GD Knowledge Base

GD Knowledge Base Pro, since version 3.1 supports the use of addons. The first addon released for it is Integration Addon for WooCommerce. This addon allows you to integrate knowledge base into your WooCommerce based shop products. Integration Addon for WooCommerce is not part of the GD Knowledge Base Pro plugin, it is an addon available as a separate purchase (if you already have the license for GD Knowledge Base Pro), or you can purchase it along with the main plugin.

What you need to know

Both GD Knowledge Base Pro and WooCommerce have own products, and the main thing to make knowledge base work as a part of WooCommerce is to link knowledge base products with WooCommerce shop products.

The main thing to know is that each Knowledge Base product can be assigned (or linked) to one or more WooCommerce products. This way, if you have WooCommerce product that has different editions, and each edition is an own product, you can link all these products to a single knowledge base product. This way, all the content you have for Knowledge Base own products, will be linked to WooCommerce products through the assigned products between the two.

Using GD Knowledge Base Pro products

GD Knowledge Base Pro plugin supports the use of products, but that is not required. So, with products, you can assign FAQ, articles, user guides or references to products. And that allows you to build a knowledge base for your products. Content lists always show which products are selected for each content entry. This makes navigation of the knowledge base easier, products can be navigated on their own and used to filter content.

Each product can be connected to bbPress forums, and you can have the support forum for each knowledge base product, and they can be linked by using the Related Product widget. Integration addon for WooCommerce expands all this by adding WooCommerce into the mix.

Connect products from WooCommerce product editor

When you open the WooCommerce product to edit on the admin side, the main metabox with product data will get a new tab called Knowledge Base:

By default, no knowledge base product is assigned. You can choose a product from the list, or you can create new knowledge base product based on the WooCommerce product you are editing. Once this new knowledge base product is created, WooCommerce product is assigned to it.

Connect product from Knowledge Base product editor

The second method for connecting products is from the knowledge base product editor.

This is done through Knowledge Base metabox and additional WooCommerce tab added by the Integration Addon. Here you can select from the list of WooCommerce products, and add one or more.

Integration addon for WooCommerce settings

The addon adds a panel with own settings into the GD Knowledge Base Pro Settings page with only a few things you can control:

You can enable FAQ and Knowledge Base tabs for WooCommerce products, show list of products on the Knowledge Base product page, and use WooCommerce purchase records to control access to restricted content.

FAQ and Knowledge Base tabs for WooCommerce products

Once everything is set, and you have content assigned to Knowledge Base products, and Knowledge Base products are connected to WooCommerce products, once you visit the WooCommerce product, you will see additional tabs:

FAQ entries are displayed as in any other part of the Knowledge Base plugin, using toggle controls for instant access to the FAQ answer when you click on the question. As for the Knowledge Base tab, it will show most helpful articles, user guides and references (different content types in GD Knowledge Base Pro plugin), with links to see all of them for the current product.

Restricted content control

Finally, there is one more aspect to using GD Knowledge Base Pro plugin that will be enhanced using the Integration addon for WooCommerce. Each FAQ, article, user guide and reference includes an option to set access rights: public (all can see it), private (logged in users can see it) and restricted (logged in users can see it, with extra filters to give website authors to hook their own method for checking the access rights). With this addon, you can use WooCommerce product purchase orders for logged in users and allow access to restricted content, only to users that purchased a specific product from WooCommerce powered shop.

If the user tries to access an article belonging to the Knowledge Base product linked to specific WooCommerce products, only users that purchased one of the linked WooCommerce products will get pass the Access restricted message.