Knowledge article import
Key Takeaway
The article importer brings articles from outside Salesforce into Knowledge, packaged as one .zip file. To move Knowledge content from Salesforce Classic to Lightning Knowledge, use the Lightning Knowledge Migration Tool instead. For translations from a localization vendor, use Import Article Translations.
Salesforce Knowledge has a built-in article importer that loads articles from outside Salesforce, such as an old help site or an information database. You package the content as one .zip file and upload it from Setup. Most of the tricky parts are the file rules, the record type and data category columns, and what happens to rows that break a rule.
Which tool to use
If your content comes from outside Salesforce...
Use the article importer.
If you want to move existing Knowledge content from Salesforce Classic to Lightning Knowledge...
Use the Lightning Knowledge Migration Tool instead of the article importer.
If you want to bring back translations from a localization vendor...
Use the separate Import Article Translations feature. It has its own rules.
The article importer can also load translations together with their primary articles in the same import. The section on translations below explains how.