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Structure Knowledge Base

Organize your documentation for maximum discoverability and usability.

Overview

A well-structured knowledge base helps users:

  • Find information quickly
  • Understand relationships between topics
  • Navigate confidently
  • Trust the documentation

Prerequisites

  • Inventory of existing documentation
  • Understanding of user needs
  • Familiarity with Diátaxis framework

Steps

1. Audit Existing Content

Create an inventory:

  • List all existing documentation
  • Categorize by type (tutorial, how-to, reference, explanation)
  • Identify gaps and duplicates
  • Note outdated content

2. Define Information Architecture

Create a hierarchy:

Documentation/
├── Getting Started/
│   ├── Installation
│   ├── Quick Start
│   └── First Steps
├── User Guides/
│   ├── Basic Features
│   ├── Advanced Features
│   └── Best Practices
├── Reference/
│   ├── API Documentation
│   ├── Configuration
│   └── Glossary
└── Troubleshooting/
    ├── Common Issues
    └── FAQ

3. Implement Diátaxis Categories

Organize by user needs:

  • Tutorials - Learning paths
  • How-to Guides - Task completion
  • Reference - Information lookup
  • Explanation - Conceptual understanding

4. Create Navigation

Build multiple paths:

  • Table of contents
  • Category pages
  • Search functionality
  • Cross-references
  • Related topics

5. Establish Naming Conventions

Use consistent patterns:

  • Descriptive file names
  • Clear page titles
  • Consistent URL structure
  • Meaningful categories

6. Add Metadata

Include for each document:

  • Last updated date
  • Author/maintainer
  • Version information
  • Tags/keywords

Best Practices

  1. Keep it shallow - Limit to 3-4 levels deep
  2. Use clear labels - Avoid internal jargon
  3. Group logically - By task, user type, or feature
  4. Provide multiple paths - Different users navigate differently
  5. Maintain consistency - Similar content in similar places

Verification

Your structure works when:

  • Users find information within 3 clicks
  • Search queries return relevant results
  • Navigation feels intuitive
  • Content discovery improves

Common Patterns

By User Type

├── For Developers/
├── For Administrators/
└── For End Users/

By Feature

├── Authentication/
├── Data Management/
└── Reporting/

By Journey

├── Getting Started/
├── Daily Tasks/
└── Advanced Usage/

Next Steps