Knowledge blocks
Summarize
Summary of Knowledge blocks
Knowledge blocks are reusable, user-criteria-secured content pieces that simplify knowledge authoring and consumption within ServiceNow AI Platform knowledge bases. They enable targeted content visibility based on user criteria, helping users easily access content relevant to them. Knowledge blocks enhance knowledge articles by allowing location- or role-specific content without creating multiple articles.
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Key Features
- Reusable content blocks: Create and insert knowledge blocks into articles for modular content management.
- User criteria control: Restrict block visibility in articles and search results to specific user groups.
- Single article management: Manage multiple variations of content (e.g., location-specific holidays) within one article.
- Support for images and text: Files attached to blocks do not show by default, but images and text content display correctly.
- Integration capability: Custom searches or article viewers can integrate with knowledge blocks via APIs for seamless user experience.
- Activation: Knowledge blocks must be activated per knowledge base, which also enables Knowledge Management Advanced features like article versioning (optional).
Practical Use Case
For example, an HR team can create a single holiday calendar article with location-specific blocks secured by user criteria. Employees see only their relevant location’s holidays, simplifying both consumption and article management.
Implementation Notes
- Knowledge blocks are not supported in wiki-type articles.
- Knowledge blocks require activation and are enabled per knowledge base by an administrator or manager.
- If using custom search or article viewers, integration with the knowledge blocks API is necessary to maintain content filtering and visibility features.
Simplify knowledge authoring for writers and knowledge consumption for readers with knowledge blocks. Knowledge blocks are reusable pieces of content secured by user criteria that you can add to knowledge articles in a knowledge base. The user criteria controls which users can read or not read the block content in an article or search, enabling users to more easily view content that is relevant to them.
Knowledge blocks are available for use in ServiceNow AI Platform only.
How to use knowledge blocks
To use knowledge blocks, a knowledge administrator or manager must enable the knowledge blocks feature for each knowledge base in which the blocks will be used.
Enable knowledge blocks for each knowledge base
Knowledge contributors can create knowledge blocks and insert them into articles in a knowledge base:
- Create a knowledge block
- Add knowledge blocks to a knowledge article
- Preview a knowledge article with knowledge blocks by user or date
Knowledge block content can be read or not read in an article or search based on user criteria set at the knowledge base and knowledge block level. See Select user criteria for a knowledge block for more information.
Holiday calendar with location-specific knowledge block content
You are part of an enterprise HR organization that maintains a company knowledge base. You want to create a holiday calendar so that employees know which days of the year are company holidays. Since the company has multiple locations and holiday dates vary based on where the employee is located, there are several ways that you could create the knowledge article.
One way is that you could create a knowledge article for each location, with an article for Location A, Location B, and so on.
- Pros: simplified consumption. Employees have a single article to search for and read.
- Cons: more work for HR. HR has multiple articles to manage and update for each location where the company has employees.
Another way is that you could create a single knowledge article that includes sections for each location.
- Pros: simplified authoring. HR has a single article to manage and update.
- Cons: more work for employees. Employee must scroll through and disregard extraneous content to find the section in the article that pertains to them.
With knowledge blocks, you can create a single knowledge article with location-specific block content secured by user criteria. This approach helps to reduce the workload for both HR and employees. As an HR agent, you have a single article to manage and update. Employees have a single article to search for and read, with the user criteria ensuring that they only view content that is relevant to them.
If you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer
If you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer with your application, you should integrate it with the appropriate knowledge or knowledge blocks API. (Integration is only necessary if you are using a custom search or knowledge article viewer.)
Integrating a custom search or knowledge article viewer with knowledge blocks
Activation information
To use knowledge blocks in your application, you must activate knowledge blocks. For information on what components are installed with the feature, see Components installed with knowledge blocks.