Configure knowledge management

Introduction

A comprehensive knowledge base is a key to increased customer satisfaction and improved productivity of users. Give users quick access to the knowledge base by setting up knowledge management in Dynamics 365 Customer Service.

Important

Usage of Parature knowledgebase as a knowledge management solution has been deprecated. For more information, see Important changes coming.

After knowledge management is set up, users will be able to:

• Search for relevant knowledge base articles from Customer Service while they're working on a record.

• Set up the search logic, suggest-as-you-type option, and search filters to get only the required knowledge articles, thereby providing timely and consistent information to customers while working on their cases.

• Use smart assist to receive AI suggestions on related knowledge articles and similar cases.

• See the content of the knowledge base article inline, including images and videos.

Setup overview

You can set up knowledge management on the Customer Service admin center, Customer Service Hub, or manually for a model-driven app.

• Set up knowledge management
• Set up knowledge management settings page manually for a model-driven app

After you have configured knowledge management on your app, you must also set up the various other aspects of knowledge management, based on your organizational requirements, such as:

• Configure knowledge base article URLs
• Create and manage categories
• Create templates for knowledge articles
• Set up AI suggestions for article keywords and description
• [Set up external search providers]Set up external search providers

Set up knowledge management

Make sure that you have the System Administrator or System Customizer security role or equivalent permissions. You must also be the tenant administrator of Microsoft 365.

You can set up knowledge management in the Customer Service admin center or Customer Service Hub app. The settings you configure for knowledge management in the Customer Service Hub app are carried over to the Customer Service admin center app, and vice versa.

Customer Service admin center

1. In the site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience. The Knowledge page appears.

2. In the Record types section, select Manage.

   1. On the Record Types page, add and configure the record types for which you want to turn on knowledge management. More information: Configure knowledge search control on app side pane for an entity record. By default, knowledge management is enabled for Case and Conversation record types. The ability to set up knowledge search control for app side pane is available only in the Customer Service admin center app.

3. In the General Settings section, select Manage. The General Settings page appears.

   1. In the Search results display count section, select the display count from the dropdown. This option is only available for the app side pane knowledge base search control, and standalone knowledge base search control in single session and multisession apps. b. In the Feedback section, set the Enable feedback toggle to Yes. To learn more about how users use this option, see Submit ratings and feedback for knowledge articles.
   2. In the Authoring language section, set the Enable default authoring language for your users to Yes.
   • If you want to select a default knowledge authoring language for your organization, then select the Organization's UI language option.
   • If you want to use the organizations's UI language as the default knowledge authoring language, select the Other language option, and then select a language from the Language dropdown.
   • If you also want to allow users to set their default knowledge authoring language, set the Allow users to set default knowledge authoring language toggle to Yes. More information: Configure a default knowledge article authoring language for your organization

   c. In the Origins allow list section, add your origins links to the Add origin links field. More information: Configure origins allowlist for knowledge articles

   d. In the Knowledge search experience section, enable the following as required:

   • Enable suggest-as-you-type
   • Set search mode as all: More information: Set up knowledge search logic
   • Show recently accessed knowledge articles for cases
   • Select Save.

4. Optionally, in the Categories section, select Manage. The Categories System Views page appears. You can create and manage a logical structure of categories for your records. More information: Create and manage categories.

5. In the Filters section, set the Enable search filters toggle to Yes. If you want to allow agents to save the the search filters according to their areas, set the Allow agent to personalize toggle to Yes.

6. In the Portals section, select Manage. The Portals page appears.

   1. In the Support portal connection section, do the following to share knowledge articles as URLs:
      • Set the Use an external portal toggle to Yes to integrate an external portal to publish knowledge articles.
      • URL Format: Type the portal URL that will be used to create external (public-facing) portal links for knowledge articles, which the service agents can share with the customers. The external URL is created in the following format: https://support portal URL/kb/{kbnum}. The placeholder, "{kbnum}", is replaced by an actual knowledge article number.
   2. In the Sync knowledge article attachments to portal section, set the Sync attachments to the portal toggle to Yes. More information: Update knowledge article attachments for portal

7. Optionally, in the Article templates section, select Manage. The Article Templates System Views page appears. You can create templates to help knowledge authors use consistent language and messaging. More information: Create templates for articles.

8. Optionally, in the Search providers section, select Manage. The Search providers System Views page appears. You can use search providers to federate the search of files, documents, or articles from data sources outside of your current Dynamics 365 organization. More information: Set up external search providers

Customer Service Hub - Service Management (deprecated)

Important

The Service Management area in Customer Service Hub is deprecated. Use the Customer Service admin center app for admin tasks across Customer Service.

1. In the site map, go to Service Management and select Settings in Knowledge Base Management. The Settings page appears.

2. On the Settings page, in Record Types, select the record types you want to turn on knowledge management for. The list will include all entities that are available for an N:N relationship. Knowledge management is enabled for case entity by default.

3. In the Support Portal Connection section, enter the following:

   • Use an external portal. You can integrate an external portal to publish knowledge articles. If your organization uses one, select this checkbox.

     Set the toggle to Yes to share the knowledge article as a link in the email sent to the customer. Set the toggle to No to share the article content inserted in the email body. If you select Yes, provide the URL format.

   • URL Format. Type the portal URL that will be used to create external (public-facing) portal links for knowledge articles, which the service agents can share with the customers. The external URL is created in the following format: https://support portal URL/kb/{kbnum}. The placeholder, "{kbnum}", is replaced by an actual knowledge article number.

4. In the Knowledge articles feedback section, set the Enable feedback toggle to Yes. To learn more about how users use this option, see Submit ratings and feedback for knowledge articles.

5. In the Knowledge articles search filters section, set the Enable search filters toggle to Yes. If you want to allow agents to personalize the search filters, set the Allow agents to personalize the knowledge articles search filters toggle to Yes.

6. In the Knowledge articles authoring language section, set the Set default knowledge authoring language for your users to Yes.

   • If you want to set the default knowledge authoring language for your organization, search and select a language in the Select a language field, and then set the Use organization's UI language toggle to Yes.
   • If you also want to allow users to set their default knowledge authoring language in the personalization option, set the ​Allow users to set default knowledge authoring language toggle to Yes​. More information: Configure a default knowledge article authoring language for your organization

7. In the Sync knowledge article attachments to portal section, set the Sync attachments to portal toggle to Yes. More information: Update knowledge article attachments for portal

8. In the Origins allowlist section, add your origins links to the Add origin links field. More information: Configure origins allowlist for knowledge articles.

9. In the Knowledge search logic section, set the Set search mode as all toggle to Yes. More information: Set up knowledge search logic.

10. Select Save.

The configured settings are also available to users of Omnichannel for Customer Service.

Note

During the creation of knowledge articles, duplicate detection rules aren't supported on the Knowledge Article entity.

Set up knowledge management settings page manually for a model-driven app

Note

The embedded knowledge search control is deprecated in the web client. You must use the Knowledge Settings page in Unified Interface.

If you are using the custom model-driven app, you need to manually update your sitemap with the Knowledge Settings page. To update the sitemap:

1. Select your custom app.

2. Select Open in app designer.

3. Select Site Map.

4. Select Add > Subarea to create a new sub area for your area.

5. In the Properties > SUB AREA section, provide the following information:

   • Type: Select URL.
   • URL: Enter /main.aspx?pagetype=inlinedialog&name=KnowledgeSettings

Configure knowledge base article URLs

Knowledge articles can be configured with their portal URLs, and then agents can copy and share the URL links.

Note

Before you can configure knowledge articles with their own URLs, you must create a portal using your domain name. For information on how to create a portal, see Create a portal in an environment containing customer engagement apps.

You can configure a knowledge base article URL in the Customer Service admin center or Customer Service Hub app by performing the following steps:

1. Go to the Support portal connection section.

Customer Service admin center

1. In the site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience. The Knowledge page appears.
2. On the Knowledge page, go to the Portal section and select Manage. The Portal page appears.
3. On the Portal page, go to the Support portal connection section.

Customer Service Hub - Service Management (deprecated)

1. In the site map, go to Service Management and select Settings in Knowledge Base Management.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Support portal connection section.

2. Set the Use an external portal toggle to Yes.

3. In the URL format field, enter the URL name.

4. Select Save.

The knowledge base article link is now active and can be copied and shared.

Update knowledge article attachments for portal

With the knowledge article attachments option, you can stop using notes attachments for the portal. To use knowledge article attachments for the portal, you must enable the feature in the Customer Service admin center or Customer Service Hub app by performing the following steps:

1. Go to the Sync knowledge article attachments to portal section.

Customer Service admin center

1. In the site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience. The Knowledge page appears.
2. In the Portals section, select Manage. The Portal page appears.
3. On the Portals page, go to the Sync knowledge article attachments to portal section.

Customer Service Hub - Service Management (deprecated)

1. In the site map, go to Service Management and select Settings in Knowledge Base Management. The Settings page appears.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Sync knowledge article attachments to portal section.

2. Set the Sync attachments to portal toggle to Yes.
3. Select Save.

Set up AI suggestions for article keywords and description

You can enable knowledge authors to get suggested keywords and description based on the article content stored in the built-in knowledge article entity. More information: Configure AI suggestions for article keywords and description.

Set up knowledge search logic

If you have Dataverse search enabled, you can apply knowledge search logic for your knowledge articles to help agents find only the articles they need. By default, knowledge search works by the searchMode=any logic, which brings up articles that match any of the keywords used in your search. If you search for Contoso Coffee, the search results will show articles that have either "Contoso" or "Coffee", as seen in the following example:

• Article 1: Contoso machine repair
• Article 2: Coffee powder quality
• Article 3: Contoso coffee order price
• Article 4: Coffee machine order for Contoso
• Article 5: Espresso coffee machine troubleshooting

You can enable the knowledge search to work by the searchmode=all logic, which matches all the keywords that you used in the search. If you search for Contoso Coffee, the search results will show articles that match both "Contoso" and "Coffee", as seen in the following example:

• Article 1: Contoso coffee order price
• Article 2: Coffee machine order for Contoso

You can set up the knowledge search logic in the Customer Service admin center or Customer Service Hub app by performing the following steps:

1. Go to the Settings page.

Customer Service admin center

1. In the site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience.
2. On the Knowledge page, in the General settings section, select Manage. The General settings page appears.

Customer Service Hub - Service Management (deprecated)

• In the site map, go to Service Management and select Settings in Knowledge Base Management. The Settings page appears.

2. In the Knowledge search experience section, set the Set search mode as all toggle to Yes.

3. Select Save.

More information: Search across table data using Dataverse search

Enable the suggest-as-you-type option

You can help agents improve their productivity by setting the Enable suggest as you type toggle to Yes. This feature provides suggestions on the most relevant records as agents type keywords in the search box. The search phrase is matched against the title of the article, and the matching results appear in a flyout menu. The matched text is highlighted to show the presence of the keyword.

When an agent selects the record, the system displays the article inline on the knowledge search control embedded on a form, on an application tab in Customer Service workspace, and as an inline view in the independent knowledge search control. More information: Use suggest-as-you-type

1. In the Customer Service admin center site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience.
2. On the Knowledge page, in the General settings section, select Manage. The General settings page appears.
3. In the Knowledge search experience section, set the Enable suggest as you type toggle to Yes.
4. Select Save.

Show recently accessed knowledge articles for cases

Knowledge search shows the recently accessed results for keyword searches made by agents across different cases without initiating any search. This helps agents directly review and use the articles across similar cases without searching for the keyword again.

1. In the Customer Service admin center site map, select Knowledge in Agent experience.
2. On the Knowledge page, in the General settings section, select Manage. The General settings page appears.
3. In the Knowledge search experience section, set the Show recently viewed knowledge articles toggle to Yes.
4. Select the number of articles you want displayed from the Number of recently viewed articles shown drop-down list. You can show a min of one to a max of eight articles.
5. Select Save.

See also

Add the Knowledge Base Search control to a form