How to export internal and draft Zendesk articles to PDF

To export internal or draft Zendesk articles to PDF, have an admin turn on Allow internal editions in Tomewell's settings. Then open the manual, choose Internal under Edition, tick drafts if you want them, and click Build PDF. Tomewell includes the restricted articles you can see, and the drafts if ticked, in one PDF with a cover, contents and page numbers. Public editions never include either.

Public or internal

Steps

1. Allow internal editions. An admin opens Admin Center > Apps and integrations > Zendesk Support apps > Tomewell and turns on Allow internal editions.
2. Open or create a manual in Tomewell. Click New manual for a new one.
3. Choose Internal under Edition, and tick drafts if the manual is for review.
4. Add contents. Pick the categories, sections or single articles, or build by label (for example every article labeled policy) or by search words. The line under the lists counts the articles and says what was left out and why.
5. Mark it as internal on the cover. Use the cover note, for example "Internal: for legal review", and turn on the "Generated on" date so readers know which version they hold.
6. Click Save, then Build PDF on the Build tab.
7. Download the PDF and share it with the people who need it.

Who can see what

Tomewell runs in your browser inside Zendesk as you. An internal edition includes what the person building it can see. If an article is missing from the build, check whether that person has access to it in the help center.

Everyone who can open Tomewell can build saved manuals. Who may edit manuals is a separate setting: Who may edit manuals takes admin (default), agent, custom role ids or group:<id>. Saving still needs an admin, because Zendesk lets only admins change app settings.

Ideas for internal manuals

• New agent handbook: your internal how-to articles, escalation rules and product notes in one PDF, with chapters of your own such as "First week".
• Draft review pack: the articles about to change, drafts included, for legal or compliance sign-off before you publish.
• Audit copy: every article with a label such as policy, with the generation date on the cover, as a record of what the knowledge base said on that day.

A draft build shows each draft as it is now. It isn't a side-by-side comparison of revisions.

Keep it off the public help center

Publish puts a PDF in your help center's media library at an address you link from articles, which suits customer manuals. For an internal edition, Download the file and share it through your own channels instead.

What it costs

Tomewell is $79 per month per Zendesk account on Single brand or $149 per month on Multi-brand, billed monthly by Zendesk, with a 14-day free trial (card required). Internal editions are on both plans. Every setting is in the Tomewell documentation.