Enable and configure tables for Knowledge Search

  • 8 minutes

Before the Knowledge Base Search control can be used to search for knowledge articles, the knowledge search functionality must be turned on for them. You must also set up the knowledge base functionality for your organization by setting up two items:

  • Embedded Knowledge Search: Define which tables can use the Knowledge Base Search control and which knowledge base is used.
  • Categories: By defining article categories, you make it easier to find articles during searches and when the knowledge base is surfaced in a customer service portal.

To set up the knowledge base functionality in the Customer Service admin center app, go to Knowledge and then either select Record Types or Categories.

After you set up knowledge management, users are able to:

  • Search for relevant articles in Dynamics 365 while they're working on a record.

  • See the content of the article inline. Any images and videos in the article will also be shown.

  • Give timely and consistent information to customers when they work on cases, by using different actions. For example, a representative can open an article and share the information with a customer. Alternatively, the representative can email the customer a link to the article.

Embedded knowledge search for record types

When you're setting up the knowledge base functionality, the first thing that you should set up is the embedded knowledge search functionality to define which tables in Dynamics 365 are able to use the Knowledge Base Search control. By default, the Case table is the only table that can use the control, however there may be other tables such as Conversation, Customer Asset, and Product enabled, based on the features that you have deployed that can use the control.

Important

Turning on knowledge search for an table just lets the knowledge base search functionality be used on that table. You must still set up the Knowledge Base Search control for the table on the table page. For example, if you turn on knowledge search for the Lead table, representatives won't be able to search for articles until you add the control to the Lead page.

When you are enabling a new table for knowledge, you will need to define the following.

  • Record type: Defines the record type you're enabling for knowledge search.

  • Automatic search: Uses text from a selected field on the record to provide search results automatically. When this option is set to yes, you'll need to specify the field that you want to search automatically.

  • Actions: Specifies which types of actions are available to the representative on the article. You can select the following:

  • Link/Unlink article

  • Copy URL

  • Link article and email URL

  • Link article and sent article content

  • Email recipient: Specifies who by default the article is emailed to when you select to email it. Based on the record type that you've selected, there will be different options available.

Screenshot showing the Add record type page.

For more about setting up knowledge search, see Use embedded knowledge search to set up knowledge management.

Categories

Categories can be used to define a hierarchy structure for organizing articles in Dynamics 365. The example in the following image shows one way that categories can be structured.

Diagram example of a category hierarchy.

As each article is created, it can be associated with one or more categories. These categories are surfaced in Microsoft Power Pages, and representatives can expand them to see the articles that apply to each category.

For more about working with article categories, see Configure and manage category for knowledge articles.