Public Portal
The Public Knowledge Base Portal provides a customer-facing help center where users can browse articles, search for solutions, and find answers before submitting support tickets.
The public portal is accessible at /kb on your Help Portal domain.
The public portal must be enabled in Settings > Help Desk > Knowledge Base > Enable Public KB Portal.
Portal Structure
The public portal organizes content for easy navigation:
Homepage (/kb)
The Knowledge Base homepage displays:
- Search Bar - Full-text search across all public articles
- Featured Articles - Articles marked as "Featured" for quick access
- Category Grid - Visual navigation to all public root categories
- Popular Articles - Most-viewed articles based on analytics
Category Pages (/kb/{category-slug})
Each category page shows:
- Category Header - Name, icon, and description
- Subcategories - If the category has subcategories, displayed as cards
- Article List - All published public articles in the category
- Breadcrumb Navigation - Path back to homepage
Article Pages (/kb/{category-slug}/{article-slug})
Individual article pages include:
- Breadcrumbs - Navigation path (Home > Category > Article)
- Title and Metadata - Last updated date, view count
- Article Content - Full rendered content
- Feedback Widget - "Was this helpful?" with Yes/No buttons
- Related Articles - Other articles in the same category
- Sidebar - Category navigation and search
SEO Features
The public portal is optimized for search engine visibility:
Clean URLs
All URLs use SEO-friendly slugs:
/kb/getting-started/create-account
/kb/troubleshooting/reset-password
Meta Tags
Each page includes appropriate meta tags:
<title>Article Title | Knowledge Base | Your Site Name</title>
<meta name="description" content="Article excerpt or meta description">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://yoursite.com/kb/category/article">
Custom meta titles and descriptions can be set per-article in the editor.
Structured Data
Article pages include JSON-LD structured data for rich search results:
- Breadcrumb markup for navigation display
- Article markup for content type identification
- Organization context for branding
Redirects
When article or category slugs change, automatic 301 redirects preserve SEO value:
Old: /kb/faq/password-help
New: /kb/troubleshooting/reset-password
Result: 301 redirect from old to new
Access Control
Public Content
By default, public content is accessible to anyone without authentication.
Login-Required Content
For content that requires authentication:
- Set "Require Login" on the category or article
- Unauthenticated visitors see the article title and excerpt
- A "Login to Read" prompt appears
- After login, full content is accessible
This is useful for:
- Detailed account-specific instructions
- Content with sensitive information
- Premium or member-only documentation
Mixed Visibility
You can have public and login-required content in the same category:
- Category-level "Require Login" is the default for articles
- Individual articles can override with their own setting
- Internal articles never appear on the public portal
Search Functionality
Full-Text Search
The search feature uses MySQL FULLTEXT search for fast, relevant results:
- Searches article titles, content, and excerpts
- Results ranked by relevance
- Matching terms highlighted in results
- Filters by category if desired
Search Results Page
The search results page (/kb/search?q=query) displays:
- Search query and result count
- Matched articles with title, excerpt, and category
- Highlighted search terms
- Pagination for large result sets
Search Logging
All searches are logged for analytics:
- Search query text
- Number of results returned
- Which result (if any) was clicked
- Whether user subsequently submitted a ticket
This data helps identify content gaps and popular topics.
Ticket Deflection
When enabled, the Knowledge Base integrates with ticket submission to suggest articles:
How It Works
- User begins typing a ticket subject
- After 3 characters, real-time search queries the KB
- Up to 3 relevant articles appear below the subject field
- User can click to read articles without leaving the form
Configuration
Enable ticket suggestions in Settings > Help Desk > Knowledge Base > Show Article Suggestions on Ticket Form.
Deflection Tracking
The system tracks whether KB suggestions helped:
| Outcome | Description |
|---|---|
| Deflected | User viewed article and didn't submit ticket |
| Continued | User viewed article but still submitted ticket |
| Ignored | User didn't click any suggestions |
This data appears in the Analytics dashboard.
Feedback System
"Was This Helpful?"
Each article includes a feedback widget asking if the article was helpful:
- Yes - Increments the article's helpful count
- No - Increments the not-helpful count
Feedback is tracked per session to prevent duplicate votes.
Using Feedback Data
Monitor feedback in the Analytics dashboard:
- Low-rated articles may need improvement
- High-rated articles are candidates for featuring
- Patterns in negative feedback indicate content gaps
Navigation
Breadcrumbs
Every page shows breadcrumb navigation:
Knowledge Base > Getting Started > Create Account
Breadcrumbs help users:
- Understand where they are in the hierarchy
- Navigate up to parent categories
- Return to the Knowledge Base homepage
Sidebar
Article pages include a sidebar with:
- Current category's article list
- Parent/sibling category links
- Quick search box
Mobile Navigation
On mobile devices:
- Sidebar collapses to a hamburger menu
- Search is prominently featured
- Article content takes full width
- Feedback remains accessible at article end
Customization
Template Locations
Public portal templates are in templates/default/kb/:
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
index.tpl | Homepage |
category.tpl | Category listing |
article.tpl | Article detail |
search.tpl | Search results |
_partials/* | Reusable components |
Styling
The portal inherits styles from your Help Portal theme. Override styles by:
- Adding CSS to your theme's stylesheet
- Creating a
kb.cssfile in your theme - Using template overrides for structural changes
Best Practices
Content Organization
- Feature your most important articles on the homepage
- Keep category hierarchy shallow (max 2 levels)
- Use descriptive category names
- Maintain consistent article structure
Search Optimization
- Use clear, specific article titles
- Include common search terms in content
- Add relevant tags to improve discoverability
- Write descriptive excerpts
Maintenance
- Monitor search logs for common queries without results
- Review low-rated articles monthly
- Update screenshots when UI changes
- Test article links periodically