What is a Knowledge Base?

By Pete Grigg on Writing docs, Tools from March 21, 2014

A knowledge base can be used in a variety of ways, but in general terms it is a place where information is stored, organized, shared, and searched. Most commonly, software companies will use knowledge bases to store and share troubleshooting information and how-to articles with their customers.

What’s the Difference Between a Wiki and a Knowledge Base?

Wikis and knowledge bases have a lot in common but they differ on one very important aspect: content control. By nature, wiki content is meant to be communal or crowd sourced. Think wikipedia. The idea is to put your audience in charge of upkeep and accuracy. This can be great for things like artist bios, but for your application’s documentation not so much.

Knowledge bases on the other hand, are to be shared with your audience but maintained by you. You wouldn’t want a bunch of jokesters to edit your “How to send an email” article and replace the send icon with the delete one, would you?

Is a Knowledge Base an FAQ?

Well, if we break down the acronym FAQ, we get frequently asked questions and good knowledge bases include and answer as many frequently asked questions as possible. So really, FAQs are usually parts or sections of the knowledge base itself.

Where a FAQ stops is where knowledge bases pick up. As mentioned earlier, knowledge bases can include not only frequently asked questions but also how-to articles and troubleshooting information. Well-designed knowledge bases also have a much higher focus on navigation and ease of use.

The Reason to Have One

More and more signs are pointing to the fact that customers want (and many expect) online self-service. Knowledge bases are a key part of this. By creating a knowledge base where customers can search for help and figure out something on their own, you are giving them a sense of empowerment.

If the knowledge base is robust and is updated frequently, common questions and issues can be answered without the need for human intervention. This not only makes customers happy, but will reduce overall incoming support load.

Why not start your knowledge base today? Schedule a demo or start a free trial of KnowledgeOwl knowledge base software.