Ever feel like you’re spending more time just looking for information than actually using it? You’re definitely not alone. Studies suggest the average employee spends a big chunk of their week, maybe around 20%, just trying to track down internal stuff or figuring out who knows the answer, according to McKinsey. That’s basically a whole workday gone, just searching!
An internal knowledge base is like your team’s shared brain – a central spot online where all your company’s collective smarts live. It’s the place you go for everything, from HR policies to those handy troubleshooting guides. Getting one set up can seriously boost how much you get done, make sure everyone’s on the same page, and really cut down on those repeat questions that eat up everyone’s time.
Putting one together might sound like a huge undertaking, but it’s totally doable if you break it down and have a clear plan. This guide will walk you through the steps, from figuring out what you need to making sure it stays useful. We’ll also chat about how the right tools, especially ones using AI like eesel AI, can make your internal knowledge base way smarter and easier for everyone to get to.
Why your team could really use an internal knowledge base
Just think about all those questions that pop up again and again every single day. Where’s the latest presentation file? How do I get my expenses reimbursed? What’s the exact process for handling a customer refund? If you don’t have one main place for this info, the answers end up buried in old emails, scattered across different shared folders, or maybe only exist in one person’s head (we often call that “tribal knowledge,” and it’s pretty risky if that person leaves!).
An internal knowledge base helps you tackle these kinds of problems head-on. It’s a great way to:
- Get more done: When answers are easy to find, your team spends less time digging around and more time focusing on their actual work. That frees them up for the more interesting, valuable stuff.
- Make onboarding smoother: New folks can get up to speed way faster when all the training materials, company rules, and how-to guides are in one easy-to-find spot. It takes the pressure off existing team members who would otherwise be answering the same basic questions repeatedly.
- Keep things consistent: With one reliable source for information, everyone is working from the same approved details. This is super important for keeping quality high in everything from how you handle processes to how you talk to customers and make decisions.
- Stop losing valuable info: When employees move on, their years of experience and knowledge can sometimes just disappear. An internal knowledge base helps capture that company know-how, making your business stronger and less reliant on just a few people.
- Work better together: Breaking down those walls between departments means teams can easily get info from other areas, helping everyone understand things better and making cross-functional projects go more smoothly.
- Help employees help themselves: Giving your team the power to find answers on their own builds confidence and encourages them to figure things out independently.
When you boil it down, a well-done internal knowledge base means faster problem-solving, more consistent service (which customers definitely notice!), and can even help cut down on unnecessary costs.
What kind of stuff should go into your internal knowledge base?
What you put in your internal knowledge base should really be whatever information your team needs to do their jobs well. It’s all about grabbing that important company know-how and making it simple to search for.
Here are some common types of content you’ll probably want to include:
| Content Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| HR Policies | Leave policies, code of conduct, expense policies |
| How-to Guides | Step-by-step software setup, troubleshooting instructions |
| Training Materials | Onboarding checklists, product training videos, role-specific learning paths |
| Company Procedures | Approval workflows, procurement steps, emergency protocols |
| IT Documentation | System architecture diagrams, software usage instructions, access guidelines |
| FAQs | Common employee questions, benefits explanations, security guidelines |
| Project Documentation | Project charters, timelines, requirements specs, retrospectives |
| Best Practices | Writing standards, design principles, customer interaction guidelines |
| Meeting Notes | Strategy meeting summaries, quarterly updates, team sync notes |
| Announcements | New policy updates, leadership changes, organizational news |
Try to focus on including things people ask about a lot, stuff that’s really important for daily work, or anything needed for training and compliance. The main goal is to make it genuinely helpful so it saves everyone time.
How to build your internal knowledge base: A simple guide
Building a truly useful internal knowledge base isn’t just about throwing a bunch of documents into a shared drive and hoping for the best. You need to think it through a bit to make sure people actually use it and find it valuable. Here’s a simple process to help you get started.
1. Figure out your plan and what you want to achieve
Before you even start collecting documents, think about why you’re doing this in the first place. Are you hoping to get fewer internal support questions, make it faster to bring new people on board, or just pull together information that’s currently all over the place? Setting clear goals you can actually measure (like “we want to cut down search time by 20%” or “let’s reduce how long it takes to onboard someone by 3 days”) will keep you focused and help you see if you’re succeeding later on.
Also, consider who will be using it the most – different teams will likely need different things.
2. Find and collect your content
Now it’s time to put on your detective hat. Where does all your company’s knowledge live right now? It could be in shared folders, old email chains, existing wikis, or maybe even just in the heads of your most experienced team members. Start by figuring out the most important stuff your team needs access to every day, like common questions or core processes. Gather up any existing documents, videos, presentations, or even record conversations with people who know a lot about specific topics.
3. Organize and structure everything
How are people going to find what they need once it’s all in one place? Planning out a logical structure is super important. Think about how you can group things using categories, subcategories, and tags that make sense for your company. You could arrange things by department, by topic, or maybe by process. The idea is to make it easy to navigate so someone could browse their way to information, even if they aren’t exactly sure what they’re looking for or how to search for it.
5. Pick the right platform
This is a really important step. The software you choose will make a big difference in how easy it is to build, manage, and use your internal knowledge base. You’ll need to think about how many people are on your team, what your budget is, and what specific features you absolutely need. We’ll talk more about what to look for in the next section.
6. Get it set up and decide who can see what
Once you’ve picked your platform, it’s time to get it ready and start moving your initial content over. A key part of this step is setting up who can see and do what. Decide who gets to view different kinds of information (especially sensitive stuff like HR details) and who has permission to write or edit content. Making sure it’s secure is absolutely essential for an internal knowledge base.
7. Introduce it and get people using it
Building the knowledge base is just one part; getting your team to actually use it is the other! Announce the new internal knowledge base to everyone and explain how it’s going to help them directly (like saving them time or helping them find answers faster). Show them how to find things and, importantly, how they can add their own knowledge.
8. Keep it fresh and useful
Think of your internal knowledge base as something that’s always changing. Information shifts, processes get updated, and new questions pop up. Set up a clear way to review and update content regularly. Maybe assign certain people to be in charge of different sections or articles to make sure they stay current. If information gets old, it can be misleading and people might stop trusting the resource.
Choosing the best software for your internal knowledge base
Picking the right tool is probably the biggest decision you’ll make when setting up your internal knowledge base. The software needs to be strong enough to handle your content and how you work, but also simple enough that everyone on your team will actually use it without a headache.
Here are some key things to look for:
| What to Look For | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Great Search | People can quickly find what they need, making the knowledge base actually useful. Look for smart search that goes beyond keywords. |
| Easy to Use | Should be simple for both readers and contributors. A complicated platform means fewer people will use it. |
| Control Who Sees What & Security | Important for protecting sensitive company information. Strong permissions and security keep data safe. |
| Teamwork Features | Makes it easy for multiple people to add, review, and approve content, keeping information accurate and complete. |
| Connects with Other Tools | Should integrate with tools your team already uses daily (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, Confluence, SharePoint, Notion, Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom). |
| Can Grow With You | Needs to support more users and content over time without performance issues. |
| Analytics | Helps you track what’s working, what people are searching for, and where gaps exist so you can improve the knowledge base. |
| AI Capabilities | Adds smart search, content suggestions, and even question answering — making the experience faster and more helpful. |
A strong platform combines smart AI and seamless integrations with tools like Confluence, Google Docs, SharePoint, Notion, Zendesk, and Freshdesk. Solutions such as eesel AI help tie everything together by connecting to these sources, powering smart search, and enabling AI assistants like Teammate AI so your team can find accurate, up-to-date information quickly and easily.
Tips for making your internal knowledge base a real success
Building an internal knowledge base is a great start, but making it truly valuable for your team over time takes ongoing effort and the right tools.
Here are a few ways eesel AI can help you make it a real success:
- Make it easy for users: With powerful AI driven search and instant answers, eesel AI makes it simple for your team to find what they need fast, without digging through folders or clicking around endlessly.
- Encourage everyone to share: eesel AI connects to all your existing sources, so anyone can contribute knowledge naturally through the tools they already use, like Google Docs, Confluence, or Notion. This helps build a culture of sharing without extra steps.
- Watch what is happening and improve: Use eesel analytics to see what people are searching for, what content performs best, and where gaps exist. This data helps keep your knowledge base accurate and relevant.
- Handle adoption challenges: eesel AI works smoothly with tools your team already uses every day, like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and helpdesks. This encourages adoption and makes using the knowledge base feel like a natural part of daily work.
- Fit it into daily workflows: Instead of forcing your team to switch apps, eesel AI brings knowledge directly into their existing workflows. Answers appear right where they are needed, making it easy to access and use information on the spot.
Get started building your internal knowledge base with eesel AI
Putting together an internal knowledge base is a really positive step toward having a team that’s more productive, works more smoothly, and knows more. It brings all your company’s important information together, makes processes easier, and helps everyone get the answers they need fast. Just remember, it’s not a one-and-done project; it’s something you’ll keep building, organizing, and improving over time.
While creating the content and figuring out the structure for your internal knowledge base is key, making that knowledge truly easy to get to and smart for your team. eesel AI connects with your existing knowledge sources, wherever they happen to be and to give your team powerful AI-driven search and instant answers. It really helps close the gap between just having information and being able to use it effectively.
Want to see how eesel AI can make your internal knowledge base work smarter for your team? You can start a free trial today (no credit card needed!) or book a demo to see it in action.
