Managing Article Types

Administrators and authorized users can create, edit or delete Article Types such as knowledge-base, FAQs, release notes, blogs or many other forms of posts. Article Type settings can be configured to promote browsing and engagement, customize how posts are visually displayed, and allow insights into the effectiveness of these settings with built-in reporting. Administrators can set approval steps to publish as well as subscription details such as frequency and alert type.

Requirements

To manage Article Types, you must have:

• Administrator System Role permissions

Configuration Process

Accessing Article Type Management

1. Navigate to the Setup Home page
2. Click Create > Articles
3. Click the Article Type you want to edit

Article Type Management Tabs

Settings Tab

The Settings tab allows you to review and change all configuration options for the article type. You can also delete the article type from this tab. See the settings in for detailed configuration options.

To modify settings:

1. Click the Settings tab
2. Review and update any desired configuration options
3. Click Save to save changes

Categories Tab

Categories provide organizational structure for posts within an article type, allowing users to browse and filter content by topic or theme.

Managing Categories:

1. Click the Categories tab
2. To create a new category:
   • Click New Category
   • Enter a descriptive category name
   • Click Save
3. To edit existing categories:
   • Click the dropdown arrow next to the category
   • Click Edit
   • Modify the category name as needed
   • Click Save

Categories help users navigate and discover relevant content within the article type by providing logical content groupings.

Tags Tab

Tags provide flexible content labeling that enables users to find related posts across categories and discover content by topic.

Managing Tags:

1. Click the Tags tab
2. To create new tags:
   • Click New Tag
   • Enter a descriptive tag name
   • Click Save
3. To edit existing tags:
   • Click the dropdown arrow next to the tag
   • Click Edit
   • Modify the tag name as needed
   • Click Save

Tag Usage Tracking:

• The Use Count column shows how many times each tag has been applied to posts
• This helps identify popular topics and unused tags that may need cleanup

Layout Tab

The Layout tab controls how posts are displayed in both list view and individual post view, allowing customization of the user experience and visual presentation.

Posts and Single Post Layout Options

Toggle between layout types:

• Posts: Configure how posts appear in the article type list view
• Single Post: Configure how individual posts appear when opened

Posts Layout Configuration

Posts Layout Options:

• Simple List of Posts: Text-based list format for minimal, fast-loading presentation
• Tile List of Posts: Grid-based layout with visual tiles
• Posts with Author Picture: Include author photos in the list view
• Posts with Blog Picture: Feature images from post content (available in large or small sizing)
• Posts with Small Blog Picture: Compact version with smaller featured images

Search Position:

• Top of Page: Search bar appears at the top of the article type page
• Page Sidebar: Search bar appears in the sidebar
• Hidden: Search functionality is disabled for this article type

Display Options:

• Hide Sidebar: Check to disable the sidebar entirely
• Show Posts on Map: Display geolocated posts on an interactive map
• Show Language Filter: Display language options for multilingual content
• Show Categories: Enable category browsing via the sidebar
• Show Popular Tags: Display most-used tags for easy topic discovery

External Content Integration:

• Add Embed Code: Include external content such as:
  • Social media widgets (Facebook followers, Twitter feeds)
  • Promotional YouTube videos
  • Third-party integrations
  • Custom HTML content
• Height of embedded content can be optionally defined

Single Post Layout Configuration

Available Fields for Post Layout: The Available Fields section displays field types that can be added to post layouts:

• Checkbox: Boolean true/false fields
• Currency: Monetary value fields
• Date: Date selection fields
• Date/Time: Combined date and time fields
• Email: Email address fields
• Multi-Select Picklist: Multiple option selection fields
• Number: Numeric value fields
• Percent: Percentage fields
• Phone: Phone number fields
• Picklist: Single option selection fields
• Text: Short text fields
• Text (Long): Extended text fields
• Time: Time selection fields
• URL: Web address fields

Custom Fields: If you require tracking additional metadata on your posts, you can define new Custom Fields and add them to layouts. Once added to a layout, custom fields appear in the post edit screen and display values underneath post content.

Content Layout Configuration:

1. Drag and drop field types from Available Fields into the Content Layout pane
2. Arrange fields in desired display order
3. Note: Subject and Content fields are in fixed positions and cannot be moved
4. Click Save Changes to apply layout modifications

Subscribers Tab

The Subscribers tab displays a comprehensive list of users who have subscribed to receive notifications about new posts in this article type.

Subscriber Management:

• View Subscribers: See all users who have explicitly subscribed to the article type
• Subscriber Information: View subscriber details including email addresses and subscription dates
• Status Management: Update individual subscriber status between "Subscribed" and "Unsubscribed"
• Bulk Operations: Manage multiple subscribers efficiently

This tab provides administrators with oversight of the article type's audience and engagement levels.

Approvals Tab

The Approvals tab allows configuration of review and approval workflows for posts within the article type. This section enables administrators to establish quality control processes before content publication.

Approval Process Configuration:

• Default Process: Basic approval/rejection based on owner or delegated publisher response
• Custom Process: Multi-step approval workflows with defined steps and approvers
• Submission Recall: Allow authors to recall posts submitted for approval
• Locked Post Editing: Configure who can edit posts during the approval process

Reports Tab

The Reports tab provides built-in analytics to monitor article and post activity, offering insights into content performance and user engagement.

Available Reports:

• Visits: Track page views and user engagement over time
• Posts by Category: Analyze content distribution across categories
• Overview Reports: Comprehensive activity summaries for all posts within the article type

Detailed Reports Section:

• Article Activity Log: Detailed tracking of all article-related activities
• Article Usage Activity Log: User interaction patterns and usage statistics
• Article User Activity Log: Individual user engagement tracking
• Popular Article Posts: Identify highest-performing content

Additional Management Actions

Preview Article Type

To preview how the article type appears to users:

1. Click Actions > Browse in the upper right corner of the article type interface
2. This opens a preview showing the public-facing view of the article type with current layout and content

Manage Permissions and Sharing

To configure visibility and authoring permissions:

1. Click Actions > Share to access permission settings

Best Practices

Content Organization

• Categories: Create logical, non-overlapping categories that reflect how users think about content
• Tags: Use consistent tagging strategies to improve content discoverability
• Layout Selection: Choose layouts that match your content type and user expectations

Performance and User Experience

• Preview Testing: Regularly preview article types to ensure layouts display correctly
• Mobile Responsiveness: Test layouts on different devices to ensure good user experience
• Search Functionality: Configure search position based on user navigation patterns

Content Management

• Subscriber Monitoring: Regularly review subscriber lists to understand audience engagement
• Tag Management: Periodically clean up unused tags and consolidate similar tags
• Layout Optimization: Adjust layouts based on user feedback and usage analytics

Managing Article Types effectively ensures optimal content presentation, user engagement, and administrative oversight for your organization's knowledge sharing and communication needs.

See More:

• Creating Posts

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