What is the Article Planner?

The Article Planner is a dynamic tool, similar to Trello, designed specifically for your Knowledge Base. It allows you to manage article requests, drafts, and published articles in a streamlined, visual way. You can even convert article requests from contact form submissions into actual articles with a simple drag-and-drop action.

Why Should I Use the Article Planner?

The Article Planner is invaluable for keeping track of all unfound or requested articles that flow through your Knowledge Base. Instead of letting potential ideas slip through the cracks, you can capture user-driven requests and convert them into helpful resources. By dragging an article request into the Draft Article column, you’re one step closer to having that content live on your Knowledge Base.

Think of it as a Trello board dedicated to managing and executing Knowledge Base ideas.

How to Access the Article Planner

Follow these steps to access the Article Planner from your Dashboard:

1. Open your Dashboard.
2. Click on the Article Planner option.

Key Columns in the Article Planner

The Article Planner organizes your Knowledge Base content into four main columns, each serving a specific purpose:

• Article Requests: This column contains all article suggestions submitted through the contact form. These are direct requests from users who couldn’t find the answers they were looking for.
• Draft Articles: This column automatically lists all articles that are currently in the draft state. You don't need to manually move articles here; any article that hasn't been published yet and is still being worked on will appear in this column by default.
• Articles in Review: Once an article is submitted for review, it will appear in this column. This stage ensures that the content undergoes a quality check before being published.
• Published Articles: This column lists all articles that have already been published and are available in your Knowledge Base. You can also manually move articles from the Draft or In Review columns here when they are ready to be published.

How Are Article Requests Created?

Article requests can be automatically generated through contact form submissions. If a user can’t find the answer they’re looking for, they can submit a request for that article. This provides valuable insight into content gaps and ensures your Knowledge Base addresses real user needs.

How to Enable or Disable Article Requests

To enable or disable article requests from contact form submissions:

1. Click on your Profile Picture and go to Settings.
2. Select Contact Form/Article Requests.
3. Toggle the Add contact form submissions as new article requests option on or off, depending on your preference.
4. If you'd like to restrict requests to logged-in users, enable the Only allow article requests from logged-in users option.

How to Convert Article Requests Into Articles

Converting article requests into actual articles is simple and efficient. When a user submits a request via the contact form, it will automatically appear in the Article Requests column. To turn it into an article, all you need to do is:

1. Go to the Article Requests column in the Article Planner.
2. Drag the article request and drop it into the Draft Articles column.

This action will create a draft article, allowing you to start developing the requested content. From there, you can work on the draft, submit it for review, and eventually publish it.

How to Move Articles Between Columns

Moving articles between columns in the Article Planner is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

1. Access the Article Planner: From your dashboard, click on the Article Planner section.
2. Find the Article: Locate the article or request you want to move in its current column (Article Requests, Draft Articles, Articles in Review, or Published Articles).
3. Drag and Drop:
   • Click and hold the article you want to move.
   • Drag it over to the target column.
   • Release the article to drop it into the new column.

This action is quick and allows you to easily move articles as they progress through different stages of development.

Actions Performed When Moving Articles

When you move an article between columns, specific actions are triggered depending on the destination column. Here’s a breakdown of what happens:

• Converting Article Requests to Draft Articles: Moving a request from the Article Requests column to the Draft Articles column will automatically convert the request into a draft article.
• Submitting Articles for Review: Moving an article from either the Draft Articles or Published Articles column to the Articles In Review column will display the article in the To Review section.
• Publishing Articles: When you move an article from the Draft Articles or Articles In Review columns to the Published Articles column, it will be published, making it available to your Knowledge Base users.
• Unpublishing Articles: Moving an article from the Published Articles column to the Draft Articles column will unpublish the article, removing it from the live site.