Why aren't categories and sections visible to customers?

Categories and sections don't have visibility settings. Only article settings control the visibility of the categories and sections above them.

Category visibility

A category is visible when:

The category has at least one section with one published article visible to end users

The article isn't restricted to user segments that exclude the current user

A category is hidden when:

All articles in its sections are internal only or in draft

The category is marked as a draft

All its sections are empty

All articles in its section are restricted to user segments that the user isn't in

Section visibility

A section is visible when:

The section has at least one published article visible to end users. The article can be located in the section itself or in a subsection.

The article isn't restricted to user segments that exclude the current user

A section is hidden when:

The parent category is marked as a draft

The section is marked as a draft

All articles are internal only or in draft

The section is empty

Its articles are restricted to user segments that the user isn't in

Subsection visibility in Guide Enterprise

A subsection is visible when:

The parent section is visible

The subsection has at least one published article visible to users

The subsection isn't restricted to user segments that exclude the user

A subsection is hidden when:

Either the parent category or parent section is marked as a draft

The subsection is marked as a draft

All articles in the subsection are internal or in draft

The subsection is empty

The subsection is restricted to other user segments

For more information, see:

Organizing knowledge base content in categories and sections.

Editing articles in the knowledge base.

Managing user segments.