KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Import & Export

Note

You must have full administrative permissions in your space to perform these steps. This means access to the OwnerDocs, GroupDocs, SitePref, and Users tabs.

Export Active Content Available to Your Group as HTML

The HTML Export tool is useful in creating an offline backup of important KB content. This allows you to store your content as a static file that would remain accessible in the event of a network outage or service interruption. This is particularly important if you use your KB to store critical procedures that you might use in the event of an emergency, or that you might otherwise rely on for key aspects of your work.

Because your KB content is updated regularly, you may wish to schedule a reminder to export a fresh backup on a regular basis. For instructions on setting up this notification, please see: KB User's Guide - SitePref Tab - Notification Settings

The image below shows the fields in the Export active documents available to your group as HTML section. We will review each field.

• Site -  From this dropdown menu, make your selection from the six options which export content available to your group as an *.html file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:

  1. Internal and External (all active docs) - This is the field's default setting
  2. Internal (all docs available via internal site)
  3. External (all docs available via internal site)
  4. Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
  5. External only (all docs available only via external site)
  6. All docs owned by this group (all statuses)

• Include documents with these IDs ONLY - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers to include and/or exclude when exporting. For more information on how to limit a list of documents by owner, topic, etc, please see KB User's Guide - Users Tab - Search and Display Filters on the Existing Users Screen.

  If you plan to export a large amount of content (>100 documents), it is recommended that you split this up into multiple exports, for example, one export per topic area. If you attempt to export too much content at once, the resulting HTML file may be too large for your browser to process after opening.

• Exclude documents with these IDs - Specify the document IDs you do not wish to export by listing a comma delimited list. Example: perhaps you wish to exclude glossary terms, news items or meeting minutes.
  
  
• Exclude documents restricted to <User Access group> - Exclude documents based on User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group displayed. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).
  
• Export as HTML in a .zip file button - Click this button to download an HTML file that contains an index of links for active document titles. These links will point to the documents contained within your Content export file.
  
  You will get a pop up message from your browser listing a folder named "kb_doc_export". The kb_doc_export.zip file will include an index.html file with links to separate kb_doc_ID.html files.
  
  
  
  

• Notes:

  • Each document title in the kb_doc_export folder is a hyperlink to its section in the content file (not yet exported).
  • The HTML file contains text-only document content.
  • LinkDocs and IncludeDocs will show up as document ID numbers only.
  • If you are using IncludeDocs to supply important content, be sure to export the documents themselves.
  • Images will also appear to be broken.
  • You will get another pop up message from your browser, this time for a file named "kb_doc_[docID].html".
  • Opening the file will open it in a new tab in your default browser. As noted above, images in this document do not load.

Export active documents available to your group as XML

You may also export active content available to your KB group as an *.xml file.

The image below shows the fields in the Export active documents available to your group as XML section. We will review each field.

• Site -  From this dropdown menu, make your selection from the six options which export content available to your group as an *.html file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:

  1. Internal and External (all active docs) - This is the field's default setting
  2. Internal (all docs available via internal site)
  3. External (all docs available via internal site)
  4. Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
  5. External only (all docs available only via external site)
  6. All docs owned by this group (all statuses)

• Include documents with these IDs ONLY - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers to include and/or exclude when exporting. For more information on how to limit a list of documents by owner, topic, etc, please see KB User's Guide - Users Tab - Search and Display Filters on the Existing Users Screen.

  If you plan to export a large amount of content (>100 documents), it is recommended that you split this up into multiple exports, for example, one export per topic area. If you attempt to export too much content at once, the resulting HTML file may be too large for your browser to process after opening.

• Exclude documents with these IDs - Specify the document IDs you do not wish to export by listing a comma delimited list. Example: perhaps you wish to exclude glossary terms, news items or meeting minutes.
• Exclude documents restricted to <User Access group> - Exclude documents based on User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group displayed. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).
• Export as XML in a .xml file button - Click this button to download documents as an XML file.
  
  In the image below, we see the Export file structure of the downloaded *.xml file. Note the arrows in front of title, keywords, summary, etc. They are expandable.
  
  
  After clicking on all the arrows, you will see the content in each field. The image below shows the content in the id, title, keywords and summary fields.

• 

Import XML content with multiple kb_document elements as multiple documents:

1. Follow the format as prescribed in the window below when creating your *.xml file. Please be mindful that the asterisks indicate required fields. If you do not have data for the required fields, enter a space in that field as a placeholder.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<kb_documents>
<kb_document>
<kb_title>.........</kb_title>
<kb_keywords>.........</kb_keywords>
<kb_summary>.........</kb_summary>
<kb_body>.........</kb_body>
<kb_int_notes>.........</kb_int_notes>
<img_base_url>.........</img_base_url>
</kb_document>
<kb_document>
.........
</kb_document>
.........
</kb_documents>

Note: The img_base_url is made up of the base URL and a relative path.

• The base URL is the host name with no ending slash
• The relative path leads to an image file.
  

• You will need to prepend the relative path with the base url which will make up a valid URL that points to the image file you would like to import.
  

  Example: A base URL of https://kb.wisc.edu and a relative path of /images/group41/5249/bucky_badger_relative_path.jpg leads to the VALID url of https://kb.wisc.edu/images/group41/5249/bucky_badger_relative_path.jpg

• Click on the Import Content from XML button at the bottom of the screen.

Find the XML document you created as per the prescribed format and click on the Browse button and then the Continue button.

The documents created from your import will be set to the status of "In Progress". The person who performed the import will be the owner of the document(s).

Best Practices

Here are some examples how other KB groups have used the Import & Export feature:

Import

• It is easy to import a large source of data (example: cut and paste from an existing web site and go in and apply formatting afterward in the KB Admin Tools).
• Migrate any amount of content into your KB all at once
• Images contained in the source content will be automatically uploaded into individual document attachment folders
• A way to start a set of rough drafts where the required fields are already filled in. Admins can then direct authors to specific document ID numbers or naming conventions.

Export

• HTML export most often used so Admins may have an offline copy of their KB
• It's easier to copy the raw HTML rather than the XML when moving KB content to another website...
• An offline copy is available to reference while traveling/ having no access to the internet
• XML export is optimized for search engine use

See Also:

• KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Migrating HTML Content from a Web Site into your KB document via XML Import