Article types
More than just articles.
The right format for the content.
Rich text articles with collapsible sections and FAQs. Decision-tree Guided Workflows. In-platform slideshows for training and change packs. Quizzes to confirm understanding. All four render in the app and the embed widget.
Most knowledge bases give you one shape. Real knowledge needs more.
A complaint handling process isn't a flat article — it's a decision tree where the next step depends on the customer's situation. A new product launch isn't a paragraph — it's a slide deck the team needs to walk through. Compliance training isn't reading — it's reading plus a check that the reader actually understood.
When the only tool is a rich-text editor, all of that ends up squashed into one shape, badly. Procedures become long articles people skip past. Training becomes a Confluence wiki nobody opens. Comprehension checks become a Google Form bolted on after the fact.
Different content needs different formats. Same knowledge base.
Four article types, one knowledge base
All four render natively in the app and through the embed widget. All four are searchable. Pick the right format for the content.
Type 1 — always on
Rich text articles
The baseline. Headings, lists, tables, images, file attachments. Plus collapsible sections (so a long article doesn't overwhelm) and embedded FAQ blocks (so the questions readers actually ask are answered inline).
Ideal for: policies, how-to guides, reference content, product documentation, anything narrative.
Type 2
Guided Workflows
Decision-tree articles. The user answers questions or picks options as they go, and the workflow tells them what to do next. Build them by hand with the visual builder, or use the optional AI builder to draft one from a description and edit before publishing.
Ideal for: complaint handling, refund decisions, escalation procedures, troubleshooting flows, any process where the right path depends on specifics.
Type 3
Slideshows
In-platform slide-style content. Walk a reader through training material, a change pack, a product launch deck, anything that benefits from being delivered slide by slide. Every slide is individually searchable and citeable. No exporting to PowerPoint, no separate viewer.
Ideal for: training content, change announcements, product launches, structured walkthroughs, onboarding modules.
Type 4
Quizzes
Custom assessments inside the platform. Multiple question types, configurable pass score, retry policy, results recorded per user. Two flavours: regular Quiz articles (use anywhere, AI tools available) and optional custom Knowledge Path Assessments at the end of a path (AI blocked, used to gate path completion and confirm real learning).
Ideal for: comprehension checks, compliance gating, onboarding milestones, regulatory testing.
Two modes, one toggle
Rich text only, or all four. No half-configurations.
One system-level setting decides whether your team has access to just rich text articles, or to all four types. No per-feature checkboxes to manage, no surprise advanced editor controls when the team only wants the basics.
Start with rich text only if your team is just getting structured. Switch to all four when the use cases for workflows, slides, and quizzes show up. Switch back if you want.
Every type renders everywhere your knowledge appears.
A common gotcha with multi-format knowledge bases: the advanced types only work inside the main app. Embed widgets and customer help centres get a degraded experience.
KnowledgeScout doesn't have that gotcha. All four article types render natively in the embed widget too, both the customer-facing help widget and the internal team widget. A customer can walk through a Guided Workflow without leaving your site. An agent inside their CRM can take a quiz inside the embedded panel. A slideshow plays on the help centre, not as a download.
Same content, same formats, every surface. More on widgets →
Combined into Knowledge Paths for training.
The four article types are powerful on their own. Combined into a Knowledge Path, they become a structured learning programme: a slideshow introduces a topic, a rich text article goes deep, a Guided Workflow practises the decision logic, a quiz confirms understanding. The same path tracks completion per user.
That's the model behind training and onboarding in KnowledgeScout. Article types as building blocks; Knowledge Paths as the journey.
Who needs more than rich text
Contact centres with branching processes
Refund decisions, complaint handling, escalation logic — Guided Workflows take the agent through the right path based on the customer's situation, not a flat article they have to skim mid-call.
L&D and training teams
Slideshows for training material and change packs, embedded inside Knowledge Paths, with quizzes for assessment. Stop maintaining a separate LMS for content that should live where your team already works.
Compliance and risk teams
Quizzes confirm understanding before someone takes a live call. Read acknowledgements record review of policies. Both are first-class, both are auditable.
Product launch teams
Drop a launch slideshow into the help centre. Customers walk through it. Agents take the same slideshow as part of their onboarding path. One asset, two audiences.
Why KnowledgeScout's article types
Every type works in the embed widget
Most multi-format knowledge bases lose their advanced types in the embed surface. KnowledgeScout's widget supports all four natively, including customer-facing surfaces.
AI builder for workflows is optional, not required
Use AI to draft a Guided Workflow from a plain-English description, or build manually with the visual editor. Either way, the workflow looks and behaves the same. AI-built workflows go to draft for human review before publishing.
One toggle, no feature-flag soup
Either rich text only, or all four. No per-feature flags to keep track of, no advanced controls leaking into the editor when your team only wanted the basics.
All four available on every plan
Not tier-locked. Startup gets the same article types as Enterprise. The advanced formats are part of the platform, not an upsell.
Common questions
What's a Guided Workflow?
A Guided Workflow is a decision-tree article. Instead of reading a long procedure and figuring out which path applies, the user answers questions or selects options as they go, and the workflow tells them what to do next. Use it for complaint handling, refund decision trees, escalation procedures, or anything where the right action depends on the customer's specifics. Build them by hand, or use the AI builder to draft one from a description and edit before publishing.
How are slideshows different from uploaded PowerPoints?
Uploaded PowerPoints are document attachments. Slideshows are first-class articles. They render natively in the app and embed widget, every slide is searchable individually, they can be embedded inside Knowledge Paths, and they can be tracked for read acknowledgements. Useful for training material, change packs, product launch decks, and anything that benefits from being walked through slide by slide.
Do these article types appear in the embed widget?
Yes. All four types — rich text articles, Guided Workflows, slideshows, and quizzes — render natively in the embed widget too, both the customer-facing widget and the internal team widget. Customers and agents can walk through a Guided Workflow or take a quiz without leaving the page they're on.
Can I turn off article types I don't want?
Yes. There's a simple system setting: rich text articles only, or all four types enabled. If your team only needs basic articles, the advanced types stay hidden in the editor. Turn them on later when you're ready, or keep things minimal forever. No half-on configurations to manage.
Is the AI workflow builder optional?
Yes. You can build any Guided Workflow by hand using the visual builder, no AI involved. The AI builder is a shortcut: describe the process in plain English and the AI drafts the workflow tree for you. Drafts always land for human review and editing before publishing. If your organisation doesn't use AI, build manually and the workflows still work the same way.
Are these article types on every plan?
Yes. All four article types — rich text, Guided Workflows, slideshows, and quizzes — are included on every plan, including Startup. The system-level toggle that switches between rich-text-only and all-four is also on every plan.
The right format for the content you've actually got.
Four article types. One knowledge base. Every type renders in the embed widget too.