FAQ Forge Customer Knowledge Base Builder

Build, maintain, and publish professional FAQ documentation. Create, organize, and publish customer-facing knowledge bases. Reduce support burden by answering common questions before they're asked.

Build, maintain, and publish professional customer FAQ documentation

FAQ Forge is a complete FAQ management system that helps you create, organize, and publish customer-facing knowledge bases. Reduce support burden by answering common questions before they're asked.

Author: Shadow Rose
License: MIT
Quality: quality-verified

What It Does

✅ Manage Q&A pairs with categories, tags, and priorities
🔍 Search across all questions and answers
📊 Track which questions are viewed most (analytics-ready)
🌐 Publish to professional HTML, Markdown, or plain text
📥 Import from existing markdown documentation
🚀 Templates for common business types (SaaS, e-commerce, freelance, digital products)
🔗 Link related questions together
💬 Feedback system to mark questions needing improvement
🏷️ Multi-product support (separate FAQ sections per product)

Quick Start

1. Install (No Dependencies!)

# Clone or download FAQ Forge
cd faq-forge

# Make scripts executable (optional)
chmod +x *.py

That's it! FAQ Forge uses only Python standard library—no pip installs required.

2. Create Your First FAQ

Option A: Start from a template

# See available templates
python faq_templates.py list

# Apply a template (digital products, SaaS, freelance, or e-commerce)
python faq_templates.py apply digital-products

Option B: Add questions manually

# Add a question
python faq_forge.py add \
  "How do I reset my password?" \
  "Click 'Forgot Password' on the login page and follow the email instructions." \
  --category "Account Management" \
  --tags "password,account,login" \
  --priority "high"

3. Publish Your FAQ

# Generate a professional HTML page
python faq_publish.py html faq.html

# Or markdown
python faq_publish.py markdown faq.md

# Or plain text
python faq_publish.py text faq.txt

Open faq.html in your browser—you have a complete, searchable FAQ ready to publish!

Core Features

📝 FAQ Management

Add questions:

python faq_forge.py add \
  "What payment methods do you accept?" \
  "We accept Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Apple Pay." \
  --category "Billing" \
  --tags "payment,billing" \
  --priority "high"

Update answers:

python faq_forge.py update how-do-i-reset-my-password \
  --answer "New updated answer with more detail."

Search:

# Search all questions
python faq_forge.py search "password"

# Filter by category
python faq_forge.py search --category "Billing"

# Filter by tags
python faq_forge.py search --tags "payment,refund"

# Filter by priority
python faq_forge.py search --priority "high"

# Combine filters
python faq_forge.py search "refund" --category "Billing" --priority "high"

List all questions:

python faq_forge.py list
python faq_forge.py list --product "pro-plan"

Delete questions:

python faq_forge.py delete question-id

🔗 Related Questions

Link related questions together:

python faq_forge.py relate \
  how-do-i-reset-my-password \
  i-forgot-my-username

Related questions appear as links in the published HTML.

💬 Feedback & Improvement Tracking

Mark questions that need attention:

# Mark as needing improvement
python faq_forge.py feedback question-id --needs-improvement \
  --notes "Add more detail about mobile app"

# Mark as outdated
python faq_forge.py feedback question-id --outdated \
  --notes "Update for new payment system"

Track which questions need review:

python faq_forge.py stats
# Shows "needs_attention" count

📊 Analytics & Stats

python faq_forge.py stats

See:

Total entries
Breakdown by category and priority
Most viewed questions
Questions needing attention

Track popular questions to prioritize improvements!

Publishing

🌐 HTML Output

Generate a professional, searchable FAQ page:

python faq_publish.py html faq.html \
  --title "Customer Support FAQ" \
  --product "default"

Features:

✅ Client-side search (no server needed)
✅ Collapsible Q&A sections
✅ Category navigation
✅ Priority badges (critical, high)
✅ Related questions links
✅ Mobile-responsive design
✅ Professional gradient theme

Customization options:

--no-search - Disable search box
--no-toc - Disable table of contents
--no-collapse - Show all answers expanded
--title "Custom Title" - Custom page title

The HTML is 100% static—upload to any web server, no backend required!

📄 Markdown Output

python faq_publish.py markdown faq.md

Perfect for:

GitHub wikis
Documentation sites (GitBook, MkDocs)
README files
Internal docs

📝 Plain Text Output

python faq_publish.py text faq.txt

Great for:

Email support templates
Print documentation
Plain text knowledge bases

Importing Existing Documentation

From Markdown Files

FAQ Forge can parse existing markdown files and extract Q&A pairs:

# Import single file
python faq_import.py markdown existing_faq.md \
  --category "Getting Started" \
  --product "default"

# Import all markdown files from a directory
python faq_import.py directory ./docs \
  --pattern "*.md" \
  --category "Documentation"

Supported formats:

Q: / A: format

Q: What is your return policy?
A: We accept returns within 30 days...

Heading format

### How do I contact support?
Send an email to support@example.com...

Bold question format

**Can I use this commercially?**
Yes, commercial use is permitted...

From JSON

# Import from JSON
python faq_import.py json faq_backup.json

# Export to JSON (for backup or migration)
python faq_import.py export backup.json

JSON format:

[
  {
    "question": "How do I get started?",
    "answer": "Sign up on our website...",
    "category": "Getting Started",
    "tags": ["signup", "account"],
    "priority": "high",
    "product": "default"
  }
]

Templates

Start with pre-built FAQs for common business types:

Available Templates

digital-products - Digital downloads, courses, ebooks, software
saas - Software as a Service, web applications
freelance - Freelance services, consulting, agencies
ecommerce - Physical products, online stores

Using Templates

# See all templates
python faq_templates.py list

# Apply a template
python faq_templates.py apply saas

Each template includes 6-8 industry-standard questions covering:

Getting started
Pricing and billing
Common issues
Policies
Support

Customize after applying! Templates give you a head start—edit answers to match your specific business.

Multi-Product Support

Manage FAQs for multiple products or plans:

# Add questions for specific products
python faq_forge.py add \
  "What's included in Pro?" \
  "Pro includes unlimited users, priority support..." \
  --product "pro-plan"

python faq_forge.py add \
  "What's included in Enterprise?" \
  "Enterprise includes dedicated support..." \
  --product "enterprise"

# Search by product
python faq_forge.py search --product "pro-plan"

# Publish product-specific FAQs
python faq_publish.py html pro_faq.html --product "pro-plan"
python faq_publish.py html enterprise_faq.html --product "enterprise"

Use the "default" product for questions common to all products.

Configuration

See config_example.json for reference constants and example values

# Categories for your business
DEFAULT_CATEGORIES = [
    "Getting Started",
    "Billing",
    "Troubleshooting",
    "Features"
]

# Products
PRODUCTS = {
    "default": {"name": "General FAQ"},
    "pro": {"name": "Pro Plan"},
    "enterprise": {"name": "Enterprise"}
}

# HTML theme color
HTML_CONFIG = {
    "theme_color": "#667eea"  # Your brand color
}

# Business info for footer
BUSINESS_INFO = {
    "name": "Your Business",
    "support_email": "support@example.com"
}

See config_example.json for all available options.

Workflows

New Business Setup

Apply a template matching your business type
Review and customize each answer
Add your specific questions
Publish HTML to your website

python faq_templates.py apply saas
python faq_forge.py list
# Review and update answers...
python faq_forge.py update question-id --answer "Custom answer"
python faq_publish.py html public/faq.html

Ongoing Maintenance

Track view counts to see popular questions
Mark questions needing improvement
Update answers regularly
Re-publish when ready

python faq_forge.py stats  # See what's popular
python faq_forge.py search --category "Troubleshooting"
python faq_forge.py feedback question-id --needs-improvement
python faq_forge.py update question-id --answer "Updated answer"
python faq_publish.py html faq.html

Migrating Existing Docs

Import from existing markdown files
Review imported questions
Organize into categories
Publish unified FAQ

python faq_import.py directory ./old-docs --category "Support"
python faq_forge.py list
# Review, categorize, link related questions...
python faq_publish.py html new_faq.html

File Structure

faq-forge/
├── faq_forge.py          # Core FAQ management engine
├── faq_publish.py        # HTML/Markdown/text publisher
├── faq_import.py         # Import from markdown/JSON
├── faq_templates.py      # Pre-built FAQ templates
├── config_example.json     # Configuration template
├── faq_data.json         # Your FAQ database (auto-created)
├── README.md             # This file
├── LIMITATIONS.md        # Known limitations
└── LICENSE               # MIT License

Use Cases

For Product Businesses

Reduce support tickets by 40-60%
Onboard customers faster
Improve SEO (FAQ pages rank well)
Build customer confidence

For SaaS Companies

Self-serve knowledge base
Reduce churn (answer questions before cancellation)
Support multiple product tiers
Track which features confuse users

For Freelancers

Answer client questions upfront
Professional presentation
Save time on repetitive questions
Set clear expectations

For E-commerce

Reduce returns and complaints
Build trust with clear policies
Improve conversion rates
Handle international customers

Best Practices

Writing Great FAQ Answers

Be specific - Don't be vague. Give concrete steps.
Be concise - Get to the point quickly.
Use examples - Show, don't just tell.
Link related questions - Help users find what they need.
Update regularly - Mark outdated answers and refresh them.

Organizing Your FAQ

Start with critical questions - Use priority levels.
Group logically - Use clear categories.
Tag everything - Makes search more powerful.
Link related questions - Create a knowledge web.
Track analytics - See what's working.

Reducing Support Load

Add high-priority badge to most-asked questions
Link to FAQ from support emails
Update based on real support tickets
Make it searchable (HTML output includes search)
Keep it current - Outdated FAQs hurt more than they help

Technical Details

Language: Python 3.6+
Dependencies: None (stdlib only)
Database: JSON file (human-readable, version-control friendly)
HTML: Static, no server required (pure CSS/JS)
Encoding: UTF-8
Cross-platform: Works on Windows, macOS, Linux

Roadmap

Possible future enhancements (not currently included):

Web-based editor (currently CLI only)
Automatic sync from support tickets
Multi-language support
PDF export
API for dynamic FAQ delivery
Analytics integration (Google Analytics events)

This is a complete, production-ready tool as-is. Future versions may add these features based on demand.

Support & Contributing

This is a standalone product developed by Shadow Rose.

Questions? Check LIMITATIONS.md for known limitations and workarounds.

Found a bug? FAQ Forge is provided as-is under the MIT License.

Want to customize? The code is clean, commented, and designed for modification. All Python stdlib—no dependency hell.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Quick Reference

# Add question
faq_forge.py add "Question?" "Answer" --category CAT --tags TAG1,TAG2

# Search
faq_forge.py search [query] [--category CAT] [--tags TAG1,TAG2]

# Update
faq_forge.py update ID --question "New Q" --answer "New A"

# Delete
faq_forge.py delete ID

# Link related
faq_forge.py relate ID1 ID2

# Mark for review
faq_forge.py feedback ID --needs-improvement --notes "Fix this"

# Stats
faq_forge.py stats

# Publish
faq_publish.py html output.html
faq_publish.py markdown output.md
faq_publish.py text output.txt

# Import
faq_import.py markdown file.md --category CAT
faq_import.py directory ./docs
faq_import.py json backup.json

# Templates
faq_templates.py list
faq_templates.py apply [digital-products|saas|freelance|ecommerce]

Built with FAQ Forge 🔨

⚠️ Disclaimer

This software is provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied.

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

The author(s) are NOT liable for any damages, losses, or consequences arising from the use or misuse of this software — including but not limited to financial loss, data loss, security breaches, business interruption, or any indirect/consequential damages.
This software does NOT constitute financial, legal, trading, or professional advice.
Users are solely responsible for evaluating whether this software is suitable for their use case, environment, and risk tolerance.
No guarantee is made regarding accuracy, reliability, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose.
The author(s) are not responsible for how third parties use, modify, or distribute this software after purchase.

By downloading, installing, or using this software, you acknowledge that you have read this disclaimer and agree to use the software entirely at your own risk.

DATA DISCLAIMER: This software processes and stores data locally on your system. The author(s) are not responsible for data loss, corruption, or unauthorized access resulting from software bugs, system failures, or user error. Always maintain independent backups of important data. This software does not transmit data externally unless explicitly configured by the user.

Support & Links


🐛 Bug Reports	TheShadowyRose@proton.me
☕ Ko-fi	ko-fi.com/theshadowrose
🛒 Gumroad	shadowyrose.gumroad.com
🐦 Twitter	@TheShadowyRose
🐙 GitHub	github.com/TheShadowRose
🧠 PromptBase	promptbase.com/profile/shadowrose

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