A digital file designed so that people with visual, physical, cognitive, or hearing impairments can read and navigate it easily using assistive technology like screen readers.

Ensuring that all electronic tools, documents, websites, and learning materials meet federal accessibility standards so individuals with disabilities can use them equally and independently.

A short written description embedded in the code of an image or graphic to explain what the visual shows and why it matters.

A bridge that allows other software programs to automatically search, read, write, or sync articles and data without using the human website interface.

An article that is removed from public search results and active viewing, but saved in a back-end storage list for reference or audits

The specific group of people intended to read, use, and benefit from KB articles.

The process of verifying a user's identity before granting access to internal, restricted, or customer-facing information.

The methods that make self-service information easy to find, simple to read, and accurate enough to solve a problem so a user can help themselves.

A secondary navigation trail at the top of a page that show a user's hierarchical location within the topics and/ or categories.

A temporary storage location on your device where web browsers save website files like images, scripts, and stylesheets.

A top-level container or folder that groups related articles together under a single thematic name. 

The structured process of controlling, updating, and maintaining shared information over time.

A systematic review and evaluation of all existing articles, guides, FAQs, and documents to check for accuracy, relevance, and quality.

A system of rules, roles, and workflows that controls how information is created, updated, reviewed, and retired.

The ongoing process of reviewing, updating, structuring, and deleting articles to ensure all stored information remains accurate, useful, and easy to find.

The specific person or group accountable for the accuracy, quality, relevance, and lifecycle of designated articles or documentation

A small text file that a web server sends to your web browser to remember information about your visit.

A styling language used to control the visual presentation, layout, and branding of KB documents and websites.

A plain text file format used to store tabular data like tables or spreadsheets.

The system of rules, roles, and processes that keeps your KB site's information accurate, safe, and easy to find.

The hands-on practice of managing, organizing, and maintaining content to ensure information remains accurate, trusted, and easy to find.

The process of gathering, converting, and indexing physical or digital files so content becomes searchable and readable within a centralized repository such as your KB Space.

A set of defined processes that help your KB Group obtain, organize, store and deliver information crucial to its operation in the most effective manner possible. The stages of a document’s lifecycle include: creation, publication (site access), categorizing (topics and/or audiences), keywords, metadata tagging, delivery or sharing, repurposing, review and reporting, archiving and / or deletion.

A label that shows where an article or file is in its lifecycle, such as Published, Pending Review, Draft, Archive, etc.

External or rich multimedia content (such as videos, audio clips, interactive maps, or transcripts) placed directly inside a help article so users can view it on the page without leaving the site.

An integrated media tool (such as a video or audio player) placed directly inside an article so users can view or listen to content without leaving the page.

Is a standard identifier attribute that uniquely identifies a person at a campus. At UW–Madison, an ePPN is always formatted as NetID@wisc.edu. It behaves the same as a campus NetID on local systems, but it is scoped so it can work globally. It is the preferred identifier for applications that interact with federated login systems (like SAML Federation, InCommon, or eduGAIN) because it guarantees uniqueness across different universities and worldwide institutions.

An option that examines all words across every published document rather than just looking at titles or assigned keywords.

Is defined as a binary-encoded 2D raster data type image format that ordinarily uses the .gif extension. KB Authors can drag, copy, or upload non-animated .gif images directly into the text editor of their KB documentation.

A dedicated workspace for a campus unit, department, or IT group to create, store, manage, and collaborate on their own documents and share out or share in documents from other Group spaces.

The visual layout that lets users and authors interact with the system using buttons, icons, and menus instead of text commands.

The logical, hierarchical order of title tags (from H1 to H6) that organizes knowledge base article like a table of contents.

The standard coding language used to structure content and give it meaning inside a knowledge base articles. It uses special markers called tags (like <p> for paragraphs or <h1> for headings) to tell the system and browser how to organize text, insert images, build tables, and create clickable links.

A clickable element in an article that lets users jump to related content, specific sections within the same page, or external web resources.

A design and content strategy that ensures information can be found, read, and understood by people of all backgrounds, abilities, languages, and technical skill levels.

A back end organized map or catalog of documents, files, and concepts that helps users search to find information quickly.

The blueprint that organizes, structures, and labels content so users can find answers quickly and easily.

A JPEG is a graphic image file produced according to a standard from an ISO/IEC group of experts that develops and maintains standards for a suite of compression algorithms for computer image files. JPEGs usually have a .jpg or .jpeg file extension.

A self-contained, searchable piece of digital content that explains how to solve a specific problem, use a feature, or understand a policy consisting of a title, summary, body, and keywords.

The ability to search, browse, and operate all content and interactive features using only a keyboard, without a mouse or trackpad.

Specific words or short phrases tagged to articles or used by search systems to match user search queries with relevant content.

A digital document that provides instructions, answers, or troubleshooting steps to help users solve a specific problem or learn how to use a specific campus service.

The practice of creating, organizing, sharing, maintaining, and improving institutional knowledge.

A centralized library of online help articles, guides, protocols, how-tos, minutes, documentation and more

The main entry or home page that welcomes visitors and helps them find the guides or answers they need.

The active, public-facing (or production) or internal (restricted viewing) of your KB groups space where end-users view published articles, FAQs, and guides in real time.

A dynamic system documentation that provides information that is current, accurate and easy to understand. Documents that are written in a natural language format serve as the core of living documentation. Your content experts can review the documentation to ensure that it describes the desired behavior of the system from a logical standpoint.

Including media like images, videos, and diagrams in a knowledge base helps explain complex ideas and supports different learning styles.

Structured data found at the bottom of your live document / or bottom of a document in the KB Admin Tools that describes, organizes, and provides context for your content.

The numbers and data points used to track how well your help articles and self-service resources perform.

A security process that requires users to provide two or more different verification factors to prove their identity before gaining access to a knowledge base space.

A structured list of links that helps users quickly find help articles, categories, and documentation.

A unique electronic username assigned by a university or institution to serve as your central login for digital and campus services.

A secure software application that stores, generates, and organizes your login credentials in an encrypted digital vault.

A static document file that is stored, linked, converted, or embedded to supply information to users. KB Users can attach PDF files directly into digital articles so readers may view or download forms, manuals, and guides without leaving the page.

Clear, concise writing that lets users find information, understand it the first time, and use it to solve a problem.

An image format designed as an improved replacement for GIF. Like GIF, PNG uses lossless compression, meaning all image data is preserved when decompressed for viewing. PNG files typically use the .png extension.

A document that a user can find and read independently to solve a problem without talking to customer support

A document that is visible to its intended audience after approval and release.

The ability for authorized users to securely log in and view, edit, or manage internal documentation and support articles from outside the institution's physical network or office environment.

An data summary that tracks how articles perform, how users interact with content, and how effectively the resource answers questions.

A design approach that automatically adjusts support articles, navigation menus, tables and search bars to fit any screen size or device.

A standardized web-based tool that allows campus developers to securely pull, share, or update KB data—such as technical help documents, user permissions, or site content—across external software applications.

A scheduled routine used to check, update, and verify that published articles remain accurate and useful.

A user role responsible for checking, editing, and approving articles to ensure accuracy and quality before they are published.

A built-in log that tracks every change, edit, and update made to an article over time

A visual writing tool that lets you format help articles like a standard word processor without using code. It is often called a WYSIWYG editor, which stands for "What You See Is What You Get".

A permissions model that grants access based on a user's role.

A software application that converts digital text and visual elements on a screen into synthesized speech or a refreshable braille display.

An image of a computer or phone screen used in an article to show users what a specific menu, button, or error message looks like.

Practices used to improve article visibility in search results. 

A calculated score that determines how well and in what order documents match a user's search query.

A non-human account used by applications, integrations, or automated processes.

A centralized, collaborative file or article that multiple authorized users can access, view, and edit to maintain as a single source of truth.

A command or page identifier that displays a complete list of all participating campus and institution partner sites sharing documents within the aggregate or unified system.

Used by internal site authors, editors, and administrators to immediately retrieve all of their favorited documents.

When managing an internal KB space, you can mark frequently used or regularly shared support documents as a "Favorite". This command bypasses the standard search algorithms and filters the down strictly to your personalized list of saved documents for easy access.

When applied, it returns only documents that have been shared by other groups, while filtering out any documents that are directly owned by the specific group whose KB site you are currently searching.

An authentication method that lets users log into your KB site using their existing institution credentials.

A digital, step-by-step guide that explains how to complete a specific, repeatable task correctly and consistently.

An authoritative person who creates, reviews, and updates accurate information on a specific subject for a KB space.

An XML-based file format used to describe two-dimensional vector images. It is typically used as a clean, sharp graphic format for UI icons, diagrams, logos, flowcharts, and technical illustrations. Unlike pixel-based formats (like PNG or JPEG), SVGs use mathematical formulas, points, and lines to render images.

A pre-built structural framework or document layout that guides authors on how to organize, format, and write support articles. Instead of starting with a blank page, document creators use templates so every article shares a uniform design, standard headings, and required metadata.

TinyMCE is the UW KnowledgeBase embedded rich-text editor used to help write, format, and structure support articles. It provides a WYSIWIG "What You See Is What You Get" interface, toolbar controls and an HTML Source mode to edit the raw HTML directly if custom styling is needed.

A security process that requires users to provide two distinct proofs of identity before they can access an account or system.

A single, centralized web portal that brings together information, documents, and support guides from different KB spaces into one easy-to-search place.

The specific web address used to locate and access an individual help article, category page, or document.

Designates how easily, quickly, and pleasantly a user can find, read, and apply the answers they need. It focuses on removing friction so people can solve their problems without contacting support.

A system that tracks, records, and manages changes to documents and articles over time.

International technical standards used to make digital content accessible to people with disabilities.

Designing help articles, search bars, and navigation menus so users with disabilities can access them.

A technology that uses radio waves to let devices connect to the internet and each other without using physical cables.

A single archive file that bundles and compresses multiple files and folders together to save space and make sharing easier.