Knowledge Article Edits

[cnharris1]

Hello developers,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask these questions but I'm hoping someone can help me out. 

Is the author of a knowledge article the ONLY person that can make edits to a knowledge article?

For instance, the ownership group manager and group members cannot make edits to the article?

Can anyone who has the knowledge admin make edits to knowledge articles even if they are not the author?

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated!

Best regards,

cnharris1

[Nawal Singh]

Hi @cnharris1 ,

Please review below links that will help you-

1. https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/zurich-servicenow-platform/page/product/knowledge-management/...

2. https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/zurich-servicenow-platform/page/product/knowledge-management/...

If you found my response helpful, please mark it as helpful and accept it as the solution.

Thank you
Nawal Singh

[cnharris1]

Thanks @Nawal Singh for the quick reply! I couldn't open the first link for some reason but the second link was very helpful!

Best regards,

cnharris1

[MaxMixali · Accepted solution]

ServiceNow Knowledge Article Editing Permissions – Explained

Short answer:

No — the author is not the only person who can edit a Knowledge Article.

Editing rights in ServiceNow Knowledge Management depend on roles, ownership, and workflow state.

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🔹 1. Author vs. Knowledge Roles

• The Author (the user listed in the Author field) automatically has permission to edit the article while it’s in a draft or review state.

• Once published, authors may not be able to edit the article unless they also belong to the correct ownership group or have the knowledge_admin role.

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🔹 2. Ownership Group Permissions

Each Knowledge Base has a configured ownership group and roles:

• Manager or member of the Knowledge Base Ownership Group can:

  • Create, edit, and retire articles within that Knowledge Base.

  • Approve or reject submissions if approval workflow applies.

• If your ownership group members cannot edit:

  • Check the Knowledge Base record → Can Read / Can Contribute user criteria.

  • Ensure the group or role is listed under Can Contribute.

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🔹 3. Knowledge Admin Role (

knowledge_admin

)

• Users with the knowledge_admin role have global authority to:

  • Edit any article (regardless of author or ownership group).

  • Bypass approval workflows.

  • Manage Knowledge Bases, workflows, and categories.

So yes — a knowledge_admin can edit an article even if they are not the author or part of the ownership group.

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🔹 4. Knowledge Workflow Considerations

• If an article is in published or retired state, editing may require check-out (if versioning is enabled).

• If workflow approval is active, authors or contributors can edit drafts but not published versions unless they create a new version.

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🔹 5. Summary Matrix

Role / GroupCan Edit DraftCan Edit PublishedNotes

Author	✅ Yes	⚠️ No (unless KB allows)	Needs contributor rights for published edits
KB Ownership Group Member	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (if “Can Contribute”)	Controlled by User Criteria
KB Ownership Group Manager	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Has broader control
knowledge_admin	✅ Yes (all)	✅ Yes (all)	Overrides restrictions
Other users (no contributor access)	❌ No	❌ No	Read-only access Recommended Best Practices Use User Criteria for “Can Contribute” to allow editing for: Authors KB Ownership Group members knowledge_admins Enable Versioning to allow safe editing of published content. Use Knowledge Roles (knowledge_manager, knowledge_admin, knowledge_contributor) appropriately to control access scope. In summary: ✳️ The author is not the only person who can edit a knowledge article. Members of the ownership group with contributor rights or anyone with the knowledge_admin role can edit it, provided the Knowledge Base configuration allows.

[cnharris1]

Hi @MaxMixali That's what I needed! Thanks for the documentation!

Best regards,

cnharris1