Quick Answer

The KnowledgeSmart Admin Area can be reached directly at the KnowledgeSmart login page, or - on a tenant where the Pinnacle Series–KnowledgeSmart integration is configured - from a top-level KnowledgeSmart Admin Area item in the Pinnacle Series Admin Portal navigation, which requires no separate KnowledgeSmart username or password.

What This Article Helps With

This article explains the two ways to reach the KnowledgeSmart administration area, for anyone who has been granted Administrator access to their organisation's KnowledgeSmart account. It applies whether or not your organisation uses Pinnacle Series, and explains what to check if you expect the Pinnacle Series route to be available but cannot find it.

How to Log in to the KnowledgeSmart Admin Area

• Your organisation uses Pinnacle Series with the KnowledgeSmart integration configured - use Route 1. It is quicker, since it takes you straight in without asking for your KnowledgeSmart credentials.
• KnowledgeSmart only, or you are not signed in to Pinnacle Series - use Route 2. It works for everyone, regardless of your organisation's setup.

Route 1 - From the Pinnacle Series Admin Portal:

To use this route, you must be both an administrator in the target KnowledgeSmart account and a user in that same account. Holding an administrator profile without a user record in that account is not enough - this is the usual reason the route does not work for someone who expects it to. The recommended administrator profile is Principal administrator.

1. Sign in to Pinnacle Series.
2. Open the Admin Portal.
3. In the left-hand navigation, select KnowledgeSmart Admin Area. It is a top-level item, in the same list as Users, Groups and Integrations - not nested under Settings or Integrations.
4. Confirm you are taken straight into the KnowledgeSmart administration area, without being asked for your KnowledgeSmart username or password.

Route 2 - Directly at the KnowledgeSmart login page:

1. Go to the KnowledgeSmart Customer Login page at online.knowledgesmart.net.

2. Choose Admins > Admin Area.

   

3. Enter your username and password.

4. Select the orange LOG IN button.

   

5. Confirm you arrive at your KnowledgeSmart Home page.

   

If you have forgotten your password, see How to reset your KnowledgeSmart password.

Why the KnowledgeSmart Admin Area Item Might Not Appear

This is the most common issue with Route 1, and it is not a Pinnacle Series permissions problem. The item is shown based on your permissions in KnowledgeSmart, not your permissions in Pinnacle Series - an administrator with full Pinnacle Series Admin Portal access will still not see it without the corresponding access on the KnowledgeSmart side. If the item is missing, check in this order:

1. Are you an administrator in the KnowledgeSmart account? Principal administrator is the recommended profile.
2. Are you also a user in that same KnowledgeSmart account? This is the step most often missed - administrator access alone does not grant it.
3. Is the KnowledgeSmart integration configured for your Pinnacle Series tenant? Confirm with your Pinnacle Series administrator.

While you sort this out, Route 2 still works - it does not depend on the integration.

Helpful Tips

• Your KnowledgeSmart password is separate from your Pinnacle Series password. Resetting one does not change the other.
• Route 1 does not ask for your KnowledgeSmart password, so if your organisation uses the integration, you can still reach the administration area while you sort out a forgotten KnowledgeSmart password.

Common Questions

Do I need my KnowledgeSmart password to use Route 1?

No. Selecting KnowledgeSmart Admin Area from the Pinnacle Series Admin Portal takes you straight in without asking for a KnowledgeSmart username or password.

I'm a Pinnacle Series administrator with full Admin Portal access — why can't I see KnowledgeSmart Admin Area?

The item is gated on your permissions in KnowledgeSmart, not Pinnacle Series. You need to be both an administrator and a user in the target KnowledgeSmart account — see Why the KnowledgeSmart Admin Area Item Might Not Appear above.

Is my KnowledgeSmart password the same as my Pinnacle Series password?

No, they are separate. Resetting one does not change the other.

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