Best way to convert a Word document to clean HTML for use as a knowledge article template?

patricklatella · ‎06-21-2018

Hi all,

I've got a client that is looking to create template for their company's knowledge articles. They are hoping to create the template in Word and then convert it to clean HTML for use in ServiceNow. I know this is functionality that Word, and SN have built in...but we're seeing some lousy conversions. Anyone have any experience with this? thanks!

Jace Benson · ‎06-21-2018

Well, you can always use the import from word on the KB. Using the OOB import article function;

If that's a no go, you can convert the Word file with pandoc, I've been using it in my spare time. It's pretty neat, but might be too technical for your use. In anycase, here's the "Getting Started" page.

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Jace Benson · ‎06-21-2018

Well, you can always use the import from word on the KB. Using the OOB import article function;

If that's a no go, you can convert the Word file with pandoc, I've been using it in my spare time. It's pretty neat, but might be too technical for your use. In anycase, here's the "Getting Started" page.

patricklatella · ‎06-22-2018

thanks Jacebenson, I appreciate the response. I'll check out pandoc. The issue we're seeing with the SN's built in HTML converter, as well as Word's, is some varying reliability of the resulting code. Have you experienced that?

Jace Benson · ‎06-22-2018

Any converter, is going to have oddities. I know from in the past the Abiword, has trouble with non-UTF-8 character but seems to convert docs to HTML fine and was part of the tool I used at Fruition.

Pandoc is a command line utility to make the conversion.

Word also has a convert to HTML but it's very... verbose and sometimes that can cause issues. Once you have your template in SN, i'd just have folks enter things there.

patricklatella · ‎06-22-2018

ok very cool...thanks again!