Managing articles

Updated
  • Updated on Jan 25, 2025
  • Published on Jan 13, 2025
  • 20 minute(s) read
  • Janeera D A
  • Charulatha Ravichandran
  • Manoharan Soundarraj

Plans supporting for Managing articles

Professional
Business
Enterprise






Articles are the foundation of a knowledge base. Managing them effectively ensures that your documentation remains organized, user-friendly, and up to date. Document360 offers a range of options for creating, editing, and organizing articles to suit diverse needs.

Imagine you're managing a large knowledge base with multiple contributors and a wide audience. You need tools to create, edit, and organize articles efficiently while maintaining consistency and accuracy. Document360 simplifies this process with intuitive methods for article management.

Creating an article

The most important building block of any knowledge base is the information it contains. As a Document360 user, you can add this information in the form of articles. Articles are usually grouped into user-defined categories, based on the information they contain.

While you can create articles from a template, or import an article from another source, creating an article from scratch is the most common article creation process.

NOTE

The article limits for each plan are as follows:

Professional

5000 articles

Business

5000 articles

Enterprise

10000 articles

There are four methods to create an article in the Knowledge base portal:

  1. Method 1: Using the Create button on the top bar

  2. Method 2: Using the Flywheel () icon

  3. Method 3: Using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section

  4. Method 4: Using the Create button in Folder/Index type category

Instructions for creating articles in Document360 interface.

To create an article using the Create button on the top bar:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Click the Create dropdown and select Article.

    The Create new article panel will appear.

  3. Enter a Name for the new article.

  4. In the Category dropdown, choose the category’s position.

  5. Click Create to add the article.

To create an article using the Flywheel () icon:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over just below the desired article, and click the Flywheel () icon.

  3. Click Article.

    The Create new article panel will appear.

  4. Enter a Name for the new article.

  5. In the Category dropdown, choose the category’s position.

  6. Click Create to add the article.

To create an article using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired category in the Categories & Articles section, and click the More () icon.

  3. Click Create article and select Blank.

    The Create new article panel will appear.

  4. Enter a Name for the new article.

  5. In the Category dropdown, choose the category’s position.

  6. Click Create to add the article.

To create an article using the Create button in a Folder/Index type category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Click the desired Folder/Index type category.

  3. Click Create dropdown (on the right side of the category page) and select Article.

    The Create new article panel will appear.

  4. Enter a Name for the new article.

  5. In the Category dropdown, choose the category’s position.

  6. Click Create to add the article.

Creating a new article in the Markdown editor with title and category fields.

Creating article templates

In Document360, you can create, save, and reuse any article as a template for future articles. When you create a new article using a template, it automatically imports all predefined properties and formatting, saving you time and ensuring consistency across your knowledge base.

Imagine you're managing a knowledge base for a software product with a standard troubleshooting format. Instead of recreating the same structure every time, you can use a saved template to maintain consistency and reduce effort, allowing you to focus on customizing the content.

You can create an article from the template using three methods:

  1. Method 1: Using the Flywheel () icon

  2. Method 2: Using the More () option

  3. Method 3: Using the Create button on the top bar

Instructions for creating articles in the Document360 workspace interface.

Use the Flywheel () icon in the Categories & Articles section to quickly create an article from a template:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over just below the desired article in the Categories & Articles section and click the Flywheel () icon.

  3. Select Article from template.

    The Article from template panel will appear.

  4. Choose a template from the list, and you can preview the template content in the right-side pane.

  5. Enter the intended article name and select the category for the article.

  6. Click Create to add the article.

Use the More () icon in a specific category to create an article from a template:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. In the Categories & Articles section, go the desired category.

  3. Click More () > Create article > From template.

    The Article from template panel will appear.

  4. Choose a template from the list, and you can preview the template content in the right-side pane.

  5. Enter the intended article name and select the category for the article.

  6. Click Create to add the article.

  7. The article's name and slug will automatically populate using the template's title.

To create an article from template using the Create button on the top bar:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Click the Create dropdown and select Article from template.

    The Article from template panel will appear.

  3. Choose a template from the list, and you can preview the template content in the right-side pane.

  4. Enter the intended article name and select the category for the article.

  5. Click Create to add the article.

  6. The article's name and slug will automatically populate using the template's title.

Creating a troubleshooting guide template with fields for version, date, and author.

NOTE

If you want to add, manage, or change any existing template, you can navigate to the Templates overview page by clicking on the Go to manage templates above the list of templates in the Article from template panel.

For more information, read the article on Templates.

Editing an article

Editing a published article is essential for maintaining up-to-date and accurate content in your Knowledge base. When an article is published, the following changes occur:

  1. Your article will appear on your Knowledge base site for readers.

  2. The article's status changes from Draft to Published in the Knowledge base portal

When you select a published article, you'll notice the editor displays only the live version, not the editing pane.

To edit the published article:

  1. Navigate to the desired editor and click the Edit button at the top-right corner.

    The Article status at the top of the editor changes to Draft.

  2. Make the necessary changes to the article content.

  3. Once the changes are complete, click Publish to republish the updated article to your Knowledge base site.

When you publish an edited article, the updated version automatically replaces the previously published version in your Knowledge base.

Overview of Document360 platform with highlighted knowledge management features and navigation options.

Markdown view of a published article

If you've published an article using the Markdown editor, you can view the Markdown formatting without creating a new version of the article.

  1. Navigate to any published article in the Markdown editor.

  2. Click More () on the top right and select View markdown.

  3. Once done, click Close markdown.

Accessing the Markdown view of the published article in the Knowledge base portal.

Deleting an article

There are five ways to delete an article in the Knowledge base portal:

  1. Method 1: Using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section.

  2. Method 2: Using the More () icon in the desired article.

  3. Method 3: Deleting multiple articles in the Folder/Index category.

  4. Method 4: Deleting a specific article in the Folder/Index category.

  5. Method 5: Deleting multiple articles in the All articles () section.

Various methods are used to delete the articles in the knowledge base portal.

To delete a specific article from the Categories & Articles section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired article in the Categories & Articles section.

  3. Click the More () icon and select Delete ().

  4. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation panel.  

To delete an article while editing it:

  1. In the desired article, click the More () icon and select Delete ().

  2. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation panel.  

To delete multiple articles within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Select the checkboxes for the appropriate articles.

  4. Click Delete ().

  5. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation panel.  

To delete a specific article within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Hover over the desired article, click the More () icon and select Delete ().

  4. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation panel.  

To delete multiple articles in the All articles () section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () > All articles () on top of the Categories & Articles section.

    The All articles page will appear. If required, use the filter options to narrow down the articles.

  2. Select the desired articles and select Delete ().

  3. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation panel.  

NOTE

For more information, read the article on All articles.

Hiding and Unhiding an article

In Document360, you can hide an article within the documentation editor to restrict access to team accounts only. Hidden articles are indicated by a strikethrough in the Documentation window.

For instance, if you want your sales team to access an article containing pricing details but don't want that article visible to customers, you can hide it so that it won't appear in your public documentation.

There are four ways to hide or unhide an article in the Knowledge base portal:

  1. Method 1: Using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section.

  2. Method 2: Hiding/Unhiding multiple articles in the Folder/Index category.

  3. Method 3: Hiding/Unhiding a specific article in the Folder/Index category.

  4. Method 4: Hiding/Unhiding multiple articles in the All articles () section.

Hiding and unhiding articles in the Knowledge base portal

To hide/unhide a specific article from the Categories & Articles section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired article in the Categories & Articles section

  3. Click the More () icon and select Hide ().

    To Unhide, click the Unhide () icon.

To hide/unhide multiple articles within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Select the checkboxes for the appropriate articles.

  4. Click Hide ().

    To Unhide, click the Unhide () icon.

To hide/unhide a specific article within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Hover over the desired article.

  4. Click the More () icon and select Hide ().

    To Unhide, click the Unhide () icon.

To hide multiple articles in the All articles () section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () > All articles () on top of the Categories & Articles section.

    The All articles page will appear. If required, use the filter options to narrow down the articles.

  2. Select the desired articles and click Hide ().

    To Unhide, click the Show () icon.

NOTE

For more information, read the article on All articles.

Renaming an article

To rename an article, follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired article and click the article name to edit it.

  3. Enter the new article name and click Update.

    1. If the article is in the Published state, a Article details confirmation panel will appear.

    2. Click Yes.

Renaming the article in the Knowledge base portal.

Moving an article

You can move an article across workspaces. There are five ways to move an article in the Knowledge base portal:

  1. Method 1: Using the drag and drop () icon in the Categories & Articles section.

  2. Method 2: Using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section.

  3. Method 3: Moving multiple articles in the Folder/Index category.

  4. Method 4: Moving a specific article in the Folder/Index category.

  5. Method 5: Moving multiple articles in the All articles () section.

Moving and reordering the articles in the knowledge base portal.

To move an article using the drag and drop () icon in the Categories & Articles section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired category.

    The drag and drop () icon will appear.

  3. Hold and drag the category to the appropriate location.

From the Categories & Articles section, you can move an article within or across workspaces:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired article in the left navigation pane.

    The More () icon will appear.

  3. Click the More () icon and select the Move () icon.

  4. In the Move article panel, perform the following:

    • Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown.

    • Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    • Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  5. Click Move.

To move multiple articles within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Select the checkboxes for the appropriate articles.

  4. Click the Move () icon.

    In the Move article panel, perform the following:

    1. Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown.

    2. Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    3. Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  5. Click Move.

To move a specific article within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category and hover over the desired article.

    The More () icon will appear.

  3. Click the More () icon and Click the Move () icon.

    In the Move article panel, perform the following:

    1. Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown.

    2. Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    3. Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  4. Click Move.

To move multiple articles in the All articles () section:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () > All articles () on top of the Categories & Articles section.

    The All articles page will appear. If required, use the filter options to narrow down the articles.

  2. Select the desired articles and click the Move to() icon.

    In the Move article panel, perform the following:

    1. Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown.

    2. Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    3. Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  3. Click Move.

NOTE

When moving articles, security restrictions will be applied based on the destination workspaces and categories.

Replicating an article

The Replicate article feature allows you to display a single article across multiple categories. Replicating articles streamlines content organization and accessibility, enhancing the user experience and improving knowledge base management.

To replicate an article, follow the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. In the Categories & Articles section, hover over the desired article and click the More () icon.

    Alternatively, if the article is in a Folder/Index type category, navigate to the category, hover over the desired article and click the More () icon.

  3. Select Replicate ().

    The Replicate panel will appear.

  4. Choose the appropriate category and click Replicate.

    The article is now available in the selected location on the Knowledge base portal and as a regular article on the Knowledge base site.  

NOTE

  • Security restrictions will be applied based on the destination category.

  • You can only edit the source article and not the replicated article. Certain article settings are turned off in the replicated articles.

Various methods of replicating articles in the KNowledge base portal.

Cloning an article

Clone articles are exact copies of the content created as new articles. You can clone articles within or across workspaces.

There are two methods to clone an article in the Knowledge base portal:

  1. Method 1: Using the More () icon in the Categories & Articles section.

  2. Method 2: Cloning a specific article within a Folder/Index category.

Various methods of cloning articles in the KNowledge base portal.

From the Categories & Articles section, you can clone an article within or across workspaces:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Hover over the desired article in the left navigation pane.

    The More () icon will appear.

  3. Click the More () icon and select the Clone () icon.

  4. In the Clone article panel, perform the following:

    1. Name: Enter the name for the cloning article.

    2. Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown. Click Reset to assign it under the main workspace.

    3. Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    4. Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  5. Click Clone.

To move a specific article within a specific Folder/Index category:

  1. Navigate to Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal.

  2. Go to the desired Folder/Index category.

  3. Hover over the desired article.

  4. Click the More (•••) icon and select the Clone () icon.

  5. In the Clone article panel, perform the following:

    1. Name: Enter the name for the cloning article.

    2. Workspace: Select the desired workspace from the dropdown. Click Reset to assign it under the main workspace.

    3. Category: Select an existing category from the selected workspace.

    4. Auto update referenced links: Select this checkbox to ensure links in the article content are updated based on the destination workspace/category.

  6. Click Clone.

NOTE

When moving articles, the Security restrictions will be applied based on the destination workspaces and categories.

FAQs

What is the character limit for article titles?

The character limit for article titles is 150 characters, including spaces. Special characters like $, %, *, {, }, ", <, and > are not allowed.

What are the best practices for creating an article title and URL slug?

When creating an article title, remember that the URL slug is derived from the title. Document360 automatically separates words with hyphens and removes special characters/punctuation in the slug. Further updates to the URL slug can be made later.

How can I identify the published status of an article?

The published status of an article is indicated by a colored dot next to the article name:

  • Light blue dot: A new article which is not yet published.

  • Light green dot: The article is published.

Do I need to save my content frequently?

No, Document360 automatically saves your content every 5 seconds. You can also save manually using Ctrl+S (Windows) or Cmd+S (Mac).

What should I do if I cannot access an article or see recent updates?

If you’re having trouble accessing an article or viewing recent updates, try the following steps:

  • Refresh the page.

  • Ensure the article title or link is correct.

  • Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again.

  • If the article was recently published or updated, allow a few moments for the changes to reflect.

If the issue persists after following these steps, please contact the Document360 support team for further assistance: Contact Document360 Support

What happens after I create a new article from a template?

Your article will be added to the respective category/subcategory with a New article status indicator (light-blue dot).

What happens after an article is published?

After an article is published, it will appear in your Knowledge base site for readers, and its status will be updated from Draft to Published in the Knowledge base portal.

How can I edit a published article?

To edit a published article, click the Edit button at the top-right of the editor. This will change the article status back to Draft, allowing you to make changes.

What happens when I publish an edited article?

When you publish an edited article, the edited version replaces the previously published version in your Knowledge base.

Is the 'Edit article' option available for all readers in the Knowledge base site?

No, the 'Edit article' option is only available for logged-in team accounts on the Knowledge base site.

What happens when an article is locked because a user is editing it, and how can it be released?

In Document360, when a user begins editing an article, the article is locked, preventing others from making changes. This lock is automatically released 15 minutes after the user stops editing, at which point the article becomes available for other users to edit.

If you need to unlock it before that time, the user editing the article can manually click Unlock () icon at the top of the article, near the preview.

Can I move articles from one project to another?

The inbuilt move functionality to move articles from one project to another is currently unavailable.  As a workaround, when transferring multiple articles, use the export feature to save the articles along with all media files from the original project, then import them into the new project. Alternatively, you can manually copy and paste content from articles in one project to another. As a best practice, upload images from the original article to the drive of the new project and then insert them into the new article.

What happens to the links and references within an article when it is moved to a new category or workspace?

When you move an article to a new category or workspace, all internal links and references within the article will be updated automatically to reflect the new location. This ensures that all links and references remain functional.

Are there any security restrictions when moving articles across workspaces?

Yes, security restrictions will apply based on the destination workspace and category. Ensure that you have the appropriate permissions to move articles to the target workspace and category.

What is a hidden article?

A hidden article will not be listed in the Knowledge base site and cannot be accessed through the direct link, but will appear in the Knowledge base portal for internal use.

How can I hide a single article?

To hide a single article, navigate to  Documentation () in the Knowledge base portal, hover over the desired article, click on the More () icon, and select Hide.

Can I hide multiple articles at once?

Yes, you can hide multiple articles at once by navigating to the All articles () section in Documentation (), selecting the desired articles, and clicking the Hide option at the top of the pane.

Will hidden articles appear in search results?

No, hidden articles are excluded from search results.

How can I hide an article from the Knowledge base site while still allowing access via its URL?

To hide an article while maintaining access through its URL, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to Settings () > Knowledge base site > Customize site.

  2. Click on Custom CSS & JavaScript.

  3. Paste the following code in the JavaScript tab: 

$(document).ready(function() {
    $('a[href="SLUG NAME"]').parent().css({"display": "none"});
    $('a[href="SLUG NAME"]').parent().css({"display": "none"});
});

  1. Click Save.

How do I restore my deleted articles?

You can restore your deleted articles from the Recycle bin. The deleted articles will remain in the Recycle bin for 30 days. For more information, read the article on Recycle bin.

Why doesn't the article name change reflect on the Knowledge base site?

  • If the article is in Draft status, the change in the article name doesn't reflect immediately on the site. The article name change will only be reflected after publishing it.

  • If the article is in Published status, the change in the article name will reflect immediately on the Knowledge base site.

Can I clone and replicate articles across different workspaces?

You can clone articles within or across workspaces. However, replication is limited to the same workspace.

What happens if I delete the source article of a replicated article?

If the source article is deleted, the replicated articles will also be removed from their respective categories.

Is there a limit to the number of times an article can be replicated or cloned?

Document360 does not limit the number of times you can replicate or clone articles, allowing flexibility in content management.

Why am I getting 404 errors when trying to access articles other than the homepage or the first article? How do I resolve it?

This issue typically occurs due to incorrect slug configuration or folder name changes in the subfolder hosting page. Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

  1. Verify article slugs: Ensure the slugs for your articles are correctly configured. For example, the first article might load using the slug /docs, but other articles may require a different slug, such as /help. In such cases, make sure all the slugs are consistent.

  2. Check subfolder settings: Navigate to the subfolder hosting page and confirm if the /docs folder has been renamed or altered. If it has been renamed, update it back to docs to maintain consistency.

  3. Test access: After correcting the folder name, try accessing the articles again to confirm the issue is resolved.

  4. Clear cache and perform hard refresh:

    a. Right-click anywhere on the page and select Inspect to open the developer tools menu.

    b. Right-click the browser's reload button and choose Hard reload or Empty cache and Hard reload.

If the issue persists after following these steps, please contact the Document360 support team for further assistance: Contact Document360 Support

 Provide the following details:

  • Screenshots or video recordings of the subfolder hosting page.

  • Information about any recent changes to your website or system settings.

  • An exported CSV file from the article redirect rule feature.

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