Character limit exceeded error when saving Knowledge Documents in CA Service Desk Manager

Products

• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager
• ServiceDesk
• CA Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

When trying to save a Knowledge Document, an error message stating "#### characters, but the maximum text size is 32768" appears. This occurs even if the document previously saved without errors.

Environment

• CA Service Management 17.x

Cause

The resolution field in CA Service Desk Manager Knowledge Documents has a fixed limit of 32,768 characters. Exceeding this limit triggers a validation error. Documents may unexpectedly exceed this limit due to:

• Addition of new text or images.
• Hidden HTML formatting tags introduced when copying and pasting from external rich-text editors (e.g., Microsoft Word).
• Metadata and styling code that is not visible in the standard editor view but contributes to the total character count.

Resolution

To resolve the character limit error, implement one of the following methods:

1. Remove Hidden Formatting:

   • While editing the Knowledge Document, click the "Edit Resolution" button to access the content of the Resolution field.
   • While on the "Design" tab of the "Edit Resolution" window, copy the content from the resolution field to the clipboard.
   • Paste the content into a plain-text editor (e.g., Notepad or Notepad++).
   • Copy the plain text from your plain-text editor and paste it back into the resolution field to remove bloated HTML tags.

2. Utilize Attachments:

   • Move extensive portions of the document into an external file (PDF or Word).
   • Upload the file as an attachment to the Knowledge Document.
   • Use the resolution field to provide a summary and reference the attachment.

3. Split the Document:

   • Divide the content into multiple smaller Knowledge Documents.
   • Link the documents using the Related Knowledge tab to maintain continuity.

Verify the character count remains below 32,768 to ensure successful saving.

Additional Information

See also:

How can I find out what the character limit for Service Desk fields are?

Increase the size of resolution field of knowledge documents