Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base

Hal's knowledge base lets you create a comprehensive help center where customers can find answers to common questions. Articles integrate with AI suggestions to improve automated responses.

Overview

The knowledge base includes:

• Article Management - Create, edit, and organize help articles
• Groups & Categories - Organize articles into logical sections
• Multi-Language Support - Translate articles into 12+ languages
• Rich Text Editor - Format articles with headings, lists, images, and code blocks
• Search - Fast full-text search across all articles
• AI Integration - Articles power AI suggestion responses
• Public Help Center - Optional public-facing knowledge base

Creating Articles

Basic Article Creation

1. Go to Articles

   Click Articles in the main navigation.

2. Create New Article

   Click "New Article" and choose a group (or create a new one).

3. Write Content

   Add a title and write your article content using the rich text editor.

4. Publish

   Click "Publish" to make the article available. Draft articles are saved automatically.

Article Elements

Each article includes:

• Title - Clear, descriptive title that appears in search results
• Content - The article body with rich formatting
• Group - Category or section the article belongs to
• Language - Primary language of the article
• Status - Published or Draft
• Slug - URL-friendly identifier (auto-generated from title)

Organizing Articles

Article Groups

Groups help organize articles into categories. Common group structures:

• Getting Started - Onboarding and basic setup guides
• FAQ - Frequently asked questions
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• Advanced - Complex features and configurations
• Billing - Pricing, payments, and subscription management

Creating Groups

1. Go to Articles page
2. Click "Manage Groups"
3. Add a new group with a name and optional description
4. Organize groups in the order you want them to appear

Articles can be moved between groups by editing the article.

Multi-Language Support

Hal supports knowledge base articles in multiple languages:

Supported Languages

• English (en)
• Spanish (es)
• French (fr)
• German (de)
• Italian (it)
• Portuguese (pt)
• Dutch (nl)
• Polish (pl)
• Russian (ru)
• Japanese (ja)
• Chinese Simplified (zh)
• Korean (ko)

Adding Translations

1. Create primary article

   Write your article in your primary language first.

2. Add translation

   Click "Add Translation" on the article detail page.

3. Select language

   Choose the target language from the dropdown.

4. Translate content

   Write the translated version of the title and content.

5. Publish

   Translations are linked to the original article.

Rich Text Formatting

The article editor supports:

• Headings - H1 through H6 for structure
• Lists - Bulleted and numbered lists
• Links - Internal and external links
• Images - Upload and embed images
• Code Blocks - Syntax-highlighted code examples
• Tables - Structured data presentation
• Blockquotes - Highlighted callouts and notes
• Text Formatting - Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough

Adding Images

1. Click the image icon in the editor toolbar
2. Upload an image file (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP)
3. Add alt text for accessibility
4. Adjust size and alignment as needed

Code Blocks

Add syntax-highlighted code examples:

```javascript
// Example code block
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}
```

AI Integration

Knowledge base articles power AI suggestions:

• Automatic Search - AI searches articles when generating suggestions
• Context-Aware - AI uses relevant article content in responses
• Source Attribution - AI can cite specific articles in suggestions
• Multi-Language - AI uses articles in the visitor's language

The more comprehensive your knowledge base, the better the AI suggestions.

Search Functionality

Both agents and visitors can search the knowledge base:

For Agents

• Search from the Articles page
• Find relevant articles while responding to conversations
• Quick link insertion into messages

For Visitors

• Search from the widget help center
• Full-text search across all published articles
• Results filtered by language preference

Public Help Center

Pro Business

Make your knowledge base publicly accessible:

1. Go to Settings > Knowledge Base
2. Enable "Public Help Center"
3. Customize the help center URL (e.g., help.yoursite.com)
4. Choose which groups to make public

Your public help center:

• Standalone website accessible to anyone
• SEO-friendly with proper meta tags
• Matches your widget branding
• Mobile-responsive design
• Includes search functionality

Analytics

Business

Track knowledge base performance:

• Article Views - How often each article is viewed
• Search Queries - What visitors are searching for
• Helpful Votes - Visitor feedback on article usefulness
• Language Distribution - Which languages are most used

Use analytics to identify:

• Gaps in your documentation
• Articles that need improvement
• Popular topics worth expanding
• Languages to prioritize for translation

Best Practices

1. Start with Common Questions

Review your conversation history to identify frequently asked questions. Create articles for the top 10-20 topics first.

2. Use Clear Titles

Write titles that match how customers ask questions. Instead of "Authentication Setup," use "How do I log in?"

3. Keep Articles Focused

One topic per article. Long articles can be split into multiple focused pieces.

4. Add Visuals

Include screenshots, diagrams, or videos to clarify complex processes.

5. Update Regularly

Review and update articles when features change. Mark outdated articles as drafts or add update notices.

6. Cross-Link Related Articles

Link to related articles within your content to help visitors find comprehensive information.

7. Translate Strategically

Start by translating your most-viewed articles. Use analytics to prioritize languages based on your audience.

8. Collect Feedback

Enable "Was this helpful?" voting on articles to identify content that needs improvement.

Writing Tips

• Use plain language - Avoid jargon and technical terms when possible
• Start with the answer - Put the solution up front, then explain details
• Use step-by-step instructions - Number steps for clarity
• Include examples - Real-world examples help understanding
• Test your instructions - Follow your own steps to verify accuracy

Knowledge Base Pricing

• Free Plan - Up to 25 articles, basic search
• Pro Plan - Unlimited articles, public help center, multi-language
• Business Plan - Analytics, custom domain, advanced search

Next Steps