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How to Customise the Knowledge Base Homepage

Last updated July 1, 2026 Reading time: 12 minutes

How to Customise the Knowledge Base Homepage

The SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base homepage is the main starting point for your visitors.

It can include search, category cards, recently updated articles, popular content, homepage highlights and a help box.

You can choose which sections appear and change the wording to suit your website.

Open the homepage settings

To customise the homepage:

  1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
  3. Select the Homepage tab.
  4. Change the sections you want to use.
  5. Select Save Changes.
  6. Open your knowledge base page to check the result.

You can return to these settings at any time as your documentation grows.

Choose which sections to display

You do not need to enable every available section.

A new knowledge base will normally work well with:

  • Search
  • Popular search links
  • Category cards
  • Recently updated articles
  • A help box

Popular Articles and other content sections become more useful once you have published more articles and received some visitor traffic.

Keeping the homepage fairly simple makes it easier for visitors to find the information they need.

The search box is usually the most important part of a WordPress knowledge base homepage.

It allows visitors to type a question or phrase and view matching articles without opening each category.

To change the search setting:

  1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings > Homepage.
  2. Find the main search option.
  3. Enable or disable it.
  4. Select Save Changes.

For most public knowledge bases, we recommend leaving search enabled.

Change the search placeholder

The placeholder is the text shown inside the search box before a visitor begins typing.

Examples include:

  • Search the knowledge base
  • What can we help you with?
  • Search our help articles
  • Find a guide
  • Search documentation

Use wording that matches the tone of your website.

A simple placeholder is normally easier to understand than a long sentence.

Popular search links appear near the main search box and give visitors quick access to common subjects.

You could use terms such as:

  • Installation
  • Activation
  • Product key
  • Categories
  • Search
  • Troubleshooting

To add them:

  1. Find the Popular Searches setting.
  2. Enable the section.
  3. Change the label if required.
  4. Enter your search terms.
  5. Save the settings.

Depending on the field, terms can be added one per line or separated by commas.

The plugin displays a limited number of popular search terms, so use the most useful topics first.

Choose terms that match the wording visitors are likely to use.

Good ideas can come from:

  • Questions sent to support
  • Search Analytics
  • Common setup tasks
  • Frequent licence problems
  • Your most important product features

Avoid adding terms just because they sound good. Each link should lead to useful search results.

Test every popular search after saving it.

Display knowledge base categories

Category cards give visitors a clear way to browse your documentation.

Each card can include:

  • Category name
  • Category description
  • Bootstrap icon or custom image
  • Number of articles
  • Link to the category page

To show categories on the homepage:

  1. Open the Homepage settings.
  2. Enable the Categories section.
  3. Change the section heading if required.
  4. Save the settings.

Only categories with suitable published content may appear.

The homepage mainly focuses on top-level categories, helping prevent child categories from making the page too crowded.

Change the categories heading

You can change the heading displayed above the category cards.

Examples include:

  • Browse Categories
  • Explore Our Documentation
  • Help Topics
  • Choose a Subject
  • Browse the Knowledge Base

Keep the heading clear and short.

Visitors should immediately understand that the cards below lead to different documentation sections.

Change the article count wording

Category cards can display how many articles are inside each category.

The wording can use placeholders such as:

{count}

and:

{article}

For example:

{count} {article}

This could display as:

1 article

or:

8 articles

Keep the placeholders in the wording so the plugin can insert the correct number and singular or plural article label.

Show Recently Updated Articles

The Recently Updated section displays articles using their WordPress modified date.

This is useful for showing visitors which guides have recently been reviewed or changed.

To enable it:

  1. Open the Homepage settings.
  2. Find Recently Updated Articles.
  3. Enable the section.
  4. Change the heading if required.
  5. Save the settings.

Updating an older article can move it into this section.

Only make genuine changes rather than editing articles simply to change their position.

Popular Articles are based on the article view totals recorded by SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base.

The most-viewed guides can be displayed on the homepage or in supported sidebars.

On a new knowledge base, there may not be enough view information to create a useful popular list.

In that situation, the plugin can fall back to recently updated articles until visitor views begin to build.

To use the section:

  1. Enable Popular Articles in the Homepage settings.
  2. Change the heading if required.
  3. Save the settings.
  4. Check the homepage while signed out of WordPress.

Article views from users who can edit the article may not be counted, so your own testing may not immediately change the popular order.

The homepage can also include a Related Articles section, depending on the layout and current plugin settings.

This provides another way to draw attention to useful documentation.

Related content can be chosen using article categories and other available article information.

For the best results:

  • Assign articles to the correct categories
  • Use clear article titles
  • Keep category subjects focused
  • Avoid placing every article in several categories

Customise homepage highlights

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can display three short highlights on the homepage.

These are useful for explaining the benefits of the knowledge base or pointing out important information.

Each highlight can include:

  • A heading
  • A short description
  • A Bootstrap icon
  • A custom image

Example highlights could be:

Step-by-Step Guides

Follow clear instructions for installing, activating and using the plugin.

Search for Answers

Quickly search the knowledge base for the setting or problem you need help with.

Regularly Updated

Documentation is reviewed as SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base continues to improve.

Keep each description short so the highlights remain easy to scan.

Change highlight icons

Each homepage highlight can use a Bootstrap icon.

Examples include:

bi-book

bi-search

bi-arrow-repeat

bi-lightbulb

bi-tools

bi-shield-check

Enter the complete icon class, including the bi- prefix.

You can also upload a custom image.

When a custom image is selected, it takes priority over the Bootstrap icon.

Hide the homepage highlights

If the highlights do not add anything useful to your page, you can disable the whole section.

A simpler homepage with search and category cards may work better when the documentation itself is the main focus.

After disabling the section, check the spacing between the remaining homepage areas.

Customise the sidebar

The homepage sidebar can contain useful navigation and support information.

Depending on your settings, it may include:

  • A sidebar title
  • A short subtitle
  • Popular Articles
  • Related Articles
  • Recently updated content
  • A help box

Change the sidebar title and subtitle under the relevant SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base settings.

For example:

Need More Help?

Browse our most useful guides or contact us if you cannot find the answer.

Keep the sidebar content brief. Too many sections can make it longer than the main homepage content.

Set up the help box

The help box gives visitors somewhere to go if they cannot find an answer.

It can include:

  • A heading
  • A short message
  • Button text
  • A button URL
  • Custom colours

Example:

Still need help?

Contact our support team if you cannot find the answer in the knowledge base.

Button text:

Contact Support

The button will normally only appear when both the button text and URL have been entered.

Choose the help button URL

The help button can link to:

  • Your contact page
  • A support form
  • A customer account page
  • A dedicated support page
  • A suitable email contact page

Use the complete page address and test the button after saving.

Make sure the destination is still available to visitors who are not signed in to WordPress, unless the support area is deliberately restricted.

Change the homepage background image

You can add a background image to the main search or hero area.

To add one:

  1. Open the relevant homepage or design setting.
  2. Select the background image option.
  3. Choose or upload an image.
  4. Save the settings.
  5. Preview the page.

Choose an image that does not make the title, tagline or search box difficult to read.

The plugin can use an overlay to improve text contrast, but you should still check the result on different screen sizes.

Choosing a good background image

A suitable image should:

  • Have enough empty space for text
  • Work well in a wide layout
  • Match your website branding
  • Remain clear when cropped on mobile
  • Be compressed before uploading

Avoid images containing important text because parts of the image may be cropped on different devices.

Simple backgrounds usually work better than busy photographs.

Arrange the homepage around visitor needs

Think about what most visitors are trying to do.

Someone opening a knowledge base normally wants to:

  • Search for a specific answer
  • Browse a category
  • Find a common setup guide
  • Solve a problem
  • Contact support if no answer is available

Place the most useful sections near the top of the page.

Search and categories should normally appear before less important promotional or supporting content.

A simple homepage layout

For a new knowledge base, you could use:

  1. Title and tagline
  2. Search box
  3. Popular search links
  4. Category cards
  5. Recently Updated Articles
  6. Help box

This gives visitors several clear ways to find information without making the homepage feel crowded.

A larger documentation homepage

Once you have more articles and visitor information, you could use:

  1. Title and tagline
  2. Search box
  3. Popular search links
  4. Category cards
  5. Homepage highlights
  6. Popular Articles
  7. Recently Updated Articles
  8. Related Articles
  9. Sidebar help box

Only add sections that contain useful content.

An empty or repetitive section does not improve the visitor experience.

Preview your changes

After editing the homepage settings, select Save Changes and open the main knowledge base page.

Check that:

  • The title and tagline fit properly
  • Search works
  • Popular search links return useful results
  • Category descriptions are clear
  • Icons and images display correctly
  • Article sections contain suitable guides
  • The help button works
  • The layout is not too crowded

You should also check the page while signed out of WordPress.

Check the mobile layout

Open the knowledge base on a phone or reduce the width of your browser.

Make sure that:

  • The title is not too long
  • The tagline wraps neatly
  • The search box fits the screen
  • Category cards are easy to tap
  • Icons are not too large
  • Article titles are readable
  • Sidebar content moves into a sensible position
  • The help button is easy to use

A homepage that looks balanced on a desktop can still feel too long or crowded on a mobile device.

A homepage section is empty

If a section appears empty, check that you have enough published content for it.

For example:

  • Categories need published articles
  • Recently Updated needs published articles
  • Popular Articles needs article view information or fallback content
  • Related Articles need suitably organised content

Also check that articles are not:

  • Drafts
  • In the Trash
  • Marked as unlisted
  • Missing categories

Categories are not showing

If category cards are missing:

  1. Check that the Categories section is enabled.
  2. Confirm that the categories contain published articles.
  3. Make sure you are using top-level categories.
  4. Check that the articles are not unlisted.
  5. Clear the website cache.
  6. Reload the knowledge base page.

Open Knowledge Base > Categories to check the current structure.

Popular Articles use the view totals recorded by the plugin.

Your own visits may not be counted when you are signed in with permission to edit the article.

Test the articles while signed out, then allow time for genuine visitor views to build.

On a newer website, recently updated articles may be used until enough view information is available.

Recently Updated Articles are in the wrong order

The section uses the WordPress modified date rather than the original publication date.

Open the articles and check when they were last updated.

Clearing the website cache may also be needed before the latest order appears publicly.

The help button is missing

Check that both of the following have been entered:

  • Button text
  • Button URL

If either field is empty, the button may not appear.

Also check that the help box itself is enabled and the settings have been saved.

Changes are not appearing

If the old homepage still appears:

  1. Confirm that you selected Save Changes.
  2. Clear your WordPress cache.
  3. Clear any server or hosting cache.
  4. Clear your browser cache.
  5. Open the page in a private browser window.
  6. Confirm that you are viewing the correct page containing
    SoftwareRoad Support

    SoftwareRoad Documentation

    Find setup guides, feature explanations and troubleshooting help for SoftwareRoad plugins.

    Popular topics:
    Explore the help centre

    Browse by Category

    Choose a topic below to find the articles you need.

    1 topics
    SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base

    Guides and documentation for installing, configuring, customising and managing the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base WordPress plugin.

    View 65 articles
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    Recently Updated

    Fresh guides and resources from your knowledge base.

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The homepage is generated from the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base settings rather than directly from the normal WordPress page editor.

Homepage checklist

Before finishing, check that:

  • Search is easy to find
  • Popular searches lead to useful results
  • Categories are clearly named
  • Category descriptions are short and useful
  • Homepage highlights add something worthwhile
  • Article sections do not repeat the same content too often
  • The help button works
  • The background does not make text difficult to read
  • The page looks good on desktop and mobile
  • The correct knowledge base page is selected
  • All settings have been saved

Your knowledge base homepage is now ready to help visitors find the right articles quickly.

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