Make it possible for power point attachments in Knowledge articles to be downloaded

MichaellaP
Tera Contributor

3 weeks ago

Make it possible for power point attachments in Knowledge articles in Employee center to be downloaded to computer instead of opened in servicenows web view. 
I am requesting a step to step guide.

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Anupam1
Mega Guru

3 weeks ago - last edited 3 weeks ago

Hi @MichaellaP ,

 

Knowledge attachments download behavior in Employee Center

You want PowerPoint attachments in Knowledge articles to download to the computer instead of opening in ServiceNow’s web view. Below are two safe, supportable ways to enforce download behavior—either globally via system properties or locally by disabling the document viewer on the attachment component. I’ve kept this step-by-step and testable so you can roll it out cleanly.

 

Option 1: Force download via system properties (targeted to PowerPoint)

Steps

a. Identify PowerPoint MIME types:

  • .ppt: application/vnd.ms-powerpoint
  • .pptx: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation

b. Open System Properties:

  • Navigate to System Properties > UI Properties (filter for “glide.ui.attachment”).

c.  Add MIME types to download list:

  • Set the property: glide.ui.attachment.download_mime_types
  • Add both PowerPoint MIME types, comma-separated.

 

d.  Avoid over-broad settings unless intended:

 

e.  Save and clear cache:

  • Click Save, then run cache.do (or use Clear cache) to apply changes.

f.  Test on Employee Center Knowledge:

  • Open a Knowledge article with .ppt/.pptx attachments and click the attachment link. It should prompt a download rather than opening the web viewer.

Note:- The download behavior can be centrally controlled using the system properties for attachment MIME types; the “force download all” property affects every file type.

 

 

 

Option 2: Disable document viewer on the attachments component (Employee Center)

When to use:

 

If you prefer not to change global properties—or want consistent download behavior for all attachments in the Employee Center Knowledge experience—turn off the document viewer on the page/component that renders article attachments.

 

Steps:

a.  Open UI Builder:

  • Navigate to Experience > UI Builder and open your Employee Center experience.

b.   Locate the Knowledge article template/page:

  • Find the page or template used to render Knowledge articles (commonly the article details page).

c.  Select the attachments component:

  • Click the component that displays Knowledge attachments (e.g., “Attachments” or a Knowledge-specific widget).

d.  Disable document viewer:

  • Turn off the property/attribute like “Use document viewer” (naming can vary slightly by component). With viewer disabled, clicking attachments will download instead of preview.

e.  Publish and test:

  • Publish the experience. Open a Knowledge article in Employee Center and click a PowerPoint attachment to confirm it downloads.

Note:- The “Use Document Viewer” attribute governs whether attachments open in a web viewer; disabling it shifts behavior to download links.

 

 

Recommendation:

  • If you only need PowerPoint to download: Use Option 1 and set glide.ui.attachment.download_mime_types for .ppt and .pptx. It’s precise and low-risk.
  • If you want all Knowledge attachments in Employee Center to download: Use Option 2 to disable the document viewer on the attachments component. It’s scoped to Employee Center and avoids changing global behavior.

 

 

Test plan and rollout

  • Prepare test articles: Create one Knowledge article with .ppt and .pptx attachments.
  • Validate as different roles: Test with a typical Employee Center user role to ensure behavior isn’t admin-only.
  • Check link behavior: Confirm clicking the attachment triggers a browser download prompt, not an in-page viewer.
  • Browser checks: Test in Chrome, Edge, and Safari; ensure pop-up/download settings don’t interfere.
  • Communicate change: Inform stakeholders that PowerPoint files will download to local devices and no longer open in a web viewer.

 

 

 

 

Reference MIME types and settings

File type

MIME type

Action

PPT

application/vnd.ms-powerpoint

Add to glide.ui.attachment.download_mime_types

PPTX

application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation

Add to glide.ui.attachment.download_mime_types

All types (broad)

n/a

Consider glide.ui.attachment.force_download_all_mime_types = true (use with caution)

 

 

If my response helped please mark it correct and close the thread so that it benefits future readers.

 

Best,

Anupam.

 

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