Knowledge

Odoo Knowledge is a multipurpose productivity app that allows internal users to enrich their business knowledge base by providing information gathered individually or collaboratively.

The pages on which they gather content are called articles. They are mainly composed of a title and a body. The latter is an HTML field containing text, images, links, records from other models, templates, etc.

See also

Knowledge product page

Article creation

Knowledge articles can be created from scratch or a pre-configured template. When an article is created under another, the original one is the parent article, while the new one is called a child or nested article, indicating its subordinate position. This structure helps organize content by establishing clear relationships between related articles.

To create a nested article, hover over an article in the sidebar tree and click the (plus) icon.

From scratch

To create an article from scratch, click New in the top right corner or hover over the Private or Workspace category in the sidebar tree, then click the (plus) icon. Start typing text or select one of the suggested options:

• Load a Template: Select a preconfigured template and click Load Template.

• Build an Item Kanban: Create items to visualize and manage them in a Kanban view.

• Build an Item List: Create a structured list of items to centralize them in a single article.

• Build an Item Calendar: Create a calendar view to manage and track items by date.

• Generate an Article with AI: Generate content based on a prompt.

Tip

After writing the header, click or hover over Untitled in the top bar to automatically name the article after the header. This action does not apply if the article is already titled.

From a template

To create an article from a template, follow these steps:

1. Click Browse Templates at the bottom of the sidebar tree.

2. Select a preferred template.

3. Click Load Template.

Article editing

To edit an article, select it in the sidebar tree, then edit its content and format it using the text editor toolbar, typing powerbox commands, and adding a cover picture with a title emoji.

Text editor toolbar

To edit a word, sentence, or paragraph, select or double-click it to display the text editor toolbar and apply the desired formatting options.

Tip

Click Comment to add a comment to the selected text.

Commands

Type / to open the powerbox and use a command. The following commands are exclusive to the Knowledge app:

Command	Use
Index	Show nested articles: Display the child pages of the parent article.
Item Kanban	Insert a Kanban view and create article items.
Item Cards	Insert a Card view and create article items.
Item List	Insert a List view and create article items.
Item Calendar	Insert a Calendar view and create article items.

Article items

Article items are active building blocks within an article, allowing the addition, management, and viewing of various organized content and data.

Article items within a parent article can contain properties, which are shared data fields from the parent, ensuring consistent information across related items and articles.

Cover pictures

To add a cover picture, click the (ellipsis) icon, then Add Cover. The following options enable selecting and inserting pictures from different sources:

• Search the Unsplash database to find a suitable picture. If the database and Unsplash account are associated, the cover picture is automatically selected based on the article’s name.

• Add URL: Copy-paste the image address.

• Upload an image: Upload the file into the image library.

To manage the cover picture, hover the mouse over it and select the preferred option:

• Replace Cover and search from the database or library, or add a different URL.

• Reposition and adjust the picture before clicking Save Position.

• Remove Cover.

Title emoji

To add a title emoji to the article’s name and header:

• Click the (ellipsis) icon, then Add Icon to generate a random emoji. Click the emoji to select a different one.

• Alternatively, click the (page) icon next to the article’s name in the sidebar or the top bar and select the preferred emoji.

Views and links from other apps

To insert a view or a view link into an article, follow these steps:

1. Go to the desired app and select the preferred view.

2. Click the (cog) icon, then select Knowledge ‣ Insert view in article or Insert link in article.

3. Choose the article to insert the view or link to.

Note

Once the view or link is inserted:

• Users without access to the view cannot see it in Knowledge, even if they can access the article.

• Clicking the inserted link opens a pop-up with the view’s name next to the (copy), (edit), and (remove) icons. Click the name inside the pop-up to open the linked view.

Article management

Knowledge allows for managing articles, which consists of structuring, sharing, removing, and retrieving them.

Basic management

Click the (ellipsis) icon and select one of the following actions for basic article management:

• Move To: Select the article to move under a category or another article, then click Move Article.

• Lock Content: Lock the article to stop edits. Click Unlock to edit again.

• Create a Copy: Copy the article under the Private section.

• Export: Open the browser’s print function.

• Add to Templates: Add the article to the list of templates.

• Send to Trash: Move the article to the trash.

Note

The following actions only apply to nested articles and article items:

• Convert into Article Item: Convert the nested article into an article item.

• Convert into Article: Convert the article item into a nested article.

Tip

• Move an article directly from the sidebar tree by dragging and dropping it under another article or category.

• Press CTRL / CMD + K to open the command palette, then type ? to search for visible articles or $ for hidden articles. Alternatively, hover over the Workspace category and click the (eye) icon to find hidden articles.

Structuring

Sidebar structure

The sidebar structure follows a hierarchy with parent and nested articles organized within the following categories:

• The Favorites category displays all articles marked as favorites.

• The Workspace category displays articles accessible to all internal users.

• The Shared category displays articles shared with specific users.

• The Private category displays personal articles.

Note

• To mark an article as a favorite and display the Favorites category, click the (star) icon in the top-right menu.

Article structure

Nested articles inherit their parent’s access rights, and properties are applied to a group of nested articles under the same parent.

Sharing

Sharing an article involves configuring access rights, inviting users, providing online access, and determining its visibility in the sidebar tree.

Articles listed under a category in the sidebar tree are visible. Articles that certain users must search for through the command palette due to restricted access rights are hidden.

Configure access rights

Click Share in the top-right menu to configure access rights.

Default access rights

Setting	Use
Can edit	Allow all internal users to edit the article.
Can read	Allow all internal users to read the article only.
No access	Prevent all users from accessing the article in the sidebar tree or searching in the command palette.

Visibility

Setting	Use
Everyone	The article is visible in the sidebar tree to all internal users.
Members	The article is only visible in the sidebar tree to invited users, while other users can find it using the hidden article search by pressing CTRL / CMD + K and typing $.

Note

• The Default Access Rights apply to all internal users except invited users; specific access rights override default access rights.

• Selecting Can edit or Can read in the Default Access Rights moves the article to the Workspace category while selecting No access moves it to the Private category if it is not shared with an invited user.

• The Visibility setting only applies to Workspace articles.

Invite specific users

To grant specific internal or portal users access to a private article or to share a Workspace article with a portal user, follow these steps:

1. Click Share in the top-right menu.

2. Click Invite.

3. Select the preferred Permission and add users in the Recipients field.

4. Click Invite.

Generate article URL

Click Share and activate the Share to web toggle to generate a URL. Click the (copy) icon to copy the article’s URL.

Note

• If an article contains inserted views, users with the URL do not see them unless they can access the inserted content.

• Having the Website app is necessary to share an article’s URL.

Removal

Removing an article involves deleting or archiving it.

Delete an article

Select an article in the sidebar tree and click the (ellipsis) icon, then Send to Trash. The article is moved to the trash for 30 days before being permanently deleted.

To permanently delete an article, click Search in the top-left menu, select an article, and click Actions ‣ Delete ‣ Delete.

Note

To restore a trashed article, click Open the Trash at the bottom of the sidebar tree, select an article, and click Restore. Alternatively, click Search in the top-left menu. In the search bar, click Filters ‣ Trashed. Click the article, then Restore.

Archive an article

Click Search, select an article, and click Actions ‣ Archive ‣ Archive.

Note

To restore an archived article, click Search. In the search bar, click Filters ‣ Archived. Select the article and go to Actions ‣ Unarchive.

Retrieval

Retrieving Knowledge articles consists of accessing them from various Odoo apps or restoring previous versions.

Access articles from various apps

Knowledge articles are accessible from the form view of various apps. Click the (Knowledge) icon in the top right corner to open the command palette, then choose one of the following search methods:

• Search for an article: start typing the text to execute a semantic search that identifies relevant article information.

• Advanced Search: after typing the text in the search bar, click Advanced Search to perform a parametric search with options to filter, group, or save articles.

Version history

To retrieve a previous version of an article, select it in the sidebar tree and click the (history) icon in the top-right menu to open the version history. Select a version and click Restore history.

Note

In the version history, the Content tab shows the selected version, while the Comparison tab displays the differences between the article’s previous and current versions.

Properties

Properties are custom fields for storing and managing information that users with Can edit access rights can add to nested articles or article items.

To add a property, click the (ellipsis) icon, then Add Properties ‣ Add a Property, enter a Label, and select a Field Type.

To learn more about properties and field types, go to Property fields.

Note

• Click outside the property field window to save a property.

• To remove a property, hover over its name, click the (pencil) icon, then click Delete ‣ Delete. Deleting a property is permanent, and deleting all properties removes the property sidebar panel.

Tip

• Hover over the property name and click the (pencil) icon to edit it or the (drag handle) icon to move it above or below another property.

• Tick Display in Cards to show the properties in an article item’s view that is visible from a parent article.

• Click the (cogs) icon to hide the property sidebar panel. Exiting and returning to the article causes the panel to reappear.