# What is Knowledge Base?

What is Knowledge Base? A central information repository (articles, guides, FAQs) accessible to customers and/or agents.

## How it works in practice

A knowledge base is the 'always-available assistant.' A customer searching 'how to return a product' on Google can find your help center before ever contacting support. 40% of customers prefer self-service before reaching out to an agent. A knowledge base saves money and improves UX.

## Related metrics

- FCR — a knowledge base raises FCR
- CSAT — self-service means low CES, which means high CSAT
- Chatbot — a chatbot relies on the knowledge base
- SEO — a knowledge base ranks in Google

## Common misconception

'Knowledge bases are only for big companies.' Gorgias and Tidio include a help center in their basic plan. 10 articles on common topics (shipping, returns, policy, cancellation) means 20% fewer inquiries. 3 hours of writing = immediate ROI.

## How to fix it

Knowledge base underused? (1) Check the deflection rate — what percentage of help-center visitors didn't contact support (target: 70%+), (2) search analytics — what are people searching for and not finding? → add articles, (3) visibility — link the help center in the header, email signature, and chatbot, (4) update articles with every policy change.

## Real-world example

Pet store: 300 inquiries/month. 45% were 'how long is shipping?' + 'how do I return this?' Built a knowledge base: 5 detailed articles + a header link. A month later: inquiries fell to 210/month (-30%). Agents freed up time for complex inquiries.

## Where to start

A knowledge base is a one-time investment with compounding ROI. Build it before growing your service team. First 10 articles: (1) shipping policy, (2) return policy, (3) order cancellation, (4) updating details, (5) payments and subscriptions — then follow inquiry volume.

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Category: Customer Experience · From the [Jimmy OS KPI Glossary](https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi.md) · Source page: https://jimmy-os.com/glossary/kpi/knowledge-base