Validity of a knowledge article
Summarize
Summary of Validity of a knowledge article
The validity of a knowledge article defines its expiration date, after which the article no longer appears in search results. This expiration is controlled by theValid tofield on the Knowledge form, accessible when creating or editing articles. Setting appropriate validity ensures that outdated information is not presented to users, maintaining the accuracy and relevance of knowledge content.
Show less
Key Features
- Default Validity Date: When creating a knowledge article, the Valid to date is automatically set based on the Article Validity field configured in the associated knowledge base. If this field is blank, the default expiration is set to January 1, 2100.
- Editing Articles with Versioning: If article versioning is enabled, the updated article’s Valid to date is reset according to the knowledge base’s Article Validity value starting from the update date. If the field is blank, the previous version’s validity date is retained.
- Moving Articles Between Knowledge Bases: When an article moves to a different knowledge base, its validity date updates based on the new knowledge base’s Article Validity setting, or retains the previous date if that setting is blank.
- Minor Edits Without Check-out: If the system property
glide.knowman.versioning.enableminoreditsis enabled, some users can change the Valid to date without checking out the article. - Date Format Considerations: Using a two-digit year format (yy) for system date or user preferences may cause issues with the default validity date. It is recommended to use a four-digit year format (yyyy) to avoid problems.
- Email Notifications: On the first day of each month, email reminders are sent to authorized recipients listing articles expiring in the next month, enabling timely updates of validity dates.
Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers
Managing article validity helps keep your knowledge base current and reliable, preventing outdated content from being accessible. Understanding how default validity dates are set and updated during creation, editing, or moving articles allows you to maintain accurate expiration settings. Leveraging email notifications ensures your team is proactively informed about articles nearing expiration, facilitating continuous content maintenance. Additionally, proper date format settings avoid potential issues with validity date calculations.
Knowledge article validity is the date a knowledge article expires. Articles do not appear in search results after the Valid to date or if the Valid to date is blank.
Decide when to expire a knowledge article by using the Valid to field in the Knowledge form. The Knowledge form is available when creating or editing a knowledge article.
When you create or edit a knowledge article, a default value appears in the Valid to field. As an article author or editor, you can select whether to keep or change the default Valid to date.
Default article validity when creating a knowledge article
The default value of the Valid to field is derived from the Article Validity field configured for the knowledge base (see Create a knowledge base). The Valid to date starts from the date the article was created until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. If the Article Validity field is blank, the default date in the Valid to field for the knowledge article is set to January 1, 2100.
Default article validity when editing a knowledge article
If the article versioning feature is enabled, the default value of the Valid to date in the updated article version is automatically set as described in the following table.
| Article Validity value in the associated knowledge base | Valid to default value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blank | Earlier version Valid to date value | If the Article Validity field in the knowledge base associated with the article is blank, the Valid to date value from the earlier version of the article is retained. |
| Is not blank | Article updated date + article validity | If the Article Validity field in the knowledge base associated with the article is not blank, the Valid to date is automatically updated to start from the date the article was updated until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. |
If you move a knowledge article to another knowledge base, the default value of the Valid to date in the updated article is automatically set as described in the following table.
| Article Validity value in the updated knowledge base | Valid to default value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blank | Earlier Valid to date value | If the Article Validity field in the selected knowledge base is blank, the earlier Valid to date value is retained for the knowledge article. |
| Is not blank | Article updated date + article validity | If the Article Validity field in the selected knowledge base isn't blank, the Valid to date is automatically updated to start from the date the article was updated until the number of days specified in the Article Validity field. |
Email notifications for expiring knowledge articles
On the first day of each month, the application sends an email notification to a list of authorized recipients to remind them about articles that are about to expire in the next month. The recipient can then extend the Valid to date to continue using the article. For more information, see Managing email notifications in Knowledge Management.