Full Export/Import Knowledge Bases, Categories, and Articles Steps

[snowolper]

Best Practice:
Export/Import Knowledge Bases, Categories, and Articles in batches. Do not attempt to transfer all at once as some KB Articles may be bigger than others and can cause corruption, issues or unintended issues (missing attachments and other items) that are easier to fix in batches then an all or nothing method. 

Also, create a local update set prior to starting just in case. 

Example: 

Need to export Knowledge Base, its Categories and all its relative Articles from SNOWsiteA too SNOWsiteB.

Follow these steps:

1. Be sure to export the Knowledge Base from SNOWsiteA and import the intended SNOWsiteB (Production, Test, Development, etc.).
2. Export the Knowledge Base Categories from SNOWsiteA and import the intended SNOWsiteB 
3. Export the Articles from SNOWsiteA:
4. 1. Go to SNOWsiteA Knowledge > Articles > All.
   2. Create a filter to render a scoped export.
   3. Right-click at the tables banner > Export > XML
5. Import the Articles to SNOWsiteB
6. Post Import
7. • Update all articles hardcoded hyperlinks to correct links
   • doublecheck all attachments and images
   • doublecheck styling
   • all other check and tests need to be applied.

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[Khanna Ji]

Update all articles hardcoded hyperlinks to correct links

Can't it be automated? Do we have to manually update links?

[snowolper]

Honestly, there probably is a third-party app for that, but at this time I dont think you can do it. 

It just doesnt make sense either. If the links are from another KB like SharePoint or Confluence, and one is migrating to ServiceNow where the KB Articles don't exist yet. 

Key questions to automate the link update:

• Where/how will you point the new links to via automation?
• IF hyperlink SNOWKBarticle_1B doesnt exist in > go to SNOWKBarticle_1A hyperlink > Extract > upload > Publish > Generate SNOWKBarticle_1B > Update SNOWKBarticle_1 hyperlink SNOWKBarticle_1A == SNOWBarticle_1B hyperlink... 
• Will SNOW connect to CONFLUENCE (or other KB System...), will it be able to self check... i dont know maybe....

it seems like a lot more coding would be required, then to have the owners of those articles make the necessary changes or to do it manually... it isnt fun...

[Krissy]

Hi,

I tried this method and was able to import only the articles. The categories remained empty. is there anything else that can be done?

[Tommy SN Sahlin]

Hi, thanks for the guide, really good initiative!

Question: shouldn't one also migrate User Criteria, user records for KB Owners and KB Managers, and maybe some more stuff? Also, the Service Portal in the receiving instance should be configured for which of the KBs should be shown there. Just off the top of my head, there may be more.

cheers, hope that helps  /Tommy

[Kevin42]

HI, When exporting the articles. will the metadata such as tags versioning and images export as well?

[Ruthika0319]

Hello,

Great info!

Does importing Categories separately and articles separately can update the respective categories in the respective articles? 

What do we need to align respective categories for that  respective articles.

Thanks in advance!

[Krissy]

Hi, Import the categories. And then the articles and everything would update. Also I recommend creating articles in prod and working u way backwards to dev and uat. Just incase u have other users using KB in production their article numbers won’t conflict with the ones u created. U can make a kb in dev with kb1234 and an end user will make one in prod with kb1234 and when u import yours it will show duplicated kb’s and it’s a pain. 

[christophenow]

I had also to export/import the kb_version records related to Kb article.