New knowledge bases created after 5 December 2023 will not have the option to select different themes or layouts; they use the Minimalist theme and Left two column layout.
If you have a new knowledge base that needs to use one of our older themes, please contact us
to enable the older themes. (Note that switching to the older themes removes some options, like the Table of contents control.)
Layouts control the visible columns in your knowledge base. You will always have at least one column for your main content like the home page, search results, and articles.
The layout options include one, two, or three columns:
- The left column is generally reserved for the table of contents; choosing the Right Two Columns or One Column layouts generally disables the table of contents.
- The middle column is used for displaying article or category content. This column is included in all layouts.
- The right column is used for metadata (such as Related Articles, article lists, etc.) and is generally governed by the Custom HTML for Right Column.
Three columns, displayed in the Classic Theme with Three Column layout
Here's a more detailed breakdown of each layout option:
- Three Columns: Displays three columns. Right Column uses the Custom HTML for Right Column in all themes.
- For the Classic, Clayton, and Modern themes, this will significantly reduce the amount of screen space for article content.
- In Minimalist theme, no left column is displayed, since the table of contents is hidden in the slide-out menu. When the table of contents is opened, the Right Column will slide off the screen.
- Left Two Columns (default): This displays the table of contents properly in Classic, Clayton, and Modern themes while maximizing the available space for article content. It produces no noticeable changes in the Minimalist theme.
- Right Two Columns: This option will hide the table of contents completely in the Classic, Clayton, and Modern themes and display the right column with metadata. It produces no noticeable changes in the Minimalist theme.
- One Column: This option will hide the table of contents as well as the right column in all four themes, and will also left-justify article breadcrumbs wherever they appear.
- In the Minimalist theme, this layout also removes the hamburger menu to expand the table of contents.
- In Clayton theme, this layout overrides the lefthand navigation and forces a top navigation bar that is oversized and overlaps the article title. We do NOT recommend using this layout with the Clayton theme!
