Nice Knowledge Article Templates: Impossible to build?

[AdamUMC]

Hi there,

Already some time I'm trying to build nice looking Knowledge Article Templates.
Think about templates for user manuals with at the top a banner with logo included.

My HTML/CSS knowledge is non-existing to very limited. I have tried with help of ChatGPT to build something, but it seems hopeless.

For example, I can create an new Article Template Field and a banner with logo. Add this field to the knowledge article form layout, but as soon as I use this template, the banner is now shown in draft state, nor in published state.

What also is very irritating is the fact that the Field Name of Article Template Field is included within the "Article Template Preview". 

Once I heard someone saying that the article template possibilities are very limited and should not be used to force a certain formatting, but only for a layout in the form of text headings as we can see for example in the standard / OOTB "FAQ" template. No "eye candy", only only textual headings.

Can anyone help me out? Thanks!

[Rafael Batistot]

Hi @AdamUMC 

You are correct: the main purpose of an article template is to provide structure, not visual formatting.

Think of it this way: the template's job is to create a skeleton of the article, telling the user where to put the "introduction," the "solution," or the "troubleshooting steps." It's great for ensuring consistency in content layout and a predictable flow.

However, the "Article Template Field" doesn't render HTML or CSS in the way you'd expect. So, when you add HTML code for a banner with a logo to that field, the system sees it as plain text and doesn't display the image.

So, How Do You Add a Banner?

You need to use the main article body field, which is the rich text editor (like a word processor). This editor fully supports HTML and allows you to insert images and other visual elements.

Here's the recommended approach:

1. Use the template for structure: Create your article template with text headings (e.g., "Introduction," "Problem Description," "Resolution"). This guides the article's author.

2. Add the banner manually: Instruct your users to add the banner at the very top of the main article body using the rich text editor's image insertion tool. You can even create a macro or a reusable content block for the banner to make it easy for them to insert.

This two-step process allows you to leverage the best of both worlds: consistent structure from the template and beautiful visuals from the main article body.

See the reference 

Create an article template and use it to create a knowledge article

[kaushal_snow]

Hi @AdamUMC ,

What’s Possible in Knowledge Article Templates:

ServiceNow supports pre-defined templates (like FAQ, How-To, What Is) to guide authors in structuring content consistently. You can create an HTML field in a template and set a default value such as embedding a logo via the field’s dictionary default value..

There are many Limitations:

Field names appear in preview: The system automatically displays the field’s label above the content, which can clutter visual elements unless hidden manually.

Limited style control: You can set default fonts or sizes in the dictionary, but authors can override them when editing and you can’t enforce consistent styling permanently.

No advanced styling options: Deeper HTML or CSS (like external stylesheets or responsive layouts) isn’t supported within article templates.

Maintenance complexity: Using heavy formatting makes long-term maintenance harder; many encourage sticking with the built-in, text-based templates

If you found my response helpful, please mark it as ‘Accept as Solution’ and ‘Helpful’. This helps other community members find the right answer more easily and supports the community.

[AdamUMC]

Thanks a lot for both answers, I appreciate. I will investigate further all other possible "workarounds" and tips. Thanks!