shown in social media link previews enhances visual appeal and improves engagement when users share the knowledge base. |
Article Configuration
| Article Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| Show author’s name | This will show the name of the article creator in the article from the customer portal. |
| Show published date | This option displays the date on which the article was originally published. Please note that when an article was published a year ago and updated, the published date will remain as 1 year ago. |
| Show last updated date | For articles that were published a while ago, you can update them and show the status as updated so your customers can see it has been updated. |
| Enable table of contents | This enables you to navigate within the article by a single click on the titles in the article’s details page. This helps you to see the subheadings you have. |
| Show related articles | Displays a list of articles that are contextually or topically related to the one currently being viewed. This helps users find additional relevant content and increases article discoverability. |
| Show recent articles | Shows the most recently published or updated articles in the knowledge base and informs about the latest content updates while promoting new information. |
| Show articles in the same category or section | Lists other articles from the same category or section as the current article. This improves navigation by allowing users to explore similar or grouped content without needing to go back to the category list. |
| Exclude agent view count on articles | Prevents article views by internal support agents from being counted in the article view metrics, ensuring view counts reflect actual customer engagement and not internal staff activity. |
| Show article tags | Displays tags associated with an article. This often improves searchability and lets users quickly find related content by tag. |
| Enable status indicator | This helps users to understand the current relevance or state of the article at a glance (updated, none, new). |
| Show share options - Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Email | Increases the reach of the knowledge base and enables users to easily share helpful articles. |
| Show estimated read time | Displays an estimate of how long it will take to read the article, based on word count. |
| Show comments | This encourages interaction, helps improve articles through user feedback, and may clarify common user doubts. |
| Show previous / next navigation | Displays two navigation cards at the end of the article labeled Previous Article and Next Article. Each card shows a left/right arrow and the adjacent article’s title. Clicking Previous Article opens the immediately previous article, and clicking Next Article opens the next article, based on the portal’s article order. |
| Show articles in the category hierarchy | Displays articles from the current category hierarchy, helping readers understand context and navigate across levels without going back to the full category view. |
| Show export PDF option | Provides a button to export or download the article as a PDF for offline reading, printing, or sharing while preserving the article’s formatting. |
Enable AI assistance in KB search
Enable Satisfaction Feedback
This feature allows you to collect feedback from customers about their experience with the articles.
SEO
Use the SEO section to manage how search engines and AI crawlers discover and index your Knowledge Base. It includes settings for Sitemap import, robots.txt, and AI URLs.
Sitemap and robots.txt generation are only available for portals mapped to a custom domain. The AI URLs (lims.txt and lims-full.txt) are also only available for portals mapped to custom domains.
Import Sitemap
Provide a publicly accessible XML sitemap so search engines can quickly discover and recrawl your KB pages. The portal will check this URL on the cadence you choose, helping search engines pick up new and updated articles without delay. You can point to your KB’s own sitemap or to one generated by an external site/CMS.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Change Frequency | How often the portal checks and imports your sitemap. |
| Sitemap URL | The full URL to your sitemap (e.g., https://yourcompany.bolddesk.com/sitemap.xml). |
Robots.txt
Control how crawlers access your portal by defining allow/deny rules and pointing them to your sitemap. The file is served at /robots.txt on your domain and, for custom‑domain portals, you can edit it directly here. Keep your directives minimal to avoid accidentally blocking important article or category paths.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| robots.txt editor | Edit the rules that tell crawlers what they can or can’t request. |
| Robots.txt URL | Public URL where your robots file is served (e.g., https://yourcompany.bolddesk.com/robots.txt). |
AI URLs
Expose machine‑readable endpoints—lims.txt and lims-full.txt—that help AI indexers discover your KB content. These URLs are auto‑generated, read‑only, and available only on custom‑domain portals. When an indexing service requests “AI URLs,” share these links; no additional configuration is required.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| lims.txt URL | Auto-generated URL exposed by the portal (custom domains only). |
| lims-full.txt URL | Auto-generated URL exposed by the portal (custom domains only). |
To set up knowledge base portal configuration, an agent must have the Manage Knowledge Base permission in the Admin module.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Knowledge Base (KB) configuration in BoldDesk?
Knowledge Base configuration is the process of customizing your KB portal and articles to improve user experience, branding, and content discoverability.
2. What sections can I configure in the Knowledge Base portal?
You can configure:
- KB Home Configuration (banner, background, popular articles, SEO)
- Article Configuration (display options, navigation, sharing)
- Enable AI Assistance in KB Search
- Enable Satisfaction Feedback
- SEO settings
3. What is KB Home Configuration?
KB Home Configuration allows you to customize the homepage of your Knowledge Base portal. You can set:
- Banner heading and description
- Banner text color and background
- Background color or image
- Show popular articles
- Define portal visibility (logged-in users or all users)
- SEO settings (Meta Title, Meta Description, Open Graph image)
4. What options are available under Article Configuration?
You can enable:
- Show author’s name, published date, and last updated date
- Table of contents for easy navigation
- Related and recent articles
- Article tags and status indicators
- Social share options (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Email)
- Estimated read time and comments
- Exclude agent view count for accurate metrics
5. How do I enable AI assistance in KB search?
In the KB configuration settings, toggle the option to enable AI assistance. This helps users get smarter, contextual search results.
6. What is Satisfaction Feedback in KB?
Satisfaction Feedback allows customers to rate their experience with articles, helping you measure content effectiveness and improve quality.
7. What SEO settings can I configure for the Knowledge Base?
You can set:
- Meta Title and Meta Description for search engines
- Open Graph image for social media previews
These settings improve KB visibility and engagement.
8. Who can configure the Knowledge Base portal?
Only agents with Manage Knowledge Base permission in the Admin module can configure KB settings.
