Creating and Managing FAQs

Administrators can create and manage comprehensive FAQ collections that provide users with structured access to frequently requested information through question and answer pairings. The FAQ creation process enables flexible content development with rich text editing capabilities, organizational tools, and publication controls that support strategic information delivery across different user communities.

FAQ management includes comprehensive content organization, editing capabilities, and administrative tools that enable ongoing maintenance and optimization of self-service resources while maintaining content quality and user experience standards.

Requirements

To create and manage FAQs, users must be assigned one of the following permissions:

Administrator System Role or Manage Sharing Permissions

Creating FAQ Collections

Accessing FAQ Creation

1. Navigate to FAQ Module

1. In the Setup Home page, click Create > FAQs
2. Click New to initiate FAQ collection creation

Basic FAQ Configuration

2. Configure FAQ Properties

Configure the foundational settings that define the FAQ collection structure and behavior:

Title: Enter a descriptive title for the FAQ collection. This title will be visible to end users and appears in navigation elements, search results, and FAQ listings throughout the portal.

Unique Name: Enter a unique identifier that will be used as the FAQ's internal ID for system references and integration purposes. This name must be unique across all FAQ collections and follows standard naming conventions.

Description: Optionally add a comprehensive description of the FAQ collection's purpose, target audience, and content scope. This internal description helps administrators understand the FAQ's role and supports content management and organization strategies.

Published: Check this checkbox to make the FAQ collection visible to users based on sharing permissions. Unchecked FAQs remain in draft status for internal development and review before publication.

3. Save Basic Configuration

Click Save Changes to establish the FAQ collection foundation and enable access to content development features.

FAQ Item Creation and Management

Adding FAQ Items to Collections

4. Create Question and Answer Pairs

For each FAQ item within the collection, follow this comprehensive process:

Adding New FAQ Items:

1. In the FAQ Items section, click the Add button to create a new question and answer pair
2. The FAQ Item dialog will appear with configuration options

Question Configuration:

• In the Question field, enter a clear, concise question that reflects actual user language and information-seeking patterns
• Use natural language that matches how users typically ask questions about the topic
• Ensure questions are specific enough to provide focused answers while being broad enough to address common variations

Answer Development:

• In the Answer section, use the comprehensive rich text editor to create detailed responses
• Rich Text Editing Features:
  • Text Formatting: Apply bold, italic, underline, and other formatting options for emphasis and readability
  • Headers and Structure: Use heading styles to organize complex answers with clear information hierarchy
  • Lists and Organization: Create bulleted or numbered lists for step-by-step instructions and organized information presentation
  • Alignment and Layout: Configure text alignment and layout options for professional content presentation
  • Links and References: Insert hyperlinks to internal portal resources, external websites, or related documentation
  • Media Integration: Embed images, attach files, and integrate multimedia content for comprehensive answers

Finalizing FAQ Items: 4. Click Add to save the FAQ item and add it to the collection

FAQ Item Management Operations

Editing Existing FAQ Items:

1. Locate the FAQ item you want to modify
2. Click the pencil icon (Edit button) next to the item
3. Make necessary changes to the question or answer content using the same rich text editing capabilities
4. Click Save to apply modifications

Deleting FAQ Items:

1. Click the trashcan icon (Delete button) next to the item you want to remove
2. Click OK to confirm deletion and permanently remove the item from the collection

Reordering FAQ Items:

1. Use the drag-and-drop functionality to reorder FAQ items within the collection
2. Click and hold the reorder handle (typically represented by parallel lines or dots)
3. Drag the item to the desired position within the FAQ sequence
4. Release to establish the new order that will be displayed to users

Content Organization Best Practices

Logical Content Flow: Organize FAQ items in logical sequences that support user information-seeking patterns, starting with foundational questions and progressing to more specific or advanced topics.

Related Content Grouping: Group related questions together to create cohesive information sections that enable efficient user navigation and comprehensive topic coverage.

Priority-Based Organization: Place the most frequently asked questions and critical information at the top of the FAQ collection for immediate user access and reduced search time.

Advanced FAQ Management

Content Limitation and Planning

50-Item Maximum: Each FAQ collection supports up to 50 question and answer pairs. Plan content organization to maximize value within this limit while maintaining focused, relevant information delivery.

Content Distribution Strategy: For extensive topics requiring more than 50 items, consider creating multiple focused FAQ collections that address specific subtopics or user segments for better organization and usability.

Publication and Content Lifecycle Management

Draft Development Process:

1. Create FAQ collections in unpublished status for internal content development and review
2. Develop and refine FAQ items without user visibility during the creation process
3. Conduct internal reviews and approvals before enabling publication status

Publication Management:

1. Enable the Published checkbox when FAQ content is ready for user access
2. Published FAQs become visible to users based on configured sharing permissions
3. Unpublish FAQs temporarily for major content updates or maintenance when necessary

Content Maintenance Workflows:

• Establish regular review schedules for FAQ content accuracy and relevance
• Update answers based on product changes, policy updates, or user feedback
• Monitor user interactions and questions to identify content gaps and improvement opportunities

FAQ Collection Management

Administrative Actions and Tools

Editing FAQ Properties:

1. In the Setup Home page, click Create > FAQs
2. Click on the FAQ collection you want to modify
3. Click the Edit button to modify title, unique name, description, or publication status
4. Make necessary changes and click Save Changes

Browsing FAQ Content:

1. Click More Actions > Browse to view the FAQ collection as end users would see it
2. This preview function enables content validation and user experience testing
3. Verify question and answer formatting, link functionality, and overall presentation

Cloning FAQ Collections:

1. Click More Actions > Clone to create a duplicate FAQ collection
2. Enter a new Title and Unique Name for the cloned collection
3. Click Save to create the duplicate with identical content and structure
4. Modify cloned content as needed for different audiences or topics

Deleting FAQ Collections:

1. Click the Delete button to permanently remove the FAQ collection
2. Consider the impact on users who may have bookmarked or frequently access the FAQ
3. Ensure alternative resources are available before deletion

Navigation and Access Integration

Manual Tab Creation Process

Unlike some portal modules, FAQs do not automatically generate navigation tabs. To provide dedicated FAQ access:

Creating Custom Navigation:

1. Browse to the published FAQ collection
2. Copy the URL from the browser address bar
3. Navigate to the Tabs configuration in Setup
4. Create a new Tab using the copied FAQ URL
5. Assign the Tab to appropriate applications based on user access requirements
6. Configure Tab visibility and permissions to align with FAQ sharing settings

Integration Planning: Coordinate FAQ navigation with overall portal architecture and user experience design to ensure intuitive access patterns and consistent navigation structures.

Quality Assurance and Content Validation

Content Review Processes

Accuracy Validation: Verify that FAQ answers provide correct, current information that aligns with organizational policies, procedures, and product capabilities.

Clarity Assessment: Ensure questions and answers use clear, accessible language that serves the target audience's comprehension level and technical expertise.

Completeness Review: Validate that answers provide sufficient detail for user self-service while maintaining conciseness and readability.

User Experience Testing

Preview Functionality: Use the Browse function to review FAQ collections from the user perspective, checking formatting, navigation, and overall presentation quality.

Cross-Device Validation: Test FAQ content across different devices and screen sizes to ensure responsive design and accessibility across user access patterns.

Link and Media Verification: Verify that all embedded links, images, and multimedia content function correctly and provide value to the user experience.

Performance Optimization

Content Management Efficiency

Strategic Content Planning: Plan FAQ content architecture before implementation to minimize restructuring and ensure logical organization from the start.

Content Reuse Strategies: Leverage cloning functionality to create FAQ variations for different audiences while maintaining content consistency and reducing development time.

Regular Maintenance Scheduling: Establish routine maintenance schedules for content updates, link validation, and performance optimization based on user feedback and analytics.

Integration with Support Strategy

Support Ticket Analysis: Use support ticket data and common inquiries to identify FAQ content opportunities and ensure resources address actual user needs.

User Feedback Integration: Monitor user interactions and feedback to identify content gaps, unclear information, and optimization opportunities for continuous improvement.

Cross-Module Coordination: Coordinate FAQ content with other portal resources and modules to create comprehensive information ecosystems that support user success.

Creating and managing FAQs provides essential self-service capabilities that reduce support burden while ensuring consistent, accurate information delivery through flexible, user-friendly question and answer management systems that support organizational objectives and user success.

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