How to Disable Article Feedback in Freshdesk

Freshdesk is a highly versatile customer support platform, and one of its features is the ability to allow feedback on knowledge base articles. However, there may be instances where you wish to disable article feedback—whether it’s to avoid clutter, eliminate negative or irrelevant comments, or maintain a specific kind of user experience. In this detailed guide, we will walk you through the process of disabling article feedback in Freshdesk, along with the reasons why you might want to do so.

Why Disable Article Feedback?

Disabling article feedback in Freshdesk is a feature that is both easy to implement and invaluable under certain conditions. Here are a few reasons you might consider turning off article feedback:

1. Prevent Negative or Unproductive Feedback: When users leave comments on knowledge base articles, it can sometimes lead to unproductive or negative feedback. While feedback can be helpful for improving content, in certain cases, it might do more harm than good, especially when feedback is poorly constructed, irrelevant, or negative without basis.

2. Reduce Clutter: Customer feedback can sometimes clutter the page, making the knowledge base article look less clean and professional. By turning off article feedback, you can ensure that your articles maintain a sleek and polished look.

3. Streamline the User Experience: In some scenarios, article feedback might distract users from the content itself. If your goal is to provide straightforward information without distractions, disabling feedback ensures users focus solely on the article's content.

4. Simplify Moderation: Managing user comments can be a time-consuming task. Disabling article feedback frees up resources, as your team won’t need to moderate or respond to comments.

How to Disable Article Feedback in Freshdesk

Let’s get straight to the point: disabling article feedback is simple, but you need to navigate through the platform correctly. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to disable article feedback in Freshdesk:

1. Log in to your Freshdesk Account: Make sure you have administrator access to carry out these changes.

2. Navigate to the Admin Section: Once logged in, head over to the admin panel. This is where you'll manage the backend settings for your knowledge base and other features.

3. Access the Knowledge Base Settings: Inside the admin section, look for the "Knowledge Base" settings. This is where you can manage article settings, including feedback.

4. Select the Article in Question: Choose the article (or articles) where you want to disable feedback. Freshdesk allows for selective disabling, meaning you can turn off feedback on specific articles rather than applying a global setting.

5. Disable Feedback: Within the article’s settings, you should see an option for feedback. Simply toggle this off to disable feedback.

6. Save Changes: Once feedback has been disabled, don’t forget to save your settings.

7. Test the Article: Always test your changes by visiting the knowledge base and confirming that the feedback option no longer appears.

The Impact of Disabling Article Feedback

While disabling article feedback offers several benefits, it’s important to consider the potential drawbacks. Feedback can provide valuable insights into what users think about your content. If you're looking to improve the overall quality of your knowledge base, consider leaving feedback on but establishing strict moderation rules.

Alternatively, you could allow feedback only on certain articles—perhaps on more technical content where user input is critical—and disable feedback on more straightforward informational articles.

Data Insights: Does Disabling Feedback Affect Engagement?

Feedback, whether positive or negative, can be a sign of user engagement. While turning off feedback might reduce the level of direct interaction with your articles, it does not necessarily mean a drop in article views or usefulness. In fact, in many cases, disabling feedback might even increase engagement with the content as users can focus solely on the article without the distraction of comments.

Below is a hypothetical data table that shows the potential impact of disabling feedback:

| Feedback Status | Average Time Spent on Article (Minutes) | User Engagement (Page Scroll %) |
|---------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Feedback Enabled | 2.1 | 65% |
| Feedback Disabled | 2.5 | 70% |

This table demonstrates that when feedback is disabled, users may spend more time reading the article. This is likely because they are not distracted by the comments or feedback section, and they can concentrate fully on the content itself.

Best Practices for Knowledge Base Management

To maintain a high-quality knowledge base, consider the following best practices:

1. Use Analytics: Pay attention to which articles generate feedback and why. You might find that more technical articles need user input, whereas straightforward informational articles do not.

2. Update Articles Regularly: Ensure that your content remains relevant, regardless of feedback. Outdated articles may lead to user frustration, which is often reflected in negative comments.

3. Provide Other Channels for Feedback: If you disable article feedback, consider providing alternative methods for users to provide input, such as through support tickets or emails.

4. Moderate Comments Effectively: If you leave feedback on, make sure you have a team or individual responsible for moderating and responding to comments. Timely and thoughtful responses can build trust with your audience.

Conclusion: Is Disabling Feedback Right for You?

Ultimately, whether or not you disable article feedback in Freshdesk depends on your unique situation and goals. For businesses that prioritize a streamlined, distraction-free experience for their users, turning off feedback might be the best option. However, if you're looking to collect insights, improve content based on user suggestions, and foster a community, keeping feedback enabled is worth considering.

Freshdesk provides flexibility—allowing you to disable feedback on a case-by-case basis. With this guide, you now have the tools to make the right decision for your customer support experience.