How to Create the Knowledge Base Page

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base needs a normal WordPress page to display your main knowledge base homepage.

This is the page visitors will use to search your documentation, browse categories and find recently updated or popular articles.

Creating the page only takes a few minutes.

Before you begin

Make sure that:

• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is installed and active
• Your Monthly or Yearly licence has been activated
• You are signed in to WordPress as an administrator
• You have permission to create and publish pages

You do not need to create your categories or articles first. You can set up the main page while your knowledge base is still empty.

Create a new WordPress page

From your WordPress dashboard:

1. Open Pages > Add New Page.
2. Enter a title for the page.
3. Add a Shortcode block.
4. Enter the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base shortcode.
5. Publish the page.

The shortcode you need is:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

The page title can be anything that suits your website. Common choices include:

• Knowledge Base
• Help Centre
• Documentation
• Support Guides
• Help and Support

For most websites, Knowledge Base or Help Centre will make the purpose of the page immediately clear.

Add the shortcode

Inside the WordPress editor, select the plus button to add a new block.

Search for Shortcode, then add the Shortcode block to the page.

Paste the following into the block:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

The shortcode should be entered exactly as shown, including the square brackets.

Do not place it inside a Code or Preformatted block. WordPress needs to process the shortcode rather than display it as normal text.

You do not need to add any other content to the page unless you have a specific reason to do so. SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base will create the homepage layout inside the shortcode area.

Publish the page

When the shortcode has been added:

1. Select Publish.
2. Confirm that you want to publish the page.
3. Select View Page.

You should now see the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base homepage.

A new installation may look quite empty until you add categories and articles. This is normal.

Depending on your settings, the page can eventually display:

• Your knowledge base title and tagline
• Knowledge base search
• Popular search links
• Category cards
• Recently updated articles
• Popular Articles
• Related Articles
• Homepage highlights
• A sidebar help box

These sections are managed through the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base settings rather than by editing the WordPress page itself.

Select the page in the plugin settings

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can detect the page containing the shortcode automatically, but it is better to select the page manually.

To do this:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
2. Make sure the General tab is selected.
3. Find Knowledge Base Page.
4. Select the page you have just created.
5. Save the settings.

The plugin uses this page for links that return visitors to the main knowledge base.

For example, when someone opens an article and selects Back to Knowledge Base, they will be sent to the page selected here.

Automatic page detection

The Knowledge Base Page setting includes an option called:

Detect the shortcode page automatically

When this option is selected, SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base remembers the WordPress page where the [srkb_knowledge_base] shortcode is displayed.

This is useful during the initial setup, but manually selecting the page gives you more control and prevents the saved page from changing unexpectedly.

We recommend using one main knowledge base page and selecting it in the settings.

Test the knowledge base page

After saving the settings, open the page in a new browser tab.

Check that:

• The page loads without an error
• The knowledge base layout appears
• The title and tagline are visible
• The search box appears if search is enabled
• Published categories are displayed
• Published articles can be opened
• The layout works on desktop and mobile

You should also open one of your knowledge base articles and test the back link.

The back link should return you to the main knowledge base page you selected.

Add the page to your website menu

Once the page is working, add it to your website navigation so visitors can find it.

The exact steps depend on how your WordPress menus are managed, but on many websites you can do this by opening:

Appearance > Menus

Add the Knowledge Base page to the appropriate menu and save your changes.

You could use menu wording such as:

• Knowledge Base
• Help
• Support
• Documentation

Choose wording that your visitors will easily understand.

Choosing the page URL

WordPress creates the page URL from the page title.

For example, a page called Knowledge Base may use:

example.com/knowledge-base/

A page called Help Centre may use:

example.com/help-centre/

You can change the page slug through the WordPress page editor.

Try to keep the URL short and clear. Avoid changing it after the knowledge base has been public for a long time unless you also set up a redirect from the old address.

The main page URL is separate from the URL bases used for individual knowledge base articles and categories.

Using a full-width page layout

Some WordPress themes place pages inside a narrow content area or display a sidebar beside them.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base normally looks best when it has enough horizontal space for its category cards and article sections.

If your theme provides a page layout or template setting, you may wish to choose:

• Full Width
• No Sidebar
• Wide Content

The available wording will depend on your WordPress theme.

After changing the page layout, test the page on both desktop and mobile.

Can I add other content to the page?

Yes, you can place other WordPress content above or below the shortcode.

For example, you could add:

• A short introduction
• A support notice
• Opening hours
• A link to contact your team

However, most of the knowledge base title, description, highlights and help content can already be managed through Knowledge Base > Settings.

Keeping the WordPress page simple usually makes it easier to manage the design from one place.

Can I use the shortcode more than once?

The shortcode can technically be added to more than one WordPress page, but we recommend using one main knowledge base page.

Using several copies of the homepage can make navigation confusing and may result in different URLs displaying the same content.

Choose one page as the main location and select it under Knowledge Base Page in the plugin settings.

The shortcode appears as text

If the page displays srkb_knowledge_base instead of the knowledge base, check that:

• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is installed
• The plugin is activated
• The shortcode is spelt correctly
• The shortcode uses square brackets
• It has been placed inside a Shortcode block
• Your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active

The shortcode must be:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Check for additional spaces, missing brackets or spelling mistakes.

The page says the knowledge base is unavailable

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base checks that an active licence is available before displaying the public knowledge base.

If the page is temporarily unavailable:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Licence.
2. Check that the licence is active.
3. Confirm that your Monthly or Yearly subscription is still active.
4. Reactivate the licence if required.
5. Clear the page cache and try again.

Keeping your subscription active ensures that your public documentation remains available and that you continue to receive plugin updates, compatibility improvements and SoftwareRoad support.

The page is empty

If the knowledge base layout appears but no categories or articles are shown, you may not have published any content yet.

Check that:

• At least one knowledge base category has been created
• At least one article has been published
• The article has been assigned to a category
• The article is not marked as unlisted
• The relevant homepage sections are enabled

The search box and other design elements may still appear even when the knowledge base does not contain any articles.

The page layout does not look right

If the page is too narrow or has unexpected spacing:

1. Check the page template or layout setting.
2. Remove any unnecessary columns around the shortcode.
3. Check whether the page has a WordPress sidebar enabled.
4. Clear your website cache.
5. Test the page while signed out of WordPress.
6. Check the page on a mobile device.

You can adjust the knowledge base colours, text sizes, icons and other design options under Knowledge Base > Settings > Design.

The article back link opens the wrong page

If article back links open a different page:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Find Knowledge Base Page.
4. Select the correct page.
5. Save the settings.
6. Clear your website cache.

Avoid leaving the setting on automatic detection if the shortcode has been placed on several pages.

Page setup checklist

Before moving on, check that:

• The WordPress page is published
• The page contains srkb_knowledge_base
• The shortcode displays the knowledge base
• The correct page is selected under Knowledge Base Page
• The page URL is clear
• The page is included in your website navigation
• Article back links return to the correct page
• The layout works on desktop and mobile

Your main knowledge base page is now ready. You can begin adding categories and publishing your documentation articles.