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KB Article Tutorials 01 – Create a new post & assign categories

Written by Terence Huynh on . Posted in 0-NO SEARCH.

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This tutorial explains the procedure for creating a tech support KB article in SF community.

Step 1: Create a Post in Community

  1. First thing you’ll need to do is create a Post in the SF Community. After you log in, you’ll need to go to the Dashboard > Posts menu, then click Add New.
  2. Give the Post a title. For consistency, all KB articles will have a standardized format for the title: SFXX####: Title of KB
    1. XX will be either PT, LE, or WM for the different PTLW business units
    2. #### will be the KB Article Number based on the master spreadsheet in Confluence
    3. Title of KB will be a relevant title so that users will know what the KB is about. Try to use words that suggest that the article solves a pain point for the customer. E.g., SFLC0009 – DVMS Coban Services will not start
  3. Click Save Draft. This will create your web page in the database. By default, you’ll get a Permalink created which will take the form of your long post title (this is the KB article’s URL).
  4. OVERWRITE this permalink by clicking Edit and entering the short-form URL based on the KB index number, i.e, SFLM0009. Click Save Draft frequently to save your work.

Step 2: Categorize the KB Articles

In order to help the Community display your KB articles in an organized manner, you’ll need to properly categorize your articles. Generally, there are 2 types of categories that we use in the community.

  1. Categories that aid in Searching (so customers can find things)
  2. Sub-Categories that aid in Structure (so admins can organize things)

Categories for Search

There are 3 main Post Categories that we use when we want to make the KB articles searchable. These categories correspond with the PTLW business units: SFPT, SFLE, SFWM (1). As long as you categorize a KB article with one of these 3,  your KB article will be searchable on the Home pages for each of the business units.

In addition to the business unit categories, we also MUST specify if a KB article is meant for customers, or if they are meant for the tech support team only. If there is an article that you want to share internally, and not make visible to customers, then you’ll need to select the INTERNAL and Tech Support (2) categories as well. If you do not intend to keep this article internal, then you do not need to select these additional categories.

Sub-Categories for Structure

In addition to the search categories, we’ll also need to assign some sub-categories to help with the site structure. These sub-categories will help organize the articles into logical groups, which will help users find the information they’re looking for easier. For all KB Articles, you must have the 0-KB Articles (3) category assigned to distinguish your content from the rest of the content on the site.

After that, you’ll need to assign a product sub-category (4) like what you’ve used in Confluence. Some product sub-category examples include:

  • WasteApp
  • Depot Manager
  • Focus X1

Note: A KB article can have more than one sub-category. There may be instances where you’ll want an article to related to DVRs but also related to Commander.

Step 3: Set Access Level

Finally, you’ll need to set the post’s Access Level using the Access Panel in the bottom corner of the editor screen. There are only 2 choices to choose from; you’ll need to assign the Customer access level for all customer facing KB articles. For internal articles, if you’ve already assigned the INTERNAL and Tech Support categories (as per procedure above), then the SF Tech Support access level will already be assigned (checkbox grayed out). Remember to Save Draft when complete.

Next…

After you’ve created the post and assigned categories and access levels, you’re ready to start adding content. The next tutorial will go over how to add content to the article including text, images, videos, hyperlinks, and tables.