> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.skillsdb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Knowledge Documents

> Create, share, and publish written documents in Library > Documents — procedures, policies, and guides your team edits together and links to skills and careers.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Quick Summary:** Knowledge Documents are written documents your organization creates and edits together inside SkillsDB, in **Library > Documents**. You can start from a blank page or a template, share each document with people, teams, or roles, publish numbered versions, and link documents to skills, careers, training, people, and certifications.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Note:** Knowledge Documents is being rolled out and may not be visible in every organization yet. If you do not see **Documents** under **Library** in the left sidebar, the feature is not yet available to your organization or an administrator has hidden it.

# Overview

Knowledge Documents give your organization one place to write and maintain the documents behind its skills — standard operating procedures, work instructions, policies, onboarding guides, and reference notes. Each document is a rich-text page that lives in **Library > Documents**, so the written knowledge sits next to the skills, careers, and training it supports instead of in a separate file-sharing tool.

Several people can edit the same document at the same time. Everyone who has the document open sees the others' changes as they type, and a presence bar shows how many people are editing and viewing. Every change saves automatically into a working draft.

A document has a lifecycle. While you write, it is a **Draft**. When it is ready, an editor publishes it, which creates a numbered version and changes its status to **Released**. Readers always see the latest released version, while editors keep working on the next draft. When a document is no longer in use, a manager of the document can **Retire** it: it stays readable but nobody can change it again.

Access is controlled per document. Each document has an owner, and the owner or anyone with **Can manage** access decides who can view, edit, or manage it. Folders and spaces in the Browse view pass their sharing down to everything inside them.

Knowledge Documents are different from **Files**. Files are attachments uploaded to a person's profile from **Profile > Files**, such as certificates and training evidence. Knowledge Documents are documents you write inside SkillsDB. To learn about profile files, see [Files](https://help.skillsdb.com/core-concepts/documents.md).

## Prerequisites

Before you use Knowledge Documents, you need:

* **Feature availability:** Knowledge Documents is turned on for your organization, and **Documents** is not hidden in the company's library visibility setting
* **Permission to create:** Your role meets the company's **Who can create documents** setting (by default, anyone can create)
* **Access to a document:** To open an existing document, its owner or a manager of it must share it with you, or share it through a company link or a folder you can open

***

## Who Can Do What

What you can do with a document depends on your access level to that document. The library lists only the documents you can open.

| Access level | What it allows |
| - | - |
| **Can view** | Read the released version, read the version history, and export the document |
| **Can edit** | Everything in Can view, plus edit the draft, publish new versions, and save the document as a template |
| **Can manage** | Everything in Can edit, plus share the document, move it to a folder, and delete or retire it |
| **Owner** | Always has full access to the document |

Global Admins can open and manage every document in the company. When a document's company link is off, only invited people and Global Admins have access.

The company settings also decide two things at the role level. **Who can create documents** sets the minimum role that can author documents in the library. **Who can link documents to records** sets the minimum role that can attach documents to skills, careers, training, people, and certifications. Each setting offers **Anyone**, **Managers & above**, **Full Access & above**, or **Admins only**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Note:** Editing a document works on a tablet or a larger screen. On a phone, you can read the document but not edit it.

***

## Creating a Document

Create a document when you want to capture a procedure, policy, or guide that others will read and maintain. You can start from a blank page or from a template.

**1. Open the Documents library**

Navigate to **Library > Documents** in the left sidebar.

**2. Start a new document**

Open the page's **Actions** menu and select **Document** under **Add New**. You can also press **⌘K** (Mac) or **Ctrl+K** (Windows) and search for "New document".

**3. Pick a starting point**

In the **Create a document** dialog, select **Blank document** or one of the templates listed beside it. Use the search box to find a template by name, description, or label.

**4. Choose a document type**

If you chose **Blank document**, select a **Document type**. A template brings its own type, so this field does not appear for a template.

**5. Create**

Select **Create document**.

SkillsDB creates the document and opens it with the title selected, ready for you to type. A blank document starts as "Untitled document," and a document created from a template takes the template's name as its title. The new document is a **Draft** until someone publishes it.

If you do not see the **Document** option, your role does not meet the company's **Who can create documents** setting.

***

## Editing a Document Together

Editors can change a document's draft directly on its page. Changes save automatically, so there is no Save button.

When other people have the same document open, their edits appear on your screen as they make them. The presence bar at the top of the editor shows how many people are editing and viewing the document at that moment.

The document header holds the title, the document type, labels, a description, and the version. Select the title or **Add a description…** to change them.

If your connection drops while you edit, SkillsDB shows that the connection was lost and keeps trying to reconnect. Edits you make in the meantime stay in that browser window and sync once the connection returns, so keep the tab open until then.

If your access to a document changes while you have it open — for example, an owner changes you from **Can edit** to **Can view** — SkillsDB tells you your access changed and switches the page to read-only.

> [!TIP]
>
> **Tip:** A reader with **Can view** access sees the document's **View** page instead of the editor. Select **Open fullscreen** on the document page for a distraction-free reading view.

***

## Publishing Versions

Publishing turns the current draft into a numbered, released version. Readers see only released versions, so publish when a draft is ready for everyone.

**1. Open the document**

Navigate to **Library > Documents** and select the document.

**2. Publish**

Open the page's **Actions** menu and select **Publish**.

**3. Name the version (optional)**

In the **Publish this document?** dialog, enter an optional **Version name**. SkillsDB appends the version number automatically.

**4. Confirm**

Select **Publish**.

The document's status changes to **Released**, and readers now see this version. Prior versions stay available as read-only copies on the document's **Versions** page.

After a document is released, editors keep working on a new draft. A banner tells editors when the draft has changes that are not released yet. Readers do not see those changes until the next publish.

On the **Versions** page, you can open any released version, compare two versions side by side to see what was added and removed, and restore an older version. Restoring a version replaces the current draft with that version's content; it does not change what readers see until you publish again.

If you have **Can view** access to a document that has never been released, SkillsDB tells you the document has not been released yet. You can open it once an editor publishes it.

***

## Sharing a Document and Handling Access Requests

The owner and anyone with **Can manage** access decide who can open a document.

**1. Open sharing**

On the document page, open the **Actions** menu and select **Share**.

**2. Invite people, teams, or roles**

In the share dialog, type in **Add people, teams, or roles…** and select from the suggestions. Choose the access level beside the field (it starts at **Can view**), then select **Invite**.

**3. Change or remove access**

Each person or group with access appears in the list with its level. Select the level to change it to **Can view**, **Can edit**, or **Can manage**, or select **Remove access**.

**4. Turn on the company link (optional)**

Switch on **Company link** to let anyone in your company open the document from its link, then choose whether link holders can view or edit. Select **Copy link** to copy the address.

When the company link is off, the dialog reads "Off — only invited people and Global Admins have access."

If someone opens a document they cannot access, SkillsDB shows "You don't have access" and offers **Request access**. A reader who wants to edit can select **Request edit access**. Requests appear in the **Access requests** section of the owner's share dialog, where a manager of the document can choose a level and select **Grant access**, or select **Ignore**.

***

## Organizing Documents with Browse, Folders, and Templates

**Library > Documents** opens to a table of the documents you can open, with **Name**, **Type**, **Owner**, **Status**, and **Updated** columns (a **Labels** column is available from the Display menu). Use the Display menu to switch between the **List** and **Browse** views. Turn on **Always open in Browse** if you prefer Browse as your default.

**Browse** organizes documents into spaces and folders:

* **Spaces** are top-level containers. Only Global Admins create spaces.
* **Folders** live inside spaces. Anyone with edit access to a space or folder can add a folder inside it.
* Sharing a space or folder gives access to everything inside it, including nested folders. When you move a document into a folder, the document takes on the folder's sharing and keeps its own.
* Browse also offers **Recent**, **Starred**, **Shared with me**, **Activity**, and **Recently deleted**. Deleted documents stay in **Recently deleted** for 30 days, and their owner, the person who deleted them, or a Global Admin can restore them.

**Templates** let people start new documents from a reusable structure. To create one, open a document's **Actions** menu and select **Save as template**. Give the template a **Template name**, a **Document type**, an optional description and labels, and a **Visibility**: **Private** (only you can see and use it) or company-shared (anyone in your company can start documents from it). Open **Templates** from the Documents library's **Actions** menu to browse **My templates**, company templates, and **System** templates, or to start a new document from a template with **Document** under **Add New** in the **Actions** menu.

**Document types** categorize documents across the library. Global Admins manage them from the Documents library's **Actions** menu (**Document types**) or from **Company > Settings**. System types come with every company and cannot be removed. Removing a custom type moves its documents to the general type.

***

## Linking Documents to Skills and Other Records

Documents can be attached to the records they support — skills, careers, training resources, people, and certifications. A record's **Documents** panel lists the documents linked to it, and **Use existing Document…** links one from the library. A skill's **Linked Resources** tab also lists its linked documents.

Who can link and unlink documents is set by the company's **Who can link documents to records** setting (by default, managers and above).

A manager of a document can also turn on **Expose as AI Skill** on the document's **Settings** page. This lets the SkillsDB assistant read the document and answer from it, using only the released version. To connect an AI assistant to SkillsDB, see [Connecting Your AI Assistant](https://help.skillsdb.com/user-guide/connecting-your-ai-assistant.md).

***

## Deleting and Retiring Documents

A manager of a document has two ways to take it out of use, and SkillsDB offers the one that fits the document's history:

| Action | When it is offered | What happens |
| - | - | - |
| **Delete** | The document was never released and never shared | The document is removed from the library for everyone. It stays in **Recently deleted** for 30 days. |
| **Retire** | The document was released or shared | Everyone keeps read access. Nobody can edit it again. This cannot be undone. |

To retire a document, open its **Actions** menu, select **Retire**, enter a **Reason**, and confirm. A retired document shows a note with the date, the person who retired it, and the reason. Retired documents can still be read, exported, and saved as a template, but they cannot be renamed, moved, published, or shared beyond view access, and the AI assistant no longer reads them.

***

## Exporting a Document

Anyone who can open a document can export it from the document's **Actions** menu:

* **Export as PDF** downloads a PDF of the document
* **Export as Markdown** downloads the document as a Markdown file
* **Copy as Markdown** copies the content to your clipboard
* **Link** copies the document's address

An editor who exports a draft that differs from the released version gets a file named as a draft. Administrators can also export the library list as a CSV file with **Export** in the Documents library's **Actions** menu.

***

# Common Questions

> **Why can't I see Documents in the Library section?**
>
> Knowledge Documents is being rolled out and may not be available to your organization yet. If it is available, an administrator may have hidden **Documents** in the company's library visibility setting. Ask your administrator whether Documents is turned on for your organization.

> **Can several people edit a document at the same time?**
>
> Yes. Everyone with **Can edit** or **Can manage** access can edit the draft at the same time, and each person sees the others' changes as they happen. The presence bar shows how many people are editing and viewing. Editing requires a tablet or larger screen.

> **Do readers see my edits immediately?**
>
> No. Readers with **Can view** access see only the latest released version. Your edits go into the draft and reach readers the next time someone publishes the document.

> **What is the difference between deleting and retiring a document?**
>
> Delete is available only for a document that was never released and never shared; it removes the document, which can be restored from **Recently deleted** for 30 days. Retire is for any other document; it keeps the document readable for everyone and stops all future changes. Retiring cannot be undone.

> **Can Global Admins see private documents?**
>
> Yes. Global Admins can open and manage every document in the company. When a document's company link is off, only invited people and Global Admins have access.

> **How are Knowledge Documents different from Files?**
>
> Files are uploaded attachments on a person's profile, such as certificates and training evidence, managed from **Profile > Files**. Knowledge Documents are documents you write and edit inside SkillsDB in **Library > Documents**, with sharing, versions, and templates.

***

# Related Articles

> **[Files](https://help.skillsdb.com/core-concepts/documents.md)**
>
> Upload and manage file attachments on employee profiles.

> **[Search](https://help.skillsdb.com/core-concepts/search.md)**
>
> Find people, skills, training, and documents across your organization.

> **[Connecting Your AI Assistant](https://help.skillsdb.com/user-guide/connecting-your-ai-assistant.md)**
>
> Let your AI assistant work with your SkillsDB data, including documents.

> **[Favorites](https://help.skillsdb.com/configurations/favorites.md)**
>
> Pin pages you use often to the sidebar.

> **[Navigation and Shortcuts](https://help.skillsdb.com/core-concepts/navigation-and-shortcuts.md)**
>
> Use the Actions menu, the command menu, and keyboard shortcuts.

> **[Checklists](https://help.skillsdb.com/libraries/checklists.md)**
>
> Build step-by-step checklists and assign them to people.

***

# Need Help?

> [!NOTE]
>
> If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to your organization's SkillsDB administrator or contact [SkillsDB Support](https://www.skillsdb.com/support).


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.