What Is a Knowledge Base?

A knowledge base is a centralized hub of information that provides users with answers, guides, and troubleshooting steps. Think of it as an FAQ on steroids, it’s packed with articles, how-tos, tutorials, and other resources designed to help users solve their own problems without needing to contact support.

Types of Knowledge Bases: Internal vs. External

A knowledge base is a central repository of information designed to provide quick and easy access to answers, whether for customers, employees, or partners. However, not all knowledge bases serve the same purpose.

The two primary types are internal and external knowledge bases, each catering to a distinct audience and offering unique benefits.

Let’s break down these two types in detail, covering their functions, features, and real-world examples to help you determine which one best fits your business needs.

1. Internal Knowledge Base

An internal knowledge base is a private, organization-wide resource that contains company-specific information. It serves as a centralized hub for employees to find everything from HR policies to IT troubleshooting guides, ensuring that everyone within the company has quick access to the knowledge they need.

Who Uses It?

  • Employees: To access company guidelines, SOPs, and internal processes.
  • New Hires: For onboarding, training materials, and company policies.
  • IT & HR Teams: To manage technical troubleshooting and employee queries efficiently.

Key Features:

  • Restricted Access: Only employees or designated teams can use it.
  • Company Policies & SOPs: Stores guidelines, compliance documents, and operational procedures.
  • Training & Onboarding Resources: Houses instructional videos, process guides, and employee handbooks.
  • IT Troubleshooting & FAQs: Helps employees resolve common technical issues without submitting support tickets.
  • AI-Powered Search: Uses AI to quickly surface the most relevant information based on queries.

Example Scenario:

Imagine a new employee, Sarah, just joined your company. She needs to set up her company email, access payroll information, and understand the leave policy.

Instead of emailing HR multiple times and waiting for responses, she logs into the internal knowledge base, searches for “email setup,” and instantly finds step-by-step instructions. Within minutes, she’s up and running, without any delays.

Benefits:

  • Reduces HR and IT workload by minimizing repetitive inquiries.
  • Improves employee efficiency by offering self-service resources.
  • Enhances onboarding experiences for new hires.
  • Keeps company knowledge standardized and updated across departments.

2. External Knowledge Base

An external knowledge base is a publicly accessible resource designed to help customers, users, or the general public find answers to their questions without contacting support. It includes FAQs, troubleshooting guides, product manuals, and step-by-step tutorials to empower users with self-service solutions.

Who Uses It?

  • Customers: To find solutions, user manuals, and FAQs.
  • Prospective Clients: To learn about a product or service before making a purchase.

Key Features:

  • Public Access: Available to anyone without login requirements.
  • Searchable Help Articles: Customers can quickly find answers using search functionality.
  • FAQs & How-To Guides: Provides instant solutions to common questions.
  • Product Documentation: Includes manuals, feature explanations, and troubleshooting steps.
  • AI Chatbots & Self-Service: AI assistants can guide users to the right solutions without requiring human intervention.

Example Scenario:

A customer buys a smart home security camera but struggles to connect it to their Wi-Fi. Instead of calling customer support, they visit the company’s knowledge base and search for “How to connect my camera to Wi-Fi?” Within seconds, they find a detailed guide with images, troubleshooting steps, and a video tutorial resolving the issue without waiting on hold.

Benefits:

  • Reduces customer support workload by handling common issues automatically.
  • Improves customer satisfaction by offering immediate solutions.
  • Available 24/7, providing assistance anytime, anywhere.
  • Boosts brand trust by ensuring customers can easily access accurate information.

Which One Does Your Business Need?

  • If you want to improve employee efficiency and onboarding, invest in an internal knowledge base.
  • If you want to reduce customer support tickets and enhance self-service, an external knowledge base is essential.
  • For a comprehensive solution, many businesses implement both, an internal knowledge base for employees and an external one for customers.

By choosing the right knowledge base type, you can streamline operations, boost efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction, making it a win-win for everyone involved.

Why You Need a Knowledge Base?

Still on the fence? Let’s paint a picture. Imagine these all-too-common scenarios:

1. Your Support Team Is Drowning in Repetitive Questions

Your customer support team is flooded with the same queries day in and day out!

  • “How do I reset my password?”
  • “Where can I track my order?”
  • “How do I update my billing info?”

Sound familiar? Instead of answering these for the hundredth time, a knowledge base lets customers find these answers instantly, freeing up your agents to tackle more complex issues.

2. Customers Are Frustrated with Long Wait Times

Picture this: A customer runs into a minor issue while using your product. They hop onto your website, only to find no self-service options. They reach out to support, but it’s peak hours, so they’re stuck on hold for 20 minutes. By the time they get help, they’re already frustrated.

Now, imagine if that same customer could just search for a solution in a well-structured knowledge base and fix the issue themselves in seconds. A faster resolution means happier customers and fewer complaints.

3. Onboarding New Employees Feels Like Groundhog Day

Your HR and IT teams spend hours training new employees, answering the same setup and process-related questions every time a new hire joins. Instead of hosting the same repetitive sessions, a knowledge base with onboarding guides, FAQs, and training materials can help new employees get up to speed independently.

4. Your Internal Teams Are Wasting Time Hunting for Information

Ever had a team member ping you with, “Hey, do you know where I can find the latest product roadmap?” or “What’s the process for submitting an expense report?” Now multiply that by your entire team doing the same thing all day long.

Without an internal knowledge base, valuable time is lost searching for information instead of actually working. A centralized hub ensures that employees can quickly find what they need without interrupting others.

5. Your Product or Service Is Constantly Evolving

If you roll out frequent product updates or new features, you can’t expect customers (or even employees) to keep up with every change. A well-maintained knowledge base helps users adapt by providing up-to-date guides, release notes, and troubleshooting steps, so they don’t have to contact support for every little update.

6. You Want to Offer 24/7 Support Without Hiring Around the Clock

Not every company has the resources for a 24/7 support team. But guess what? A knowledge base never sleeps. No matter the time zone, customers can find answers anytime, reducing the need for late-night or weekend staffing.

How to Build a Knowledge Base from Scratch?

Now that you see the value of a knowledge base, let’s break down how to create one from the ground up.

1. Define Your Purpose

  • Customer support: Reducing support tickets and offering self-service solutions.
  • Internal documentation: Helping employees find company policies, workflows, and processes.
  • Product knowledge base: Providing users with step-by-step guides, feature explanations, and troubleshooting solutions.

Defining your purpose helps shape the structure of your knowledge base.

2. Identify the Most Common Questions & Topics

A great knowledge base anticipates what users will ask before they even ask it. Start by analyzing:

  • Support tickets: Look for frequently asked questions.
  • Customer feedback: What do customers struggle with the most?
  • Employee requests: What information do new hires or teams often ask for?

Use this data to create a list of must-have topics for your knowledge base.

3. Organize Content into Categories

A messy knowledge base is as useless as no knowledge base at all. Structure your content so users can find answers easily. Here’s an example structure:

  • Getting Started → Account setup, first-time user guides.
  • FAQs → Common questions and quick solutions.
  • Troubleshooting → Fixes for common product issues.
  • Policies & Procedures → Company guidelines for internal use.
  • Product Updates → Release notes and new feature walkthroughs.

4. Write Clear, Concise, and Engaging Articles

Nobody wants to read a wall of text. Keep it simple and user-friendly:

  • Use bullet points for easy scanning.
  • Add screenshots, GIFs, or videos for visual explanations.
  • Write in a conversational tone (ditch the jargon!).

Example of Bad vs. Good Knowledge Base Article:

  • Bad Example:
    “To initiate a password modification, navigate to the profile configuration settings, locate the security subsection, and proceed with the credential reset procedure.”
  • Good Example:
    “Want to reset your password? Go to your Profile > Security > Change Password. Enter your new password and hit Save. Done!”

5. Implement AI Assistants and Self-Service Tools

AI assistants can take your knowledge base to the next level. Instead of users searching manually, an AI chatbot can:

  • Instantly suggest relevant articles based on the user’s question.
  • Answer simple queries without human intervention.
  • Guide users through troubleshooting steps in real-time.

Adding AI assistants ensures that customers and employees get faster resolutions without digging through pages of content.

6. Make It Searchable and Easy to Navigate

Your knowledge base should have:

  • A powerful search function with smart keyword suggestions.
  • A simple, intuitive layout with clear categories.
  • Tags and filters to help users find what they need faster.

7. Keep It Updated and Continuously Improve

A knowledge base is never “done.” Set up a process for:

  • Regularly reviewing and updating articles.
  • Adding new content based on customer feedback and support trends.
  • Monitoring search queries to see what users are looking for but can’t find.

Wrapping it up

A well-built knowledge base isn’t just another resource, it’s a game-changer for both customers and employees. It cuts down on repetitive questions, speeds up resolutions, and empowers users to find answers on their own.

The best part? Once you set it up, it keeps working for you 24/7, reducing support costs and boosting satisfaction.

So, if your support team is swamped, your employees are lost in a sea of emails, or your customers are frustrated with long wait times, take the hint, it’s time to build your knowledge base.

And hey, why stop there? Throw in some AI-powered self-service tools, and you’ve got yourself a next-level support system.