Article Templates - what we use internally for KCS

[jaimehonaker]

This blogpost describes the templates we have found useful for our internal Support teams to create KB articles, normally created from the cases they are working. This is an internal KB article, but we wanted to provide an example of the types of content we make available to the people creating our content. 

Templates

Three templates are available:

• Solution: For articles that explain how to solve an issue
• How To: For articles that explain how to perform a procedure
• What is: For articles that explain a feature, functionality, or product behavior

Article Structures

KCS Solution for CS

• Internal notes:  If the article is customer-facing, use this field to specify the information that should remain internal.

• Issue: List all of the symptoms that the customer is experiencing. Use the language the customer used when filing the incident. 

• Environment: List environment information, such as release, browser or operating system, if it is relevant. 

• Cause: Explain the origin of the issue in customer-friendly language. Provide technical details if they are useful, but ensure that technical information is appropriate and useful to share with customers. 

• Resolution: Provide numbered steps that the customer can use on their instance to resolve the issue or provide relief.

• Additional Information: Add links to more resources such as a page in the product documentation, a blog post on the ServiceNow Community, or a video on the ServiceNow YouTube channel. 

KCS How To for CS

Note: If you are authoring an article describing how to use an aspect of the product, first make sure that the product documentation does not already cover that topic. If you feel the information is too urgent for customers to have to wait for a documentation update and you need to create an interim article, note the article number in your documentation feedback so when the change is incorporated, you can easily find and delete the placeholder article.

• Internal notes:  If the article is customer-facing, use this field to specify the information that should remain internal.

• Description: Describe the task covered in the article.

• Release or Environment: List environment information, such as release, browser or operating system, if it is relevant

• Instructions: Provide numbered steps for how to accomplish the task.

• Additional Information (optional): Provide any helpful additional information.

KCS What Is for CS

Note: If you are authoring an article describing a feature or functionality, first make sure that the product documentation does not already cover that topic. If you feel the information is too urgent for customers to have to wait for a documentation update and you need to create an interim article, note the article number in your documentation feedback so when the change is incorporated, you can easily find and delete the placeholder article.

• Internal notes:  If the article is customer-facing, use this field to specify the information that should remain internal.

• Details: Describe the feature or functionality.
  
  
• Additional Information: Provide any helpful additional information.