Knowledge Base Template

The knowledge base template

This template is meta: it lays out the structure of a whole knowledge base, not a single article. Copy the sections below into a planning doc, agree on them with your team, then build the categories and article template inside your knowledge base editor.

1. Top-level categories

Decide the handful of categories every article will live under. Name them the way customers describe their goals, not the way your teams are organized. A common starting set:

Keep the list to roughly five to eight categories. Add subcategories only when one genuinely outgrows a single page.

2. Category structure

For each category, note its purpose in one line, who owns it, and which article types belong in it. This stops the same topic being filed in three places and gives every category a person accountable for its shape.

3. Article types to include

Different jobs need different articles. Standardizing the type makes the whole help center scannable:

• Getting-started guide: orients a brand-new user end to end.
• How-to guide: one task, numbered steps, a clear outcome.
• Reference / documentation: the full detail on a feature or setting.
• Troubleshooting article: symptom, cause, fix.
• FAQ entry: a short answer that links to the fuller article.

4. Standard article template

Every article, whatever its type, should share a skeleton so readers always know where to look:

1. Title. Plain and searchable, phrased the way people ask.
2. Summary. One or two lines on what the article covers and who it is for.
3. Body. Steps, reference, or explanation, with screenshots where they save words.
4. Related links. Point to the next logical article and the parent category.
5. Owner and last-updated. So readers and editors can trust it is current.

5. Naming and style conventions

Agree the small rules that keep 200 articles feeling like one voice: title casing, how you phrase headings (task-first, “Reset your password” not “Password resets”), terminology to standardize, screenshot style, and how you tag and slug articles. Write these down so new authors inherit them.

6. Launch checklist

Before you make the knowledge base public, confirm the basics are in place:

• Categories created and ordered the way customers scan.
• At least a few solid articles seeded in each category (no empty shelves).
• Search enabled and returning sensible results.
• Navigation and titles readable by someone who has never seen the product.
• Every launch article has an owner and a review date.

7. Ownership and review cadence

Assign an owner per category and a review date per article, and set a recurring check on the structure itself. Structure drifts the moment nobody is accountable for it, so make maintenance a routine rather than a rescue mission.

How to fill in this knowledge base template

A structure only pays off if the articles inside it are genuinely findable. A few habits make the difference:

• Organize around customer goals. Categories named after what people are trying to do beat categories named after your internal teams.
• Keep the tree shallow. Nothing should sit more than two or three clicks from the homepage. Lean on search and clear titles instead of deep folders.
• Seed every category. Empty categories signal an abandoned help center. Publish a few strong articles per category before you launch.
• Standardize one article layout. When every article shares a skeleton, readers stop hunting and start scanning.
• Give it owners and review dates. A knowledge base with no owners quietly rots. Naming them keeps it current as the product changes.

For help wiring your categories and articles together as the library grows, see how HelpDocs lets you create and organize content.