5 Knowledge Base Article Templates

Internal support teams—whether IT, PeopleOps, or Ops—are expected to provide fast, repeatable help. But when the same questions come in every week, and answers live in Slack threads, Google Docs, or individual brains, support breaks down. That’s where knowledge bases shine.

The only catch? Writing articles from scratch is time-consuming. Without a clear structure, documentation gets inconsistent and hard to maintain. That’s why templates matter.

Below are five proven, reusable templates that help teams create effective knowledge base content. Whether you’re documenting access requests or onboarding checklists, these templates will help you keep your internal support lean, searchable, and actually useful. Better yet? When connected to a smart ITSM like Siit, these articles become part of your request flow—surfaced inside Slack and Teams, suggested by AI, and tracked for usage and impact.

1. “How to Request…” Template

This is your go-to for documenting repeatable service requests from employees. It’s perfect for anything that requires a process: requesting tool access, provisioning new devices, updating permissions, or booking equipment. IT, HR, and Ops teams rely on these types of articles to cut down back-and-forth and set clear expectations.

Used right, this article lives inside your Slack or Teams-based helpdesk and is automatically suggested when someone types “How do I get access to…” into the bot.

Template:

• Title: How to Request [X]
  
  
• Summary: Quick overview of what the request is and when to use it
  
  
• Who Can Request This: Define eligibility (e.g., full-time employees, managers only)
  
  
• Steps: List out numbered steps, ideally with linked forms or tools (e.g., Siit Dynamic Form)
  
  
• Approval Time: State the usual turnaround time and escalation path
  
  
• Related Requests: Link to similar or follow-up articles
  
  
• Helpful Links: Add links to request forms, policy docs, or related templates
  
  

Example:

• Title: How to Request Access to Figma
  
  
• Summary: If you need Figma access to collaborate on design projects or view assets, follow these steps.
  
  
• Who Can Request This: All full-time employees. Contractors must be approved by their manager.
  
  
• Steps:
  
  
  
  1. Open Slack and type "/siit request access to Figma"
     
     
  2. Complete the Dynamic Form that appears (team, purpose, urgency)
     
     
  3. Submit for manager approval via Rapid Approval flow
     
     
• Approval Time: Usually within 2 business hours
  
  
• Related Requests: Requesting access to Miro, Adobe CC
  
  
• Helpful Links: [Design Tools Policy], [Figma Best Practices
  

2. Troubleshooting Guide Template

IT teams deal with a lot of “X isn’t working” messages—VPN issues, login failures, Wi-Fi dropouts, etc. Instead of repeating the same troubleshooting steps, document them once and surface the article automatically.

This template is ideal for issues that don’t always require human intervention. When paired with Siit’s AI Article Suggestion, it deflects a huge percentage of level-one service requests from employees—before they even submit a form.

Template:

• Title: Troubleshooting [Problem/Tool Name]
  
  
• Problem Overview: Describe the symptoms, error messages, and scope
  
  
• Step-by-Step Troubleshooting: List logical steps users should take in order
  
  
• Screenshots/GIFs: Visual support for more complex steps
  
  
• When to Escalate: Define at what point to submit a service request
  
  
• Escalation Form Link: Include the correct Siit request form
  
  
• Related Articles: Link to root cause or policy documentation

Example:

• Title: Troubleshooting VPN Connection Issues
  
  
• Problem Overview: Unable to connect to the company VPN. Common error: "Server not responding."
  
  
• Step-by-Step Troubleshooting:
  
  
  1. Ensure you're connected to Wi-Fi
     
     
  2. Try disconnecting and reconnecting to the VPN
     
     
  3. Restart your computer
     
     
  4. Check if your credentials are valid
     
     
• Screenshots/GIFs: [Insert 2 screenshots of login + settings]
  
  
• When to Escalate: If none of these work, submit a request
  
  
• Escalation Form Link: [Submit VPN Issue Request]
  

Related Articles: [Remote Work Setup], [Resetting VPN Credentials]

3. New Hire Onboarding Guide Template

New employees are excited—but often overwhelmed. This template helps your internal support and PeopleOps teams give them a clear path to success in their first week. It outlines tools, access, policies, and points of contact.

This article is typically used as part of a larger onboarding sequence, linked through Siit workflows that automate access provisioning with integrations like Workday, BambooHR, or Rippling.

Template:

• Title: New Hire Onboarding Guide for [Role/Team]
  
  
• Welcome + Overview: A friendly intro to your company’s support and IT structure
  
  
• Tools and Access You’ll Need: List of tools with access instructions (linked to request forms)
  
  
• First-Week Checklist: Clear milestones with due dates
  
  
• Policies to Review: Link to essential docs (security, remote work, etc.)
  
  
• Who to Contact: Define who can help with what (with Slack handles or Teams profiles)
  
  
• FAQ: Answer the top questions you always get from new hires

Example:

• Title: Onboarding Guide for New Marketing Hires
  
  
• Welcome + Overview: Welcome to the marketing team! This guide will help you get set up and settled into your first week.
  
  
• Tools and Access You’ll Need:
  
  • Slack (auto-provisioned)
    
    
  • Asana – request via [Request Access Form]
    
    
  • Google Analytics – submit request through Siit
    
    
• First-Week Checklist:
  
  
  • ✅ Intro meeting with manager
    
    
  • ✅ Join #marketing Slack channel
    
    
  • ✅ Complete brand training module
    
    
• Policies to Review: [Remote Work Guidelines], [Security & Device Policy]
  
  
• Who to Contact:
  
  
  
  • IT Support: @john-doe
    
    
  • Marketing Ops: @jane-doe
    
    
• FAQ:
  
  
  • How do I log into HubSpot?
    
    
  • Where do I submit creative briefs?

4. Policy or Procedure Article Template

Not all articles are instructional—some are simply reference material. This template is perfect for publishing internal policies like device usage, remote work, account security, or acceptable use guidelines.

These docs are best when paired with request forms, so employees can act on what they’ve just read (e.g., request approval to work remotely, flag a security incident, etc.). With Siit, you can attach forms directly and track which articles are linked to service requests from employees.

Template:

• Title: [Policy/Procedure Name]
  
  
• Summary: One paragraph overview of what the policy is and why it matters
  
  
• What It Covers: Bulleted scope of the policy (e.g., which systems/devices/teams)
  
  
• Who It Applies To: Make it clear whether it’s org-wide or team-specific
  
  
• Procedure Steps (if applicable): If it’s a how-to (e.g., offboarding), lay it out step-by-step
  
  
• Exceptions / Edge Cases: Outline known exceptions or who to contact for clarification
  
  
• Action Links: Link directly to a Siit form, escalation workflow, or related KB article

Example:

• Title: Device Replacement Policy
  
  
• Summary: This policy outlines the process for replacing damaged or outdated company-issued laptops.
  
  
• What It Covers:
  
  
  
  1. Laptops, desktops, and work-issued tablets
     
     
  2. Physical damage, slow performance, end-of-life models
     
     
• Who It Applies To: All full-time and part-time employees
  
  
• Procedure Steps:
  
  
  
  1. Submit a device replacement request via Slack
     
     
  2. Attach photo (if damaged)
     
     
  3. Manager approval will be auto-triggered via Siit
     
     
  4. Once approved, IT will assign replacement
     
     
• Exceptions / Edge Cases: Lost or stolen devices require incident report to Security
  
  
• Action Links: [Request New Device Form], [Device Return Instructions]
  
  

5. Tool Overview + Access Template

This is one of the most underrated article types. It’s great for explaining what a tool does, who needs it, and how to get started. Perfect for teams rolling out a new platform—whether that’s ClickUp, Jamf, Okta, Notion, or any other app.

When paired with Siit, you can link the request form to provision access, include tags for routing, and embed helpful resources like Loom videos or onboarding checklists.

Template:

• Title: Getting Started with [Tool Name]
  
  
• What This Tool Is: One-paragraph summary of what the tool does and why your org uses it
  
  
• Who Uses It: Define roles, teams, or levels of access
  
  
• How to Request Access: Link to Siit Dynamic Form or Request Portal
  
  
• Best Practices: Tips to avoid common issues or maximize value
  
  
• Training Resources: Add video tutorials, walkthroughs, or vendor docs
  
  
• Support Path: Define where to go for help—linking to Siit-powered service request workflows

Example:

• Title: Getting Started with Jamf
  
  
• What This Tool Is: Jamf helps our IT team manage and secure all company-issued Apple devices.
  
  
• Who Uses It: All employees issued a MacBook or iOS device
  
  
• How to Request Access: Auto-assigned at onboarding. If missing, request via Siit in Slack.
  
  
• Best Practices:
  
  
  
  • Do not uninstall Jamf
    
    
  • Restart device weekly to ensure updates are applied
    
    
• Training Resources: [Jamf Overview Video], [FAQ on Device Management]
  
  
• Support Path:
  
  
  
  • Submit issues via #help-it
    
    
  • Use the Jamf form in Slack through the Siit Bot
    
    

How to Use These Templates Inside Siit

Once your content is created, it shouldn’t sit in a dusty Notion folder. With Siit, you can:

• Connect your Notion, Confluence, or Google Workspace documentation to your helpdesk system
  
  
• Automatically surface articles during request intake using AI Article Suggestion
  
  
• Embed documentation in Slack or Microsoft Teams via bot replies or self-service prompts
  
  
• Attach relevant KB articles to requests with Response Templates
  
  
• Track usage, deflection, and feedback via Analytics & Reporting

Templates Make Knowledge Work Smarter

A solid knowledge base is one of the best ways to reduce service requests from employees, resolve issues faster, and keep your IT team focused on what really matters.

These five templates give you the foundation to document repeatable processes, support new hires, publish policies, and introduce tools—all in a way that’s consistent, scalable, and smart.

Pair them with Siit to embed knowledge directly into your Slack or Teams workflows, surface helpful content automatically, and track what’s working (and what needs an update).

Sign up for a free trial and turn your documentation into real-time, in-channel support your employees will actually use.

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