Helpers

Helpers are template expressions that perform certain actions. Help Center has the following kinds of helpers:

Built-in helpers - block helpers from Handlebars available in all templates
Global helpers - custom helpers available in all templates
Shared helpers - custom helpers available only in specific templates
Advanced helpers - global and shared custom helpers that provide advanced functionality

Zendesk recommends using the most recent version of the Template API whenever possible. Unless specified otherwise, an example using a specific Templating API version is compatible with subsequent versions. For instance, if an example specifies V2, it also applies to V3 and later versions. However, if an example specifies both V2 and V3, then V3 differs from V2.

Note: Some helpers output different HTML based on your theme's Templating API version. These differences are noted in the helper's documentation. To check your theme's version, see About Guide templating versions in Zendesk help.

Built-in helpers

Help Center templates support the following built-in Handlebars block helpers:

if
unless
each
with

To learn how to use them, see Handlebars built-in helpers in the Handlebars docs.

Global helpers

In addition to the built-in Handlebars helpers listed above, Help Center provides the following custom helpers, available in all templates:

asset
calc
compare
concat
contains
date
dc
excerpt
filter
is
isnt
json
json_stringify
link
not
page_path
slice
search
t
user_avatar
user_name

Shared helpers

There are also some other custom helpers that are page specific and therefore are only available in certain pages:

breadcrumbs
form
pagination
share
subscribe
vote
change_password
my_profile

asset helper

{{asset 'filename'}}

Inserts the relative path of the specified asset.

Parameters

filename the filename of the asset

Attributes

prefix (optional) adds a prefix to the filename.
suffix (optional) adds a suffix to the filename.
cdn="legacy" (optional) specifies whether or not to use the legacy CDN for this asset to maintain legacy behavior for older themes. Only available for customers who migrated a theme to the new theming experience. For any new customers who created a Help Center after November 2017, this attribute is not necessary and should not be set.

Availability

All pages

Example

<script src="{{asset 'jquery_plugin.js'}}"></script>
<img src="{{asset 'background_image.png'}}" /><img src="{{asset category.id prefix='image-' suffix='.png'}}" />

Output

<script src="/zendesk_cdn_path/jquery_plugin.js"></script>
<img src="/zendesk_cdn_path/background_image.png" /><img src="/zendesk_cdn_path/image-12345.png" />

calc helper

(calc left "operator" right)

Subexpression that returns the result of an arithmetic operation. If the operation is invalid and cannot be safely performed, nil is returned.

You can also use the helper in a normal expression:

{{calc 1 "+" 1}}

The example renders 2.

Parameters

left the left operand of the arithmetic operation.
operator one of +, -, *, /, %, **.
right the right operand of the arithmetic operation.

Attributes

float (optional, boolean) the operation is performed with floating-point arithmetics. Default: false.

Availability

All pages

Example

You have {{calc settings.badge_count "-" user.badges.length)}} badges left to earn.

Output

Given settings.badge_count is 25 and user.badges.length is 10:

You have 15 badges left to earn.

concat helper

(concat "foo" "bar")

Subexpression that concatenates up to 10 string arguments. Any argument beyond the 10th string is ignored. If any of the arguments are not strings, the helper returns nil.

You can use the helper in a normal expression:

{{concat "foo" "bar"}}

The example renders foobar.

Parameters

str1 (optional, string) First string to concatenate
str2 (optional, string) Second string to concatenate
strN (optional, string) Nth string to concatenate

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{concat "a" "b" "c"}}

Output

abc

contains helper

{{#contains haystack needle}}  ...{{/contains}}

Use the contains helper to check if one string is contained within another, and execute a template block conditionally. The expression evaluates true if the needle can be found within the haystack. Otherwise, it returns false. The check is case-sensitive.

If the expression evaluates to true, the contains block is executed, if given. Otherwise, the else block is executed, if given.

Parameters

haystack (required, string)
needle (required, string)

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{#contains article.title "Urgent"}}  <strong>{{article.title}}</strong>{{else}}  {{article.title}}{{/contains}}

compare helper

(compare left "operator" right)

Subexpression that returns a boolean value representing the comparison result of 2 operands using a binary operator. If the operation is invalid and therefore cannot be safely performed, the helper returns nil.

You can also use the helper in a regular expression:

{{compare 1 "=" 2}}

The example renders false.

Parameters

left the left operand of the comparison.
operator one of the following: ==, >, >=, <, <=.
right the right operand of the comparison.

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{#if (compare user.badges.length ">" 0)}}  You have earned {{user.badges.length}} badges!{{else}}  You have not earned any badges, yet.{{/if}}

Output

Given the user has earned 2 badges:

You have earned 2 badges!

date helper

{{date timestamp}}

Formats a timestamp into a human-friendly string. The formatted string is localized for the supported languages.

Parameters

timestamp an ISO8601 timestamp such as "2015-04-23T13:32:58Z", typically expressed as a Help Center datetime property such as article.created_at

Attributes

format (optional, string) displays the date in a specific format. Can be any of the following values: short, medium, long and full
timeago (optional, boolean) if true, inserts the date as time elapsed since the present. Example: "2 months ago". Default is false. Only one formatting option (either format or timeago) can be specified at a time. format will take precedence if both are specified
class (optional, string) the HTML class to render

`format` options

You can use any of the following available formats to control the display of date and time stamps. The examples are for the en-us locale, but the formats will differ based on the locale setting.

Format	Example	Description
`short`	09/14/2015	A compact format only showing date
`medium`	January 2nd 2016	A date only format displaying full month name
`long`	March 3rd 2015 11:45	A long format displaying full month name and time stamp
`full`	Thursday, June 9th 2016 11:45	Same as `long`, but also shows the full name of the day

Availability

All pages

Example

{{date article.created_at class='metadata'}}{{date article.created_at class='metadata' timeago=true}}{{date article.created_at class='metadata' format='short'}}

Output

<!-- Text will be localized --><time datetime="2015-01-23T13:32:58Z" class="metadata">January 23, 2015 13:32</time><time datetime="2015-01-23T13:32:58Z" class="metadata">2 months ago</time><time datetime="2015-01-23T13:32:58Z" class="metadata">01/23/2015</time>

dc (dynamic content) helper

{{dc 'identifier'}}

Use the dc helper to show dynamic content translated according to the current locale.

Parameters

identifier indicates the dynamic content to be inserted and translated

If identifier doesn't exist, a default message is shown.

See this article to learn how to add new dynamic content.

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{dc 'example'}}
{{dc 'foo'}}

Output

Supposing that example is defined as dynamic content and foo is not:

<!-- 'example' was found, localized content is shown -->This is an example.
<!-- 'foo' not found, default message is shown -->Could not find the placeholder for dynamic content named foo

excerpt helper

{{excerpt string}}

Inserts the first few lines of a content item such as an article or post. If the argument contains any HTML tags, they will be stripped out before the text truncation takes place.

Parameters

string a content item, usually expressed as a Help Center content property such as article.body

Attributes

characters (optional, integer) the number of characters to display from the start of the item. Default is 120

Availability

All pages

Example

{{excerpt article.body characters=100}}

Output

<!-- First 100 characters of the article body followed by "..." -->Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqu...

filter helper

(filter collection on="property_name" attribute="string")

Subexpression that returns a collection on the specified property, containing those items where all of the specified conditions match. Returns an empty collection in case of an error. Omitting on or specifying an unknown property name will cause an error. Specifying an attribute not listed in Attributes below will cause an error.

Parameters

collection an array of Curlybars objects such as user.badges
attribute a condition such as starts_with or contains. See Attributes below for the full list

Attributes

on (required, string) a string representing the property of the objects in the collection. The value of that property is the subject to the filtering rules. You can use dot notation to access nested properties. Example: author.name. All the remaining attributes are interpreted as filters to be applied to the specified property.
starts_with (optional, string) a string value representing the asserted prefix of the subject.
ends_with (optional, string) a string value representing the asserted suffix of the subject.
contains (optional, string) a string value representing the asserted infix of the subject.
equals (optional, any) a value representing the asserted identity of the subject.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{#each (filter user.badges on="category_slug" starts_with="abc" ends_with="cba")}}  Matching badge: {{category_slug}}{{/each}}

Output

Matching badge: abc1cbaMatching badge: abc2cbaMatching badge: abc3cba

is helper

{{#is 'left' 'right'}}  ...{{/is}}

Use the is helper to execute a template block conditionally, given an expression result. If the comparison evaluates to true (the two values are equal), then the is block will be executed, if given. Otherwise, if the comparison evaluates to false, the else block will be executed, if given. The comparison is always based on the === JS operator.

Parameters

left value that will be used in the comparison. This is required and can be a path, a string, a number a boolean or a variable
right value that will be used in the comparison. This is required and can be a path, a string, a number a boolean or a variable

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{#is article.author.name 'John'}}  The author of the article is John.{{else}}  The author of the article is not John.{{/is}}

isnt helper

{{#isnt 'left' 'right'}}  ...{{/isnt}}

Use the isnt helper to execute a template block conditionally, given an expression result. If the comparison evaluates to true (the two values are not equal), then the isnt block will be executed, if given. Otherwise, if the comparison evaluates to false, the else block will be executed, if given. The comparison is always based on the !== JS operator.

Parameters

left value that will be used in the comparison. This is required and can be a path, a string, a number a boolean or a variable
right value that will be used in the comparison. This is required and can be a path, a string, a number a boolean or a variable

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{#isnt article.author.name 'John'}}  The author of the article is not John.{{else}}  The author of the article is John.{{/isnt}}

json helper

Serializes the result of an expression to JSON. It can be used to serialize data for use in JavaScript.

{{json 'expression'}}

Parameters

expression a Curlybars expression

The expression can be a property, a path expression, or a subexpression. The result of the expression is serialized to JSON. For example, a boolean value or a number is serialized as is, a string is serialized enclosed in double quotes and escaped properly, while an object or an array is serialized as JSON objects or arrays.

Some expressions are not allowed:

Expressions that contain a block helper (for example {{json (#is help_center.locale 'en-us')}})
this keyword when targeting the page context (for example {{json this}} outside a block helper)
Subexpressions working on collections (for example {{json (filter user.badges on="category_slug" starts_with="abc" ends_with="cba")}})

It is possible to serialize a helper that returns some HTML code (for example {{json breadcrumbs}}), but this is strongly discouraged because it is possible to introduce XSS vulnerabilities depending on how the HTML code is used from JavaScript.

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages, with Templating API v4 and above

Example

<script>  var signedIn = {{json signed_in}};  var locale = {{json help_center.locale}};  var articleLocationLabel = {{json (t 'article_location_with_title' title="Hello world")}};  var settings = {{json settings}};  var ticketForms = {{json ticket_forms}};</script>

Output

<script>  var signedIn = true;  var locale = "en-us";  var articleLocationLabel = "Location of the article titled \"Hello world\"";  var settings = {      "brand_color": "#17494D",      "brand_text_color": "#FFFFFF",      // ... other theme settings  };  var ticketForms = [{      "id": 123,      "display_name": "First Ticket Form",      "url": "/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=123"  }, {      "id": 456,      "display_name": "Second Ticket Form",      "url": "/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=456"  }];</script>

json_stringify helper

Converts a normal string into a JSON string that you can use in your JavaScript.

{{json_stringify 'string'}}

Parameters

string a normal string with unescaped newlines, quotes, or unicode characters

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

<script>  var title = {{json_stringify article.title}};</script>

Output

<script>  var title = "Setting the \"enduser\" value";</script>

link helper

{{link 'identifier'}}

Use the link helper to link to other pages in Help Center. This helper is available in all page templates.

This will render both the HTML tag and link text. A default string in the proper locale is used for the link text. For example, the new_request identifier will render the default "Submit a Request" string as a link. You can also customize the string by using the block version of the link helper. Example:

{{#link 'identifier'}}  Custom link text{{/link}}

If you only need a URL, see the page_path helper.

The link helper also takes care of hiding the link from certain users. For example, in a restricted Help Center you may want to hide the "Submit a Request" link from unregistered users. You can display alternative text when the link is hidden. Example:

{{#link 'identifier'}}  Link text{{else}}  This link is not available for you{{/link}}

Note that the alternative text won't be wrapped in a link tag.

Parameters

identifier indicates the destination page to link to

You can link to the following destination pages:

Identifier	Destination page
`help_center`	Help Center Home page
`new_request`	New Request page
`my_activities`	My Activity page
`requests`	Request List page
`contributions`	Contributions page
`subscriptions`	Following page
`community`	Community main page
`topics`	Topics page
`sign_in`	Sign-in page
`sign_out`	Sign-out page
`user_profile`	User profile page for a specific user
`posts`	Posts page
`search_result`	Search results page

Attributes

Varies from identifier to identifier. See below.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{link 'new_request' class='submit-a-request' role='button'}}
{{#link "my_activities" class="my-activities" role="button"}}  {{t "my_activites"}}{{else}}  <span>Activities are not available for you</span>{{/link}}

Output

<a href="/new_request" class="submit-a-request" role="button">  Submit a Request</a>
<!-- If user is not allowed to see My Activities page --><span>Activities are not available for you</span>

Link identifiers

help_center link

{{link 'help_center'}}

Displays a link to the Help Center home page.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'help_center' class='help-center-link'}}

new_request link

{{link 'new_request'}}

Displays a link to the page for submitting a new request.

If you use ticket forms (available in the Enterprise plan), you can link to a specific ticket form with the ticket_form_id attribute. You can get the id from the administrator interface in Zendesk Support or from the Ticket forms API.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute
ticket_form_id (optional, string) the id of the ticket form to display. Requires a ticket form that's visible to end users. Available only on the Enterprise plan.

Availability

All templates

Examples

{{link 'new_request' class='submit-a-request' role='button'}}
<!-- referencing a specific ticket form -->{{link 'new_request' ticket_form_id='1234'}}

my_activities link

{{link 'my_activities'}}

Displays a link to the page with the end user's activities. If signed in as an agent or Help Center manager, the link is not displayed.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'my_activities' class='my-activities' role='button'}}

requests link

{{link 'requests'}}

Displays a link to the page listing the end user's requests. The link is not displayed if the user is anonymous.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
sort_by (optional, string) the request attribute to sort by. Valid values: created_at and updated_at.
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'requests' class='requests-link'}}

request link

Displays a link to the page showing a single request.

Attributes

id (required, integer) the id of a request
class (optional, string) an HTML class
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'request' id=request.id, class='followup-link'}}

contributions link

{{link 'contributions'}}

Displays a link to the page listing the end user's community contributions. The link is not displayed if the user is anonymous.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'contributions' class='contributions-link'}}

subscriptions link

{{link 'subscriptions'}}

Displays a link to the page listing the content items that the end user is following. The link is not displayed if the user is anonymous.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'subscriptions' class='subscriptions-link'}}

community link

{{link 'community'}}

Displays a link to the community main page. The link is not displayed if the community is disabled.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'community' class='community-entrance' role='button'}}

topics link

{{link 'topics'}}

Displays a link to the page that lists all community topics. The link is not displayed if the community is disabled.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'topics' class='community-topics-link' role='button'}}

sign_in link

{{link 'sign_in'}}

If your Help Center requires users to sign in and the user is not signed-in, displays a link to the page for signing-in.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'sign_in' class='submit-a-request'}}

sign_out link

{{link 'sign_out'}}

Render a link to the home page for signing-out. The link will be hidden in preview mode.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'sign_out' class='sign-out'}}

user_profile link

{{link 'user_profile' id=user.id}}

Displays a link to the user's profile page

If user profiles are enabled, links to the user's profile
If user profiles are disabled, links to the agent interface if the current user is an agent. Otherwise displays the body without linking

Attributes

id (required, id) the user's id
class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

On the User Profile page:

{{link 'user_profile' id=user.id class='user-profile-link'}}

On the Article Page:

{{#each comments}}  {{link 'user_profile' id=author.id class='user-profile-link'}}{{/each comments}}

posts link

{{link 'posts'}}

Displays a link to the posts page.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'posts' class='posts-link'}}

search result link

{{link 'search_result'}}

Displays a link to the search results page. If the content_tag_id attribute is used, it links to the search page rendering the results that are tagged with the given content tag.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute
content_tag_id (optional, string) the id of the content tag

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'search_result' class='search-link'}}

survey response link

{{link 'survey_response' id=satisfaction_response.id}}

Displays a link to the survey response page.

Attributes

id (required, string) the id of the survey response page. There is currently only one type of survey response page, satisfaction_response (see example)
class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role
selected (optional, string) the HTML aria-selected attribute. Can be "true" or "false"
target (optional, string) the HTML target attribute

Availability

All templates

Example

{{link 'survey_response' id='01HQR4A69V05DQ0THE4TXNGQHR'}}

not helper

(not value)

Subexpression that returns the negated value of the argument.

Parameters

value the value to be negated.

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{if (not settings.supress_warnings)}}  You have been warned.{{/if}}

Output

Given settings.supress_warnings is set to false:

You have been warned.

page_path helper

{{page_path 'identifier'}}

If you don't need the HTML and link text rendered by the link helper, you can use the page_path helper. It's available in all Help Center pages.

Parameters

identifier indicates the destination page to link to

The identifiers are the same as the link helper.

Attributes

The attributes are also the same, except for the CSS-related ones like class, role and selected, which aren't supported.

Availability

All pages

Example

{{page_path 'new_request' ticket_form_id='1234'}}

Output

/path_to_request_form

search helper

{{search}}

Inserts a search box.

Parameters

None.

Attributes

scoped (optional, boolean) If scoped is true and the helper is on the category, section, or article page, searches only the articles in the current category. If the helper is on the topic or post page, searches only the posts in the current topic. Default is false.
submit (optional, boolean) If true, render the submit button. Default is false.
instant (optional, boolean) If true, enables Instant Search to provide HC article suggestions while you type in the search box. Instant Search article suggestions do not respect the scoped parameter if it is set.
class (optional, string) class name to be added to the form
placeholder (optional, string) placeholder value for the search input element

Availability

All pages

Example

{{search}}

Output

If inserted in the Home page:

<form accept-charset="UTF-8" action="/hc/en-us/search" class="search" method="get" role="search">  <input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="&#x2713;" />  <input id="query" name="query" placeholder="Search" type="search" />  <input name="commit" type="submit" value="Search" /></form>

slice helper

(slice collection start length)

Subexpression that returns a sub-array starting at the start index and continuing for length elements. Negative indices count backward from the end of the array. Returns an empty array if the starting index is out of range.

Parameters

collection an array of Curlybars objects such as user.badges.
start a number representing the start index of the array.
length a number representing the number of elements to follow after the start index.

Attributes

None.

Availability

All pages

Example

Positive start index:{{#each (slice user.badges 0 3)}}  - Matching badge: {{name}}{{/each}}
Negative start index:{{#each (slice user.badges -3 3)}}  - Matching badge: {{name}}{{/each}}

Output

Given an array of badges with the names: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5:

Positive start index:- Matching badge: 1- Matching badge: 2- Matching badge: 3
Negative start index:- Matching badge: 3- Matching badge: 4- Matching badge: 5

user_avatar helper

{{user_avatar class='user_avatar'}}

Use the user_avatar helper to insert the current user avatar image. An image is always shown, anonymous users see a default fallback avatar image. For performance reasons Help Center uses a special internal data attribute in the generated HTML image element to load the actual image file using JavaScript.

Parameters

None.

Attributes

class (optional, string) a space separated list of class names that will be added to the generated <img> tag

Availability

All pages

Example

{{user_avatar class='rounded-avatar'}}

Output

<img alt="Avatar" class="rounded-avatar" src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/123456" />

user_name helper

{{user_name}}

Use the user_name helper to insert the current user name or alias. For performance reasons Help Center uses a special internal data attribute in an empty HTML span element to load the name using JavaScript.

Parameters

None.

Attributes

None

Availability

All pages

Example

{{user_name}}

Output

<span data-user-name="[user name or alias]">[user name or alias]</span>

t (translation) helper

{{t 'key'}}

Use the t helper to show translated texts for each locale available in your Help Center.

Parameters

key the key for the translated text. See the available keys below.

Attributes

Some keys accept one or more of the following optional attributes.

Attribute	Type
`count`	integer
`content_tag`	string
`due_date`	string
`editor_name`	string
`name`	string
`query`	string
`request_name`	string
`request_number`	integer
`scope_name`	string
`total`	integer
`upvotes`	integer

Availability

All pages

Example

{{t 'back_to_homepage'}}{{t 'post_count' count=1}}{{t 'show_all_articles' count=section.article_count}}{{t 'found_helpful' upvotes=article.upvote_count total=article.vote_count}}

Output

Take me back to the home page7 postsSee all 13 articles4 out of 5 found this helpful

Available keys

You can use any of the following available keys to display translated strings.

Keys	English translation	Notes
`activity_overview`	Activity overview
`add_comment`	Add comment
`add_to_conversation`	Add to conversation
`all`	All
`all_posts`	All community posts
`article_location_with_title`	Location of the article titled `%{title}`	Accepts a 'title' attribute.
`articles`	Articles
`articles_in_section`	Articles in this section
`assignee`	Assigned to
`attachments_heading`	Attachments
`back_to_homepage`	Take me back to the home page
`badges`	Badges
`badges_awarded`	Awarded
`badges_description`	Recently awarded badges to `%{name}`	Accepts a 'name' attribute.
`browse`	browse
`browse_community`	Community
`browse_help_center`	Browse Help Center
`browse_knowledge_base`	Browse Knowledge Base
`categories`	Categories
`ccd_requests`	Requests I'm CC'd on
`ccs`	CCs
`ccs_description`	The following people will also be notified when this request is updated:
`comment`	comment/comments	The word 'comment' in singular or plural form. Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`comment_edited`	Edited by `%{editor_name}`	Accepts an 'editor_name' attribute.
`comment_location_with_author_name`	Location of the comment by `%{author_name}`	Accepts an 'author_name' attribute.
`comments`	Comments
`comments_count`	`%{count}` comment/comments	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`community`	Community
`community_topics`	Community Topics
`content_tags_description`	Add content tags to help people find related content
`content_tags_label`	Related to
`contributions`	Contributions
`download`	Download
`edited`	Edited
`empty`	empty
`external_content_location_with_title`	Location of the external content titled `%{title}`	Accepts a 'title' attribute.
`featured`	Featured
`featured_posts`	Featured posts
`filter_by_category`	By Category
`filter_by_help_center`	By Help Center
`filter_by_topic`	By Topic
`filter_by_type`	By Type
`filter_content_tag`	Related to
`filter_source`	Source
`filter_type`	Type
`followed_by`	Followed by
`follower_count`	`%{count}` followers	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`following`	Following
`following_users`	Following	Signifies that the subject of the subscription is a user instead of content.
`followup`	Follow-up
`found_helpful`	`%{upvotes}` out of `%{total}` found this helpful	Show number of up votes out of the total. Accepts 'upvotes' and 'total' attributes.
`go_to_comments`	Go to comments section
`go_to_help_center`	You can also go to the help center home page
`group`	Group
`home`	Home
`home_page`	`%{name}` Help Center home page	Accepts a 'name' attribute.
`internal`	Only visible to agents and managers
`join_conversation`	Join the conversation
`knowledge_base`	Knowledge Base
`mark_as_solved`	Mark as solved
`mark_as_solved_and_submit`	Mark as solved & Submit
`member_since`	Member since
`logo`	Logo
`latest_activity`	Latest activity by `%{name}`	Accepts a 'name' attribute.
`mistyped_address_or_moved_page`	You have mistyped the address or the page may have moved.
`more_awards_to`	1 more awarded badge for `%{name}/%{count}` more awarded badges for `%{name}`	Accepts 'count' and 'name' attributes.
`my_activities`	My activities
`my_profile`	My profile
`my_requests`	My requests
`my_subscriptions`	My subscriptions
`new_post`	New post
`no_activity_yet`	No activity yet
`no_articles`	Nothing here yet. Articles will appear here.
`no_badges`	You currently have no badges.
`no_comments`	Nothing here yet. Comments will appear here.
`no_content`	Nothing to see here yet.
`no_content_yet`	No content yet. Engage in the conversation to activate your profile.
`no_contributions`	You currently have no contributions.
`no_featured_posts`	No featured posts yet.
`no_posts`	Nothing here yet. Posts will appear here.
`no_posts_with_filter`	No posts for the selected filter
`no_requests`	No requests found
`no_results`	No results for `%{query}`	Accepts a 'query' attribute.
`no_results_unified`	Try searching another keyword.
`no_results_unified_enter_keywords`	Enter your keywords in the search field.
`no_results_unified_start_new_search`	Start a new search
`no_subscriptions`	You currently have no subscriptions
`nonexistent_page`	The page you were looking for doesn't exist
`not_authorized`	You're not authorized to access this page.
`not_following`	You are not following anything yet.
`official_comment`	Official comment
`oops`	oops.
`open_user_in_support`	Open user in Zendesk Support
`optional`	optional
`organization`	Organization
`organization_requests`	Organization requests
`pagination_next`	Next
`pagination_previous`	Previous
`pagination_first`	First
`pagination_last`	Last
`pending_approval`	Pending approval
`pinned`	Pinned
`plus_more`	`+%{count}` more	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`post`	Post
`post_count`	`%{count}` post/posts	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`post_location_with_title`	Location of the post titled `%{title}`	Accepts a 'title' attribute.
`posts`	Posts
`preview_result_header`	No results for `%{query}`/Result for `%{query}`/Results for `%{query}`	Accepts a 'query' attribute.
`priority`	Priority
`private`	Private
`private_activity`	This user's activity is private.
`profile`	Profile
`promoted`	Promoted
`promoted_articles`	Promoted articles
`related_articles`	Related articles
`request`	Request `#%{request_number}`	Accepts a 'request_number' attribute
`requests`	Requests
`requests_search_results_info`	No results/1 result/`%{count}` results for `%{query}`	Accepts 'count' and 'query' attributes.
`results`	No results/One result/%`{count}` results for `%{query}`	Accepts 'count' and 'query' attributes.
`results_content_tag`	No results/One result/`%{count}` results related to `%{content_tag}`	Accepts 'count' and 'content_tag' attributes.
`results_with_scope`	No results/One result/`%{count}` results for `%{query}` in `%{scope_name}`	Accepts 'count', 'query' and 'scope_name' attributes.
`return_to_top`	Return to top
`sign_in`	Sign in
`search`	Search
`search_clear`	Clear search
`search_result_source_menu`	Search Result Source Menu
`search_result_subfilter_menu`	Search Result Subfilters Menu
`search_result_type_menu`	Search results
`search_results`	Search results
`see_all_sections`	See all sections...
`see_more`	See more
`see_more_community`	See 1 Community result/See all `%{count}` Community results	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`see_more_knowledge_base`	See 1 knowledge base result/See all `%{count}` knowledge base results	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`share`	Share
`show_all_articles`	See all `%{count}` articles	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`show_all_posts`	Show all posts
`show_more_categories`	Show more categories
`show_more_help_centers`	Show more Help Centers
`show_more_sources`	Show more sources
`show_more_topics`	Show more topics
`show_topics`	Show topics
`skip_navigation`	Skip to main content
`sort_by`	Sort by
`submit`	Submit
`submit_a_request`	Submit a request
`submitted_by`	`%{requester_name}` submitted this request	Accepts a 'requester_name' attribute.
`subscriptions`	Subscriptions
`suggest_new_post`	Didn't find what you were looking for?
`task_due_date`	(Due on `%{due_date}`)	Accepts a 'due_date' attribute.
`team_member`	User (`%{name}`) is a team member	Accepts a 'name' attribute.
`ticket_details`	Ticket details
`toggle_navigation`	Toggle navigation menu
`topics`	Topics
`total_activity`	Total activity
`updated`	Updated
`users_count`	0 users/1 user/`%{count}` users	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`view_comment`	View comment
`vote`	vote/votes	The word 'vote' in singular or plural form. Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`votes`	Votes
`votes_count`	0 votes/1 vote/`%{count}` votes	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`votes_sum`	0 votes/1 vote/`%{count}` votes	Accepts a 'count' attribute.
`was_this_article_helpful`	Was this article helpful?
`what_is_your_post_about`	What is your post about?

Available keys for table headers:

Keys	English translation
`created`	Created
`requester`	Requester
`id`	Id
`last_activity`	Last Activity
`status`	Status
`subject`	Subject
`subscription`	Following
`title`	Title
`type`	Type
`vote_sum`	Vote Sum

Available keys for form field labels:

Keys	English translation
`details_label`	Details
`title_label`	Title
`topic_label`	Topic

breadcrumbs helper

{{breadcrumbs}}

Inserts a breadcrumbs navigation element to identify the location of the current page.

Parameters

None.

Attributes

None.

Availability

Article page
Category page
Contributions page
Request page
Request List page
Search Results page
Section page
Following page
New Community Post page
New Request page
Community Post page
Community Topic List page
Community Topic page
Community Post List page

Example

{{breadcrumbs}}

Output

The markup the helper generates depends on several factors, including:

The theme's Templating API version
The page it's used on
The particular articles, sections, and categories in your help center
The name of your help center

For example, on the Article page, the following is the helper's output for an article within the subsection "Announcements subsection", the section "Announcements", and the category "General":

<ol class="breadcrumbs">  <li title="My Help Center">    <a href="/hc/en-us">My Help Center</a>  </li>  <li title="General">    <a href="/hc/en-us/categories/123-General">General</a>  </li>  <li title="Announcements">    <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/456-Announcements">Announcements</a>  </li>  <li title="Announcements subsection">    <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/789-Announcements-subsection">Announcements subsection</a>  </li></ol>

v3 and later

<nav aria-label="Current location">  <ol class="breadcrumbs">    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us">My Help Center</a>    </li>    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us/categories/123-General">General</a>    </li>    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/456-Announcements">Announcements</a>    </li>    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/789-Announcements-subsection">Announcements subsection</a>    </li>  </ol></nav>

form helper

Some pages in Help Center include one or more forms. Form helpers simplify building forms and form elements.

{{#form form_name}}...{{/form}}

This will safely insert an HTML form in the templates. See the page-specific documentation to find out which forms you can use in each template.

You must use the form helpers like label, input, and checkbox to render the form fields. See more below.

Parameters

form_name one of the following: comment, organization, post, request, or requests

Attributes

class (optional, string) the HTML class to render
id (optional, string) the HTML id attribute to render

Availability

Form	Available in
comment	Article page
comment	Post page
comment	Request page
organization	Request page
requests_filter	Request List page
post	New Post page

Example

{{#form 'comment' class='comment-form'}}   ...{{/form}}

Output

If inserted in an Article page:

<form class="comment-form" accept-charset="UTF-8" action="/hc/articles/123456/comments" method="post">  <input name="utf8" type="hidden" value="✓">  ...</form>

Form field helpers

Help Center provides the following form field helpers that must be used inside the form helper:

input
textarea
checkbox
label
select
multiselect
required
validate
error

You can also use these advanced form field helpers:

Identifiers

Identifiers distinguish similar fields inside the same form. The following identifiers are available:

Identifier	Available in	Form	Field(s)	Description
body	Article page, Post page and Request page	comment	textarea, wysiwyg	Identifies a text field for content (use wysiwyg for rich content)
official	Post page	comment	label, checkbox	Identifies a checkbox field to mark a comment as official
title	New Post page	post	label, input	Identifies a text field for the post title
details	New Post page	post	label, wysiwyg	Identifies a text field for content (use wysiwyg for rich content)
topic	New Post page	post	label, select	Identifies a drop-down to select a topic
content_tags	New Post page	post	label, multiselect	Identifies a drop-down to create or select multiple content tags
mark_as_solved	Request page	comment	label, checkbox	Identifies a checkbox to mark a request as solved
ccs	Request page	comment	token_field	Identifies an email (CC) field
organization	Request page	organization	select	Identifies a drop-down to select an organization
organization	Request List page	requests_filter	label, select	Identifies a drop-down to select an organization
query	Request List page	requests_filter	input	Identifies a search field
status	Request List page	requests_filter	label, select	Identifies a drop-down to select a status

input

{{input 'identifier'}}

Creates a textbox based on the given identifier.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (optional). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers. In some cases, such as when you want to create a submit button, you don't need an identifier.

Attributes

type (optional, string) the type of the input, valid values are: text, submit, email, number. Default is text
class (optional, string) the HTML class to assign to the form
id (optional, string) the html id (only available if no identifier is given, otherwise the identifier will set this value)
name (optional, string) the HTML name. Only available if no identifier is given. Otherwise the identifier will set this value
value (optional, string) the value of the input
label (optional, string) the HTML placeholder. Only available if no identifier is given. Otherwise the identifier will set this value
autofocus (optional, boolean) whether the input field is auto-focused or not. False by default
required (optional, boolean) whether the input field is mandatory or not

Examples

{{input type='submit' name='submit' id='submit-button'}}
{{input 'first_name' type='text' class='small'}}
{{input type='text' class='small' id='first_name' name='user[first_name]' label='Please insert your name'}}

textarea

{{textarea 'identifier'}}

Creates a textarea based on the given identifier.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Attributes

class (optional, string) the HTML class to assign to the form
rows (optional, string) specifies the visible height of a text area, in lines
cols (optional, string) specifies the visible width of a text area

Example

{{textarea 'body' rows='4' class='awesome'}}

checkbox

{{checkbox 'identifier'}}

Creates a checkbox based on the given identifier.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Attributes

class (optional, string) the HTML class to assign to the form

Example

{{checkbox 'mark_as_solved' class='red'}}

label

{{label 'identifier'}}

Creates a label based on the given identifier.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Attributes

class (optional, string) the HTML class to assign to the form
for (optional, string) the form element the label is bound to

Example

{{label 'mark_as_solved' for='request-status-select' class='red'}}

select

{{select 'identifier'}}

Creates a select input based on the given identifier.

The markup this helper generates depends on several factors, including:

The identifier
The theme's Templating API version

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Attributes

class (optional, string) the HTML class to assign to the form

Example

{{select 'mark_as_solved' class='red'}}

multiselect

{{multiselect 'identifier'}}

Creates a multiselect input based on the given identifier.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Example

{{multiselect 'content_tags'}}

required

{{#required 'identifier'}}  block{{/required}}

Executes the block if the 'identifier' field is required.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Example

{{#required 'mark_as_solved'}}  This is required.{{else}}  This is not required.{{/required}}

validate

{{#validate 'identifier'}}  block{{/validate}}

Executes the block if the 'identifier' field has errors.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Example

{{#validate 'mark_as_solved'}}  The data introduced has errors.{{else}}  The data introduced is right.{{/validate}}

error

{{error 'identifier'}}

Renders the error message associated with the given identifier, if any.

Parameters

identifier the name of the field (required). Depends on the page and the form that has the field. See identifiers.

Example

{{error 'mark_as_solved'}}

pagination helper

{{pagination}}

Renders pagination elements that let a user browse more than one page.

This will only render if the number of elements is greater than the size of a page.

Parameters

identifier indicates the array to paginate. Only available in the section page.

The following identifiers are available:

Identifier	Available in	Description
section.articles	Section page	Shows pagination controls for articles of a section. Default value.
section.sections	Section page	Shows pagination controls for sections of a section.

Attributes

None.

Availability

Home page
Article page
Contributions page
Request List page
Search Results page
Section page

Example

{{pagination}}

Output

On the second page if inserted in a Section page:

<nav class="pagination">  <ul>    <li class="pagination-first">      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection">«</a>    </li>    <li class="pagination-prev">      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection" rel="prev">‹</a>    </li>    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection" rel="prev">1</a>    </li>    <li class="pagination-current">      <span>2</span>    </li>    <li>      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection?page=3" rel="next">3</a>    </li>    <li class="pagination-next">      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection?page=3" rel="next">›</a>    </li>    <li class="pagination-last">      <a href="/hc/en-us/sections/123-MySection?page=3">»</a>    </li>  </ul></nav>

{{share}}

Adds elements for sharing content on social media.

Parameters

None.

Attributes

None.

Availability

Article page

Example

{{share}}

Output

If inserted in an Article page:

<ul class="share">  <li><a href="[sharing url to Facebook]" class="share-facebook">Facebook</a></li>  <li><a href="[sharing url to Twitter]" class="share-twitter">Twitter</a></li>  <li><a href="[sharing url to LinkedIn]" class="share-linkedin">LinkedIn</a></li>  <li><a href="[sharing url to Google]" class="share-googleplus">Google+</a></li></ul>

Note that the sharing urls might change in the future if the social media service changes their sharing API.

{{subscribe}}

Inserts a "Follow" button that gives visitors the option of receiving update notifications by email. A section follower is notified when somebody adds an article or comment. A topic follower is notified when somebody adds a post or a comment. An article or post follower is notified when somebody adds a comment. An organization follower is notified when somebody in the same organization creates a new request. A user follower is notified when the user adds an article, post, or comment.

Parameters

None.

Availability

Section page
Article page
Topic page
Post page
Request List page
User Profile page

Example

{{subscribe}}

Output

In article page, if user is not subscribed:

<button data-selected="false" aria-expanded="true" aria-haspopup="menu" type="button" id="[element id]">Follow</button>

In article page, if user is subscribed:

<button data-selected="true" aria-expanded="true" aria-haspopup="menu" type="button" id="[element id]">Unfollow</button>

vote helper

{{vote 'element' class='element-class' selected_class='element-selected-class'}}

Use the vote helper to insert vote-related elements. These elements must apply to a specific votable resource (i.e. an article). When the user is authenticated and therefore able to vote, all vote elements are synced (i.e. if user votes up in an article, its labels and counters update their values without refreshing the page). When the user is not authenticated, the 'up' and 'down' buttons act like normal links, redirecting user to the sign in page.

Parameters

element one of the following: up, down, label, sum, or count

Element	Description
`up`	renders a vote up button
`down`	renders a vote down button
`label`	renders the "X out of Y found this helpful" label
`sum`	renders the sum of all votes
`count`	renders the total number of votes

Attributes

class (optional, string) the class of the element
selected_class (optional, string) the class to be added to the element when it is selected (applies to 'up' and 'down' elements only)
role (optional, string) the HTML role to render. Only available in Templating API v1.

Availability

Article Page (within an article object)
Article Page (within an article comment object)
Post Page (within a post object)
Post Page (within a post comment object)

Example

Supported variables vary based on your Templating API version.

{{#with article}}  {{vote 'up' class='article-vote-up' selected_class='article-voted' role='button'}}  {{vote 'down' class='article-vote-down' selected_class='article-voted' role='button'}}  {{vote 'label' class='article-vote-label'}}  {{vote 'count' class='article-vote-count'}}  {{vote 'sum' class='article-vote-sum'}}{{/with}}

v2 and later

{{#with article}}  {{vote 'up' class='article-vote-up' selected_class='article-voted'}}  {{vote 'down' class='article-vote-down' selected_class='article-voted'}}  {{vote 'label' class='article-vote-label'}}  {{vote 'count' class='article-vote-count'}}  {{vote 'sum' class='article-vote-sum'}}{{/with}}

Output

The rendered output varies based on your Templating API version.

If user is authenticated:

<a role="button" rel="nofollow" class="article-vote-up article-voted" aria-selected="true" title="Yes" href="#"></a><a role="button" rel="nofollow" class="article-vote-down" aria-selected="false" title="No" href="#"></a><span class="article-vote-label">2 out of 3 found this helpful</span><span class="article-vote-count">3</span><span class="article-vote-sum">1</span>

If user is not authenticated:

<a role="button" rel="nofollow" class="article-vote-up article-voted" title="Yes" href="path_to_sign_in"></a><a role="button" rel="nofollow" class="article-vote-down" title="No" href="path_to_sign_in"></a><span class="article-vote-label">2 out of 3 found this helpful</span><span class="article-vote-count">3</span><span class="article-vote-sum">1</span>

v2 and later

The rendered HTML is the same for authenticated and unauthenticated users. After clicking the 'up' or 'down' button, unauthenticated users are redirected to the sign in page using JavaScript.

<button type="button" class="article-vote-up article-voted" aria-pressed="true">Yes</button><button type="button" class="article-vote-down" aria-pressed="false">No</a><span class="article-vote-label">2 out of 3 found this helpful</span><span class="article-vote-count">3</span><span class="article-vote-sum">1</span>

change_password helper

{{change_password}}

Inserts a button that lets end users launch the Change Password modal. The button will only appear for end users and if changing passwords is available.

Attributes

class (optional, string) the class of the element
role (optional, string) the HTML role to render

Example

{{change_password}}

Output

<button data-action="change-password" title="Opens a dialog">Change password</button>

Availability

Header
Footer
User Profile page

my_profile helper

{{my_profile}}

If user profiles are enabled, the helper renders a link to the user's user profile page.

If user profiles are disabled, but endusers can edit profile data, a button to launch a Edit Profile modal is rendered.

You can also customize the string by using the block version of the my_profile helper.

Attributes

class (optional, string) an HTML class
role (optional, string) an HTML role

Example

{{my_profile}}
{{#my_profile}}  Custom My Profile text{{/my_profile}}

Output

if user profiles are enabled:

<a href="[path to user profile]">My profile</a>
<a href="[path to user profile]">Custom My Profile text</a>

if user profiles are disabled, but users can edit profile data:

<button data-action="edit-profile">Edit my profile</button>
<button data-action="edit-profile">Custom My Profile text</button>

Availability

Header
Footer

Helpers

Helpers

Built-in helpers

Global helpers

Shared helpers

asset helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

calc helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

concat helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

contains helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

compare helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

date helper

Parameters

Attributes

format options

Availability

Example

Output

dc (dynamic content) helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

excerpt helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

filter helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

is helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

isnt helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

json helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

Output

json_stringify helper

Parameters

Attributes

Availability

Example

`format` options