Create a public knowledge base with some private content

If you want to have some of your knowledge base's content available to everyone, and some restricted to only certain people, you're looking for a mixed public + private knowledge base.

To make some content private on your public knowledge base, you can create a reader group (or groups), restrict content to the appropriate group, and require readers to log in to get access to the reader group restricted content.

Set content authentication to public

First, we must set the default content authentication to public:

1. Go to Security and access > Security settings.
2. Set the Content authentication to Public:
   Set the Content authentication to Public
3. Save your changes.

Refer to Create a public knowledge base for more considerations for default public knowledge bases.

Add reader accounts and restrict "private" content to reader group(s)

To mark content as private, you'll restrict it to one or more Reader Groups. You must also log individual readers in and add them to the group(s) you created.

You can log readers into your knowledge base in a few ways:

• Use KnowledgeOwl reader accounts: Create and maintain reader accounts directly in KnowledgeOwl without having to integrate with any other tools. A KnowledgeOwl admin will create, update, and delete reader accounts and add/remove readers to/from reader groups as needed, reset passwords, etc.
  • For this option, make sure the Unauthenticated access behavior is set to Redirect them to the reader login page in Security and access > Security settings.
  • You'll also want to be sure you have a reader login/logout button. Refer to 
• Use some form of Single Sign-On (SSO): Integrate KnowledgeOwl with your existing identity provider so people can use the same login information they use for your other tools. Set up SSO, remote auth, or Salesforce SSO in Security and access > Single sign-on.

Add a reader login/logout button

To add a reader login/logout button to your knowledge base:

1. Go to Customize > Website.
2. In the Links and behavior section, check the Top navigation box next to Add a reader login / logout link.
3. Save your changes.

If you don't see a Login/Logout link, the reader login link was probably removed from your knowledge base. To re-add it:

1. Go to Customize > Style (HTML & CSS).
2. In the Customize HTML, CSS, and JS section, select Custom HTML.
3. Select Top Navigation from the Select HTML section to edit dropdown.
4. Below the preview pane, select Custom HTML, then select the dropdown that appears and select Top Navigation.
5. The login link will be added wherever [template("login")] appears. If you don't see this template anywhere, refer to Default Top Navigation HTML for the formatting to re-add it and Save.

If your knowledge base was previously entirely private

If your knowledge base was previously entirely public, review the sections below for settings you may need to change.

Make certain features public

Certain features may require adjustments to use in a public knowledge base:

• Subscriptions: If you want public readers to be able to subscribe to categories for updates, there's a separate setting you need to turn on in KB settings > Subscriptions. Refer to Set up public subscriptions for more detailed instructions.
• Comments: If you want public readers to be able to submit comments on your public knowledge base, make sure Only allow logged in readers and authors to leave comments is unchecked in KB settings > Comments. Refer to Set who can submit and view comments for more information on this setting.

Public knowledge base security setup considerations

Since public knowledge bases can be found by anyone (or any bot) on the internet, you'll want to consider the features you're using and the spam protection or other directives you want to provide to encourage or prevent certain uses. Review these settings and discuss them with your security team:

• Protect your contact form from spam: Public knowledge bases are the most at risk for spam, and the contact form is the most likely place you'll see spam. In Customize > Contact form, check the box to Use spam protection on ticket submissions to help prevent contact form spam. Refer to Set up contact form to send emails to one or more addresses for more information on this setting.
• Choose a spam protection format: Make sure your knowledge base is well-protected for the features you're using. Refer to Spam protection for more information.
• Create a custom robots.txt file: Set your robots.txt file in KB settings > Domain to determine which AI agents or training models (or other services) can and can't access your knowledge base. Refer to Customize your robots.txt for more detailed instructions.

Public knowledge base optimizations

Lastly, make sure your knowledge base is optimized for the types of search/AI optimization you care about. Review these options in KB settings > Domain:

• SEO settings: For optimum SEO, check all three boxes (Generate a publicly available sitemap, Ensure that page titles do not exceed 55 characters, and 301 redirect URLs ending with a trailing slash to non trailing slash). Refer to Generate your sitemap and Domain settings for more information on these settings.
• Custom llms.txt: For optimum AEO/GEO, create a custom llms.txt file that AI tools can access and create a process to maintain or update it. Refer to Create your llms.txt for more detailed instructions and guidance.

If your knowledge base was previously entirely public

If your knowledge base was previously entirely public, review the sections below for settings you may need to change:

Mixed public and private knowledge bases can't use the Security and access > Security settings > Reader security options > Image / file security setting to Require authentication. You'll need to uncheck this box and save.

You may need to update your llms.txt file to reflect only the publicly-available content. Refer to Create your llms.txt for more information.