What is a knowledge base?

At its core, a knowledge base is a centralized repository of information. It’s designed to store, organize, and share knowledge—everything from how-to guides and FAQs to policies, technical documentation, and company know-how.

The primary purpose? Making information easy to find and use, whether that’s for customers looking for answers or employees trying to do their jobs efficiently.

Key characteristics

A great knowledge base is:

• Searchable: Users can find what they need without digging through folders.
  
  
• Organized: Content is grouped logically so it’s intuitive to browse.
  
  
• Accessible: People can get the info they need, whether they’re at their desk or on the go.
  
  
• Up-to-date: The best knowledge bases have systems in place to keep content accurate and current.
  
  

Types of knowledge bases

There are several types of knowledge bases, each designed to serve different audiences and use cases—from internal employee resources to customer-facing help centers. Understanding the distinctions between them can help you choose the right approach for your organization.

Internal knowledge bases

Used by employees, these help with everything from onboarding to day-to-day task execution. Think process documentation, IT guides, and HR policies.

External knowledge bases

These are customer-facing. Help centers, FAQ pages, and support articles fall into this category, helping reduce ticket volume by enabling customer self-service.

Personal knowledge bases

For individual use, these help professionals capture their own insights, notes, and research.

Collaborative knowledge bases

Built and maintained by multiple contributors across a team or organization. These boost knowledge sharing and cross-functional transparency.

AI-powered knowledge bases

AI knowledge bases like Guru use AI to deliver personalized, context-aware answers, recommend content, and even detect duplicate or outdated info.

Industry-specific knowledge bases

Tailored to niche use cases—legal, medical, engineering, etc.—with domain-specific language and compliance considerations.

Knowledge base examples

Knowledge bases can take many forms depending on their purpose and audience. Here are some common examples that show how organizations use them to share and manage information effectively.

• Customer support portals: Think Zendesk help centers or Shopify’s support site.
  
  
• Onboarding hubs: New hire resources, team intros, and process overviews.
  
  
• Technical documentation: Developer docs, API guides, and troubleshooting resources.
  
  
• Product databases: Specs, features, compatibility details.
  
  
• Process libraries: SOPs, step-by-step workflows.
  
  
• Educational hubs: Internal training courses, LMS content.

What is knowledge base software?

Knowledge base software is a powerful tool that can help businesses capture, organize, share, and update information efficiently. By leveraging the right knowledge base software, businesses can optimize their operations, enhance employee productivity, and improve customer satisfaction.

However, not all knowledge base software is created equal, and not every solution may be suitable for your particular business needs. Before investing in any software offering, it's crucial to evaluate your specific requirements and assess whether the software can deliver the functionalities you need.

How to create a knowledge base

Creating a knowledge base involves more than just publishing content—it requires thoughtful planning, the right tools, and ongoing maintenance. Follow these key steps to build a knowledge base that’s organized, useful, and easy to navigate.

Planning and strategy

Start by defining your audience and goals. What problems will your knowledge base solve?

Content audit

Take stock of what content already exists. What’s useful? What’s outdated? What’s missing?

Choose the right platform

Pick a tool that meets your needs. Features like AI search, collaboration tools, and integrations with your current stack are key (Guru checks all those boxes).

Create and migrate content

Write new content, migrate what’s relevant, and tag/archive what’s not. Use templates to keep things consistent.

Structure and navigation

Organize content in a way that makes sense. Group related articles, use categories, and build an intuitive menu.

Test and launch

Pilot your knowledge base with a small group, gather feedback, make improvements, then roll it out to your full audience.

Key features to look for in a knowledge base

• Search functionality: AI-powered search helps people find exactly what they need.
  
  
• User-friendly design: Clean layouts, fast loading, intuitive navigation.
  
  
• Content organization: Categories, tags, and filters to reduce clutter.
  
  
• Mobile responsiveness: Must work seamlessly on any device.
  
  
• Integrations: Sync with tools like Slack, Teams, Chrome, Salesforce, and more.
  
  
• Analytics: Track what’s being used and what’s missing.
  
  
• Permissions: Control who sees what, especially in internal systems.
  
  
• Scalability: Grows with your team, whether that’s 10 people or 10,000.
  
  

Benefits of using a knowledge base

• Better customer self-service: Quick answers = happier customers.
  
  
• Lower support costs: Fewer repetitive tickets = more efficient support teams.
  
  
• Boosted productivity: Employees don’t waste time searching for info.
  
  
• Consistency: Everyone’s working from the same playbook.
  
  
• Knowledge retention: Preserve institutional knowledge, even when employees leave.
  
  
• Collaboration: Easier sharing = more innovation.
  
  
• Faster onboarding: New hires ramp up more quickly.
  
  

What is the difference between a database and a knowledge base?

The difference between a database and a knowledge base is that a database stores structured data for retrieval and analysis, while a knowledge base organizes and presents contextual information for easy access and understanding. Let’s take a closer look:

Structure

• Databases store raw data in structured tables.
  
  
• Knowledge bases store information—contextual, written content designed for human consumption.
  
  

Purpose

• Databases: Data storage and analysis.
  
  
• Knowledge bases: Information access and decision support.
  
  

Interaction

• Databases: Accessed via queries or apps.
  
  
• Knowledge bases: Accessed via search or browsing.
  
  

Content

• Databases: Numbers, records, structured fields.
  
  
• Knowledge bases: Articles, guides, multimedia.
  
  

Maintenance

• Databases: Regularly maintained by developers or data teams.
  
  
• Knowledge bases: Continuously updated by subject matter experts.
  
  

When to use each

Use a database when you need structured data and analytics. Use a knowledge base when your goal is to share and access contextual information quickly.

Internal vs. external knowledge base: What’s the difference?

An internal and external knowledge base are different systems organizations use to store, organize, and share information. Here are the main differences between the two:

Access

Internal knowledge base: Only members of an organization or a specific group within the organization can access it. It requires authentication and authorization to access the information.

External knowledge base: It is accessible to the public or a wider audience outside the organization. It may or may not require authentication, depending on the nature of the information.

Content

Internal knowledge base: It contains information that is specific to the organization, such as company policies, procedures, employee handbook, project documentation, and internal communication.

External knowledge base: Information for people outside the company, like customers, partners, or the public. This can include product documentation, user manuals, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides.

Purpose

Internal knowledge base: It supports the internal operations of an organization by providing employees with the information they need to do their jobs well.

External knowledge base: Its primary purpose is to provide information and support to external stakeholders, such as customers or partners, to help them use the organization's products or services effectively.

Security

Internal knowledge base: often holds sensitive or confidential information that is not meant for public access. Therefore, it requires strict security measures to protect the information from unauthorized access.

External knowledge base: information for public use, may not need as much security as internal knowledge base. However, it may still require some level of security to protect against spam or malicious content.

An internal knowledge base assists with tasks within a company. It provides information and assistance to employees. An external knowledge base offers information and help to individuals outside the organization. It serves as a resource for external users.

The main differences between the two lie in their accessibility, content, purpose, and security. We'll dive deeper into internal and external knowledge bases below.

Internal knowledge base

An internal knowledge base is created by your organization strictly for employees to access information as needed. 

Ways to use an internal knowledge base

An internal knowledge base is incredibly versatile in the way it can be used. Some ways to make the most of your internal knowledge base software include bringing in key information, such as:

• Answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about everything from employee benefits and onboarding protocols to brand guidelines and customer communications
• Company policies and handbooks
• Best practices and guides for sales strategies, handling customer issues and dealing with coworker conflicts
• Organizational structures and important internal contact information
• Recruitment, interviewing and employee assessment information for managers

Maintaining a well-organized, easily searchable, and accessible internal knowledge base means your employees can find answers quickly, without re-asking common questions.

Internal knowledge base software enables your company to focus your communications on new and critical information. Time spent introducing new employees to company policies and procedures, as well as training those taking on new roles, could be significantly reduced. 

Easier and faster access to information means that your customers will be happier with your sales team’s rapid response to their questions and concerns, and you will know the collective expertise of your employees is stored in a safe, searchable location for future use.

What is internal knowledge base software?

Internal knowledge base software supports your employees by giving them a one-stop shop where they can search for the resources they need to best do their jobs. 

An effective internal knowledge base reduces employee frustration and promotes productivity by reducing the need for repetitive searches, integrating with employee workflows, encouraging contribution and collaboration, and ensuring content relevance and accuracy.

Some additional examples of software that could be considered internal knowledge base software include documents and spreadsheets, content management systems (CMSs), web portals, FAQs, or wikis. 

Some questions that can help you choose the best software for your team are: 

• Does this software let us share information with everyone who needs to see it?
• Is it easy to alert people about important articles?
• Are you able to quickly see when the article was last updated? And will the software prompt SMEs to update older information on a regular basis?

External knowledge base

An external knowledge base is created to serve users outside your organization—most commonly, your customers, partners, or the general public. Unlike internal knowledge bases, these systems are designed for self-service, giving users on-demand access to support information without needing to reach out to your team.

Ways to use an external knowledge base

External knowledge bases are often the first place customers go when they have a question or need help using your product. Common use cases include:

• Product documentation and user manuals
  
  
• Step-by-step troubleshooting guides
  
  
• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
  
  
• How-to videos or walkthroughs
  
  
• Policy information for partners or vendors
  
  

By offering clear, easy-to-navigate content, an external knowledge base improves the user experience and can significantly reduce the volume of support tickets your team has to manage. It's a win-win: customers get instant answers, and your support team can focus on more complex issues.

What is external knowledge base software?

External knowledge base software is built to publish and manage content for a public or semi-public audience. This software typically includes features like SEO optimization, content tagging, mobile responsiveness, and access controls to ensure the right people see the right information.

An effective external knowledge base:

• Makes it easy for users to find relevant articles via search or browsing
  
  
• Scales as your product, service offerings, and audience grow
  
  
• Can be customized to match your brand and voice
  
  
• Supports multimedia content like images, GIFs, and videos for better engagement
  
  
• Includes analytics to track what questions are being asked and what content is working
  
  

When evaluating external knowledge base tools, consider:

• Can users easily search and navigate content?
  
  
• Is the platform flexible enough to handle different formats and use cases?
  
  
• Does it support content management workflows for approval, updates, and version control?
  
  

Creating and maintaining a user-friendly external knowledge base not only helps your customers help themselves—it also builds trust in your brand and shows that you’re committed to providing excellent support.

Conclusion

A knowledge base isn’t just a content repository—it’s a strategic tool. Done right, it improves efficiency, reduces repetitive work, and empowers both employees and customers.

If you're thinking about implementing one, start by understanding your audience, picking the right platform, and building with scale in mind. And if you want to see what a truly AI-driven, integrated, and scalable knowledge base looks like, Guru’s a great place to start. Watch a quick demo now.