Understanding the Knowledge Base Module in BoldDesk
The Knowledge Base module provides a central workspace for creating, organizing, reviewing, publishing, and maintaining support content in BoldDesk.
Organizations can use the Knowledge Base to:
- Publish customer self-service articles.
- Maintain internal documentation for agents.
- Organize content by brand, language, category, and section.
- Manage article review and publishing workflows.
- Monitor article activity and feedback.
- Feature important articles in the Customer Portal.
- Restore or permanently delete removed articles.
- Knowledge Base access in the Agent Portal depends on the permissions assigned to the agent’s role.
- Article visibility in the Customer Portal depends on the selected brand, publication status, category visibility, article visibility, expiration date, and Customer Portal Knowledge Base settings.
Access the Knowledge Base
Open the Knowledge Base module from the left navigation menu in the BoldDesk Agent Portal.
The available areas and actions depend on the Knowledge Base permissions assigned to the signed-in user.
Knowledge Base Areas
| Area | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Articles | Find and manage articles by ownership, review stage, publication status, or expiration. |
| Manage Articles | Organize categories, sections, and articles in a hierarchical structure. |
| Article Templates | Create and manage reusable article structures. |
| Featured Articles | Select and arrange articles highlighted in the Customer Portal. |
| Deleted Articles | Restore deleted articles or remove them permanently. |
Common Controls
Brand and Language
Use the Brand and Language selectors to control the content displayed in the Knowledge Base workspace.
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Brand | Displays Knowledge Base content associated with the selected brand. |
| Language | Displays the primary or translated content available for the selected language. |
Confirm the selected brand and language before creating, editing, featuring, restoring, or permanently deleting content.
Create Menu
Use Create to add a Knowledge Base resource.
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| Article | Opens the Create Article page. |
| Category | Creates a top-level container for organizing sections and articles. |
| Template | Creates a reusable structure for new articles. |
Every article must belong to an existing category or section.
For detailed structure-management instructions, explore Organizing Knowledge Base: Categories and Sections in BoldDesk.
Articles
The Articles area is the main workspace for finding and managing articles throughout their lifecycle.
Article List Controls
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Search | Finds an article using supported information such as Article ID or title. |
| Filter | Narrows the article list using selected conditions. |
| Sort By | Arranges articles using the selected sorting option. |
| Export | Exports article information for review, reporting, or record keeping. |
| Column Chooser | Controls which supported article fields appear in the list. |
Article Views
| View | Content Displayed |
|---|---|
| All Articles | All articles available within the current access scope, brand, and language. |
| My Articles | Articles associated with the signed-in user. |
| In Draft | Articles that are being prepared or updated but are not published. |
| My Review | Articles assigned to the signed-in user for review. |
| In Review | Articles currently in the review process. |
| Approved | Articles that have completed review and are ready for publication. |
| Published | Published articles available to users permitted by their visibility settings. |
| Expired | Articles whose configured expiration date has passed. |
The content shown in each view depends on the signed-in user’s permissions, access scope, selected brand, and selected language.
Manage Articles
The Manage Articles area displays the Knowledge Base hierarchy.
Use this area to:
-
Browse Categories, Sections, and articles.
-
Search by Category, Section, or article name.
-
Create content in a selected location.
-
Open articles for management.
-
Reorder supported Knowledge Base items.
Search and Reorder
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Search | Locates a Category, Section, or article within the hierarchy. |
| Reorder | Changes the display order of supported Categories, Sections, or articles. |
Article Information
The available article information can include:
| Information | Description |
|---|---|
| Article Title | The article’s title. |
| Status | The current lifecycle or publication state. |
| Last Modified | The most recent modification date and time. |
| Modified By | The agent who last updated the article. |
| Views | The recorded article view count. |
| Comments | The number of article comments. |
| Likes | The number of positive ratings. |
| Dislikes | The number of negative ratings. |
Use engagement information to identify:
- Frequently viewed articles.
- Content receiving customer feedback.
- Articles that may require clarification.
- Topics that should be reviewed regularly.
Views, comments, likes, and dislikes indicate article activity. Review the article content and feedback before deciding whether an update is required.
Article Templates
The Article Templates area contains reusable article structures.
Templates help authors:
- Apply a consistent format.
- Standardize required headings and sections.
- Reduce repeated setup.
- Create articles faster.
- Improve documentation consistency.
Use the search option to locate a template by name.
For detailed instructions, explore How to Create and Use Knowledge Base Article Templates.
Featured Articles
The Featured Articles area controls the articles highlighted on the Customer Portal Knowledge Base home page.
Common uses include:
- Getting-started guides.
- Frequently asked questions.
- Important support instructions.
- Product announcements.
- Recommended troubleshooting articles.
Featured Articles are managed separately for each brand.
- Adding an article under Featured Articles does not display the featured section automatically.
- Enable Show featured articles in the Customer Portal Knowledge Base settings for the selected brand.
Only published articles that are visible to the applicable Customer Portal users should be featured.
For detailed instructions, learn more about How to Manage Featured Articles in the BoldDesk Customer Portal.
Deleted Articles
The Deleted Articles area contains articles removed from the active Knowledge Base.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Restore | Returns the selected article to the Knowledge Base. |
| Delete Forever | Permanently removes the selected article. |
Restore an Article
Use Restore when an article was deleted accidentally or must be used again.
Confirm the selected brand and language before restoring multilingual content.
For detailed instructions, learn How to Restore Deleted Articles in the Knowledge Base.
Delete an Article Permanently
Use Delete Forever only when the article should not be recoverable.
- Permanently deleted articles cannot be restored.
- For multilingual content, confirm whether the selected action affects only one translation or the primary article and its related translations.
Knowledge Base Structure
BoldDesk organizes Knowledge Base content in the following hierarchy:
- Brand
- Category
- Article
- Section
- Article
- Category
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Brand | Separates Knowledge Base content for different products, portals, or business units. |
| Category | Provides the top-level grouping for Sections and articles. |
| Section | Organizes related content within a Category and can contain nested Sections. |
| Article | Contains customer-facing or internal support information. |
| Template | Provides a reusable starting structure for new articles. |
Customer Portal Relationship
Published Knowledge Base content appears in the Customer Portal according to:
- Selected brand.
- Publication status.
- Category visibility.
- Article visibility.
- Expiration date.
- Customer Portal Knowledge Base settings.
- Visitor authentication and access.
The Customer Portal Knowledge Base can include:
- Search.
- Categories and Sections.
- Articles.
- Popular articles.
- Featured articles.
- Recent and related articles.
- Comments and feedback.
- AI assistance in Knowledge Base search, when configured.
For configuration instructions, explore How to Configure Knowledge Base in the BoldDesk Customer Portal.
Troubleshooting
An Article Is Missing from the Article List
Confirm that:
- The correct brand is selected.
- The correct language is selected.
- The article is not in another lifecycle view.
- Filters do not exclude the article.
- Your role has access to the article.
A Published Article Is Missing from the Customer Portal
Confirm that:
- The Knowledge Base is enabled for the selected brand.
- The article is published.
- The Category and article visibility allow access.
- The article has not expired.
- The visitor meets the configured access requirements.
- Customer Portal Knowledge Base settings allow the content to appear.
A Featured Article Is Not Displayed
Confirm that:
- The article is published.
- The article is visible to the portal visitor.
- The correct brand is selected.
- The article is included under Featured Articles.
- Show featured articles is enabled in the Customer Portal settings.
An Article Is Missing from My Review
Confirm that:
- The article was sent for review.
- The article was assigned to you.
- The correct brand and language are selected.
- Your role includes the required review permission.
Restore or Delete Forever Is Unavailable
Confirm that:
- You are in Deleted Articles.
- At least one article is selected.
- Your role has the required Knowledge Base permission.
- The correct brand and language are selected.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the difference between Articles and Manage Articles?
Articles organizes content by lifecycle states such as Draft, Review, Approved, Published, and Expired.
Manage Articles displays the hierarchical Category, Section, and article structure. -
Can one Knowledge Base contain content for multiple brands?
Yes. Use the Brand selector to manage brand-specific Knowledge Base content. -
What is the purpose of Article Templates?
Article Templates provide reusable structures for creating consistent Knowledge Base content. -
Do Featured Articles appear automatically?
No. Add the articles under Featured Articles, then enable Show featured articles in the Customer Portal Knowledge Base settings. -
Can expired articles still be managed?
Yes. Authorized agents can access expired content from the Expired view.
Related Articles
- Get Started with Knowledge Base in BoldDesk
- How to Create and Manage Knowledge Base Articles in BoldDesk
- Organizing Knowledge Base: Categories and Sections in BoldDesk
- How to Configure Knowledge Base in the BoldDesk Customer Portal
- How to Manage Featured Articles in the BoldDesk Customer Portal
- How to Restore Deleted Articles in the Knowledge Base
