Editing content blocks

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After you create or insert a content block, you can edit the content block as needed. You must be a Guide admin or an agent with permission to update content blocks to edit and update content blocks.

When you update a content block, it is automatically updated in the articles in which it is used without impacting the article status. You can access the content block editor from the content block list or from any article using a content block. When you edit and update a content block, all articles containing that content block are automatically updated in your help center to include the new content without impacting the articles' publication status.

This article covers the following topics:

• About editing HTML source code in content blocks
• Editing a content block from the content block list
• Editing a content block from within an article

About editing HTML source code in content blocks

If you are a Guide admin or an agent with permissions to update content blocks, you can use the content block editor to make changes to the content block and update all articles in which the content block appears. You can also edit the block's HTML source by clicking the Source Code () button at the end of the editor's toolbar.

If you are editing the content block HTML source, be aware that the content block editor removes class and id attributes from the HTML source of content blocks, with the following exceptions:

• Top-level div tags can use the class attribute.
• Heading tags, such as h1 and h2, can use the id attribute. If you don't specify an id, Zendesk automatically assigns one to headings. Content blocks don't support h5 or h6 headings.

If you are working with unsupported code, you can use HTML blocks to quickly access and edit complex HTML code in your content blocks. HTML blocks let you work with blocks of code that would otherwise not be editable within the content block editor, and to display them in a safe manner within your help center.

Editing a content block from the content block list

Guide admins can edit a content block from the central content block management list. When you edit content blocks from the content blocks list, you are editing the master version of a content block that doesn’t have any context of the articles in which it is used.

When you update the content block, your changes automatically appear in all published articles that contain it. To make sure you understand which articles will be automatically updated when you update a content block from this list, view the articles that contain the content block.

To edit a content block from the content block list

1. In Guide, click Guide admin at the top of the page, then click the Manage articles icon () in the sidebar.
2. Under the Content objects tab in the left menu, click Content blocks.
3. Click a content block to open the content block editor.
4. Use the content block editor to make any necessary changes.
5. Click Update. Your updates are saved and visible in all articles that use the content block. You do not need to republish the articles for the changes to appear.

Editing a content block from within an article

Guide admins and agents with permission to update content blocks can edit and update content blocks. You can update a content block from within the article that contains it. When editing a content block from within an article, the article remains open in the background. To return to the article without saving the content block, click the breadcrumb in the upper left corner of the window.

To edit a content block from within an article that is using it

1. Open the article that contains the content block you want to edit in Edit mode.
2. Hover over the content block you want to edit, click the Options menu icon (), then click Edit.

   

3. Make any necessary changes in the content block editor.
4. Click Update all articles.

   Your updates are saved and visible in all articles that use the content block. You do not need to republish the articles for the changes to appear.