Heavily used KB article loads very slowly - HTML identical new article loads instantly

LoadFaster · a month ago

Hello All,

I have a primary KB article we use daily.

It consistently takes about 15 seconds to load.

It gets edited quite a bit, we are up to version 181, updated at least weekly.

Can having this many versions be why it takes so long?

Its also referenced in quite a few tickets, would that cause it to load slowly?

If neither of these are factors, what can we do to help the issue?

To test why this opens so slow, I copied the slow articles HTML to a new version and it loads instantly, basically on click.

Further info: seems to happen whether I use permalink or sys_kb_id links, from classic or knowledge portal.

Our dev team already tried turning off the footer with all the articles its attached on and same issue.
Happens on old versions of the article when we try as well as test environment.

vaishali231 · 2 weeks ago

Hey @LoadFaster

Possible Causes

1. Excessive Related Records / Audit History

Older heavily-used KB articles can accumulate:

Large audit history (sys_audit)
Journal/activity entries
Version history
Attachments
Feedback/comments
Usage analytics
Many-to-many relationships

Even if not visible on the form, some of these may still process during article load.

Since the copied article loads instantly, the new record does not carry all this historical baggage.

2. Custom Business Rules / Display Logic

Check for:

Display Business Rules
Before Query rules
UI Policies
Client Scripts
Script Includes
Knowledge customizations
Widget/server scripts (especially in portals)

A heavily referenced “primary KB article” often becomes part of custom automation over time.

The fact it happens in:

Classic UI
Knowledge Portal
Permalink
sys_kb_id
Old versions
Test environment

…suggests it may be server-side processing tied to the article record itself.

3. Corrupted or Heavy Article Metadata

Sometimes older records develop performance issues due to:

Large XML payloads
Corrupted version chains
Legacy upgrades
Stale indexing
Broken related references

This is rare but does happen.

Your cloning test strongly points in this direction.

Recommended Troubleshooting

Compare Slow vs Fast Article

Use:

Transaction Timings
Debug Business Rule
Debug SQL
Debug Security Rules

Compare:

Original slow article

Newly copied fast article

That usually identifies the extra processing.

Check Related Record Counts

Compare counts for:

kb_knowledge_base
kb_knowledge
kb_use
m2m_kb_task
sys_audit
sys_history_line
sys_attachment
Feedback/comment tables

Especially audit/history growth.

Rebuild Search Index

Try reindexing the article / knowledge base.

Sometimes stale indexing causes unexpected delays.

Review Customizations

Search for custom logic referencing:

article sys_id

knowledge number

knowledge display/load events

Example areas:

Business Rules on kb_knowledge
Portal widgets
ACL scripts
Display BRs

Practical Resolution Many Teams Use

If the root cause cannot be identified quickly, many teams simply:

Create a fresh KB article
Copy validated content
Retire old article
Redirect links if needed

Since your cloned article performs correctly, this may be the fastest operational fix.

*************************************************************************************************************************************

If this response helps, please mark it as Accept as Solution and Helpful.

Doing so helps others in the community and encourages me to keep contributing.

Regards

Vaishali Singh

Servicenow Developer
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaishali-singh-2273361bb

View solution in original post

LoadFaster · 2 weeks ago

hi, it had only one small picture in older versions and I had removed it as part of troubleshooting so no buildup there but good to check ty.