Knowledge blocks
Summarize
Summary of Knowledge blocks
Knowledge blocks in ServiceNow are reusable content segments that you can insert into knowledge articles within a knowledge base. These blocks are secured by customizable user criteria that control which user roles can view the content, ensuring users only see relevant information. Knowledge blocks are exclusively available within the ServiceNow AI Platform and are designed to enhance content management and user experience in knowledge articles.
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Key Features
- User Criteria Security: Content visibility is controlled at both the knowledge base and knowledge block level, allowing precise targeting of information based on user roles.
- Reusable Content: Knowledge blocks can be created once and inserted into multiple articles, streamlining content management.
- Content Types Supported: Blocks support text and images but do not show attached files by default.
- Knowledge Base Configuration: Knowledge administrators or managers must enable knowledge blocks for each knowledge base where they will be used.
- Integration Support: When using custom search or article viewers, integration with the appropriate knowledge or knowledge blocks API is recommended to maintain functionality.
- Activation: Activating knowledge blocks automatically enables Knowledge Management Advanced features, including article versioning, though versioning can be disabled if not needed.
Practical Use Case
For example, an enterprise HR organization can create a single holiday calendar article with location-specific knowledge blocks secured by user criteria. This setup allows employees to view only the holidays relevant to their location, simplifying article management for HR and improving the user experience by preventing unnecessary scrolling through irrelevant content.
Important Considerations
- Knowledge blocks do not support wiki-type articles.
- Files attached to blocks are not displayed by default.
- Knowledge contributors can create and insert blocks after the feature is enabled.
Next Steps
To implement knowledge blocks, ensure the feature is activated and enabled per knowledge base. Then, create knowledge blocks and insert them into articles as needed, applying user criteria to tailor content visibility. If you have a custom search or viewer, integrate it with the knowledge blocks API to maintain content filtering and display.
Knowledge blocks are reusable pieces of content secured by customizable user criteria that you can add to knowledge articles in a knowledge base. The user criteria determine which user roles can or can’t read the block content in an article, enabling only relevant content to be visible to that user.
Knowledge blocks are available for use in ServiceNow AI Platform only.
How to use knowledge blocks
To use knowledge blocks, a knowledge administrator or manager must enable the knowledge blocks feature for each knowledge base in which the blocks will be used.
Enable knowledge blocks for each knowledge base
Knowledge contributors can create knowledge blocks and insert them into articles in a knowledge base:
- Create a knowledge block
- Add knowledge blocks to a knowledge article
- Preview a knowledge article with knowledge blocks by user or date
Knowledge block content can be read or not read in an article or search based on user criteria set at the knowledge base and knowledge block level. See Select user criteria for a knowledge block for more information.
Holiday calendar with location-specific knowledge block content
You are part of an enterprise HR organization that maintains a company knowledge base. You want to create a holiday calendar so that employees know which days of the year are company holidays. Since the company has multiple locations and holiday dates vary based on where the employee is located, there are several ways that you could create the knowledge article.
One way is that you could create a knowledge article for each location, with an article for Location A, Location B, and so on.
- Pros: simplified consumption. Employees have a single article to search for and read.
- Cons: more work for HR. HR has multiple articles to manage and update for each location where the company has employees.
Another way is that you could create a single knowledge article that includes sections for each location.
- Pros: simplified authoring. HR has a single article to manage and update.
- Cons: more work for employees. Employee must scroll through and disregard extraneous content to find the section in the article that pertains to them.
With knowledge blocks, you can create a single knowledge article with location-specific block content secured by user criteria. This approach helps to reduce the workload for both HR and employees. As an HR agent, you have a single article to manage and update. Employees have a single article to search for and read, with the user criteria ensuring that they only view content that is relevant to them.
If you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer
If you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer with your application, you should integrate it with the appropriate knowledge or knowledge blocks API. (Integration is only necessary if you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer.)
Integrating a custom search or knowledge article viewer with knowledge blocks
Activation information
To use knowledge blocks in your application, you must activate knowledge blocks. For information on what components are installed with the feature, see Components installed with knowledge blocks.