• Why did you decide to design a new document edit screen?
• What does the new document edit screen look like, and how is it different from the current edit screen?
• How do I test out the new document edit screen?
• Will authors in my group retain access to the current edit screen?
  • During "beta" phase
  • After broad release
• What does the timeline for transitioning to the new edit screen look like?
• How do I submit feedback on the new edit screen?
• Will the edit screen for "News" be changing?
• See Also

Why did you decide to design a new document edit screen?

Because the majority of the work KB users perform is centered around the creation and updating of documents, it made sense to focus our efforts in this area of the application.

Additionally, user research that we have conducted over the years has shown that the document edit screen routinely comes up when discussing pain points. Of these, we particularly wanted to address the following challenges:

• New authors find the number of settings overwhelming and are often unsure of which settings are necessary
• Authors with a variety of experience levels struggle to find settings that they don't frequently use
• Options to manage document status can be confusing, and authors sometimes unintentionally select the wrong option (for example, save changes to the draft version when they intended to publish them)

Our hope is that the new edit screen helps improve your experience when editing documents, especially as it relates to the items above.

What does the new document edit screen look like, and how is it different from the current edit screen?

For a detailed overview of the new edit screen, including the location of all document tools and settings, please see KB User's Guide - Document Edit Screen (Beta) Overview.

In general, all of the functionality available in the current edit screen can also be found in the new edit screen. However, many features have been moved around and re-grouped, and some have been renamed (and a few new features have been added).

One key difference is that we have changed the way we refer to document statuses. The new screen uses the following status labels, which relate to the same statuses you have always used:

• Save draft (In progress)
• Publish (Active)
• Submit for review (In review)
• Archive (Inactive)
• Move to trash (Delete)

These new status labels will be applied to the rest of the KB Admin Tools when the new edit screen is released on September 18th.

How do I test out the new document edit screen?

If desired, your group can opt in as a early adopter of the new document edit screen by following the steps described here: KB User's Guide - Enabling the Beta Document Edit Screen.

Please note that since the new editor is still in "beta", we may make further changes depending on what feedback we receive. We expect that most changes will be relatively small in scope, and we will notify early adopters if more extensive changes are found to be necessary.

Groups that do not choose to participate in the early adoption phase will automatically get access when the new edit screen is widely released on September 18th, 2025.

Will authors in my group retain access to the current edit screen?

Yes. Enabling the new edit screen at this stage will not remove the current edit screen. Instead, individual authors in your group will be able to choose either the current or new (aka "beta") edit screen when creating new documents or editing existing documents, depending on their preference.

• Note: Please avoid editing the same document in both editors simultaneously, as changes cannot be synced in real time while both edit screens are open. If you want to switch which edit screen you are using with a particular document, make sure you save your changes and close the edit screen you started with before opening it in the other version.

During "beta" phase

If you choose to enable the new edit screen prior to September 18th, you can get a preview of what how the options for document creation and editing will look here (see step 5): KB User's Guide - Enabling the Beta Document Edit Screen.

After broad release

When the new edit screen is released on September 18th, it will be presented as the default option for document creation and editing. Authors will still be able to access the original edit screen through a secondary option, which will be labeled as "classic".

What does the timeline for transitioning to the new edit screen look like?

Groups have the option to enable the new edit screen as early adopters up until September 18th. Those groups will not lose access unless they opt out again during this phase. During this beta phase, we are collecting feedback and working to address any reported problems as needed.

On September 18th, we will move into a broad release phase. In this phase, all groups will have access to the new edit screen (still alongside the current edit screen).

Eventually, the "classic" edit screen will be retired. We will base our decision to retire the current edit screen on the following:

• Any outstanding issues have been addressed
• Use of the new editor is outpacing use of the current editor

We will notify all users via an alert in the KB Admin Tools once we have a date set for the retirement of the current edit screen.

How do I submit feedback on the new edit screen?

For general feedback (either positive or negative), you can click on the "Feedback" link at the bottom of the right side panel in the new edit screen to access our feedback form. You will have the option to submit the form anonymously or provide your email address for potential follow-up from our team.

If you encounter a problem with the new edit screen, for example, if something does not appear to be working correctly, please submit a support ticket by emailing kb-team@doit.wisc.edu. This will allow us to troubleshoot the issue with you in more detail.

Will the edit screen for "News" be changing?

Not yet—the settings and workflow for news items are very different from documents, so this will be addressed in a later stage.