Managing Article Visibility in BoldDesk
Article visibility in BoldDesk determines who can access a specific knowledge base article in the customer portal. These settings allow you to create public documentation, internal content, or targeted articles for specific agent or contact groups.
This guide explains all supported article visibility options, how category visibility affects article visibility, and the permissions required to manage these settings.
What Is Article Visibility?
Article visibility defines which users can access a knowledge base article. BoldDesk enforces strict rules to ensure articles remain consistent with the visibility of their parent category.
Article visibility can never exceed the visibility of the category it belongs to, meaning the category sets the maximum allowable visibility for all articles under it. For example, if a category is restricted to agents only, all articles within that category must stay restricted to agents, regardless of the article’s own visibility setting.
Supported Article Visibility Levels
Visibility levels allow you to target specific groups of users.
The table below summarizes all available article visibility options in BoldDesk.
Article Visibility Options
| Visibility Level | Who Can View the Article | Notes / Restrictions |
|---|---|---|
| Any Users | Everyone, including anonymous visitors | Available only if the parent category also allows access to “Any Users.” |
| Logged‑in Users | Authenticated customer portal users | Must remain within the category’s visibility limits. |
| Any Agents | All agents in the BoldDesk workspace | Common for internal‑only content. |
| Specific Agent Groups | Only selected agent groups | Useful for role‑based internal documentation. |
| Specific Contact Groups | Only selected customer contact groups | Restricted by category visibility hierarchy. |
In BoldDesk, visibility settings for specific agent groups and specific contact groups are available only at the category level and not at the article level.
Editing Article Visibility
Follow these steps to configure article visibility:
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Go to the Knowledge Base module.
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Open the article you want to edit or click Create Article.
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In the Article Settings panel, locate the Visibility dropdown.
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Choose the appropriate visibility option.
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Save or publish the article.
BoldDesk will automatically prevent you from selecting visibility levels that exceed the category’s restrictions.
How Category Visibility Controls Article Visibility
Category visibility sets the maximum allowed visibility for all articles in that category.
Because of this:
- Articles cannot be more visible than the category.
- Articles inherit the category’s access limitations.
- Public articles must reside in public categories.
- Internal‑only categories ensure all articles inside them stay internal.
BoldDesk also clarifies that you cannot hide only specific sections of an article—visibility applies to the entire article.
Explore further instructions about Managing Knowledge Base Categories Visibility in BoldDesk.
Permissions Required to Manage Article Visibility
BoldDesk uses role‑based permissions to control which agents can modify knowledge base content.
Key Permission Rules
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Agents must have KB access enabled through role permissions to edit articles.
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Inside the agent portal, visibility restrictions do not apply; access is controlled entirely by permissions, not article visibility.
This ensures internal users can manage KB content efficiently without being restricted by customer‑facing visibility rules.
Best Practices for Managing Article Visibility
- Match article visibility to the intended audience (public, internal, or group‑specific).
- Keep sensitive information restricted to agent groups or specific contact groups.
- Periodically review visibility levels to ensure compliance with organizational policies.
- Structure categories carefully—because category visibility sets the upper boundary for article visibility.
FAQs
1. Can an article be visible to more users than its category?
No, article visibility cannot exceed the visibility defined for its parent category.
2. Can I hide only certain sections of an article?
No, visibility applies to the entire article. Partial section hiding is not supported.
3. Do article visibility settings apply to agents in the agent portal?
No, agent access in the agent portal is controlled solely by role permissions, not by category or article visibility.
4. Can I assign different visibility levels to different articles within the same category?
Yes, as long as the article’s visibility does not exceed the category’s visibility.
5. Can restricted articles appear in search results for unauthorized users?
No, articles only appear in customer portal search results for users who have permission to view them.
