Table of Contents
Customizing Article Metadata
When you first get started writing your articles, you'll notice a lot of the advanced stuff is automatically done for you. However, if you're a whizz and want to customize the way things are displayed on your knowledge base, you can!
When you first start writing articles, you'll notice many advanced features are automatically handled for you. But if you're feeling adventurous and want to customize how things appear on your Knowledge Base, you absolutely can!
These are called the article's metadata. Let's explore:
- Article slugs
- Meta descriptions
- Short versions
What's the Article Slug?
No, we're not talking about garden creatures here. A slug is the end of the URL that appears in your address bar 🐌
In the example below, the pink part is automatically generated to prevent URL conflicts (you can turn this off but we don't recommend it). The green part is the slug that you can customize.
What's the Article Meta Description?
This is a brief preview of your article content—typically a sentence or two that gives visitors a quick idea about the article before they click.
We automatically pull this from your article introduction, but you can customize it to better reflect your content or improve SEO.
What's the Short Version?
The short version is exactly what it sounds like—a condensed version of your article.
It's available through the API and in custom templates, letting you build custom integrations. It's also used in the Front plugin and Intercom Messenger integrations.
Understanding the Differences
Element | Purpose | Where It's Displayed |
Slug | Creates a readable URL path | In the browser address bar |
Meta Description | Provides a preview of content | Search results and link previews |
Short Version | Offers a condensed summary | Integrations and API |
Editing Article Metadata
- Head to the article editor
- Click the ☰ More button in the top right
- Click Edit slug, tags, etc. from the dropdown menu
- A popup will appear where you can edit the Slug, Meta Description & Short Version
- Hit Save Changes
- Hit Publish Changes to make everything live
Customizing these elements is a great way to fine-tune your Knowledge Base and make it even more user-friendly. Have fun with it! 🎨
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