Help Center Structure – Available ApS

A well-structured Help Center is the foundation for effective self-service and a primary driver of ticket deflection. The Help Center acts not only as a knowledge base, but as a strategic resource that strengthens customers' autonomy, reduces the load on the support team and contributes to a positive and efficient customer experience. By investing time in a well-thought-out structure from the start, it is ensured that customers can quickly and intuitively find the answers they are looking for.

The Help Center hierarchy: The building blocks of the knowledge base

Zendesk Guide is built around a logical and intuitive three-level hierarchy. The structure provides the flexibility to organise large amounts of information in a way that is easy for customers to navigate.

Category
  └── Section
       └── Article

Each part of the hierarchy has a specific purpose:

Sections

Within each category, sections are created. Sections provide a more detailed division and group related articles.

Purpose: To organise specific topics or tasks within a category.
Examples: In the category "Products & Features", sections might be "Product A", "Product B" and "Shared Features".
Approach: Sections can be thought of as "folders" in a category's "drawer". Naming is crucial so that customers can predict what content they will find.

Articles

Articles are the lowest level and contain the content itself – the concrete answers, guides and instructions.

Purpose: To provide precise, action-oriented information for a specific problem or question.
Examples: "How to reset your password", "Understanding your monthly invoice", "Troubleshooting: Missing notifications".
Approach: Each article solves one problem or answers one question as clearly and concisely as possible. A consistent article template is used to ensure a recognisable layout.

Structuring the Help Center: Best practice

Building a good structure requires discipline. The following principles are used to ensure that the Help Center is as user-friendly as possible.

1. Customer-centred logical organisation

Content is organised from the customer's perspective rather than internal structures. Relevant questions in the work are:

What is the first thought a customer has when a problem arises?
What tasks are they trying to solve, and in what order?
What words and terms do they use to describe the challenge?

By mapping the customer journey, a structure can be designed that feels intuitive and logical.

2. Clear and descriptive naming

Names of categories, sections and articles must be unambiguous and action-oriented.

Good examples:
- ✅ "How to create a new user"
- ✅ "Frequently asked questions about billing"
- ✅ "Guide to advanced searches"
Examples to avoid:
- ❌ "Article 123"
- ❌ "General info"
- ❌ "FAQ" (too generic; "Frequently asked questions about [topic]" is more precise)

3. Appropriate depth

A structure that is too deep or complex can create confusion and frustration. A simple and effective depth is prioritised.

Recommended practice: 2-3 levels (Category → Section → Article). This is the standard Zendesk is built for.
Pattern to avoid: 4+ levels (e.g. Category → Sub-category → Section → Sub-section → Article). This makes navigation more cumbersome and increases the risk that customers give up.

4. Consistent structure and templates

To create a recognisable and professional experience, consistency is ensured across the Help Center.

Structure: The same pattern for categories and sections, where possible.
Naming: A consistent tone and style in all titles.
Article templates: Templates are used to ensure a consistent structure, e.g. with an introduction, a step-by-step guide and a concluding summary.

Access control and visibility: Tailoring the experience

Not all information should be available to everyone. Zendesk supports the management of visibility, so that content can be targeted at different user groups.

Public articles

This is the default setting and forms the backbone of self-service.

Content: General information, how-to guides, product overviews, common FAQs.
Target audience: All visitors to the Help Center, both logged in and logged out.

Restricted articles

Restricted access is used to target specific content at selected groups.

Content: Internal procedures for agents, VIP-specific guides, information about beta features, sensitive data.
Target audience: Only specific user segments that have been defined.

User segments and Permission Groups

User segments are created in Zendesk Support to manage access. A segment can be defined based on criteria such as:

Organisation: Relevant for B2B customers, where a company should have access to exclusive content.
Tag: A tag such as "vip" or "beta_tester" can be added to a user to grant access to specific sections or articles.
User type: A distinction between end users and internal agents.

This provides a mechanism for personalising the experience and ensuring that customers only see relevant content.

Localisation: Supporting a global audience

When operating across borders, localisation is crucial. Zendesk Guide makes it possible to manage content in multiple languages.

Multilingual support

Languages are prioritised based on relevance to the customer base.

Primary language: Danish.
Secondary languages: English, Swedish, Norwegian, etc., based on markets.

The language switcher in the Help Center is kept clear and easy to find, so that customers can switch to their preferred language.

Language-specific content and translation

For each supported language, a version of the structure is created.

Consistent structure: Categories, sections and articles follow the same structure across languages for a consistent navigation experience.
Cultural adaptation: Content is adapted culturally, so that it feels natural to the user in the country in question.
Dynamic content: For short sentences or phrases that vary between languages (e.g. "Contact us"), dynamic content can be used for central management.

Search optimisation: Helping people find answers via search

Even a good structure loses value if content cannot be found via search. The search function is optimised on an ongoing basis.

Article labels

Labels act as hidden keywords that improve search.

Purpose: To improve search results, group related articles and analyse popular topics.
Practice: Relevant synonyms and alternative phrasings are added as labels. If an article is about "resetting a password", labels might be forgotten code, new password, login problems.

Search weighting

Important articles can be prioritised manually, so that they appear higher in the search results.

Application: Used to highlight new features, important security updates or articles that solve very common problems.
Basis: Weighting is based on a combination of business-critical importance and data about what customers often search for.

Optimising article content

The search engine in Guide also reads the article content itself.

Keywords: Relevant keywords are integrated naturally into the title, headings and body text.
Headings: H2 and H3 tags are used to structure the text, which makes it easier to read for both people and search engines.
The excerpt field: The excerpt field is filled in with a short, precise description of the article. The field carries high weight in the search and is often shown in the search results.

Operation and continuous optimisation

A Help Center is a living document that is maintained and improved on an ongoing basis.

1. Constant customer focus

Customer focus is an ongoing process.

Feedback: "Was this article helpful?" votes and comments are used to identify articles that need updating.
Search log: It is analysed regularly what customers search for without finding answers. This can be used as input for new article ideas.

2. Regular updates

A plan is used for reviewing and updating content.

Review calendar: Important articles are reviewed quarterly to ensure that they remain correct and relevant.
New features: When new features or changes are launched, relevant articles are created or updated.

3. Performance monitoring

Zendesk's built-in analytics tools are used to track the Help Center's performance.

Important metrics: Number of views, search results with no click, bounce rate and "Happy Customer" score on tickets.
Goal: To increase the proportion of customers who find answers themselves (deflection rate) and to ensure high quality in the most popular articles.

4. Testing navigation

Navigation is assessed from the customer's perspective.

User testing: Tests are carried out regularly, where people outside the support team are asked to find specific answers in the Help Center.
Questions: Can the information be found quickly? Is the path to it logical? Are there elements that create confusion?

Troubleshooting: Common challenges

Even with a good plan, problems can arise. Below are some common challenges and their solutions.

Problem: Customers cannot find articles, even though they exist.
- Solution: The search log is analysed to identify the exact search terms. Customers may use different words than expected; these are added as labels, or new articles are created. The structure is also reviewed to assess whether the article is placed logically.
Problem: Too many categories make the overview unmanageable.
- Solution: Related categories are consolidated. "Accounts" and "Profile settings" can, for example, be gathered under one overarching category. "Card sorting" can be used for input on a more logical grouping.
Problem: Incorrect access control settings.
- Solution: User segments and assigned permissions are reviewed. Errors may be due to a user not being assigned to the correct segment, or to an article being linked to the wrong segment.

The journey towards an optimal Help Center structure

Building a high-quality Help Center is a continuous process. The following steps are recommended to get off to a good start and maintain momentum:

Design the structure: Start with a whiteboard. Think from the customers' perspective and map the ideal hierarchy.
Create categories and sections: Build the skeleton in Zendesk Guide before writing articles.
Configure access control: Define user segments where restricted access is needed.
Fill it with content: Create the articles that are needed, based on knowledge and data.
Test and iterate: Let real users test navigation and search. Feedback is used to adjust the structure.
Monitor and optimise: Review data and performance regularly to identify areas for improvement.

By following this approach, the Help Center can be maintained as a dynamic and valuable resource for both customers and the organisation.