Is your knowledge base one of the best support sites on the web? Here's how to find out.

If you've built a knowledge base you're proud of, you might be wondering: how does it actually stack up? Is there something objective out there that can tell you what's working, what's not, and what to prioritize next?

There is, and the deadline to take advantage of it is coming up fast!

What is the ASP Best Support Websites competition?

The Association of Support Professionals (ASP) runs an annual awards competition to recognize the best support sites that are widely regarded as leaders in online support innovation and implementation. Sites are evaluated by a panel of independent judges across more than 20 performance criteria (a scoring system that's been refined over 25 years) covering everything from navigation and search to content quality, accessibility, and how the site is managed and measured over time.

Winning sites earn recognition across the online support community, but here's the thing: many companies enter knowing they're unlikely to take home an award. That's because every single entrant gets a detailed, confidential report with scores and feedback from at least five judges. That's the part we think is most valuable for KnowledgeOwl customers.

Your knowledge base counts as a support site

If you're using KnowledgeOwl to power a customer-facing knowledge base or help center, your site is eligible to enter! Web-based support sites, including knowledge bases, are exactly what this competition is designed to evaluate.

The scoring criteria cover areas that are directly relevant to how knowledge bases are built and managed, including:

• Site organization and navigation

• Search functionality and knowledge base implementation

• Content types and formats

• Interactive features (forums, email, chat, and more)

• Customer experience and use of technology

• Accessibility

• How you measure and improve your content over time

The report will show you where your site is delivering state-of-the-art self-service, and where you need to catch up. You'll also see exactly how your scores compare against averages for all other entries in your size category: precise benchmarks that would otherwise be very hard to come by.

You don't need a massive enterprise portal to participate. In fact, ASP has noted that smaller teams have outscored much larger organizations in previous years.

Two ways to use this as a tool for improvement

Option 1: Use the free rubric to self-evaluate

ASP publishes its full scoring criteria openly on its website. You can download it and use it as a self-assessment tool, no submission required.

Going through all the criteria with your own site in mind is a genuinely useful exercise. It can surface gaps you hadn't noticed, spark conversations with your team about priorities, and give you a clearer picture of where to focus your energy.

Option 2: Submit for a professional review

If you want outside eyes on your site, submitting to the competition gets you a thorough, expert review that's not easy to come by. (Full disclosure: KnowledgeOwl's own Knowledge Goddess & Chief Executive Owl, Marybeth Alexander, is one of the judges, so we have a front-row view of how seriously this process is taken.) Here's what every entrant receives, regardless of whether they win:

• Scores across all judged categories, benchmarked against other sites your size

• Comments from at least five independent judges on what they observed

• Specific recommendations for the three most important areas to improve

• Complimentary copies of two ASP Best Support Websites reports covering industry trends and benchmarks

The feedback is confidential: no one else sees your scorecard. And the judges' comments are what past entrants consistently say they find most valuable. You get a clear, prioritized list of what to work on next, from people who know this space well.

What does option 2 cost?

Entry fees are based on your company's total annual revenue:

• Very small companies (under $25M): $650

• Small companies (under $100M): $1,300

• Medium companies ($100M–$1B): $1,900

• Large companies (over $1B): $2,600

ASP Corporate Members receive discounts ranging from $150 to $850 depending on company size. You do not need to be an ASP member to enter.

It's also worth thinking about the value of this kind of independent, objective assessment the next time you're making the case for a site upgrade or trying to get budget approved. A detailed scorecard from multiple outside experts carries a lot of weight in those conversations, and it's a meaningful way to recognize the work your team has put into building a great support experience.

The deadline is April 10, 2026

This year's submission deadline is Friday, April 10, 2026, three weeks earlier than last year, so don't wait.

To submit, you'll complete an online entry form (or an optional essay) describing your site, its biggest challenges, and three key features you'd like judges to focus on. If your site is password-protected, you'll provide temporary login credentials for the judges.

You can find everything you need to get started at ASP’s Submit Your Site page.

A low-risk way to get high-value feedback

Whether you enter to win or just to get valuable feedback, the ASP rubric and review process is a rare opportunity to get outside, expert perspectives on your knowledge base. It's the kind of structured, actionable feedback that's hard to come by, and the kind that can make a real difference in how your customers experience your support content.

If you have questions about the process, you can reach ASP Executive Director Al Hahn at ahahn@asponline.com or 503-780-3520.

Ready to see how your knowledge base stacks up? Submit your site here.