Writing and publishing articles

Help center articles are the building blocks of your knowledge base.

Updated September 30, 2026Also available in: Deutsch, Português

Writing a help center article is straightforward: rich text editor, title, slug, category, body, publish. The editor supports headings, lists, links, images, code blocks, and now native <details>/<summary> accordions for FAQ sections. Drafts let you collaborate before going live. Articles auto-pick up SEO metadata (description, OpenGraph) from your content; override per article if needed. The AI bot reads published articles as part of its knowledge base.

Help center articles are the building blocks of your knowledge base. A well-written collection of articles empowers your customers to find answers on their own, reduces repetitive support tickets, and helps Deskwoot's AI bot deliver accurate, instant responses. This guide walks you through creating, formatting, and publishing articles effectively.

Creating an article

  1. Navigate to the Help Center section in your Deskwoot dashboard.
  2. Select the portal where you want the article to live.
  3. Click "New Article".
  4. Enter a clear, descriptive title that reflects the question or topic your customers are searching for.
  5. Select an appropriate category so the article is easy to discover.
  6. Write your content using the built-in editor. You can add headings, lists, images, and links to structure your article for readability.

Writing effective content

The way you write an article matters just as much as the information it contains. Keep these best practices in mind:

  • Lead with the answer. Place the most important information at the top so readers get value immediately.
  • Use short paragraphs and headings. Break content into scannable sections. Most readers skim before they read.
  • Include step-by-step instructions with numbered lists whenever you're explaining a process.
  • Keep language simple. Avoid jargon and write as if you're explaining the topic to someone encountering it for the first time.
  • Add visuals when helpful. Screenshots or short descriptions of what users should see on-screen can reduce confusion.

Draft and publish

New articles are saved as drafts by default, so you can work on them without affecting your live knowledge base. When you're ready:

  1. Preview your article to check formatting, links, and overall readability.
  2. Click "Publish" to make the article live and visible to customers.

You can return to any published article later to edit or revert it back to draft status if it needs significant updates.

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Vague titles: A title like "Setup" is harder to find than "How to set up email forwarding." Be specific.
  • Uncategorized articles: Articles without a category may not appear in your portal's navigation, making them difficult for customers to locate.
  • Outdated information: Schedule periodic reviews of your articles to ensure instructions and screenshots still match your current workflows.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit an article after it has been published?

Yes. Open the published article, make your changes, and save. Updates are reflected on the live portal immediately.

Does the AI bot use my help center articles?

Yes. Deskwoot's AI bot references your published articles to provide accurate answers to customer questions, so keeping your content up to date directly improves automated support quality.

How should I organize articles across categories?

Group articles by topic or product area. Aim for categories that mirror the way your customers think about their questions,for example, Billing, Getting Started, or Account Settings.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create my first article?
Help Center → pick portal → New Article. Title, slug (auto-generated from title, editable), category, body, status (Draft / Published). Save. Published articles appear immediately on the public help center.
Should I use the WYSIWYG editor or HTML mode?
WYSIWYG (rich text) for the body. Switch to HTML view when you need to embed something complex (custom widgets, embedded videos with specific attributes, native HTML5 details/summary accordions for FAQs).
What's a 'slug' and can I change it?
The slug is the URL-friendly identifier (e.g. 'how-to-reset-password' → URL /help/how-to-reset-password). Auto-generated from the title; editable. Changing the slug after publishing breaks any external links pointing to the old URL — be careful.
How do I add images?
Click the image icon in the toolbar → upload from your device or paste a URL. Uploaded images go to our CDN (Cloudflare R2) and are served fast globally. Compress before uploading — large images slow page load.
Can I add a FAQ accordion?
Yes. Switch to HTML view and use <details><summary>Question</summary>Answer</details>. Native HTML, no JavaScript, accessible, SEO-friendly. Browsers render it as a collapsible block.
How does article SEO work?
Title becomes the tag, first paragraph becomes the meta description (override under SEO settings), URL is /help-center/{portal}/{slug}. Schema.org markup is auto-generated. Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console for fastest indexing.</div> </details> <details> <summary><strong>Will the AI bot read drafts?</strong></summary> <div>No. Only published articles are indexed by the bot. Drafts stay invisible to both customers and the bot until you publish them.</div> </details> <details> <summary><strong>Can I translate articles?</strong></summary> <div>Yes. Per article you can have multiple locale versions. The article editor has a 'Translate from English' button (Business+, $0.06 per translation, see AI Usage Billing) or you can write each locale manually.</div> </details> <details> <summary><strong>Should I structure articles with H1, H2, H3?</strong></summary> <div>Yes. H1 = article title (auto). H2 = main sections (3-5 per article). H3 = subsections. Don't skip levels (no H1 → H3 directly). Headers help SEO and readability.</div> </details> <details> <summary><strong>How long should an article be?</strong></summary> <div>Depends on the topic. Setup guides: 300-800 words. Concept explainers: 600-1500 words. FAQ-style: 150-400 words plus the FAQ list. Quality > length — a tight 300-word article beats a rambling 2000-word one.</div> </details> <details> <summary><strong>Can I get analytics on which articles get read?</strong></summary> <div>Yes. Help Center → Analytics. Per article: views, search hits, search-to-click rate, bounce. Use to spot underperforming articles (low search-to-click → bad title) or popular topics that need follow-up content.</div> </details>

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