How to Enable Hierarchical KB Navigation in the Customer Portal
Use Hierarchical KB Navigation to display a category with its sections and any articles directly under the category on the same page. This makes it easier for customers to scan the structure, drill into a section, or open an article immediately.
What you’ll enable:
A Customer Portal setting named Show articles with category hierarchy. When it’s on, a category page renders:
- Section folders (each containing its articles)
- Articles that live directly under the category (not inside a section)
Prerequisites
- At least one category exists in your Knowledge Base.
- Optional but recommended: create sections under that category and publish a few articles both inside sections and directly under the category so you can verify the hierarchy immediately.
- Ensure your account has Admin access to Customer Portal settings.
Enable the Category Hierarchy View
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Go to Admin.
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Open Customer Portal → Knowledge Base tab.
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Enable Show articles with category hierarchy.
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Click Update to apply the change.
What Customers See in the Category page layout (hierarchy enabled)
When Show articles with category hierarchy is enabled, the Customer Portal category page displays:
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Left navigation: The selected category expands, showing its sections and any direct‑to‑category articles.
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Main content area:
- Section folders (e.g., Power & Battery, Troubleshooting & Diagnostics)
- Standalone article links placed directly under the category (not inside a section)
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Breadcrumbs and search: The breadcrumb trail (e.g., Home → Returns, Refunds & Exchanges) and the global Search Articles bar remain visible.
Behavior Details
- Depth supported: Category → Section → Article.
- Mixed placement: Articles directly under a category appear alongside section folders on the category page.
- Consistent navigation: The left sidebar and the main content area show the same hierarchy, helping users orient quickly.
- No agent‑side impact: This setting changes the Customer Portal experience; agent workspace navigation remains unchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is “Hierarchical KB Navigation” in BoldDesk?
It’s a Customer Portal layout that shows a category’s sections and any articles placed directly under that category on the same category page, so users can scan and open content faster.
2) How do I enable the option to show articles with category hierarchy?
- Go to Admin.
- Open Customer Portal → Knowledge Base.
- Toggle Show articles with category hierarchy On.
- Click Update.
- Hard‑refresh the portal (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R) to load the change.
3) What will customers see on a category page after the option to show articles with category hierarchy is enabled?
- Left navigation: The selected category expands, listing its sections and any articles placed directly under the category.
- Main content area: Shows section folders and standalone article links (not inside a section) together.
- Breadcrumbs and search: The breadcrumb trail and the global Search Articles bar remain visible.
