Knowledge Base: troubleshooting common problems

Start by checking the material status, access to the module, the audience and the file source. Most problems are not caused by search itself: either the material is not published or the user does not have permission to view it.

What to do if the Knowledge Base is missing from the menu?

Check:

1. Whether Knowledge base for employees is enabled under Settings → Company.

2. Whether signing in to Smart Way again resolves the problem.

Administrators always see Knowledge base in the menu and can manage materials even when employee access is disabled.

What to do if a document or the Add material button does not open?

If the list and search work but an internal document or the new material form does not open, check whether the Academy subscription is active.

This is expected behaviour when the subscription is inactive: the system displays a message explaining that a subscription is required and blocks materials from being opened or added. Existing materials can still be edited and deleted under Manage knowledge base.

What to check if search does not find a material?

For users, check that:

• the material has the Published status;

• the module is available and shown in the menu;

• the query is not restricted by unnecessary filters;

• the correct category is selected;

• the Favourites filter is disabled if the material is not in the user's favourites.

Administrators should also check:

• whether indexing has the Uploaded, Extracting text, Processing or Indexing failed state;

• whether employees in the required department or with the required job title have access to the material;

• whether the title, description and tags contain the words the user enters;

• whether the file type has been identified correctly.

A new material may be found by its title and metadata immediately, but searching the text within the file will only work after indexing is complete.

Why can an administrator access a material when an employee cannot?

This is expected if:

• the material is a draft or has been archived;

• the module is disabled for employees;

• restricted access is configured;

• the department or job title in the employee's profile differs from the material's access settings;

• the department or job title name does not match the selected value.

Test access using a reader account. Administrators have broader access and their accounts do not reproduce standard restrictions.

Why can a material not be published?

Check the required conditions:

• a source is selected;

• the title is completed;

• the short description is completed;

• an active category is selected;

• a Review by date is set;

• a department or job title is selected for Restricted access;

• an external link uses HTTPS;

• the file has been transferred successfully and passed the security check;

• there is no other unfinished candidate version.

If another administrator has already changed the material, load the current version of the page and repeat your changes.

Why is a new file not uploading?

Possible causes:

What to do if the file is already used in the Knowledge Base?

One File Manager file cannot be linked to two different Knowledge Base materials.

Select Open material in the conflict message, then:

• update the existing material details;

• add the required tags or related materials;

• publish a new version if necessary.

The same file can also be used in a training course at the same time — this is not a conflict.

What to do if the document preview does not open?

1. Select Retry.

2. Refresh the page.

3. Check the network connection.

4. If permitted, select Download.

5. For an Office document, try again later if the system reports that the preview is temporarily unavailable.

An unsupported-preview message does not mean that the file is damaged. Some formats can only be downloaded and are not designed for previewing.

If the Download button is not available, an administrator has disabled this option.

What to do if a material cannot be archived or its file replaced?

• If there is an Awaiting publication version, publish it or select Cancel file replacement.

• If the material is already archived, it is available in view-only mode. Select Restore to return it to draft status.

• If an older version cannot be restored, check whether an active candidate version already exists.

Why can a category or tag not be deleted?

A category cannot be deleted if it:

• is active;

• contains materials;

• has child categories.

A tag cannot be deleted if it is used by any materials. Remove it from those materials or merge it into another tag.

Why are analytics or the action log empty?

Check:

• the reporting period;

• active filters;

• the material ID;

• the category;

• the metric or event types;

• whether there were any actual interactions or administrative actions during the period.

In the action log, select Clear filters. In analytics, select a short current period and then select Apply.

An export will not be generated if the period is in the future, exceeds 366 days or falls outside the available retention period.

When to contact support?

Contact technical support if:

• the error recurs after refreshing the page;

• access settings and status have been checked, but the material is still unavailable;

• a safe file repeatedly fails to upload because the security system rejects it;

• the indexing state does not change for a long time;

• an export is not generated for a valid short period;

• previewing does not work for several different materials.

Provide support with:

• the material title and ID;

• the time of the error;

• the user's role;

• their department and job title, without unnecessary personal data;

• the exact error message;

• the steps to reproduce the problem;

• a screenshot without passwords, tokens or confidential content.