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michaelstaake/LibreKB

A free, self-hosted knowledge base web app built with PHP and MySQL, with a rich article editor and optional read-only JSON API.

Open-source alternative to:ConfluenceZendesk Guide

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What is it?

LibreKB is a self-hosted knowledge base web application written in PHP and backed by MySQL or MariaDB. It lets a team or organization publish help articles and documentation organized into nested categories, with user accounts, predefined user groups, and a TinyMCE-based article editor.

The app runs on most shared hosts, VPS servers, or in Docker. Setup involves copying a sample config file, creating a database, and running a browser-based installer. Branding, appearance, custom public CSS, and the editor toolbar can all be adjusted from the admin settings. Articles can have downloadable file attachments, and password resets are sent by email.

Optionally, the knowledge base can expose a read-only JSON API for articles, categories, and search. The API is off by default, supports an API key, and follows the visibility rules of the public site so hidden content stays hidden.

Key features

  • 01Nested categories with no depth limit.
  • 02Article editing with TinyMCE and a configurable toolbar.
  • 03Predefined user groups and password resets by email.
  • 04File attachments that readers can download from articles.
  • 05Optional read-only JSON API with API key support.
  • 06Responsive Bootstrap-based design with custom CSS and branding options.

Use cases

  • Publishing internal documentation or an employee handbook for a company.
  • Hosting customer-facing help center articles for a product or service.
  • Running a self-hosted FAQ or support site on a basic PHP/MySQL hosting account.
  • Feeding knowledge base content into other applications through the read-only API.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Check PHP 8.4+, MySQL or MariaDB, and a web server that honors .htaccess

  2. 2

    Copy config.example.php to config.php and set database details and systemURL

    cp config.example.php config.php
  3. 3

    Create an empty database, then open /install and create the admin user

  4. 4

    Log in at /login and delete install.php or update.php if present

Things to know

  • Requires PHP 8.4 or newer with pdo_mysql, curl, mbstring and fileinfo extensions plus MySQL or MariaDB.
  • Setup is manual: you must edit config, create a database and set file write permissions.

In collections

Self-hosted appsDatabases & SQL toolsStatic site generators & documentation tools

Topics

#knowledge-base#php#mysql#self-hosted#documentation#help-center#rest-api

FAQ

What is LibreKB?
A free, self-hosted knowledge base web app built with PHP and MySQL, with a rich article editor and optional read-only JSON API. LibreKB is a self-hosted knowledge base web application written in PHP and backed by MySQL or MariaDB. It lets a team or organization publish help articles and documentation organized into nested categories, with user accounts, predefined user groups, and a TinyMCE-based article editor.
Is LibreKB free to use? What license does it have?
LibreKB is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is LibreKB still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to LibreKB was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use LibreKB for?
Publishing internal documentation or an employee handbook for a company. Hosting customer-facing help center articles for a product or service. Running a self-hosted FAQ or support site on a basic PHP/MySQL hosting account. Feeding knowledge base content into other applications through the read-only API.
How do I install LibreKB?
Check PHP 8.4+, MySQL or MariaDB, and a web server that honors .htaccess Copy config.example.php to config.php and set database details and systemURL: cp config.example.php config.php Create an empty database, then open /install and create the admin user Log in at /login and delete install.php or update.php if present
Where can I get LibreKB?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/michaelstaake/LibreKB

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