How to Edit and Update a Published Knowledge Base Article

You can update a SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base article whenever instructions, screenshots or product details change.

Editing a published article does not normally change its URL, so visitors can continue using the same link after the content has been updated.

Open the article you want to edit

From the WordPress dashboard:

1. Open Knowledge Base > All Articles.
2. Find the article you want to change.
3. Select the article title or Edit.
4. Make the required changes.
5. Preview the updated article.
6. Select Update.

The new version will replace the currently published content.

Find an article quickly

If your knowledge base contains a lot of articles, use the search box on the All Articles screen.

You can search using:

• The full article title
• Part of the title
• A word from the title

You can also filter articles by category to narrow down the list.

Update the article content

Use the WordPress editor to change the written instructions.

You may need to update an article when:

• A setting has moved
• A button name has changed
• A new feature has been added
• A troubleshooting step is no longer correct
• A screenshot is out of date
• The plugin requirements have changed
• Customers are struggling to follow the current guide

Read through the whole article rather than changing only one sentence. A small product change can affect several sections of the same guide.

Keep instructions in the correct order

When adding or removing steps, make sure the numbered instructions still follow the correct order.

For example, if you insert a new step near the beginning of a process, check that later steps do not refer to an old number.

It is often easier to use a WordPress numbered list because WordPress will adjust the numbering automatically.

Update menu names and button wording

WordPress and SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base may change the wording used for menus, tabs or buttons over time.

Make sure the article uses the same wording visitors will see on their screen.

For example:

• Knowledge Base > Settings
• Save Changes
• Activate Licence
• Add New Category

Using the correct wording makes the instructions much easier to follow.

Replace outdated screenshots

Screenshots can become confusing when the plugin interface changes.

To replace one:

1. Select the old image inside the article.
2. Choose the replace option.
3. Upload a new screenshot or select one from the Media Library.
4. Check the alternative text.
5. Preview the article.

Before uploading a screenshot, make sure it does not show:

• Complete product keys
• Customer information
• Private email addresses
• Payment details
• WordPress login details
• Other sensitive information

You can delete the old image from the Media Library later if it is no longer used anywhere else.

Update the article excerpt

The excerpt should still match the article after you change it.

For example, if an article now covers both activation and common licence errors, the old excerpt may no longer describe it properly.

To update the excerpt:

1. Find the Excerpt section in the article editor.
2. Replace the old summary.
3. Keep it to one or two short sentences.
4. Select Update.

The new excerpt may appear in search results, category pages and article lists.

Change the article category

If the article now belongs in a different section:

1. Find the Knowledge Base Categories panel.
2. Select the correct category.
3. Remove any category that no longer applies.
4. Select Update.

Changing the category can affect:

• Category pages
• Breadcrumbs
• Related Articles
• Recommended Articles
• Article sidebars

The article URL will normally remain the same.

Update the featured image

If the article has a featured image that no longer matches the content:

1. Find the Featured Image section.
2. Select or replace the current image.
3. Upload the new image.
4. Add suitable alternative text.
5. Select Update.

Use an image that reflects the current version of the guide.

Change the article icon or custom image

You can also update the smaller icon or image used for the article.

To change it:

1. Find the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base article options.
2. Replace the Bootstrap icon class or custom image.
3. Select Update.
4. Check the article in search results and category pages.

If both a custom image and Bootstrap icon are saved, the custom image takes priority.

Preview changes before publishing them

Select Preview before updating an important article.

Check:

• Headings
• Numbered steps
• Screenshots
• Links
• Excerpt
• Featured image
• Table of contents
• Mobile layout

Previewing is especially useful when you have made several changes at once.

Save changes with the Update button

When you are happy with the new version, select Update.

Do not leave the editor before the update has finished saving.

WordPress should show a confirmation message once the article has been updated.

Open the public article afterwards to make sure the new content is visible.

How the Last Updated date works

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can display the date an article was last modified.

When you update a published article, WordPress records a new modified date.

Depending on your settings, visitors may see wording such as:

Last updated: 1 July 2026

This helps readers understand whether the instructions are recent.

The modified date can also affect which articles appear in the Recently Updated section.

How Recently Updated Articles work

The Recently Updated section uses the WordPress modified date.

When you update an older article, it may move closer to the top of this section.

This is useful for highlighting guides that have recently been reviewed or improved.

Avoid making meaningless edits just to move an article into the recently updated list. Only update the article when something has genuinely changed or been checked.

Check the table of contents

If the article uses an automatic table of contents, review it after changing the headings.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base builds the table of contents from H2, H3 and H4 headings.

Check that:

• New headings appear
• Removed headings are gone
• The order makes sense
• Each link moves to the correct section
• Headings are clear and not too long

If the table of contents looks crowded, the article may have too many small sections.

Check internal links

Test any links inside the article.

Make sure they still open the correct:

• Knowledge base article
• Category
• WordPress page
• Support page
• External resource

Update links that point to moved or deleted content.

Use meaningful link wording rather than phrases such as click here.

Check automatic article links

If you use the automatic links feature, review the article after updating it.

A new phrase may now trigger an automatic link in a place where it does not make sense.

The plugin normally links the first matching use of a saved phrase while avoiding existing links, headings and code areas.

Adjust the automatic link rule if the result is not useful.

Use WordPress revisions

WordPress may save previous versions of an article as revisions.

Revisions can be useful if you accidentally remove something important or need to compare an older version with the current one.

If revisions are available:

1. Find the Revisions section in the article settings.
2. Open the revision history.
3. Compare the versions.
4. Restore an older version if needed.

The number of revisions stored depends on your WordPress and hosting configuration.

Restoring an older revision can also restore outdated instructions, so always review the article before updating it again.

Change a published article back to Draft

You can move a published article back to Draft when it needs a larger rewrite.

To do this:

1. Open the article editor.
2. Change the article status from Published to Draft.
3. Save the change.

The article will no longer be publicly available while it is a draft.

Existing visitors and links may receive a page not found response, so avoid doing this unless the article genuinely needs to be taken offline.

For small changes, it is usually better to edit and update the published article normally.

Use the unlisted option for temporary access

If the article should remain available through its direct URL but should disappear from search and category pages, you can mark it as unlisted.

This may be useful while:

• Replacing parts of a guide
• Keeping an older article available temporarily
• Sharing instructions with selected customers
• Preparing a replacement article

Remember that unlisted articles are not private. Anyone with the direct link may still be able to open them.

Avoid changing the article slug unnecessarily

The article slug forms part of its URL.

For example:

example.com/knowledge-base/how-to-activate/

Changing the slug changes the public address.

This can break:

• Saved bookmarks
• Links from other articles
• Search engine results
• Links from emails
• External website links

If the current URL still makes sense, leave it unchanged even when you update the article title.

If you need to change the slug, set up a redirect from the old URL to the new one.

Test the article while signed out

After updating, open the article in a private browser window or while signed out of WordPress.

This shows you the version a normal visitor will see.

Check that:

• The new content is visible
• No editing controls are shown
• Images load
• Links work
• Helpful voting appears, if enabled
• The page works on mobile
• The article is still listed in search and its category

Clear the website cache

If the old version still appears, clear any cache used by:

• WordPress
• Your hosting account
• Your server
• Your browser

You can also try a hard refresh.

On Windows:

Ctrl + F5

On macOS:

Command + Shift + R

Caching is one of the most common reasons an updated article appears unchanged.

The article is updated in WordPress but not publicly

Check that:

• You selected Update
• The article is still Published
• You edited the correct article
• The website cache has been cleared
• The browser is not showing an old copy
• Your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active

Open the article URL in a private browser window and check again.

The article disappeared after editing

If the article is no longer visible, check its status.

It may have been changed to:

• Draft
• Private
• Pending Review
• Trash

Also check whether the unlisted option was enabled by mistake.

Change the status back to Published and select Update.

The article no longer appears in its category

Check that:

• The correct category is selected
• The article is Published
• The unlisted option is disabled
• The category page cache has been cleared

Open the article editor, select the correct category and update it again.

The table of contents is wrong

If the table of contents still shows an old heading:

1. Check that the heading was removed from the article.
2. Select Update again.
3. Clear the page cache.
4. Reload the article.

Also check that the heading text is using the correct WordPress heading block rather than bold paragraph text.

Review articles regularly

Documentation can become out of date even when nobody reports a problem.

It is worth reviewing important articles after:

• A SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base update
• A WordPress update
• A design change
• A licence process change
• A support question that keeps coming up
• A low helpful voting result
• Repeated searches that do not find a good answer

Your search and feedback analytics can help you decide which articles need attention first.

Article update checklist

After editing an article, check that:

• The instructions are still correct
• Menu and button names match the plugin
• Numbered steps are in the right order
• Screenshots are current
• Private information is hidden
• The excerpt matches the updated content
• The correct category is selected
• Links work
• The table of contents is correct
• The modified date has updated
• The public page shows the new version
• The article works on desktop and mobile

The article is now updated and ready for visitors to use.