Writing and publishing articles

Help center articles are the building blocks of your knowledge base. A well-written collection of articles empowers your customers to find answers on their own, reduces repetitive support tickets, and helps Deskwoot's AI bot deliver accurate, instant responses. This guide walks you through creating, formatting, and publishing articles effectively.

Creating an article

1. Navigate to the Help Center section in your Deskwoot dashboard.
2. Click "New Article".
3. Enter a clear, descriptive title that reflects the question or topic your customers are searching for.
4. Select an appropriate category so the article is easy to discover (every article needs one).
5. Write your content using the built-in editor. You can add headings, lists, images, videos and links to structure your article for readability.

Writing effective content

The way you write an article matters just as much as the information it contains. Keep these best practices in mind:

• Lead with the answer. Place the most important information at the top so readers get value immediately.
• Use short paragraphs and headings. Break content into scannable sections. Most readers skim before they read.
• Include step-by-step instructions with numbered lists whenever you're explaining a process.
• Keep language simple. Avoid jargon and write as if you're explaining the topic to someone encountering it for the first time.
• Add visuals when helpful. Screenshots or short descriptions of what users should see on-screen can reduce confusion.

Draft and publish

New articles are saved as drafts by default, so you can work on them without affecting your live knowledge base. When you're ready:

1. Check your article for formatting, links, and overall readability.
2. Set the status to Published and save to make the article live and visible to customers. Publish all drafts on the Articles tab publishes every draft at once.

You can return to any published article later to edit or revert it back to draft status if it needs significant updates.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Vague titles: A title like "Setup" is harder to find than "How to set up email forwarding." Be specific.
• Uncategorized articles: Articles without a category may not appear in your portal's navigation, making them difficult for customers to locate.
• Outdated information: Schedule periodic reviews of your articles to ensure instructions and screenshots still match your current workflows.

Frequently asked questions