Create reusable components
Components are content fragments you write once and reference from any Create and manage topics. Updating a component updates every reference.
Before you begin
Have at least one project with existing Create and manage topics
Identify content that appears (or will appear) in multiple topics — see Structuring content for reuse for guidance
Create a component from scratch
Go to Components in the sidebar.
Click New Component.
Enter a name that describes the content — e.g., "Legal Disclaimer" or "Support Contact."
Write the content in the editor. Components support the same formatting as topics: text, lists, tables, callouts, code blocks.
The component auto-saves.
Use specific, descriptive names for components. "Legal Disclaimer" is better than "Disclaimer" — clear names make components easier to find in the Editor slash commands when inserting references.
Create a component from existing content
Open a topic in the editor.
Select the text you want to reuse.
In the floating toolbar, click the Puzzle icon (Save as Component).
Enter a name for the component.
The selected content is extracted into a new component. The original location is replaced with a Insert component references to it.
Extracting a selection as a component is non-destructive to the topic's visible content. The reader sees the same text — but now it's sourced from the component rather than stored locally in the topic.
Edit a component
Go to Components and click the component to open it.
Edit the content in the editor.
Changes propagate to every topic that references this component.
Before editing a widely-used component, check the where-used count on the Components page. Changes propagate to every referencing topic instantly. For components used in 10+ topics, consider reviewing the impact before making significant edits.
Delete a component
Open the component.
Click the three-dot menu and select Delete.
If the component has active references, a warning shows the reference count. Deleting a component with active references creates broken references in those topics.
Deleting a component with active references cannot be undone. The references in affected topics will break and need to be manually replaced with local content. Always check the reference count before deleting.
See also
Insert component references — how to embed components into topics after creating them
How component reuse works — the conceptual model behind references vs. copies
Find and fix orphaned components — identify and clean up unused components
Reuse content with components — end-to-end tutorial on creating and using components