Help center Core configuration Knowledge base Manage knowledge-base tags and audiences Updated Monday, October 26, 2026 · Marc Staine Knowledge-base tags help organize and find articles, support topic rules and provide reusable authoring labels. Their audience and lifecycle settings let administrators keep the vocabulary useful without exposing internal terminology. Applies to: Supportbench Core. Location: Settings → Knowledge Base → Tags. Access and available controls depend on your role and account capabilities. Before you begin Confirm you have the relevant knowledge-base administration permission.Identify the intended article audience and affected existing articles before changing shared configuration. Configure and verify Open Settings → Knowledge Base → Tags.Find the item in the list and open it, or choose the page’s new-item action.Enter a clear name and description. Set the fields below, including any scope, hierarchy, visibility or availability controls.Save the item and resolve any validation message. Reopen it to confirm the saved values.Check the relevant selection list or form using a user with the intended access. Repeat for an excluded user or division when scope is restricted. Settings reference Settings and actionsSettingWhat it controlsHow to chooseSearch / CreateFinds tags or creates a new name, up to 100 characters without commas.Search first to avoid duplicate concepts.Restrict tag creation and managementWhen enabled, only agents with Manage knowledge-base tags can create/manage tags; article editors can still use existing tags.Enable when a curated vocabulary is important. The setting does not grant permissions.AudienceInternal, External or Both.Choose whether the tag may appear on readable customer articles or remain internal.RenameChanges the shared tag name, subject to impact and workflow-reference checks.Review all affected article, topic-rule and template references.MergeMoves usage into an existing active target tag.Choose the canonical term and inspect the impact before confirming.Retire / RestoreRetirement keeps existing assignments but prevents new assignment; restore makes it available again.Retire obsolete vocabulary when history should remain intact.DeleteAllowed only when relevant usage counts are zero.Check article, topic-rule, workflow and template counts first.Usage countsShows where a tag participates in articles, topic rules, workflows or templates.Use these counts to plan a vocabulary change. Behavior to knowRename and merge can be blocked by workflow references. Resolve those dependencies deliberately.External and Both tags can be customer-visible on articles the customer can read. Recommended use Use clear, consistent names and keep the number of shared choices manageable.Review the effect on existing articles, templates and workflows before changing shared configuration. Worked example Search for a preferred product term and its old spelling.Create or choose the canonical active tag with the correct audience.Inspect usage and workflow references before consolidating an obsolete spelling.Check representative article and topic results after the change. Troubleshooting ProblemWhat to checkThe item is missing from a picker.Check Active, division access, parent hierarchy, enabled modules, and the user’s role. Reopen the consuming form after saving.The form rejects a save.Read the displayed validation message. Check required values, text limits and permitted scope; do not change unrelated settings to bypass validation.An existing record still shows an old value.A configuration change and a record change are different operations. Inspect the record and relevant references before assuming the save failed. Related configuration Knowledge Base → Organize knowledge-base topics and accessKnowledge Base → Configure article templates and AI authoring guidanceKnowledge Base → Manage knowledge-base tags and audiencesKnowledge Base → Configure shared article styles and callouts Was this article helpful? Yes No Thank you for your feedback.