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

To access this tool, log into the KB Admin Tools, then go to the Documents Tab > Import & Export page.

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

1. Make your Site selection - From this dropdown menu, you may select the site from which you want to export active content available to your group as a *.html file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:

   • Internal and External (all docs) - This is the field's default setting
   • Internal (all docs available via internal site)
   • External (all docs available via internal site)
   • Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
   • External only (all docs available only via external site)
   • All docs owned by this group (all statuses)

2. Specify Document ID numbers - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers to include and/or exclude when exporting.

   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.

   • Included - Specify the documents you want to export by document ID.
   • Excluded - Specify the documents you do not wish to export by document ID.
   • Excluded by User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).

3. Export Index button - Click this 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.

   

4. You will get a pop up message from your browser asking what you would like to do with the downloaded file, named "kb_index.html".

   

5. Opening the file will open it in a new tab in your default browser. In the image below, two documents IDs were placed in the Include documents with these IDs ONLY field for export. Note how each document title in the index file is a hyperlink to its section in the content file (not yet exported).

   

6. Export Content as HTML button - Click this to download an HTML file that contains text-only document content.

   • Note: 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.

   

7. You will get another pop up message from your browser, this time for a file named "kb_content.html".

   

8. Opening the file will open it in a new tab in your default browser. In the image below, the same two documents IDs were placed in the Include documents with these IDs ONLY field for export. You will see part of the first document content. As noted above, the image in this document does not load.

   
   
   
9. You may now move both the index and content files to a new location. For the index file to point to the content file correctly both files must be placed in the same folder.

Export Active Content Available to Your Group as XML

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

In the image below, we see the Export file structure of the downloaded *.xml file. Once you enter your specifications for export, a text-only file for active content can be downloaded to create new KB documents.

1. Make your Site selection - From this dropdown menu, you may select the site from which you want to export active content available to your group as an *.xml file. The following are the options available to you from this dropdown menu:

• Internal and External (all docs) - This is the field's default setting
• Internal (all docs available via internal site)
• External (all docs available via internal site)
• Internal only (all docs available only via internal site)
• External only (all docs available only via external site)
2. Enter Document ID numbers - You may enter a list of comma delimited document ID numbers in this field.
• Included - Specify the documents you want to export by document ID.
• Excluded - Specify the documents you do not wish to export by document ID.
• Excluded by User Access Group - Specify a User Access Group by checking the box next to the appropriate group. This will prevent the export of documents restricted to those group(s).

3. Click Export Content as XML button - to download an XML file that contains a text-only file for active content.

You will get a pop up message from your browser. In the image below, the message references a file "kb_index.xml".

After clicking on the OK button, you will then receive the output. In the image below, two documents IDs were placed in the Include documents with these IDs ONLY field for export. The export below is in Microsoft Word. You will see the image written out in HTML. Please know that images will not appear as it is a text only export. 

Import Content as XML

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, just enter a space in that field as a placeholder.

• *kb_title
• *kb_keywords
• *kb_summary
• *kb_body
• kb_int_notes
• img_base_url

...a note about img_base_url

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 Choose File 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.

Best Practices

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

Import

• 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).
  
• can 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
  
• Easier to copy the raw HTML rather than the XML when moving KB content to another website...
• Offline copy to reference while traveling and no access to the web
• XML export 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