Configuring article header

The article header is the section at the top of every article on your knowledge base site. It sits above the article content and displays contextual information and reader tools - such as who contributed to the article, how long it takes to read, and options to share, print, or download the article as a PDF.

All article header settings are configured globally from Article settings and apply to every article in your knowledge base. You cannot configure these settings for individual articles, categories, workspaces, or languages.

When to configure the article header

• When setting up a new knowledge base - enable the elements that match your reader experience goals before publishing. Each element is off by default in some configurations, so review them as part of initial setup.
• When readers need social proof - enabling Show contributors shows readers who wrote and reviewed an article, building trust in the content's accuracy.
• When your articles are long or technical - enabling Show read time estimate helps readers plan their time before starting a long article.
• When you want readers to stay informed - enabling Show Follow button lets readers subscribe to article updates and receive email notifications when the article is changed.
• When you need readers to share content - enabling Show share options gives readers a one-click way to share articles on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, or via email.
• When you want to minimize distractions while reading - enabling Show focus mode lets readers collapse the navigation and side panels into a distraction-free reading view.
• When you want reader feedback to be more visible - enabling Show feedback form displays the "Was this article helpful?" prompt in the header instead of the footer, so readers can respond without scrolling to the end of the article.

How to configure the article header

1. Navigate to Settings () > Knowledge base site in the left navigation bar of the Knowledge base portal.
2. In the left navigation pane, navigate to Article settings.
3. Expand the Article header section accordion.
4. Turn on the toggles for the elements you want to display.
5. Click Save.

Article header elements

The following elements can be enabled or disabled from the Article header accordion:

How to localize article header text

You can translate or customize the default text labels in the article header — such as "Updated on", "Published on", "Read time", "Contributors", "Follow", and "Share" — using the Localization variables feature.

1. Navigate to Settings () in the left navigation bar of the Knowledge base portal.
2. In the left navigation pane, navigate to Knowledge base portal > Workspace & localization.
3. In the Localization variables tab, expand the Article header accordion.
4. Select the desired language and update the text labels you want to customize.
5. Click Save.

Best practices

• Enable Show contributors for team-authored knowledge bases - contributor attribution builds reader trust and gives credit to your team, especially on technical or compliance-sensitive articles.
• Enable Show read time for long-form articles - readers appreciate knowing how long an article is before they start. This is especially useful for tutorials, how-to guides, and API references.
• Enable Show follow button if your content is updated frequently - readers who follow articles receive email notifications on changes, reducing the need for readers to manually check for updates.
• Use the Favorite option for private knowledge bases - logged-in readers can bookmark frequently referenced articles, improving their return experience.
• Test header changes after enabling - header settings apply globally but render differently depending on article length and screen size. Always check a long article and a short article to verify the layout looks correct.

FAQ