Snippets

What is a snippet?

Snippet is a predefined set of content blocks that the content manager or author identifies as reusable content. The content of the Snippet can vary from simple text/phrases to lengthy paragraphs, tables, images, and more.

In the Document360 knowledge base portal, the snippets are stored in a library. These snippets can be inserted into articles at the time of edit with a simple click of a button.

Adding a snippet to the library

1. Go to Content tools → Content reuse → Snippet
2. The Snippet overview page appears. If you have added any snippets earlier, you can see them listed here
3. Use the dropdown at the top to select language-specific snippets (Global, English, French, etc.) you've added to your project
4. Click on the Add snippet button on the top-right and the Add new snippet blade appears on the right
5. Type a Name for your snippet. The name can only contain only characters, numbers, hyphen (-), and underscore ( _ )
6. The Merge code value would be the actual tag that appears in your editor

For example, If your snippet name is “Disclaimer”, then your Merge code value would be {{snippet.Disclaimer}}.

7. If you want that particular snippet to be available across all the languages, turn on the Global toggle

8. If turned Off, you can select the available language from the Language dropdown, and the snippet would be available only for that particular language
9. The default snippet editor would be WYSIWYG (HTML). However, you can switch to Markdown editor, if required

10. In the Content, add the content that you want to add to the snippet. You can find the available formatting options in the below section
11. Once you're done, click on the Add button

The snippet would be added and displayed on the Snippet overview page.

Formatting options available

WYSIWYG

The below formatting options are available for snippet content in WYSIWYG

• Basic text formatting options such as Bold, Italic, Strikethrough, and Underline are available

• You can also use the other formatting options such as Font size, Font Family, Text color, Background color, Subscript, Superscript, and Clear Formatting

• Ordered List and Unordered List are available for listing the items

• You can use Insert Image to insert an image from the URL, local storage, or Drive

• You can use Insert Link to add a hyperlink from a provided URL, or a knowledge base article to the selected text

• Insert callouts lets you add the below three formats

• Insert latex lets you add expressions and equations
  

  • Click the Insert latex option, and a Insert latex expression window appears
  • Type in your desired latex syntax and click Insert
  • Click here to view the basic latex commands used in latex syntax

• Insert table lets you create a table by selecting the required number of rows and columns

• Insert codeblock lets you add codeblocks. Click Insert codeblock → Select the language of the desired code from the dropdown → Add code in the Insert your code field → Insert
• You can view the preview of the snippet in Code view (HTML). Click Code view to view the preview. If you want to switch back to editor view, click Code view again

Markdown

Markdown comes in handy when major text and mild media are involved in the snippet. You can use Markdown syntax manually while writing, or simply format text using the Markdown toolbar.

For example, you can make a text appear Bold by writing the respective syntax or using the Bold icon in the Markdown toolbar.

If you need a quick syntax reference while writing a snippet, you can view common Markdown commands right in the editor by clicking Shortcut on the bottom left of the screen.

• Basic text formatting options such as Bold, Italic, Strike are available
• Block quote lets you add block quotes
• Line lets you insert a horizontal line
• Ordered List and Unordered List are available for listing the items
• Insert table lets you create a table by selecting the required number of rows and columns

• You can use Insert Image to insert an image from the URL, local storage, or Drive

• Insert codeblock lets you add codeblocks. Click Insert codeblock and type in the desired code inside the desired code between ```code```

• Insert callouts lets you add the below three formats

• Insert latex lets you add expressions and equations

  • Click on Insert latex option and a sample latex syntax () appears
  • Type in your desired syntax
  • The syntax must start and end with $
  Don't add a space between $ and syntax.

  • Click here to view the basic latex commands used in latex syntax

• You can use Insert Link to add a hyperlink from a provided URL, or a knowledge base article to the selected text

Using Snippet in the article

There are two methods with which you could add a snippet in your article.

Method 1

Type in snippet.MergeCodeValue between closed double curly brackets

*Example: {{snippet.warningline}}

But you would have to know the exact merge code value to add any snippet.

(or)

Method 2

1. Click on { } Content reuse button in the Markdown or WYSIWYG editor and select the snippet or use the Search snippets bar to search for the snippet name
2. Select the desired snippet(s) from the search list
3. Next, select whether you want the selected snippet(s) to be local by turning on the Insert as local copy toggle

4. Click on the Insert button

Snippet overview page

You can view, edit, or delete a snippet from the Snippet overview page (Content tools → Content reuse → Snippet).

a. Language – To filter the snippets in Global or a specific language
b. Name – The Snippets are listed by name and can be sorted
c. Documents used – If the snippet hasn’t been used in any article the status would be “-“. If used in the knowledge base articles, you can click on the View button to see the list of articles/category pages that contain the snippet. For more information, see the below section
d. Edit - To edit the snippet content
e. Delete - To delete the snippet

View article/category page dependency

1. In the Snippet overview page, you can find the column Documents used
2. Click on the View button, and a dependency blade appears on the right
3. On the blade, you can view the list of articles/category pages the snippet has been used
4. Click on the article/category to expand the section
5. You can find the following information:
   • The article version and language
   • The team account's name and profile picture who has inserted the snippet
   • The article status (Published, Draft, New Article)
   • The time/date range when the snippet was inserted in the article/category page

Editing an existing snippet

1. Go to Content tools → Content reuse → Snippet
2. You can find the list of snippets you have already added
3. Mouseover the snippet you want to edit and click the Edit (pencil) icon
4. Update snippet appears on the right, and you can edit the content of the snippet

5. Once you’re done with the content edit, click the Update button

Deleting a snippet from the library

1. Go to Content tools → Content reuse → Snippet
2. You can find the list of snippets you have already added
3. Mouseover the snippet you want to delete
4. Click the Delete(trashbin) icon
5. Click Yes in the Delete confirmation prompt

Check out the below tutorial video: