Working with Knowledgebase (KB) Articles


Introduction

Background and Workflow

Knowledgebase articles (KBs) can be written by anyone with a knowledge editor role in ServiceNow. (If you or a co-worker want to gain access to edit knowledge articles, see the Getting Access to Edit Knowledgebase Articles section.) Once written, knowledgebase articles remain in a Draft state until you or another knowledge editor choose to publish it. Published articles will remain published and visible to the public while you edit a new version of the existing published knowledgebase article in a draft state. Then, when you are finished editing the new draft version, you can publish that version which will overwrite the existing published version.

This means that you can keep a published knowledgebase article published while you edit and work on a new version until that new version is ready to be published. New versions of knowledgebase articles that are in the Draft state will only be visible to those with the knowledge editor role in ServiceNow.

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Ground / House Rules

Information Technology Experience & Engagement (ITEE) reserves the right to edit the content and format of any knowledgebase article in the Published state and the right to take any article out of the Published state until further changes can be agreed upon.

To have changes made to an existing knowledgebase article that you are not currently maintaining or have been requested to collaborate on, submit an incident to 4help.vt.edu, and the incident will be routed to the current owner of the knowledgebase article.

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Contents

Instructions

QA Process & Spreadsheet, Instructions, and Templates

ITEE will review each published KB in the IT Knowledgebase with the QA rubric and take action to address issues identified.

QA Spreadsheet (Migrated to Google and edited on 02.01.2023)

ITEE's suggestions for which template or suggested action for each KB

The QA Process

The ITEE KB Admin will:

  1. Select the KB that is the current most viewed and not QA'd within the past calendar year by referencing the shared ServiceNow report "KBs by view count for QA".
  2. Measure the KB against the QA spreadsheet.
  3. Address all issues identified.
    1. If the content would fit better in a new or existing service catalog item, changes will be drafted and sent to the service owning team via incident for their review and approval.
      If a response is not received by ten business days after the creation of the incident, a reminder will be added to the incident. After two reminders, a meeting will be scheduled to discuss solutions.
    2. If one of the three templates is not currently applied to the KB:
      • If a service partner indicated that they wanted to apply templates, a ServiceNow incident will be sent to the service owning group asking them to do so.
        If a template is not applied by ten business days after the creation of the incident, a reminder will be added to the incident. After two reminders, a meeting will be scheduled to discuss solutions.
      • If a service partner indicated that they wanted ITEE to apply templates, the most relevant template will be applied.
    3. If any screenshot or other image in the KB has markings (colored circles or other shapes or text applied in post processing) that do not have a 3:1 contrast ratio thus not meeting WCAG accessibility standards, a ServiceNow incident will be created or added to have the service owning group remove and / or recreate the image with compliant colors as explained in the To Place an Accessible-Compliant Colored Shape around an Area section.
      If the images are not updated to be contrast compliant by ten business days after the creation of the incident, a reminder will be added to the incident. After two reminders, a meeting will be scheduled to discuss solutions.
      If you need help following the above instructions to update the images, please submit a Consultation and Training request, and select Knowledge base.
    4. Edit the KB to implement the changes necessary to meet the rest of the QA standards and republish it.
  4. Select the next most viewed KB and continue the process.

Templates

Each knowledgebase article in the public, "IT Knowledge Base" must follow one of three templates: "How to", "What Is", and "FAQ". (Knowledgebase articles in other knowledgebases do not have to follow a template.)

To use a template when creating a new KB, follow the instructions at To Create and Publish a New Knowledgebase Article, from Start to Finish which include selecting a template.

To add a template to an existing KB:

  1. Start editing the KB by following the instructions at To Edit a Published Knowledgebase Article.
  2. Update the Short Description to a title that meets the QA requirements.
    • "How to" titles should start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as: "Getting Help with VPN", "Connecting to the Wireless Network", "Opening a Word File", "Changing a Password", etc.
    • "What Is" titles should start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as: "Using 2-Factor Authentication", "Understanding Google Groups", etc.
    • "FAQ" titles should be phrased in the form of a question, have a question mark at the end, and start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as "What Are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Service?" or "Uploading Videos to Canvas".
  3. Copy the first heading by highlighting the following heading, right-click the highlighted text, and then click Copy:

    Introduction

  4. In the window with the existing KB in the editor, before the very first word, at the very beginning of the KB, right-click.
  5. Click Paste.
  6. The heading and a line break will be inserted.
  7. Copy the second heading.
    • For How to templates, highlight the following heading, right-click the highlighted text, and then click Copy:

      Instructions

    • For FAQ templates, highlight the following heading, right-click the highlighted text, and then click Copy:

      Frequently Asked Question(s)

    • For What Is templates, highlight the following heading, right-click the highlighted text, and then click Copy:

      Explanation

  8. In the ServiceNow GUI editor, before the first word of what you want to be the start of the section, right-click.
  9. Click Paste.
  10. The heading and a line break will be inserted.
  11. If there are more than the two headings above, create a table of contents by following the instructions at To Create a Table of Contents.

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Getting Access to Edit Knowledgebase Articles

To obtain access to create or edit knowledgebase article, request the ServiceNow Content Editor service catalog item.

  1. If you are not already logged in to ServiceNow, go to 4help.vt.edu and log in with VT Username and passphrase.
  2. In the search box on the 4Help portal homepage or the search box in the upper right corner within ServiceNow, start typing: servicenow.
  3. In the drop-down list that appears, click ServiceNow: Knowledge or Catalog Editor Access.
  4. Click Request this Service.
  5. Answer the two questions as follows:
    1. Question 1: open the drop-down, and click Add.
    2. Question 2: open the drop-down, and click KB Editors.
  6. Click Submit.
  7. You will receive an automated email upon submission and another automated email when access has been granted.
    (This process is not instantaneous.)
  8. Once you receive the automated email that your request has been fulfilled or completed, for the changes to take effect, log out of ServiceNow, and log completely out of the Login system, and then log back into ServiceNow.

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To Create and Publish a New Knowledgebase Article, from Start to Finish

  1. Remember to save your work often to avoid losing your work due to any number of unforeseen events!
    You can save as often as you like without your changes being published; changes are only published when you click Publish this Version.
  2. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Knowledge.
  3. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Articles.
  4. In the expanded menu, click Create New.
  5. In the middle column, under Select Knowledge base, click IT Knowledge Base.
  6. Under Select article template, click the template that you want to use: FAQ, How To, or What Is.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Fill in the category.
    1. To the right of the Category text box, click the magnifying glass.
    2. Use the menus to select a category or sub-category, and then click OK.
  9. Type the title and text.
    1. In the Short description text box, type a title for your new knowledgebase article.
      • "How to" titles should start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as: "Getting Help with VPN", "Connecting to the Wireless Network", "Opening a Word File", "Changing a Password", etc.
      • "What Is" titles should start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as: "Using 2-Factor Authentication", "Understanding Google Groups", etc.
      • "FAQ" titles should be phrased in the form of a question, have a question mark at the end, and start with an action verb that ends in "ing", such as "What Are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Service?" or "Uploading Videos to Canvas".
    2. Type your article / instructions in the other text box(es).
  10. To save your work for the first time, near the top-right of the window, click Save.
    (For a knowledgebase article to be published, you must click Save, and then click Publish.
  11. Make any additional edits you want.
  12. When you are finished editing a knowledgebase article, and you are ready for the knowledgebase article to be publicly viewable, near the top-right of the window, click Publish.

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Creating a Knowledgebase Article via Alternative Method Using Word

  1. Remove all images in the Word document.
    (Images in an uploaded Word document will appear to work correctly, but those images will NOT be visible to people who are not logged into ServiceNow. To have images appear correctly, you must follow the directions in the To Insert an Image into a Knowledgebase Article section below. ServiceNow suggests typing text in the Word document to remind you where to place images once the knowledgebase article is created, such as "Image 1 Here".)
  2. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Knowledge.
  3. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Articles.
  4. In the expanded menu, click Import Articles.
  5. From the Knowledge Base drop-down, click IT Knowledge base.
  6. From the Category drop-down, click an appropriate category.
  7. Click Browse Files.
  8. Navigate to and double-click the file you want to upload.
  9. To the right of Article 1, in the text box, type the title for your knowledgebase article.
  10. Click Import.
  11. When the upload is finished, click Continue.
  12. You can click the KB number to be taken to the newly created KB in order to edit and / or publish it.

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To Find an Existing Knowledgebase Article

  1. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Knowledge.
  2. Click the arrow to the left of Articles to expand the sub-menu.
  3. In the expanded menu, click All. This allows you to find both published knowledgebase articles and those not yet published.

    Image of the above instructions

  4. To find the knowledgebase article, try any or all of the following:
    • To sort by any of the columns, click the column header. Or, click the same column header again to sort in reverse order. For example, click Number twice to list the articles by newest, first.
    • To search for a word or phrase in the title / short description field:
      1. Above the listing of knowledgebase article, to the left of the word All, click the filter which is represented by a funnel.
      2. Set the first drop-down box to Short Description.
      3. Set the second drop-down box to contains.
      4. In the text box to the right of contains, type the word or phrase to search for.
      5. Click Run.
    • To search for a word or phrase in the body text of a knowledgebase article:
      1. Above the top knowledgebase article listed, above the filters, to the right of New, set the drop-down box to for text.
      2. In the text box to the right of for text, type the words or phrases to search for.
      3. On your keyboard, press Enter or Return.

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To Edit a Published Knowledgebase Article

  1. Within the Service Desk / UI16 / "worker" view, find the knowledgebase article you want to edit.
  2. Click the corresponding number in the Number column.
  3. Create a new draft version of this knowledgebase article by clicking Checkout near the top-right corner of the page.

    **Even if some fields can be edited, you will not be able to save any changes unless you click Checkout, first.**

  4. If there is no Checkout button:
    1. Look at the top of the page to see if there is a blue banner with the message "You can only edit the latest version of the article." If there is, click that text. You will be taken to the Edit page and able to make edits, if you currently have the knowledgebase article checked out.

      Image of the above instructions

    2. If there is no blue banner and / or the fields are still greyed out on the latest version, it is likely that someone else currently has the knowledgebase article checked out. You cannot edit this knowledgebase article until they publish their version.
  5. Make any changes to the text of the knowledgebase article.
  6. To save your changes without publishing, click Save.
    (You can save as often as you like without your changes being published; changes are only published when you click Publish.)
  7. When you are ready to publish the changes, near the top-right corner of the page, click Publish.

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To Edit a Knowledgebase Article that Is in Draft State

  1. Within the Service Desk / UI16 / "worker" view, find the knowledgebase article you want to edit.
  2. Click the corresponding number in the Number column.
  3. If the fields are greyed out:
    1. Look at the top of the page to see if there is a blue banner with the message "You can only edit the latest version of the article." If there is, click that text. You will be taken to the Edit page and able to make edits, if you currently have the knowledgebase article checked out.

      Image of the above instructions

    2. If there is no blue banner and / or the fields are still greyed out on the latest version, it is likely that someone else currently has the knowledgebase article checked out. You cannot edit this knowledgebase article until they publish their version.
  4. Make any changes to the knowledgebase article.
  5. To save your changes without publishing, click Save in the top-right of the browser. 
    (You can save as often as you like without your changes being published; changes are only published when you click Publish.)
  6. When you want to publish the changes, near the top-right corner of the page, click Publish.

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To Delete a Knowledgebase Article

*Only knowledge admins* can retire or archive a knowledgebase article.

Submit a Consultation and Training request, click Knowledge base, and list the knowledgebase article number(s) you want to be removed from public view. The request will get routed to the appropriate knowledge admins.

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To Re-Publish a Retired Knowledgebase Article

*Only knowledge admins* can republish a knowledgebase article once it reaches the Valid To date. So, it is advisable to review and renew your knowledgebase article before the Valid To date.

To have a retired knowledgebase article republished:

  1. Submit the ITEE Training and Consultation service catalog item by choosing Knowledge and asking for the knowledgebase article number(s) you want to be republished.
  2. The knowledge admins will move the content, as is, to a Published state, and with a Valid To date that is seven calendar days from the current date.
  3. Important: Before the temporary, seven-day Valid To date, review and edit the knowledgebase article including changing the Valid To date to one calendar year ahead. For instructions, see To Edit a Published Knowledgebase Article.

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To Revert to a Previous / Prior Version

*Only knowledge admins* can revert a knowledgebase article.

Submit a Consultation and Training request, click Knowledge base, and list the knowledgebase article number(s) you want to be reverted. The request will get routed to the appropriate knowledge admins.

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Adding Images or Video

To Upload an Individual Image to ServiceNow

  1. Log on to ServiceNow.
  2. In the left menu pane, click Systems UI.
  3. In the expanded menu, click Images.
  4. Click New.
  5. From the Category drop-down list, click Knowledge Management.
  6. In the Name text box, type the name of your image file and include .png (or the file extension that the image has) at the end.
  7. Click Click to add….
  8. Click Choose File.
  9. Double-click the image file.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Click Save.
  12. To use this image in a KB, follow the instructions at the To Insert an Image into a Knowledgebase Article section.

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To Upload Multiples Images to ServiceNow

  1. Select all of the images you want to upload.
  2. Right-click the highlighted selection.
  3. Click Compress x items where x is the number of images you've selected. A new file named Archive.zip should appear on your desktop.
  4. Log on to ServiceNow.
  5. In the left menu pane, click Systems UI.
  6. In the expanded menu, click Image ZIP Upload.
  7. Click Choose File.
  8. Double-click the zipped file.
  9. Click Upload.
  10. To use these images in a KB, follow the instructions at the To Insert an Image into a Knowledgebase Article section.

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To Insert an Image into a Knowledgebase Article

  1. Log on to ServiceNow.
  2. Upload the image(s) to ServiceNow by following the instructions at To Upload an Individual Image to ServiceNow. or To Upload Multiple Images to ServiceNow.
  3. In the top-right corner of the knowledgebase article, click Edit Article.
  4. On the keyboard, press shift + enter after the listed step where you want to insert the image.
  5. In the ServiceNow text editor toolbar, click insert / edit image, which is represented by a mountain.
  6. In the Image: text box, start typing the name of your image file. As you type, results will appear and change.
  7. Click the name of the image file.
  8. In the Alt: text box, type descriptive information about the image, which is what screen readers will read to visually impaired viewers. This is required for compliance with WCAG accessibility standards.
  9. In the Border Thickness text box, type: 1.
  10. Click Save to close the Insert/Modify Image window.
  11. Click the image to highlight it and view four "handles" at the corners of the image.
  12. Click and drag one of the "handles" until the width is 300 or 600.
    • For vertical images, the width should be 300.
    • For horizontal images, the width should be 600.
  13. Click Save to save the KB.

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To Embed Video into a Knowledgebase Article

  1. Upload the video to a video hosting service such as Virginia Tech's Kaltura.
    (For instructions, see My Media at video.vt.edu.)
  2. Navigate to the sharing or embed page or section for the video.
    (For instructions, see Add videos to a website.)
  3. Copy the embed code.
  4. In ServiceNow, go to an existing knowledgebase article draft, or create a new draft, so that you can start editing it. 
  5. Click in the text to place your cursor where you want the video to display.
    (You will probably want to create a blank line between any text and the video.) 
  6. In the ServiceNow text editor toolbar, click Source Code, which looks like opening and closing tags (<>). 
  7. The HTML will appear, and your cursor will automatically be at the location it was. 
  8. Right-click, and click Paste to paste the copied code. 
  9. Click OK to close the HTML editor. 
  10. Click Save and / or Publish this version when you are ready. 

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Creating Images

Screenshot Guidelines

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To Take Screenshots in Mac OS

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To Take Screenshots in Windows 10

  1. On the keyboard, press the Start key.
  2. Type: snipping tool
  3. Click Snipping Tool.
  4. Click New.
  5. Drag your cursor around the object you want to screenshot and then release your mouse.
  6. Save your screenshot with a descriptive name that ends with ".png".

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To Place an Accessible-Compliant Colored Circle Shape in a Screenshot

In Preview for Mac OS

  1. Start the Preview app. The Preview app comes free with Mac OS and is already installed by default.
  2. In Preview, open the screenshot file.
  3. At or near the top of the window, click Show markup toolbar, which is represented by a marker within a circle.
  4. Click Shapes, which is represented by a square and a circle behind it.
  5. Click the circle.
  6. Click Border color, which is represented by a colored rectangle.
  7. Click Show colors....
  8. Click Color sliders, which is represented by three different color bars.
  9. From the drop-down list, click RGB Sliders.
  10. In the Hex Color # text box, type the six-character hex code, without the hashtag symbol (#), of a color that has a contrast ratio of 7:1 or higher to all colors that it touches.
    (For help determining an accessible color, consult an accessibility expert or the KB Admins.)
  11. On your keyboard, press Enter or Return.
  12. You may use the eight "handles" around the circle to adjust it further.
  13. When you are finished, save the image.

In Paint for Windows

  1. Start the Paint app, not the Paint 3D app. The Paint app comes free with Windows and is already installed by default.
  2. In Paint, open the screenshot file.
  3. In the Paint toolbar at the top of the window, in the Colors group, click Edit colors.
  4. In the Red, Green, and Blue text boxes, type the numbers corresponding to a color that has a contrast ratio of 7:1 or higher to all colors that it touches.
    (For help determining an accessible color, consult an accessibility expert or the KB Admins.)
  5. Optionally, to save this custom color for quicker access, click Add to Custom Colors.
  6. Click OK.
  7. In the Paint toolbar, in the Shapes group, click the circle, which is in the first row, and third from the left.
  8. Click and drag on the image to create the circle.
  9. You may use the eight "handles" around the circle to adjust it further.
  10. When you are finished, save the image.

More information can be found in the TLOS document.

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Other

Valid to Date and Annual Review

This is the date when the knowledgebase article will be automatically removed from public view such that only knowledgebase editors can view it, until knowledge admins manually re-publish it. We need to avoid letting current knowledgebase articles accidentally expire / retire, because a knowledgebase article that is suddenly missing and the resultant broken links creates a negative customer experience.

We set and use the Valid to date as a reminder to check each knowledgebase article at least once per calendar year to make sure that any links in the knowledgebase article are still valid, and to verify that the content is still complete and accurate.

The Valid to date will be automatically pre-filled and updated by ServiceNow.

The only notification you will receive about Valid to dates and expired knowledgebase article is an automatic email from ServiceNow when the knowledgebase article reaches the Valid to date and is automatically removed from public view. Again, we want to avoid this scenario. So a suggested best practice is every time you publish a knowledgebase article, manually create an event reminder on your Exchange or Google calendar for one year minus 10 days (355 days) in the future, to remind you to review and update this knowledgebase article before the Valid to date is reached.

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To create an internal link ("jump link") to a specific portion of a knowledgebase article you must first add an ID attribute within the HTML as an "anchor", and then create a hyperlink to that ID.

Note: Older versions of HTML utilized the name attribute, however, in HTML 5, the preferred method is to use ID attributes. And ServiceNow has been configured to only recognize the ID tag; it will not recognize or use the name tag, and thus will not work correctly.

ID attributes are a word or short phrase (with no spaces) that you make up to identify a section of the knowledgebase article. For example, if there are three sections titled "First and Foremost", "Second to None", and "Third Time Around", possible ID attributes could be "first", "second", and "thirdtime". ID attributes are case sensitive. An anchor of "first" and "First" are two different anchors.

To create an internal link to somewhere on the same page:

  1. First, create the ID attribute:
    1. In the KB editor, click to place your cursor at the start of the heading that you want the internal hyperlink to take the reader to.
    2. In the KB editor toolbar, click Source code, which is represented by two brackets <>.
    3. You will see the HTML with your cursor at the location within the HTML corresponding to the location in the editor you clicked.
    4. At the end of the opening tag that surrounds the text (for example: "<h2>" "<p>"), type:  id="ABC" where ABC is replaced by a short word or phrase without spaces of your choosing.
      For example:
      <h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
    5. Note the space between the heading or paragraph tag identifier and the "id".
    6. Click OK to close the source code window.
    7. Click Save to save the changes to the KB.
  2. Next, create a link to that specific ID.
    1. Highlight the text that you want to make clickable.
    2. In the KB editor toolbar, click Insert / edit link which is represented by a paper clip.
    3. In the URL: text box, type: #ABC where ABC is replaced with the ID attribute of the location you want to be jumped to when the reader clicks the link.
      For example: #introduction
    4. Remember to include the pound symbol / hash tag (#).
    5. ***Leave the Target as None (use implicit).***
    6. ***Do not set the Target to Self, because this no longer works correctly.***
    7. Click OK to finish creating the link.
    8. Click Save to save the changes to the KB

To create a hyperlink to a page other than the current page:

  1. Highlight the text that you want to make clickable.
  2. In the ServiceNow text editor toolbar, click Insert / edit link which is represented by a paper clip.
  3. In the URL: text box, the full URL (including http:// or https://) of the page that you want to appear when the reader clicks the link.
  4. Set the Target drop-down list appropriately:
    • If the link takes a reader to complete additional steps and then return to continue with the instructions, set the link to open in a new window by clicking New window (_blank).
    • Otherwise, set the link to open in the same window by clicking None (use implicit).

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To Create a Table of Contents

  1. Start or continue editing a knowledgebase article, including making relevant headings by either using the "Paragraph" drop-down in the GUI toolbar, or manually adding heading tags into the HTML.
  2. Once the headings are created, place your header where you want the table of contents to appear: either immediately below the "Introduction" heading, or after the Introduction content.
  3. On the GUI toolbar, directly to the right of the Insert Table icon, click the Table of Contents icon.
  4. Anchor tags will be automatically added to all level 2 ( <h2> ) and level 3 ( <h3> ) headings, and hyperlinks to those headings will be added in a list where your cursor was.

    (The table of contents hyperlinks created by ServiceNow will have the Target correctly set to None (Use Implicit). The list will appear bulleted in the Service Portal view.)
  5. To edit the text within the table of contents, you must edit the HTML using the Source Code button.
  6. If you want to add h4-h6 level headings to the table of contents, you can do so by manually adding the necessary HTML anchors and hyperlinks using the Source Code button.
  7. Place your cursor before the word "Contents" and backspace to remove "Table of".
  8. At any point that you add, remove, or edit the wording of a heading, to automatically update the text within the table of contents to match, click Refresh, which appears as a circular arrow, below the current table of contents.
  9. Click Save and / or Publish to save and / or publish your changes.

Finding the Link / URL to a Knowledgebase Article

The link or URL of a published knowledgebase article in the public IT Knowledge Base will end with the KB number, such as KB000000. Those links will always return the latest, published version of the article, even if there are many versions of it.

URLs that end with the system ID of the article, such as sys_id=00000000000000000000000, hyperlinks, and bookmarks to such URLs will display a specific version of the article, which *may not be the latest version*. In the portal view, each older version of a knowledgebase article will have a small box above the title with text: "An updated version of this article is available." That sentence is a clickable hyperlink which will take you to the latest version.

For a published knowledgebase article in the public IT Knowledge Base:

  1. In the Portal view, find the knowledgebase article.
  2. In the Portal view, at the bottom of the body content of the article, to the right, click Copy Permalink.
  3. Paste that into your document or link creator.

For a knowledgebase article in any knowledgebase other than the IT Knowledge Base:

  1. In the service desk view, find and view the knowledgebase article.
  2. In the URL address bar of your browser, copy the entire URL.
  3. Paste that into your document or link creator.

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Add / Upload a File Attachment

Important: To upload an image or screenshot, do NOT attach it. Instead, follow the instructions at the other section of this document.

Important: Attachments of any kind will not be visible or accessible to customers that are not or are unable to log on to ServiceNow. Attachments, including images that are incorrectly uploaded as attachments, will not be visible or accessible to customers that are not logged in.

Warning: Uploading large attachments might cause slowness and errors for users currently working in ServiceNow and for customers who try to download the attachment.

  1. In Edit mode, near the top of the window, to the left of Save and Upload, click the paperclip.
  2. Click Browse….
  3. Click the file(s) to upload. (To select more than one file, hold down the Ctrl or Command key while you click.)
  4. Click OK.
  5. On the right side of the Attachments window, click Attach.
  6. The file name will appear under Current file attachments:.
  7. When you are finished adding attachments, close the Attachments window.
  8. Click Publish to publish your changes.

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Delete or Remove an Attachment

  1. In Edit mode, near the top of the window, to the left of Save and Upload, click the paperclip.
  2. Place a check in the checkbox next to each attachment you want to remove.
  3. Click Remove.
  4. Close the Attachments window.
  5. Click Publish to publish your changes.

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  1. First, upload the attachment by following the instructions at the other section of this document.
  2. In Edit mode, type the text that you want to be clickable.
  3. Highlight the text that you want to be clickable.
  4. In the ServiceNow text editor toolbar, click Insert / edit link which is represented by a paper clip.
  5. From the Type: drop-down list, click Attachment.
  6. From the URL: drop-down list, click the name of the attachment that you want to open when customers click the link.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Click Publish to publish your changes.

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To Restrict View Access to Certain People

By default, when creating a new knowledgebase article, before you click Publish this Version, it will stay in the Draft state. As long as a knowledgebase article is in the Draft state, it will only be visible to people with knowledgebase editing access in ServiceNow and system admins, which is a fairly small group of people.

Therefore, it is recommended to keep something in the Draft state to restrict it from the public view.

However, if you want a knowledgebase article to only be visible to certain group of people, submit a Consultation and Training request, click Knowledge base, and:

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Explanation of Knowledgebase Article States

Draft - Only people with knowledgebase editing access in ServiceNow, and ServiceNow admins can view the knowledgebase article.

Published - Everyone, both people associated with Virginia Tech and those not associated with Virginia Tech can view it.

Retired - Only people with knowledgebase editing access in ServiceNow, and ServiceNow admins can view the knowledgebase article.

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Style Guide

The QA spreadsheet contains ITEE's KB style requirements.

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Creating a Knowledge Block

Knowledge blocks can be used for anything, and could be useful for information repeated in multiple knowledgebase articles or part of a knowledgebase article that you want to restrict or limit viewing of within a public knowledgebase article.

****Do not put sensitive content inside any knowledge block****, even a restricted knowledge block. We do not yet know how search engines will handle content within and restrictions on knowledge blocks.

  1. Verify that the knowledge blocks feature is enabled for the specific knowledgebase you want to use it in. To do this, contact the owner of the knowledgebase, or contact the KB Admins by submitting the ITEE service catalog request item. Knowledge blocks are currently enabled in the main, public "IT Knowledge Base".
  2. In the Service Desk / UI16 / "worker" view of ServiceNow, in the left menu pane, at the top, in the Filter navigator text box, start typing: block.
  3. Under the Knowledge menu, if it is not already expanded, click Knowledge Blocks to expand the sub-menu.
  4. Under the Knowledge Blocks sub-menu, click Create New Block.

    Image of the above instructions

  5. In the Knowledgebase text box, start typing the name of the knowledgebase where this block will be used, and then click it in the drop-down. Examples are: "IT Knowledge Base", "University Library".
    Note: Just because you can select a knowledgebase here ***does not guarantee*** that the feature is enabled for that knowledgebase; see step 1.
  6. By default every knowledge block will be publicly viewable, even to those not logged in. To change that, see Setting or Changing the View Restrictions or Access of a Knowledge Block.
  7. You may want to make a note or set a calendar reminder of the Valid to date. When this date is reached, the block will expire and no longer be visible. You should review the content of the block and update the Valid to date before it is reached.
  8. In the Short Description text box, type the name or acronym of your department or group and some descriptive text to differentiate this block from others.
    This is to help you be able to search for it later.
    Examples are: FASTR_quick_support, Facilities-after-hours, LibKbFooter
  9. In the Article Body text box, type the content that you want in the block.
  10. ****Do not put sensitive content inside any knowledge block****, even a restricted knowledge block. We do not yet know how search engines will handle content within and restrictions on knowledge blocks.
  11. You may want to include text to indicate who the block is visible and / or not visible to. There will be no visual indication that this is a knowledge block separate from the content of the knowledgebase article, nor whether it is restricted.
  12. To save your work without publishing, click Save.
  13. To publish the block, click Publish.
    (The Publish button will not appear until after you have clicked the Save button.)

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Setting or Changing the View Restrictions or Access of a Knowledge Block

****Do not put PII (personally identifiable information) inside any knowledge block****, even a restricted knowledge block. While the content should be and remain restricted as intended, there is no 100% guarantee.

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Using or Inserting a Knowledge Block into a Knowledgebase Article

  1. Start creating a new knowledgebase article or start editing a published knowledgebase article.
  2. Click in the article to place your cursor where you want the knowledge block to be displayed.
  3. In Edit mode, near the top of the window, to the left of Publish, click Add Blocks.
  4. Depending on which view type of view appears:
    • If Add Blocks appears in the right pane:
      1. In the right pane, at the top, in the Search Blocks text box, start typing the name you gave to the block or content within the block.
      2. If you find the block you want, click Insert.
      3. If you cannot find the block you want:
        1. Click Advanced Search.
        2. In the standalone pop-out window that appears, search for and / or navigate to the knowledge block you want to insert.
        3. To the far left of the knowledge block you want to insert, check the box.
        4. Near the top of the window, click Insert to article.
        5. Close the pop-up window.
    • If the standalone pop-out appears:
      1. Search for and / or navigate to the knowledge block you want to insert.
      2. To the far left of the knowledge block you want to insert, check the box.
      3. Near the top of the window, click Insert to article.
      4. Close the pop-up window.
  5. The knowledge block will be inserted where your cursor was and displayed as the title of the block within a dotted rectangle. The body content of the block will not appear in Edit mode, but will appear when published. The title (Short Description) will appear in Edit mode, but will not appear when published.

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Editing or Updating a Knowledge Block

****Do not put PII (personally identifiable information) inside any knowledge block****, even a restricted knowledge block. While the content should be and remain restricted as intended, there is no 100% guarantee.

  1. In the left menu pane, to expand the menu, click Knowledge.
  2. Click the arrow to the left of Knowledge Blocks to expand the sub-menu.
  3. In the expanded menu, click All. This allows you to find both published blocks and those not yet published.
  4. To find the block, try any or all of the following:
    • To sort by any of the columns, click the column header. Or, click the same column header again to sort in reverse order. For example, click Number twice to list the articles by newest, first.
    • To search for a word or phrase in the title / short description field:
      1. Above the listing of knowledgebase article, to the left of the word All, click the filter which is represented by a funnel.
      2. Set the first drop-down box to Short Description.
      3. Set the second drop-down box to contains.
      4. In the text box to the right of contains, type the word or phrase to search for.
      5. Click Run.
    • To search for a word or phrase in the body text:
      1. Above the top knowledgebase article listed, above the filters, to the right of New, set the drop-down box to for text.
      2. In the text box to the right of for text, type the words or phrases to search for.
      3. On your keyboard, press Enter or Return.
  5. When you find the block you want to edit, click the corresponding number in the Number column.
  6. Click the Checkout button.

    **Even if some fields can be edited, you will not be able to save any changes unless you click Checkout, first.**

  7. If there is no Checkout button:
    1. Look at the top of the page to see if there is a blue banner with the message "You can only edit the latest version of the article." If there is, click that text. You will be taken to the Edit page and able to make edits, if you currently have the block checked out.
    2. If there is no blue banner and / or the fields are still greyed out on the latest version, it is likely that someone else currently has the knowledgebase article checked out. You cannot edit this knowledgebase article until they publish their version.
  8. Make any changes to the knowledgebase block.
  9. To save your changes without publishing, click Save in the top-right of the page. 
    (You can save as often as you like without your changes being published; changes are only published when you click Publish.)
  10. When you want to publish the changes, near the top-right corner of the page, click Publish.

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KB Ownership Groups

The KB Ownership Groups field was added to all KB articles and knowledge blocks in all knowledge bases on September 20, 2023. This feature will allow for each team member in the KB Ownership Group to receive automated emails about KB expirations. In the future, it will enable us to automatically route KB comments, compliments, or complaints!

The next time you create or edit a KB in the public IT Knowledge Base, please add an appropriate KB Ownership Group.

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