Clear answers to common SoftwareRoad questions
Find helpful information about SoftwareRoad plugins, including features, installation, subscriptions, compatibility, updates and product support.
Everything you need to know about SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base
Browse common questions about plugin features, installation, customisation, subscriptions, compatibility and troubleshooting.
General Questions
Learn what the plugin does and who it is designed for.
What is SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base? +
SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is a WordPress plugin for creating an organised and searchable documentation area directly inside your website. It allows you to publish help articles, organise them into categories and customise how your knowledge base looks and works.
Who is the plugin suitable for? +
The plugin is suitable for WordPress plugin and theme developers, software companies, SaaS businesses, agencies, freelancers, customer support teams and businesses that need to publish guides, instructions or frequently requested information.
Do I need coding knowledge to use it? +
No. The plugin includes settings for colours, wording, logos, icons, images, search, navigation, article features and sidebars. These can be managed through the WordPress dashboard without editing code.
Does the knowledge base run inside WordPress? +
Yes. Articles, categories, settings, analytics and customisation options are managed through your existing WordPress dashboard. You do not need a separate hosted documentation platform.
Can I use it on an existing website? +
Yes. The plugin can be installed on an existing WordPress website and added to a new or existing page. It does not replace your current posts, pages or website design.
Can I see the plugin being used on a real website? +
Yes. The SoftwareRoad documentation area uses SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base, allowing you to see how articles, categories, search and other knowledge base features can work on a live WordPress website.
Features and Customisation
Explore the search, article and design features included.
Can I create unlimited articles and categories? +
The plugin does not impose a fixed limit on the number of knowledge base articles or categories you can create. The practical capacity will depend on your WordPress hosting and available website resources.
Does the plugin include live article search? +
Yes. Visitors can search your published knowledge base articles and view relevant results without browsing through every category. Categories are also available separately for visitors who prefer to browse your documentation.
Can I customise the knowledge base design? +
Yes. You can customise key colours, headings, text, font sizes, buttons, icons, sidebars and other interface elements so the knowledge base matches the rest of your WordPress website.
Can I change the wording used by the plugin? +
Yes. The plugin includes settings for changing headings, search placeholder text, navigation wording, sidebar text and other messages shown throughout the knowledge base.
Can I use my own logo, icons and images? +
Yes. You can use your own knowledge base logo, category icons, article icons and search background image. Icon sizes and other display settings can also be adjusted.
Does the plugin include a table of contents? +
Yes. The plugin can automatically create tables of contents from the headings used in your articles and category pages. Article tables of contents can also be displayed within a sidebar.
Can visitors rate whether an article was helpful? +
Yes. The optional helpfulness feature allows visitors to select whether an article was helpful. You can view the responses in WordPress and use the feedback to identify documentation that may need improving.
Does the plugin include analytics? +
Yes. The plugin includes anonymous article-view, search and helpfulness analytics. These insights can help you understand which articles visitors use, what they search for and where documentation may be missing.
Can I show popular, related and recommended articles? +
Yes. The plugin includes options for showing popular articles, related articles, recommended content and recently updated articles. These features help visitors continue browsing useful information.
What article navigation features are included? +
Articles can include breadcrumbs, reading time, a reading progress bar, an automatic table of contents, optional sidebars, compact search, updated dates and links to related or recommended content.
Can I add social sharing buttons to articles? +
Yes. Optional sharing controls can be enabled so visitors can share an article or copy its URL.
Does the plugin include SEO settings? +
Yes. The plugin includes optional SEO metadata and structured-data settings for knowledge base content. Avoid enabling duplicate SEO output if another WordPress plugin already manages the same information.
Can I change the article and category URLs? +
Yes. The article and category URL bases can be changed through the plugin settings. After changing them, you may need to resave your WordPress permalink settings to refresh the website URLs.
Can I publish an article without listing it publicly? +
Yes. Articles can be made unlisted so they are available through their direct URL without being displayed throughout the main knowledge base. This can be useful for specific customers, private instructions or limited-access links.
Can the plugin automatically link selected phrases? +
Yes. You can configure selected words or phrases to automatically link to another article or URL. This can help connect related instructions and commonly referenced information.
Can I require visitors to accept a privacy notice? +
Yes. The optional privacy access feature can require visitors to confirm that they have read and accepted your privacy information before accessing protected knowledge base content.
Installation and Setup
Learn how to install the plugin and add it to your website.
How do I install SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base? +
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins, select Add New Plugin and choose Upload Plugin. Upload the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base ZIP file, select Install Now and then activate the plugin.
How do I add the knowledge base to a page? +
Create or edit a WordPress page, add a Shortcode block and enter the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base shortcode. Publish or update the page to display the knowledge base.
What shortcode should I use? +
Use
[srkb_knowledge_base]
inside a WordPress Shortcode block. Do not place it inside a Custom HTML block because WordPress may not process the shortcode there.
Does it work with the WordPress block editor? +
Yes. The knowledge base can be added using the standard Shortcode block included with the WordPress block editor.
Can I use it with a page builder? +
Page builders that provide a shortcode widget, shortcode block or similar element should be able to display the knowledge base. The exact method will depend on the page builder being used.
Do I need to create categories before articles? +
It is normally best to create your main documentation categories first. You can then assign each article to the most relevant category as you create and publish it.
Can I change the knowledge base settings later? +
Yes. Design, colour, search, navigation, article, analytics and sidebar settings can be changed later without rebuilding your articles or categories.
Subscriptions and Payments
Information about plans, renewals, activation and payments.
Are the plans billed yearly? +
Yes. SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is provided through a yearly subscription. The subscription renews annually until it is cancelled.
How many websites can I use the plugin on? +
The Personal plan covers one WordPress website, the Business plan covers up to five websites and the Professional plan covers up to ten websites. Contact SoftwareRoad if you require a larger subscription.
Does every plan include all plugin features? +
Yes. Every subscription includes the complete SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base plugin. Features are not restricted to a more expensive plan. The main difference between the plans is the number of WordPress websites covered.
How do I activate the plugin? +
Open the licence area inside the plugin and enter the activation details supplied after your purchase. Make sure the information is entered exactly as shown in your SoftwareRoad purchase or licence email.
Can I move an activation to another website? +
Yes. Deactivate the plugin on the original website before activating it on the replacement website. The total number of active websites must remain within the allowance included with your plan.
Is an active subscription required? +
Yes. SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base checks that your subscription is active. An active subscription is required to continue using the plugin and receive updates and product support.
What happens if I cancel my subscription? +
Cancelling stops the next yearly renewal. Your subscription will remain active until the end of the period you have already paid for, and the plugin can continue to be used until that date.
What happens when my subscription expires? +
Once the subscription expires, SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base will stop working until the subscription is renewed or reactivated.
Can I upgrade my plan later? +
Yes. You can move to a larger plan if you need to activate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base on more WordPress websites. Contact SoftwareRoad support for help changing your subscription.
Are plugin updates included? +
Yes. Plugin updates are included while your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base subscription remains active.
What payment provider is used? +
SoftwareRoad uses Stripe to process payments through its secure hosted checkout.
What support is included? +
An active subscription includes access to SoftwareRoad documentation and product support for installation, activation, settings and use of the plugin.
Compatibility and Updates
Questions about themes, website setups and plugin updates.
Will the plugin work with my WordPress theme? +
SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is designed to work with correctly coded WordPress themes. Theme styling can occasionally affect plugin elements, but the built-in design settings or additional CSS can be used to resolve most visual differences.
Does it work with GeneratePress? +
Yes. The knowledge base can be displayed inside GeneratePress pages by adding the plugin shortcode to a WordPress page.
Will installing the plugin change my existing content? +
The plugin creates and manages its own knowledge base articles and categories. It does not replace your existing WordPress posts or pages. Creating a website backup before installing any new plugin is still recommended.
How do I update the plugin? +
When an update is available, it can be installed through the Plugins area of your WordPress dashboard. An active subscription is required to receive plugin updates.
Will an update remove my articles or settings? +
Plugin updates are designed to preserve your existing knowledge base articles, categories and settings. As with any WordPress update, keeping a current website backup provides additional protection.
Can I add custom CSS? +
Yes. Additional CSS can be used when you need styling beyond the options included in the plugin settings. Custom CSS should be tested again after major theme or plugin updates.
Troubleshooting
Solutions to common display, URL, search and activation problems.
Why is the knowledge base not appearing on my page? +
Confirm that the plugin and your subscription are active and that
[srkb_knowledge_base]
has been added to a WordPress Shortcode block. Also make sure the page is published and clear any WordPress, hosting or browser cache.
Why are my categories not showing? +
Check that the categories contain published knowledge base articles and have not been hidden through the plugin settings. Empty categories may not be displayed on the knowledge base page.
Why is search not returning an article? +
Confirm that the article is published and contains relevant wording in its title or content. Unlisted or otherwise excluded content may not appear in normal search results. Clear any website cache and then test the search again.
Why are article or category URLs returning a 404 error? +
Go to Settings and then Permalinks in WordPress. Select Save Changes without altering the current permalink structure. This refreshes the WordPress rewrite rules and often resolves knowledge base URL errors.
Why are my design changes not visible? +
Save the plugin settings and clear your browser, WordPress, hosting and CDN caches. Also check whether your theme or custom CSS is overriding the selected plugin design settings.
Why is my subscription not activating? +
Check that the activation details have been entered exactly as supplied and that your subscription is active. Also check whether all available website activations are already in use. Security plugins, firewalls or hosting restrictions can sometimes prevent activation requests.
Why has the plugin stopped working? +
Check whether your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base subscription is still active. The plugin requires an active subscription and will stop working after the subscription expires. Renewing or reactivating the subscription should restore access.
What should I include in a support request? +
Include your website address, WordPress version, SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base version, a clear explanation of the problem and the steps that caused it. Screenshots can also help. Do not send passwords, hosting login details or full payment information.
Build a clearer, more helpful WordPress knowledge base
Create searchable documentation, organise help articles and give visitors an easier way to find the answers they need with SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base.
Help visitors find the right documentation more quickly.
Every plan includes all current Knowledge Base features.
Manage colours, wording, icons, images and article tools.