Content organization

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Content Organization

    To effectively build a CMS website in ServiceNow, it is crucial to first compile and organize all the content to be included. This content can be categorized into CMS site information, such as pages and images, and system information, like knowledge base articles and catalog items.

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    Key Features

    • Content Listing: Begin by listing all the content you intend to host, including help pages and catalog items.
    • Logical Grouping: Group pages to establish a top-down menu structure, identifying a home page and referencing it in the Parent Page field.
    • Organizational Hierarchy: Utilize existing categories from the service catalog and knowledge base for effective navigation and search results.
    • Collaboration: Work closely with application administrators to ensure accurate data presentation on CMS pages.
    • Branding Elements: Incorporate logos, color palettes, and other branding elements as defined by your marketing department.
    • Consistent Design: Maintain a standard appearance across the site using templates, navigation schemes, and other web design components.
    • ServiceNow Features: Analyze features such as account settings and workflows if you plan to integrate them with your CMS pages.

    Key Outcomes

    By effectively organizing CMS content and ensuring user-friendly navigation, you will enhance the long-term maintainability of your site. Clear communication with administrators and adherence to branding guidelines will provide a consistent and professional experience for users accessing the CMS. This strategic approach will ultimately facilitate better engagement and usability of the ServiceNow CMS.

    Before you begin to build the CMS website, list all the content that you want to include and take the time to organize it.

    A site created in CMS relies on two different types of content.

    • CMS site information, such as site pages, images, and menus
    • System information, such as knowledge base articles and catalog items

    CMS content

    Begin by listing all the content you want to host on the CMS pages. Examples include help pages, My Requests, My Approvals, and specific catalog items. Think about current solutions that you can implement immediately, and note ideas for future implementation phases.

    Within CMS, you group pages to define the top-down menu structure. You establish a home or starting page, and other pages in the site reference the home page in the Parent Page reference field.

    There are several ways to group, such as by audience or the purpose of the website. After listing the content to host, group it logically and identify a common name for each group, as shown in the following examples.

    Table 1. IT environment groups
    Content built for Common name
    End user End User Page
    IT professional IT Professional Page
    Table 2. General groups
    Purpose of site Common name
    Reports Reporting Page
    Help and knowledge Knowledge page

    System content

    Organize the content so the interface is easy to navigate and understandable to the user. Determine the organization based on the data that you are leveraging, both in the CMS (using sites, parent pages, pages, and navigational menus) and throughout the rest of the system. For example, within the catalog you have "category," and in the knowledge base you have "category" and "subcategory." You can use these hierarchies with filtered lists for good search results.

    Organizing CMS content logically is important for long-term maintenance of the site, however, the data typically comes from other ServiceNow applications. Communicate with the administrators for these applications, such as the knowledge base, service catalog, and business service portfolio. Work with them to offer the application data appropriately through the CMS pages you create. For example, the team that created the ServiceNow corporate website in CMS began by evaluating the naming conventions used in the corporate knowledge base.

    Branding elements

    Branding refers to the logo, name, colors, and symbols that identify an organization. It imposes consistency in design and use of terms. Your marketing department defines branding elements and can provide them to you as you plan your CMS pages. Consider how to incorporate the following branding elements.
    • Logos
    • Color palette
    • Tag line
    • Trademarked elements
    • Graphics

    Site design

    During planning, consider providing a core set of features with a standard appearance throughout the site. The following web design elements are often used to create a consistent look.

    • Page templates
    • Navigation schemes
    • Header
    • Breadcrumbs
    • Footer
    • Forms

    ServiceNow features

    Analyze and organize the following ServiceNow features in your instance if you plan on using any of them with CMS pages.

    • Account settings
    • Email
    • Workflow approvals
    • Filters