Create An Article
The building block of knowledge bases in ServiceNow.
Introduction
Articles (also known as KB Articles or KBA) enable the reader to discover and resolve their own questions. By supplying the correct knowledge in the form of an article, we can reduce the number of help requests. Articles are contained within Knowledge Bases (KB) that provide users with information such as self-help, troubleshooting, and task resolution.
Prerequisites: Contributor Role & Category Permissions
Before you can start crafting your KB articles, you'll need the Contributor Role and category access for your corresponding knowledge base. If you're unsure about your access or need elevated permission, please contact your Category Approver or the ITSM team.
Step 1: Log In As An Agent
Visit the GT Services & Support site and select the Login option in the top-level navigation. You will need access to DUO authentication as you will be asked to log in to your GT account.
Refer to the screenshot below for the Login location. Click the image to magnify.
Step 2: Access the Agent Portal
After you've logged in, your top-level navigation bar will change with additional options. Select the Agent Portal menu item in the far left.
Refer to the screenshot below for the Agent Portal location. Click the image to magnify.
Step 3: Select All Applications in the Application Navigator
Locate the Application Navigator (left navigation bar) on the left-hand side. Select the All Applications tab (as indicated by a file box icon) to the left of Favorites . By default, your Favorites tab is selected at the top as indicated by a star icon.
Refer to the screenshot below to locate the Application Navigator. Click the image to magnify.
Step 4: Locate the Create New Menu Item
Locate the Navigation Filter (indicated by the funnel icon). Type "Article" in the text area. Your Application Navigator will filter all applications. "Create New" should now be displayed beneath the "Articles" sub-category. Select "Create New" to proceed to the template selection.
Refer to the screenshot below to locate the Navigation Filter. Click the image to magnify.
Selecting the Star icon to the right of each application item will add it to your Favorites filter.
Step 5: Select an Article Template
Templates offer pre-defined fields that are structured in a specific order. They help create a consistent structure for knowledge articles.
Some templates have built-in headers that are automatically applied and will require that you start with an H4 header in lieu of an H3 header. Additional requirements can be found in Headers.
Template List
Template Name | Template Fields |
None | |
Question, Answer (View Template Instructions) | |
Introduction, Instructions (View Template Instructions) | |
*Specialized fields for HR/Workday | |
Issue, Environment, Cause, Resolution | |
Description, Workaround, Cause | |
*Specialized fields for HR/Workday | |
Service Landing Page URL, Service Overview, Service Level Agreements (SLA) | |
Introduction, Explanation |
Step 6: Complete the Article Fields
Some fields are pre-populated and some are required. See below for an example of the Standard Template interface and definitions of each field type.
New Article Interface: Standard Template
Click the screenshot below to magnify it.
Required Fields
Field Label | Content |
Knowledge base | The corresponding Knowledge Base, to which your Article will be attached. |
Category | A category falls under the Knowledge Base designation. Example: IT Self Service could be the knowledge base and the category could be Infrastructure. |
Valid To | This is your article's expiration date. By default, it's set to 1-year from the current date. When the valid to date is the current day, you or your category approver will need to recertify the article. Failure to recertify by the Valid To date will result in the article's retirement. |
Short Description | This is essentially the title of your article. Please follow the title capitalization guidelines when creating your short description. |
Meta | This text area is for meta tags, which assist with indexing your content. Read the Meta Tags section for an overview and ways to improve your search results. |
Optional & Configurable Fields
Field Label | Definition |
Can Read | This field is empty by default since read permissions are already set by user role groups. You will not need to configure this in most situations. Allow read access. Search for and add user criteria. For example, to allow read access to a user, search for user criteria that the user matches and add it to this field. |
Cannot Read | This field is empty by default since read permissions are already set by user role groups. You will not need to configure this in most situations. Search for and add user criteria. For example, to deny read access to a user, search for user criteria that the user matches and add it to this field. |
Roles | This field is empty by default since read permissions are already set by user role groups. You will not need to configure this in most situations. Adding roles to this field will grant read access to the article. |
Article Type | HTML is set by default. The alternative is Wiki. The differences are in your ability to format your content. As a best practice, leave this field unchanged and use the HTML type. |
Attachment Link | Select this option if you want the article link to open directly to an attachment file. |
Display Attachments | If you would like for your attachments to be rendered and automatically displayed at the bottom of your article. For example, if you attach an image and want it to render automatically, then click the checkbox. |
Article Body | This is the core of your article - the content. The editor used is similar to popular text editing tools such as Word or Notepad. Refer to the Web Components on the left-hand menu for advanced editing and best practices. |
Author | This is set to your profile by default; however, you may change it if you're writing on behalf of someone else. |
URL Linked Content | In the event you want the user to be redirected to a different page, enter the destination's URL in the text area. |
Step 6: Check for Duplicates
Before publishing your article, check to see if a duplicative article exists. Select Search for Duplicates in the upper right corner of your screen, just beneath the Settings cog. Your results will appear in a separate browser tab.
See the screenshot below for the Search for Duplicates button location. Click the image to magnify.
Review the results for duplicative content. If your content is unique, toggle back your original browser tab and proceed to the next step. If your content is duplicative, contact the author of the duplicative content to find opportunities where you might consolidate your content.
Step 7: Save & Publish
Select the Save button in the upper-right corner of your window. If you're ready to submit the article for category approval, select Publish.
Selecting Publish will NOT automatically make your changes live. Instead, Publish sends a request to your Category Approver(s) for their approval. Once the article is approved, your new article or revision will go live.
Refer to the picture below for the locations of the Save and Publish buttons. Click the image to magnify.
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