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How to Add an Excerpt and Featured Image to a Knowledge Base Article

Last updated July 1, 2026 Reading time: 9 minutes

How to Add an Excerpt and Featured Image to a Knowledge Base Article

An excerpt gives visitors a short summary of an article, while a featured image adds a clear visual to the page.

Both are optional, but using them can make your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base easier to browse and improve how articles appear in search results, category pages and social sharing previews.

What is an article excerpt?

An excerpt is a short description of the article.

It should explain what the guide covers in one or two sentences.

For example, an article called How to Activate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base could use:

Learn how to activate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base using the purchase email address and product key connected to your Monthly or Yearly subscription.

A good excerpt helps visitors decide whether the article contains the answer they need.

Where can the excerpt appear?

Depending on your plugin settings and layout, the excerpt may appear in:

  • Knowledge base search results
  • Category article lists
  • Homepage article sections
  • Related or recommended content
  • Search engine descriptions

If you do not write an excerpt, WordPress may use the beginning of the article content instead.

This can sometimes work, but a custom excerpt usually gives a clearer summary.

Add an excerpt to a new article

To add an excerpt:

  1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Open Knowledge Base > Add Article.
  3. Enter the article title and content.
  4. Find the Excerpt section in the article editor.
  5. Enter a short summary.
  6. Finish the rest of the article.
  7. Select Publish.

If you cannot see the Excerpt section, check the editor settings or panel options and make sure it is enabled.

Add an excerpt to an existing article

To add or change an excerpt:

  1. Open Knowledge Base > All Articles.
  2. Select the article you want to edit.
  3. Find the Excerpt section.
  4. Add or update the summary.
  5. Select Update.

Check the category page and knowledge base search afterwards to see how the new excerpt looks.

How long should an excerpt be?

There is no strict limit, but one or two short sentences will usually be enough.

Try to keep it between roughly 120 and 160 characters when possible.

This is long enough to explain the article without taking up too much space in article lists.

Avoid writing a full paragraph.

Writing a useful excerpt

A good excerpt should:

  • Explain what the visitor will learn
  • Match the article title
  • Use natural wording
  • Include the main topic
  • Avoid unnecessary sales language
  • Make sense when shown on its own

For example:

Find out how to create categories, add descriptions and organise your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base articles.

This is clearer than:

Everything you need to know about categories.

Avoid repeating the title word for word

The excerpt should add useful information rather than simply repeat the article title.

For example, if the title is:

How to Create a Knowledge Base Category

A useful excerpt would be:

Learn how to create categories, choose a parent category and add an icon or custom image.

This gives the visitor more detail about what is included.

Use the wording visitors are likely to search for

The excerpt can help your WordPress knowledge base search return a relevant result.

Include the normal wording a visitor would use when looking for the guide.

For example, an activation article could naturally include:

  • Activate licence
  • Purchase email
  • Product key
  • Monthly or Yearly subscription

Do not force keywords into the excerpt. It should still read like a normal sentence.

A featured image is the main image connected to the article.

Depending on your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base settings, it may appear:

  • Near the top of the article
  • In article previews
  • When the article is shared
  • In social media preview information

A featured image can be a screenshot, product graphic, illustration or other image related to the article.

To add one:

  1. Open the article editor.
  2. Find the Featured Image section.
  3. Select Set featured image.
  4. Choose an existing image from the WordPress Media Library or upload a new one.
  5. Select Set featured image.
  6. Publish or update the article.

The image will now be connected to that article.

Use an image that clearly relates to the guide.

For example:

  • An installation article could show the WordPress plugin upload screen
  • An activation article could show the SoftwareRoad licence form
  • A category article could show the Categories screen
  • A design article could show the Design settings tab
  • An analytics guide could show the Analytics dashboard

Avoid using a random image purely to fill the space.

The image should help the visitor understand the subject of the article.

Should every article have a featured image?

Not necessarily.

A featured image is useful when it adds something to the page or makes article sharing look better.

For a simple text-based guide, an image may not be needed.

It is better to publish an article without a featured image than to use one that looks unrelated or confusing.

If you decide to use featured images throughout the knowledge base, try to use them consistently.

Use consistent image sizes

Featured images look better when they use similar dimensions and proportions.

For example, you could create all article images in the same wide landscape format.

This helps prevent one article from showing a very tall image while another shows a small square image.

The exact dimensions are up to you, but a consistent ratio will make the knowledge base feel more organised.

Compress images before uploading

Large image files can slow down the article page.

Before uploading:

  • Resize the image to a sensible size
  • Compress the file
  • Use WebP or PNG where suitable
  • Avoid uploading full-screen screenshots at their original resolution
  • Remove empty space around the image

A clear image does not need to have a very large file size.

Use a descriptive filename

Rename the file before uploading it.

For example:

software-road-knowledge-base-activation-screen.webp

This is more useful than:

Screenshot-2026-07-01-142233.png

A descriptive filename makes the Media Library easier to manage and gives search engines more context.

Add alternative text

When selecting the image, add useful alternative text.

Alternative text helps visitors using screen readers and can also provide context when an image fails to load.

For example:

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence activation screen in WordPress

Describe what is shown rather than filling the field with unrelated keywords.

Do not show private information

Check every screenshot before uploading it.

Make sure it does not show:

  • Complete product keys
  • Customer names
  • Private email addresses
  • Payment details
  • WordPress passwords
  • Website login details
  • Private account information

Crop or blur any sensitive information before adding the image to the article.

Show the right part of the screen

A screenshot should focus on the setting or action being explained.

Avoid showing the entire WordPress dashboard when only one field matters.

Cropping the image makes the important area easier to see, especially on mobile.

You can also add a small arrow or highlight before uploading the image if that makes the instructions clearer.

To remove the current featured image:

  1. Open the article editor.
  2. Find the Featured Image section.
  3. Select Remove featured image.
  4. Select Update.

Removing the featured image does not delete it from the WordPress Media Library.

You can use the same image again later if needed.

To replace it:

  1. Open the article editor.
  2. Select the current featured image.
  3. Choose or upload the replacement image.
  4. Confirm the selection.
  5. Select Update.

Clear your website cache if the old image still appears on the public page.

Featured image and article icon

The featured image and article icon are separate options.

The featured image is the larger main image connected to the article.

The article icon is a smaller icon or custom image used in parts of the knowledge base layout.

You can use:

  • A featured image only
  • An article icon only
  • Both
  • Neither

Using both is fine as long as they do not make the article page feel too busy.

Check how the article appears

After adding the excerpt and featured image:

  1. Preview the article.
  2. Open its category page.
  3. Search for the article.
  4. Check the image on desktop.
  5. Check the image on mobile.
  6. Confirm that the excerpt is not cut off awkwardly.
  7. Check that the article still loads quickly.

You should also test how the article appears when shared if social sharing is enabled.

The excerpt is not showing

If the excerpt does not appear, check that:

  • It has been saved
  • The article is published
  • The current layout displays excerpts
  • The article section is enabled
  • The website cache has been cleared
  • You are checking the correct article

Some parts of the knowledge base may show an excerpt while others only show the title.

The wrong text appears in search results

If search results show the start of the article instead of your excerpt:

  1. Open the article editor.
  2. Check that the Excerpt field contains text.
  3. Select Update.
  4. Clear the website cache.
  5. Search for the article again.

Make sure the article is not using an old saved excerpt.

If the image is missing, check that:

  • The image is set as the featured image
  • The article has been updated
  • Featured images are enabled in the article settings
  • The image still exists in the Media Library
  • The image URL opens
  • The website cache has been cleared

Also check whether the current article layout is set to hide featured images.

The image is too large

If the featured image takes up too much space:

  • Upload a better-sized version
  • Crop unnecessary space
  • Check the article image settings
  • Use a wider, shorter image
  • Clear the website cache after replacing it

Avoid using a very tall portrait image for a wide article layout unless it is genuinely needed.

Before publishing, check that:

  • The excerpt clearly explains the article
  • It is short enough to scan quickly
  • It does not simply repeat the title
  • The featured image matches the subject
  • The image file is compressed
  • The filename is descriptive
  • Useful alternative text has been added
  • No private information is visible
  • The article looks good on desktop and mobile
  • The excerpt appears correctly in search and category pages

The article now has a clear summary and a suitable featured image.

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