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Internal Article Formatting Lost

  • Jul 21, 2026 8:37 PM UTC
  • 5 replies
  • 353 views

Natalia_N
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Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone has run into this before.

We're currently migrating our internal Knowledge Base into Intercom for Fin/CoPilot, but we're not manually creating each article in Intercom. Instead, we're uploading our existing documentation from Google Docs (exported as .docx) or as PDFs. We don't use Notion, Guru, or Confluence.

The problem is that every upload loses a lot of its formatting, making the articles much harder for agents—and Fin/CoPilot—to read.

I've already tried pretty much everything I can think of:

  • Using Normal text only (no Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)

  • Using bold text instead of Word heading styles

  • Keeping section labels (Purpose, Process, Before You Begin, etc.) as bold text on their own line

  • Using bold for step titles (e.g. Step 1: Verify the order) with normal text underneath

  • Keeping formatting very simple with basic bullet points

  • Uploading both .docx and PDF versions

The formatting still gets stripped or flattened during import.

Has anyone successfully imported a large knowledge base from Google Docs while preserving formatting? Is there a document structure or file type that Intercom recommends for the cleanest import, or is this just a limitation of the importer?

I'd love to hear how other teams are handling this, especially if you've migrated a large library without manually recreating every article in Intercom.

Thanks!

Best answer by Conor

I think you’re absolutely right here ​@melzayat . Use Claude Cowork, Claude Code or another LLM to connect to Intercom’s CLI, MCP or API (so many options). As a BONUS I highly, highly recommend you use this as an opportunity to make your content LLM-ready through a process like Fin’s 14-factor content readiness framework.

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5 replies

  • New Participant
  • Jul 29, 2026 3:21 AM UTC

We are in the same boat.  Formatting is non existent in Intercom article creation.  I have tried to create articles in word and cut and paste with no success, as you have stated the formatting is lost.  You have better formatting options here.  I have been asking our rep and this is something that should be a priority. 


Natalia_N
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  • Author
  • New Participant
  • Aug 19, 2026 3:32 PM UTC

​@Dave Alpers thanks! In the meantime, I had to manually format the articles on Intercom which was a tedious process but looking forward to solutions in the future!


melzayat
Innovator ✨
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  • Innovator ✨
  • Sep 5, 2026 11:42 PM UTC

Hi ​@Natalia_N! 
I had the same issue but then conencted Claude via MCP and it replaced it for me and kept the correct formatting. It does step over published articles (it can keep them on drfat for review first) but I definitely recommend it, it saves s lot of time :)


Conor
Super User ✨
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  • Super User ✨
  • Answer
  • Sep 7, 2026 10:05 AM UTC

I think you’re absolutely right here ​@melzayat . Use Claude Cowork, Claude Code or another LLM to connect to Intercom’s CLI, MCP or API (so many options). As a BONUS I highly, highly recommend you use this as an opportunity to make your content LLM-ready through a process like Fin’s 14-factor content readiness framework.


If the internal article formatting is being lost, I’d first check whether the content is being copied as plain text or passed through a formatter that strips HTML or rich-text styles. It’s also worth comparing the source and rendered HTML to see whether headings, lists, and spacing are actually being removed or just displayed differently. A useful tip is to test with a small article containing only a heading, paragraph, and list, which makes it easier to identify where the formatting gets dropped. The target keyword doesn’t appear relevant to this issue, so I’d leave it out.