Knowledge Base Article Hygiene Review

Inspection template for auditing knowledge base articles for accuracy, currency, broken steps, and retirement or update needs.

Inspection Details

• Article title and ID recorded
  Enter the knowledge article title, article ID, and repository or portal name.
• Review date captured
  Record the date and time the hygiene review was completed.
• Reviewer assigned and qualified
  Identify the reviewer and confirm they are authorized to validate the content.

Content Accuracy and Currency

• Procedural steps match current process
  Verify the article steps align with the current approved workflow or SOP.
• Policy, system, and tool references are current
  Confirm referenced systems, menu paths, policy names, and tool names are still valid.
• Article reflects recent changes or releases
  Check whether the article has been updated for recent product, process, or policy changes.
• Outdated screenshots or examples identified
  Verify screenshots, examples, and UI references are still accurate and not misleading.

Step Integrity and Usability

• Steps are complete and in correct order
  Confirm the article includes all required steps in a logical sequence.
• Prerequisites, permissions, and dependencies are stated
  Verify the article clearly states any required access, approvals, tools, or prerequisites before the procedure begins.
• Broken links, missing attachments, or dead references found
  Check for broken hyperlinks, unavailable attachments, or references that no longer resolve.
• Article instructions are clear and actionable
  Rate whether the article is easy to follow for the intended audience.

Governance and Retirement Decision

• Duplicate or overlapping article identified
  Determine whether this article duplicates another article or should be merged with related content.
• Article should be updated rather than retired
  Select the recommended disposition for this article after review.
• Owner notified of required changes
  Confirm the article owner or knowledge manager has been notified of required updates or retirement.