Article-Type Layout
An Article Type Layout was the page layout assigned to a Classic Salesforce Knowledge Article Type.
Definition
An Article Type Layout was the page layout assigned to a Classic Salesforce Knowledge Article Type. Each Article Type had at least one layout that decided which fields appeared on the article record, in what order, in which sections, and with what visibility per profile. The layout was the bridge between the Article Type's field set (defined on the underlying __kav object) and the author's editing experience. A FAQ Article Type usually had one layout with Question and Answer sections; a How-To Article Type had a layout with Steps, Prerequisites, and Expected Result sections.
Lightning Knowledge replaced the Article Type Layout with standard Lightning page layouts assigned per Record Type on the unified Knowledge object. The concept survives, but the implementation is cleaner. Most production orgs migrated from Classic Knowledge to Lightning Knowledge between 2018 and 2022, retiring Article Type Layouts in the process. The term still appears in legacy documentation, partner blogs, and certification material from the Classic era; reading any such reference requires translating to the Lightning equivalent. The migration tool that Salesforce ships maps Article Type Layouts to per-Record-Type page layouts on the new object, but custom validation rules and dependent picklists on the original layout often need manual fixing.
How Article Type Layouts worked and what replaced them
The Classic per-Article-Type layout model
Each Classic Article Type (FAQ__kav, How_To__kav, etc.) carried its own page layouts. Admins built each layout in the standard Page Layout editor, dragging fields, related lists, and quick actions onto the canvas. Profiles or permission sets assigned a specific layout to each user, which let different audiences see different fields on the same article.
Sections inside an Article Type Layout
Article Type Layouts followed the standard page layout structure: sections, columns, and fields. Most Knowledge teams organised them by purpose: Overview at the top, then Audience-specific sections, then Internal Notes. The structure had to be consistent across all of an Article Type's layouts to keep author experience predictable.
Why Salesforce moved away from per-type layouts
The per-Article-Type model meant that adding a Knowledge variant required a new custom object plus a new layout. Cross-type reporting was painful. Authors had to learn separate edit experiences per type. Lightning Knowledge consolidated all article kinds into one Knowledge object, with Record Types differentiating them. Layouts now sit per Record Type on the single object.
Record Type layouts in Lightning Knowledge
In Lightning Knowledge, each Record Type (FAQ, Procedure, Release Note) carries its own Lightning page layout. The mechanics are identical to layouts on any other Lightning object. Admins assign layouts per profile and Record Type combination, with the same logic that drives layouts on Account or Opportunity.
Mapping during migration
The Salesforce Lightning Knowledge migration tool reproduces each Article Type Layout as a per-Record-Type page layout on the unified Knowledge object. The field positions and section structure carry across; custom code (validation rules, formula fields) often needs manual adjustment because field names change.
Profile and permission set assignment
Classic Article Type Layouts were assigned per profile, with no permission set option. Lightning Knowledge layouts can also be assigned through Permission Set Layouts, which scales much better for orgs with many roles. Migration is a chance to switch from profile-only assignment to permission-set-based assignment.
Validation rules and per-layout dependencies
Validation rules and per-layout dependent picklists carried per Article Type. Migration sometimes consolidates rules across Record Types, especially when many were duplicates with minor variations. The consolidation is harder than copying layouts because rules often reference field-specific business logic.
Where the term appears today
Article Type Layout shows up in Classic-era certification material, partner blogs, and AppExchange listings predating Lightning Knowledge. Current Salesforce documentation refers to Record Type layouts or simply Lightning page layouts for Knowledge. Treat older references as historical and translate to the Lightning equivalent.
How to migrate Article Type Layouts to Lightning Knowledge
Migrating layouts is mostly mechanical work plus a careful manual audit for validation rules and dependent picklists.
- Inventory current Article Type Layouts
Document each Article Type, its layouts, and the profiles assigned. The inventory becomes the mapping target during migration.
- Run the Lightning Knowledge migration in a sandbox
Salesforce's migration tool maps each Article Type to a Record Type and each layout to a per-Record-Type page layout on the unified Knowledge object.
- Audit each migrated layout
Walk every layout post-migration. Confirm field positions, sections, and required-field markers. Fix anything the tool could not translate cleanly.
- Migrate validation rules and dependent picklists
Recreate or consolidate validation rules and dependent picklists on the new Knowledge object. Field name changes often require manual rule updates.
- Switch to permission-set-based assignment
Use the migration as an opportunity to move layout assignment from profile to Permission Set Layouts. The assignment model scales much better at large org sizes.
- Validation rules and dependent picklists often need manual fixing post-migration. Field names change and references break.
- Profile-based assignment carries over by default. Use the migration as a chance to move to permission-set-based assignment.
- Article Type Layout references in pre-2020 documentation almost always translate to Record Type layouts in Lightning Knowledge.
- Custom Apex that references layout-specific behaviour may need updates if the layout naming convention changes.
Trust & references
Cross-checked against the following references.
- Migrate to Lightning KnowledgeSalesforce Help
- Page Layout EditorSalesforce Help
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Article-Type Layout.
- Knowledge Admin OverviewSalesforce Help
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is an Article-Type Layout?
Q2. How do Article-Type Layouts compare to standard page layouts?
Q3. In Lightning Knowledge, what replaces Article-Type Layouts?
Discussion
Loading discussion…