KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Import & Export

The Import & Export function allows you Export active content available to your group as HTML and XML. You may also import XML content into your KB. This document will show you how to do this. To access this tool, log into the KB Admin Tools, then go to the Documents Tab > Import & Export link.

Export Active Content Available to Your Group as HTML

The HTML Export tool is a valuable way to create an offline backup of important Knowledge Base content. By exporting your documents as static HTML files, you can retain access to critical information even during a network outage or service interruption.

Maintaining an offline copy is especially important if your Knowledge Base contains emergency procedures, business continuity documentation, or other essential resources that support key business operations.

Because Knowledge Base content is updated regularly, it is a good practice to export a fresh backup on a recurring basis. You may wish to set up a reminder or notification to help ensure your backups remain current. For instructions, see KB User's Guide - Settings Tab - Notification Settings

The image below highlights the fields available in the Export Active Documents Available to Your Group as HTML section. The following sections describe each field and its purpose.

Screenshot of the "Export active documents available to your group as HTML" section

Site - From this dropdown menu, make your selection from the six options which export content available to your group as an *.html file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:
1. Internal and External (all active docs) - This is the field's default setting
2. Internal (all docs available via internal site)
3. External (all docs available via internal site)
4. Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
5. External only (all docs available only via external site)
6. All docs owned by this group (all statuses)
Include documents with these IDs ONLY - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers to include and/or exclude when exporting. For more information on how to limit a list of documents by owner, topic, etc, please see KB User's Guide - Users Tab - Search and Display Filters on the Existing Users Screen.

If you plan to export a large amount of content (>100 documents), it is recommended that you split this up into multiple exports, for example, one export per topic area. If you attempt to export too much content at once, the resulting HTML file may be too large for your browser to process after opening.
Exclude documents with these IDs - Specify the document IDs you do not wish to export by listing a comma delimited list. Example: perhaps you wish to exclude glossary terms, news items or meeting minutes.
Exclude documents restricted to <User Access group> - Exclude documents based on User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group displayed. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).
Export as HTML in a .zip file button - Click this button to download an HTML file that contains an index of links for active document titles. These links will point to the documents contained within your Content export file.

You will get a pop up message from your browser listing a folder named "kb_doc_export". The kb_doc_export.zip file will include an index.html file with links to separate kb_doc_ID.html files.
Notes:
- Each document title in the index.html is a hyperlink to the corresponding document file.
- The HTML file generally contains text-only document content. Because most image paths in the KB are relative, images will not load and alt text will be displayed instead.
- LinkDocs and IncludeDocs will show up as document ID numbers only.
- If you are using IncludeDocs to supply important content, be sure to export the documents themselves.

Export active documents available to your group as XML

You may also export active content available to your KB group as an *.xml file.

Set each field as desired for your export:
- Site - From this dropdown menu, make your selection from the six options which export content available to your group as an *.html file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:
  1. Internal and External (all active docs) - This is the field's default setting
  2. Internal (all docs available via internal site)
  3. External (all docs available via internal site)
  4. Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
  5. External only (all docs available only via external site)
  6. All docs owned by this group (all statuses)
- Include documents with these IDs ONLY - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers to include and/or exclude when exporting. For more information on how to limit a list of documents by owner, topic, etc, please see KB User's Guide - Users Tab - Search and Display Filters on the Existing Users Screen.
  
  If you plan to export a large amount of content (>100 documents), it is recommended that you split this up into multiple exports, for example, one export per topic area. If you attempt to export too much content at once, the resulting HTML file may be too large for your browser to process after opening.
- Exclude documents with these IDs - Specify the document IDs you do not wish to export by listing a comma delimited list. Example: perhaps you wish to exclude glossary terms, news items or meeting minutes.
- Exclude documents restricted to <User Access group> - Exclude documents based on User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group displayed. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).
Click the Export as XML in a .xml file button to download documents as an XML file.

In the image below, we see the Export file structure of the downloaded *.xml file. Note the arrows in front of title, keywords, summary, etc. They are expandable.

Example of an XML file, where the title, keywords, summary, body, and int_notes sections appear with arrows to the left

After clicking on all the arrows, you will see the content in each field. The image below shows the content in the id, title, keywords and summary fields.

Example of an exported XML file, where the fields have been expanded and the HTML content contained within them can be read.

Import XML content with multiple kb_document elements as multiple documents

Follow the format as prescribed in the window below when creating your *.xml file. Be sure to include all required fields (title, keywords, summary, and body). If you do not have data for the required fields, you may enter a space in that field as a placeholder.

<?xml version="1.0"?> <kb_documents> <kb_document> <kb_title>.........</kb_title> <kb_keywords>.........</kb_keywords> <kb_summary>.........</kb_summary> <kb_body>.........</kb_body> <kb_int_notes>.........</kb_int_notes> <img_base_url>.........</img_base_url> </kb_document> <kb_document> ......... </kb_document> ......... </kb_documents>

Note: The img_base_url is intended for cases where your content contains images hosted under another domain but references them as a relative path.

For example, if you are importing content from "https://your.site.com", and the images in your content do not include that domain in their path (e.g. paths are formatted like "/images/folder/filename.png"), you should enter "https://your.site.com" as the base URL.
Click on the Import Content from XML button at the bottom of the screen.
Click on the Browse button, then find and select the XML file you created.
- If you XML file contains HTML entities in place of actual HTML tags (for example, a paragraph tag is encoded as <p> instead of <p>), check the box to Decode HTML entity in body content.
Click the Continue button.
The documents created from your import will be set to the status of "In Progress". The person who performed the import will be the owner of the document(s).

Import from URL using TinyMCE

The Import from URL plugin is found under the Insert menu. It allows you to import the full HTML of a page hosted outside of the KB. You will be prompted to enter the URL to import, after which point the page's HTML will be added to the document body. This is handy for cases where you may be migrating content from a previous storage location into the KB.

The insert menu in the TinyMCE editor is open and the import from url option is selected and circled in red.

Please note that because the full page is imported, unwanted elements, such as page headers and footers, may need to be removed.

Import Confluence Wiki HTML content

For information on importing Confluence (aka Wiki) pages into the KB, please see [Link for document 123849 is unavailable at this time].

Best Practices

Here are some examples how other KB groups have used the Import & Export feature:

Import

Quickly import large amounts of content, such as information copied from an existing website, and apply formatting later using the KB Admin Tools.
Migrate content in bulk, allowing you to move large volumes of information into the Knowledge Base in a single process.
Automatically upload embedded images from the source content into the appropriate document attachment folders.
Create a collection of draft documents with required fields already populated, making it easier for administrators to assign documents to authors using specific document IDs, naming conventions, or other organizational standards

Export

HTML exports are most commonly used to create an offline backup of Knowledge Base content, ensuring information remains available even when internet access is unavailable.
HTML is generally easier to work with than XML when transferring Knowledge Base content to another website, as the exported content can be copied, reviewed, and edited more easily.
Offline copies provide convenient access to documentation while traveling or in situations where internet connectivity is limited or unavailable.
XML exports are optimized for machine processing and search indexing, making them better suited for search engine integration, data exchange, and automated content migration processes.