In this WordPress tutorial, we’ll walk through how to build a Knowledge Base that supports the upload of Markdown files. Specifically, we’ll set up a custom post type for the knowledge base articles, configure a plugin that converts Markdown files to WordPress articles, and enhance the user experience by adding a table of contents section in long articles.

Getting Started With a Custom Post Type

The first step in setting up your Knowledge Base is to create a dedicated custom post type. This operation is essential for keeping your Knowledge Base separate from regular blog posts.

To create a custom post type, we’ll be using the Custom Post Type UI plugin. After installing and activating it from the WordPress plugin repository, you’ll find a new menu item called CPT UI. From there, you can create a new post type for the Knowledge Base. In this example I set the slug to “kb” and name the post type “Knowledge Base”.

The "Knowledge Base" custom post type is configured using the Custom Post Type UI plugin.
The “Knowledge Base” custom post type is configured using the plugin’s dedicated menu.

Once you’ve set it up, you can create a few test articles to help preview the layout as you continue with the setup.

Designing a Custom Template for Your Knowledge Base Archive

With your custom post type in place, the next step is to design a custom template. This will define how your Knowledge Base articles will be displayed on the archive page.

Creation of the custom template named "KB Archive" in the "Editor" menu of WordPress.
Creation of the custom template named “KB Archive”.

Start by creating a new template, then two essential elements:

  1. Search Block: This allows users to search for articles by keywords, helping them find the information they need quickly.
  2. Query Loop Block: This block will be used to display the titles and publication dates of available articles, ensuring visitors can easily browse your Knowledge Base.

Next, make sure to customize the Query Loop block to display only the Knowledge Base articles. This will prevent other types of posts, like regular blog posts, from appearing in your Knowledge Base section. 

Settings of the "Query Loop" block used in our custom template.
The Query Loop block now displays only posts of the “Knowledge Base” custom post type.

That’s all for the section. This template will serve as the backbone of your Knowledge Base archive and will be used in the next section to create the archive page.

Creating an Archive Page for the Knowledge Base

Once your custom template is ready, it’s time to create a page that will serve as the archive for all your Knowledge Base articles. This page will display the list of articles following the structure defined on the template you designed.

To do this, create a new page called “Knowledge Base” in the WordPress dashboard. In the sidebar of the page editor, you’ll find a Template dropdown where you can select the template you previously created. After selecting the template, publish the page. This page is now the central hub for your Knowledge Base articles.

Importing Markdown Files into WordPress

Now that your Knowledge Base is in place, it’s time to populate it with content. The easiest way to do this is by importing Markdown files. Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t natively support Markdown imports, but with the help of the Import Markdown plugin, you can easily convert your Markdown files into WordPress posts.

After installing and activating the plugin, go to its settings and choose the Markdown parser (the default “Parsedown” parser works fine). In the Advanced Settings, you’ll also want to select “kb” as the post type for the articles that will be generated from the imported Markdown files.

The "Knowledge Base" custom post type has been selected in the Import Markdown plugin settings.
Configure the post type used as a destination for the imported Markdown files.

With the plugin configured, you can now upload your locally stored Markdown articles. The plugin will automatically convert the Markdown content into HTML and assign the resulting articles to the Knowledge Base custom post type.

The import form of the "Import Markdown" plugin with a Markdown file selected.
The importer of the plugin is used to create a Knowledge Base article from a Markdown file.

Once imported, the articles will appear on your Knowledge Base archive page, neatly organized and ready for visitors to browse.

Enhancing Navigation With a Table of Contents

For longer Knowledge Base articles, navigation can become a bit challenging for your readers. Fortunately, you can improve usability by adding a table of contents to each article. The Easy Table of Contents plugin can automatically generate a table of contents based on the headers within your article, making it easier for users to navigate through sections.

To start, install the plugin. Then, in the settings, configure it so the table of contents only appears for the “Knowledge Base” custom post type.

The Easy Table of Contents plugin settings.
The table of contents is now enabled in the knowledge base articles.

To conclude, proceed to a Knowledge Base article that includes long content and enable the checkbox used to activate the table of contents.

The checkbox used to enable the table of contents in specific articles of our Knowledge Base.
The table of contents should be manually activated using a checkbox in the post editor.

Once this is done, readers will be able to jump to any section of your articles with just a click.

Customizing and Extending Your Knowledge Base

Once your Knowledge Base is up and running, there are several ways you can customize it further. Depending on your needs, you may want to tweak the design or add more functionality. For example, you can use a page builder plugin to improve the layout, or install additional plugins for enhanced search functionality.

If your site is multi-lingual, plugins like WPML or Hreflang Manager can help you manage translations for your Knowledge Base. Additionally, if you need to control who can access or edit articles, the Members plugin can provide fine-grained user permissions.

Conclusion

Building a Knowledge Base in WordPress doesn’t have to be a complicated process. By using plugins like Custom Post Type UIImport Markdown, and Easy Table of Contents, you can easily create a professional, organized, and user-friendly Knowledge Base for your site.

Whether you’re setting up a simple FAQ section or a comprehensive support library, the flexibility of WordPress combined with the power of Markdown makes it an ideal solution. Follow these steps, and you’ll have a fully functional Knowledge Base up and running in no time. If you want to replicate this setup, be sure to check out the plugins mentioned in this guide. Happy building!