Create knowledge base articles
15 min
Intermediate
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to:
- Create knowledge base articles and categories
- Apply best practices for creating and maintaining articles
- Share articles with customers
Create knowledge base articles from your work items
Knowledge base articles share information and guidance that can help customers solve problems on their own.
The benefit of a knowledge base extends to both you and the customer. A customer who can find a solution independently through a knowledge base article might not even need to raise a request. A knowledge base article can provide clear, consistent messaging and solutions around common requests.
You must have a knowledge base space linked to your service project to create a knowledge base article. If you don't see one, talk to your project admin about setting one up.
To create a knowledge base article from a work item:
- Open the work item.
- In the Knowledge base field, select your knowledge base.
- Select Create article.
- Write your article.
- Select Publish.
👇Watch this video to see how to create a knowledge base article when viewing a work item.
Each article that you create has an internal and an external view. The external view is accessible to customers with access to the service portal.
Share knowledge base articles
You can share knowledge base articles with your customers either from the knowledge base or while viewing a work item.
👇 Click the tabs below to explore how you can share articles from each area.
- From your service project, go to Knowledge base.
- Select the relevant article.
- Under Share this article, select Copy article link.
- Share the link with the customer. The customer can see the article in the help center when clicking the link.
Tips for writing knowledge base articles
1. Use templates for consistency
Jira Service Management leverages the power of Confluence to make knowledge creation and management seamless for your team. Confluence templates can create a consistent look and feel throughout your articles. Knowledge base articles that look the same help customers consume information faster because they know what to expect.
👉 Try this out: Browse the templates that appear in the template browser at the right of the screen. Select one of the templates that best suits the type of article you're writing.
Ask your service project admin which article templates your team uses. If you can't find what you're looking for, create your own template and share it with your team.
👇 Here’s an example of some basic templates to help you create consistent articles.
2. Use common language
Write your articles on the same level as your customers. If you're writing for a very technical audience, or one well-versed in your industry, your articles can reflect that. However, your customers may not have the same level of expertise. Ensure your articles are accessible to everyone and match the language they use. This also makes it easier for customers to find the information they want.
👉 Try this out: Draft the title of a knowledge base article. Find a work item in your queue and study the customer's language. Look for keywords and incorporate those into your title.
3. Write clear, concise summaries
Much like comments in Jira Service Management, knowledge base articles should also be clear and concise. Customers looking for a solution to their problem aren't interested in extra fluff. They just want to know how to fix their problem.
Your articles should address the problem quickly. It helps to write a brief summary at the top of the page and a more detailed explanation below. You can also enrich your articles with media to illustrate your solution.
👉 Try this out: Before writing your article, ask yourself, "What's the least amount of information the customer needs to know to solve the problem?" This will help you focus on the most important information and keep your article brief.
👇 Here’s an example of clear, concise summaries.
4. Use categories and labels to organize articles
You can organize your knowledge base by adding categories and labels to your articles. Categories help organize your articles. Labels are keywords you can add to your knowledge base articles to make them easier to find. Both are added to your portal so customers can easily find relevant articles before raising a request.
👇 Here’s an example of categories and labels.
To categorize a knowledge base article:
- From the sidebar, select Knowledge base.
- Select the category you want to add an article to. To create a new category, select New category in the sidebar. Enter a name and description for the category and select Create.
- Select Add article.
- Select Add (represented by a + icon) next to each article you want to add to the category.
- Select Back to category.
👇Watch this video to learn how to add categories to knowledge base articles.
To add a label to a knowledge base article:
- From the sidebar, select Knowledge base.
- Select the article you want to add labels to.
- Next to Labels, add relevant labels to the article.
👇Watch this video to learn how to add labels to your knowledge base articles.
👉 Try this out: Add a category and label to your knowledge base article. When you're finished, navigate to the customer portal and see if your article pops up when you raise a relevant request.
Keep your knowledge base up-to-date by conducting periodic reviews and maintenance! These regular audits can help keep your knowledge base organized and relevant.
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Use reports for knowledge base management
- Make sure your knowledge base works for agents and customers
- How can you improve your knowledge base?