Portal FAQ widget instance options form

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Portal FAQ widget instance options form

    The Portal FAQ widget instance options form enables ServiceNow customers to configure the behavior, presentation, and data source of the FAQ widget displayed on a portal page. This configuration controls which frequently asked questions (FAQs) appear, how they are filtered and sorted, and how users interact with the widget.

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    Data Configuration

    Customers select the source table for FAQs (default is the Knowledge [kbknowledge] table) and specify which fields contain the question and answer text. FAQs with empty question or answer fields are automatically excluded from display. An optional encoded query can be used to filter FAQs further based only on fields in the selected table. Sorting is configurable by selecting a sort field (default "View Count") and sort order (default "z to a").

    Presentation Settings

    The widget title is customizable, defaulting to "Frequently Asked Questions". This allows branding or contextual adjustments to better fit the portal’s look and feel.

    Behavior Settings

    • Search Display: Optionally show a search bar with customizable placeholder text (default "Search FAQs").
    • FAQ View Page: Defines the article page users navigate to when selecting "Read more" (default is kbarticleview).
    • FAQs per Page: Sets how many FAQs display by default on the widget (default is 5).
    • Browse Options: Choose filter categories visible to users for browsing FAQs, such as Knowledge Category or Related Products (default is Knowledge Category).
    • Show Read More: Controls when the "Show Read More" link appears, either always or only when content exceeds the preview limit (default is "Exceeds preview").

    Note that certain options default back to standard settings if "None" is selected, ensuring consistent widget behavior.

    Practical Benefits

    With these instance options, ServiceNow customers can tailor the FAQ widget to meet their specific portal needs, improving user experience by delivering relevant, well-organized, and searchable FAQ content. This helps users find answers quickly, reduces support load, and enhances self-service capabilities.

    The instance options enable you to configure the Portal FAQ widget on a portal page.

    Table 1. Data fields on the Instance form
    Instance option Description
    Table Table from which the records shown as frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the widget are selected.

    By default, this field is set to the Knowledge [kb_knowledge] table.
    Question Field The field of the table set in the Table field that contains the questions.

    Records with an empty question field aren't displayed on the widget.
    Answer Field The field of the table set in the Table field that contains the answer.

    Records with an empty answer field aren’t displayed on the widget.
    Query Query to filter FAQs.

    If this field is empty, the widget displays all the FAQs.

    You can include fields from the provided table only in the encoded filter query. For more information, see Generate an encoded query string through a filter
    Sort by Field in the Knowledge [kb_knowledge] table that determines the field by which FAQs are sorted and displayed on the widget.

    By default, the field is set to View Count.
    Sort Order The order of the FAQs on the search result page on the widget.
    The available options are:
    • z to a
    • a to z

    The default order is z to a.

    Note:
    Currently, if you select None, the order is set to z to a.
    Table 2. Presentation fields on the Instance form
    Instance option Description
    Title Required title of a Portal FAQ widget. The default text is Frequently Asked Questions.
    Table 3. Behavior fields on the Instance form
    Instance option Description
    Display search Option to display a Search field on the widget.
    Search Bar placeholder text Placeholder text for the search field label. The default text is Search FAQs.
    FAQ View Page The article page that opens when the Read more option is selected by the user.

    By default, this field is set to the kb_article_view.
    FAQ per page The number of FAQs to appear by default on the widget.

    The default value is set to 5.
    Browse Options The filter options that appear in the widget and can be selected by the user.
    The available options are:
    • Knowledge Category
    • Related products

    The default option is Knowledge Category.

    Note:
    Currently, if you select None, the filter option is set to Knowledge Category.
    Show Read More Displays the entire content of an article when the related FAQ is accessed on the widget.
    The available options are:
    • Always: Display the Show Read More option on a widget for both complete and incomplete preview content
    • Exceeds preview: Display the Show Read More option only when the article content exceeds the preview limit on the widget

    The default option is Exceed preview.

    Note:
    Currently, if you select None, the filter option is set to Knowledge Category.