The error "You don't have access to view or create knowledge base article" is thrown in the "related knowledge page articles" panel
Platform notice: Server and Data Center only. This article only applies to Atlassian products on the Server and Data Center platforms.
Support for Server* products ended on February 15th 2024. If you are running a Server product, you can visit the Atlassian Server end of support announcement to review your migration options.
*Except Fisheye and Crucible
Problem
When an agent opens any request from a Jira Service Management (JSM) project, the following error is thrown inside the Related knowledge base articles panel:
You don't have access to view or create knowledge base articles. Ask a project administrator to give you access.
Environment
Any Jira Service Management (JSM) Server/Data Center version with any Confluence Server/Data Center version.
Diagnosis
- in Jira, go to ⚙ > Applications > Application links
- click on edit next to the Confluence application link
- if Oauth is being used (instead of "Oauth (impersonation)" as shown in the screenshot below, then Root Cause 1 is relevant
- if the type Oauth (impersonation) is already set, then move on to the next step
- in Confluence, go to ⚙ > General Configuration > Users
- Check if the Jira user who is seeing the error in the Related knowledge base articles panel exists in Confluence
- If the user does not exist in Confluence, then Root Cause 2 is relevant
Cause
Root Cause 1
The application link between the Jira and Confluence applications is not configured with "Oauth (Impersonation)" (it is configured with "Oauth" without impersonation):
As per the documentation Guide to link Knowledge Base to Jira Service Desk for unlicensed user, "Oauth (Impersonation)" should be used in the application link configuration. When using Oauth without impersonation, it will not be possible to configure a knowledge base space in any Service Management project, and the error There was a problem completing the current request will be thrown.
Root Cause 2
The user who is trying to configure the knowledge base does not have an account in the Confluence application.
As per the documentation Guide to link Knowledge Base to Jira Service Desk for unlicensed user, we need to make sure that users (including Agents and Service Desk Customers) exist in both Jira and Confluence. If the user who is configuring the KB space for the SD project does not exist in Confluence, then this user won't be able to browse for the spaces in Confluence and the error There was a problem completing the current request will be thrown.
Resolution
Solution for Root Cause 1
Make sure that Jira and Confluence share the same user base, and then configure the application links using "Oauth (impersonation)" on both Jira and Confluence sides
Solution for Root Cause 2
Make sure that the user who is trying to configure a knowledge base exists in the Confluence user base.