Validity of a knowledge article
Summarize
Summary of Validity of a knowledge article
The validity of a knowledge article in ServiceNow defines the expiration date after which the article no longer appears in search results. This expiration is managed via theValid tofield on the Knowledge form, which is accessible when creating or editing articles. Setting an appropriate validity period ensures that outdated knowledge does not clutter search results and users access only relevant information.
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Key Features
- Default Valid to Date: When creating a knowledge article, the default expiration date is based on the Article Validity number of days configured for the associated knowledge base. If this field is blank, the default expiration is set to January 1, 2100.
- Editing Articles with Versioning Enabled: If article versioning is enabled, updating an article sets the new Valid to date based on the knowledge base's Article Validity setting. If blank, the previous Valid to date is retained. Minor edits can be made without checking out the article if the
glide.knowman.versioning.enableminoreditsproperty is enabled. - Moving Articles Between Knowledge Bases: When moving an article to a different knowledge base, the Valid to date updates according to the new knowledge base’s Article Validity. If the new base's Article Validity is blank, the existing Valid to date remains.
- Date Format Considerations: Using a two-digit year format (yy) can cause issues with the Valid to date. It is recommended to use a four-digit year format (yyyy) in system and user preferences to avoid problems.
- Dictionary Overrides: Custom changes to the Valid to field dictionary value can override the default expiration date calculated from the Article Validity field.
- Email Notifications: On the first day of each month, ServiceNow sends email reminders to authorized users about articles expiring within the next month, enabling timely review and extension of article validity if needed.
Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers
Understanding and managing the validity of knowledge articles helps maintain an accurate and current knowledge base by automatically removing expired articles from searches. Customers should configure the Article Validity setting at the knowledge base level to align with their content review cycles and ensure users see only up-to-date information. Leveraging versioning features and email notifications improves governance by facilitating timely updates and expiration management. Additionally, customers should verify date format settings to prevent validity date issues and customize dictionary values only if necessary to control default expiration behavior.
Knowledge article validity is the date a knowledge article expires. Articles do not appear in search results after the Valid to date or if the Valid to date is blank.
Decide when to expire a knowledge article by using the Valid to field in the Knowledge form. The Knowledge form is available when creating or editing a knowledge article.
When you create or edit a knowledge article, a default value appears in the Valid to field. As an article author or editor, you can select whether to keep or change the default Valid to date.
Default article validity when creating a knowledge article
The default value of the Valid to field is derived from the Article Validity field configured for the knowledge base (see Create a knowledge base). The Valid to date starts from the date the article was created until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. If the Article Validity field is blank, the default date in the Valid to field for the knowledge article is set to January 1, 2100.
Default article validity when editing a knowledge article
If the article versioning feature is enabled, the default value of the Valid to date in the updated article version is automatically set as described in the following table.
| Article Validity value in the associated knowledge base | Valid to default value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blank | Earlier version Valid to date value | If the Article Validity field in the knowledge base associated with the article is blank, the Valid to date value from the earlier version of the article is retained. |
| Is not blank | Article updated date + article validity | If the Article Validity field in the knowledge base associated with the article is not blank, the Valid to date is automatically updated to start from the date the article was updated until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. |
If you move a knowledge article to another knowledge base, the default value of the Valid to date in the updated article is automatically set as described in the following table.
| Article Validity value in the updated knowledge base | Valid to default value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blank | Earlier Valid to date value | If the Article Validity field in the selected knowledge base is blank, the earlier Valid to date value is retained for the knowledge article. |
| Is not blank | Article updated date + article validity | If the Article Validity field in the selected knowledge base isn't blank, the Valid to date is automatically updated to start from the date the article was updated until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. |
Email notifications for expiring knowledge articles
On the first day of each month, the application sends an email notification to a list of authorized recipients to remind them about articles that are about to expire in the next month. The recipient can then extend the Valid to date to continue using the article. For more information, see Managing email notifications in Knowledge Management.