Service · App development

Custom knowledge base website and app development.

One set of knowledge base content, two faces: a searchable website and a mobile app in which your customers or end users always find the right answer. Including a context-aware in-app help widget that travels with the user and shows the relevant article at the right moment.

Web + mobile appContext-aware helpAI searchOffline mode

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A knowledge base that goes into the app.

Most knowledge bases are standalone websites with no idea what the user is working on within the product at that moment. As a result, help stays generic and customers have to guess the right search term themselves. It works better the other way round: the knowledge base is built into your own app or platform and knows which screen, which flow and which role the user currently has.

We build custom knowledge base sites and accompanying mobile apps for software vendors, healthcare, education and B2B SaaS companies. One content source, multiple channels: a public knowledge base site for SEO and self-service, a mobile app for customers who need a quick answer on the go, and a context-aware help widget that travels with the user within your own app or platform.

The approach is fundamentally different from an internal knowledge portal for your own employees: here the audience is external, traffic is unpredictable, and the UX bar is higher. Customers expect Notion-level search and Stripe-level documentation, whether they access it on desktop or on their phone.

What we consistently see with clients: a fair amount of content already exists in Intercom, Zendesk Guide or Notion, but nobody finds it at the right moment. A better search bar solves that only in part. What really changes things is that help appears proactively — when the user gets stuck, not when they happen to go searching. That is why we focus on context-aware help as the core of the platform, with the site and app as derivatives of the same content pipeline.

Three types of knowledge base.

It depends on where your end users need the knowledge and how deeply it must integrate with your existing product. We will discuss which type fits during the introductory conversation.

Compact project · fixed sprint budget

Knowledge base site

A public, searchable knowledge base on your own domain. Mobile-first and responsive, with fast full-text search, category and tag navigation, and an editorial CMS in which your support team writes articles without developer involvement. Good for SEO and for deflecting support tickets.

CMS for editorsFull-text searchSEO optimisationFeedback loops

Mid-sized project · fixed sprint budget

Knowledge base app (iOS & Android)

The same knowledge base content, but as a native app for iOS and Android. Offline mode so articles are available pre-downloaded, push notifications for important updates or release notes, and biometric login for customer-specific content. Optionally as a PWA for lighter use cases.

Offline modePush notificationsPWA optionMulti-language

Larger project · fixed sprint budget

Context-aware in-app help widget

A context-aware overlay widget that travels with the user inside your existing SaaS product or mobile app. Based on the screen route and user role, the widget recognises which article is relevant and shows it straight away, without the user having to search. An AI layer on top of the same content answers free-form questions using your own knowledge base. Suited to SaaS vendors who want a scalable self-service model: instead of expanding your support team with every new customer, knowledge scales along with you without extra ticket volume.

Route-aware overlayAI Q&A on your own contentRole-basedSDK integration

What you get at the end.

A production-ready knowledge base across all channels, plus the content pipeline and measurement tools to make it genuinely useful.

Public knowledge base siteMobile-first and responsive, SEO-optimised, with a sitemap and structured data so search engines index individual articles properly.
Mobile app or PWAiOS and Android (native or cross-platform, depending on your use case), with offline mode, push notifications and biometric login.
Editorial CMSOne place where your support team writes, translates and version-controls articles. Changes appear automatically on the site, app and widget.
Context-aware help widget SDKA JavaScript or mobile SDK that your developers can embed in your own product in ten minutes. It passes route and role context so the widget shows the right articles.
AI search on your own contentA RAG-based answer engine that uses only your knowledge base articles as its source, with no hallucinations drawn from the open web. Every answer includes source citations.
Analytics dashboardInsight into which articles perform, where users drop off, which searches return no results, and which ticket categories decline since the knowledge base went live.
Maintenance contract (optional)Monitoring, dependency updates, security patches and ongoing development. Fixed monthly price, with four response-time tiers.

When a knowledge base should work across all channels.

Six situations in which we often guide clients through a knowledge base site with an accompanying app. If one of these sounds familiar, we'd be happy to talk further.

Software vendor

Support team drowning in basic questions

Customers keep asking the same questions because the documentation is buried. A searchable knowledge base plus context-aware help inside your own SaaS product takes these tickets off support's plate.

Hardware & IoT

Installation and troubleshooting flows

Customers install or repair their device themselves. A companion mobile app with step-by-step instructions, videos and QR scanning on the device itself saves a great many callouts.

Healthcare

Patient information in the app

After a consultation, patients look for information about diagnosis, medication or lifestyle. A validated patient app with knowledge base content is safer and more reliable than Google.

Education

Student app with learning assignments

Learning assignments, reference materials and explainer videos come together in one app for students. Offline mode means it works on the train or without wifi.

Banking & insurance

Customer self-service and FAQs

Customers search the banking or insurance app for instructions, policy explanations or terms and conditions. A context-aware help widget on top of your existing app lowers the threshold to self-service.

Retail

Product information via QR scan

QR codes on packaging or in-store open the right article in your app straight away: manual, video, warranty information or a ticket form. No detour via a generic homepage.

One content source, multiple channels.

The biggest risk in a knowledge base project is fragmentation. Three channels (website, app and in-product widget) tempt you into three separate content streams that gradually drift apart. We prevent that with a headless content architecture. There is one place where your editorial team writes, and all three channels consume that content via an API. A change in the CMS appears within seconds on the website, in the app (online or after the next sync) and in the help widget.

The technical stack is deliberately modular: a headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi or Directus, depending on your editorial volume and existing tooling), a Next.js or Astro front end for the website, a React Native or native Swift/Kotlin app for mobile, and a lightweight JavaScript SDK for the widget. The AI search runs as a separate microservice that all channels can call through the same endpoint.

For integrations with your existing stack, we draw on our experience with API integrations: ticketing systems (Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk), product analytics (Mixpanel, Amplitude, PostHog), authentication (Auth0, Cognito, your own IdP) and CRM platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce) fit seamlessly, without your own team having to design them from scratch.

How a knowledge base project works.

Introduction

A conversation in which we establish which questions your customers or end users ask most often, which channels you want to serve (website, app, in-product widget) and which content already exists in your support tools or Notion pages.

Content audit and information architecture

We map out your existing content, analyse ticket data and search logs (if you have them), and design a categorisation that works for both people and AI search. The result: a concrete scope, screen flow and migration plan.

Building in sprints

A working build every two weeks. We start with the knowledge base website and the editorial CMS, then the mobile app, then the context-aware help widget. You test along the way, and so do end users. After a few sprints, the first tier is production-ready.

Content migration and release

We import existing articles from Intercom, Zendesk, Notion or Markdown files. Multi-language content is pre-translated by machine and reviewed by your team. We coordinate app store publication and the SEO launch together.

Rollout and ongoing management

Analytics dashboards show which articles work and which searches return no results. Based on that, the knowledge base keeps evolving: we maintain the technology, and your team writes the content.

Frequently asked questions.

What clients usually want to know before starting a knowledge base project.

What is the difference between the knowledge base website, the app and the in-app help widget?

The website is publicly accessible, good for SEO and self-service from the browser. The app is for customers who need an answer on the go, with offline mode and push notifications. The context-aware help widget sits inside your existing SaaS product or mobile app and, based on the screen route and user role, shows the relevant article straight away. The same content source feeds all three channels.

How exactly does such a context-aware help widget work?

The widget is a lightweight SDK that you integrate into your own app or platform. With every screen change, your app sends along a context signal (which route, which role, which object), and the widget shows relevant articles, videos or an AI answer based on that. The user doesn't need to search; the right answer is already there. It is not a standalone pop-up but a platform for context-aware help within the app where your customer or end user already is. We connect the widget to the same headless knowledge base, so content updates flow through automatically without a new app release. The widget is fully stylable in your own brand identity and can be rendered as a slide-over, modal or inline embed.

Will you also build the AI search on our own knowledge base content?

Yes. We set up a RAG architecture (retrieval-augmented generation) so the LLM may only use your own articles as its source. No hallucinations from the wider web, and every answer includes a reference to the underlying article. For deeper AI functionality, such as an agent that carries out actions autonomously within your product, we combine this with our AI agent development practice.

How do we migrate our existing content from Intercom, Zendesk or Notion?

We build a content importer for your source. For Intercom, Zendesk Guide, Freshdesk, Notion and Markdown repositories we have standard converters; for less common sources we write a one-off import script via an API integration. Images, videos and internal links come along, and editors can tidy up after migration before go-live. Importantly, we map not only content but also metadata such as categories, tags, author attribution and article view statistics, giving your analytics dashboards a head start from day one.

What is the difference between a knowledge base and a support or customer portal?

A customer or support portal focuses mainly on transactional matters: creating tickets, checking status, viewing invoices or contracts. A knowledge base site or app is about answering questions before the user has to raise a ticket. They often work together: you can link from the knowledge base to a ticket form, and empty search queries can automatically start a support conversation. For broader customer portal projects, you may be better served by our page on document management systems.

Does this also work in multiple languages?

Yes, multi-language is a first-class feature of our setup. The CMS supports multiple language variants per article, with optional machine pre-translation (DeepL or similar) that your team then reviews. The site, app and widget automatically select the correct language based on locale or an explicit choice by the user.

What about accessibility and the visibility scan?

We build to WCAG 2.1 AA as standard. That means keyboard navigation, readable contrast ratios, alt text on images, ARIA labels on interactive elements and screen reader compatibility. In the final sprint we run an accessibility scan (axe-core plus manual testing) and resolve any findings before go-live. For public sites this is also legally relevant since the European Accessibility Act.

Can we connect the knowledge base to our ticketing system?

Yes. As standard, we connect the knowledge base with Zendesk, Intercom, Freshdesk or HubSpot Service Hub. It works in both directions at once: articles can be suggested directly from the ticketing system, and empty searches or negative feedback can automatically create a ticket so support can follow up.

What does a knowledge base site with an app cost?

The range is wide: a compact knowledge base site with a basic app is a different project from a mission-critical knowledge base with context-sensitive in-app help and multi-tenant white-label for partners. That is why we work with fixed sprint budgets that you can steer. In the introductory conversation we outline the scope and give you an honest direction, based on what you really need in phase one.

How long until the first version can go live?

A first tier, for example the knowledge base site plus editorial CMS, can be working and publicly available within a few sprints. The mobile app and the context-sensitive help widget follow in later sprints. A full project covering site, app, widget, AI search and multi-language is a project spanning several sprints, delivered in phases so that you gain value along the way.

Does the knowledge base also work multi-tenant for SaaS vendors with multiple customers?

Yes. For SaaS vendors we build a multi-tenant knowledge base layer: one codebase and one content platform, but a separate sub-environment for each customer or partner, with its own branding, articles and access rules. White-label setups for partners and resellers are standard. They get their own knowledge base on their own domain or subdomain, fed from central content where useful and their own content where needed.

How do we measure whether the knowledge base works?

The analytics dashboard shows, per article: views, completion rate (did the visitor read it to the end), feedback score (was this helpful), and click-through behaviour to related articles or ticket forms. At search level you can see which terms return no results, which forms your content backlog. Combined with your ticketing system, we can also see which articles are actually linked to tickets versus those only consulted afterwards. It is the foundation for a continuous improvement process rather than a one-off content dump.

Talk to us about your knowledge base project.

A no-obligation introductory call of half an hour. We listen to where your customers or end users are getting stuck, review your existing content and point you towards what will help straight away. If you have other items on your list, such as a document management system or broader AI functionality, we can map out the logical order.

Schedule an introductory call Or browse more case studies