content: <PAGE>
  
                                                                OMB APPROVAL
                                                          ------------------------
                                UNITED STATES             OMB Number:  3235-0060
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION   Expires:  May 31, 2000
                            Washington, D.C. 20549        Estimated average burden
                                                          hours per response  5.00
                                                          ------------------------
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)           February 6, 2000
                                                  ----------------------------
                            Kana Communications, Inc.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
           Delaware                   000-26287           77-0435679
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction       (Commission         (IRS Employer
  of incorporation)                   File Number)    Identification No.)
  
  740 Bay Road, Redwood City, California                          94063
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code            (650) 298-9282
                                                    --------------------------
  
                  87 Encina Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94301
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  
  
  <PAGE>
  
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
    On February 6, 2000 Kana Communications,  Inc. ("Kana"), Pistol Acquisition
  Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kana, and Silknet Software Inc. ("Silknet")
  entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the "Merger Agreement").
  As a result of the merger (the "Merger"), each outstanding share of Silknet
  common stock will be converted into the right to acquire .830 shares of Kana
  common stock.
  
            A copy of Kana's and Silknet's joint press release is attached hereto
  as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
  
            In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Kana and
  Silknet entered into Stock Option Agreements, each dated February 6, 2000 (the
  "Stock Option Agreements"), pursuant to which (i) Silknet has granted to Kana an
  option to purchase up to 19.9% of Silknet's shares, and (ii) Kana has granted to
  Silknet an option to purchase up to 9.9% of Kana's shares.  The Stock Option
  Agreements are only exercisable upon the occurrence of certain events specified
  in the Stock Option Agreements.
  
            The Merger is intended to constitute a reorganization under Section
  368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to be accounted for
  as a purchase transaction.  Consummation of the Merger is subject to various
  conditions, including, among other things, receipt of the necessary approvals of
  the stockholders of Silknet's and Kana's shareholders.
  
            The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement, the Stock Option
  Agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby do not purport to be
  complete.
  
       All stockholders should read the joint proxy statement/prospectus
  concerning the merger that will be filed with the SEC and mailed to
  stockholders.  The joint proxy statement/prospectus will contain important
  information that stockholders should consider before making any decision
  regarding the merger.  You will be able to obtain the joint proxy
  statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Kana
  and Silknet, without charge, at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).
  Copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and the SEC filings that will be
  incorporated by reference in the joint proxy statement/prospectus will also be
  available, without charge, by contacting the Secretary of appropriate company.
  
  
  CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS
  
  Kana and certain other persons named below may be deemed to be participants in
  the solicitation of proxies of Kana stockholders to approve the merger.  The
  participants in this solicitaiton may include the directors of Kana (Michael J.
  McCloskey, Mark S. Gainey, David M. Beirne, Robert W. Frick, Eric A. Hahn,
  Charles A Holloway, Ph.D., Steven T. Jurvetson and Ariel Poler) and the officers
  of Kana (Michael J. McCloskey, Chief Executive Officer, Mark S. Gainey,
  President and Chairman, Joseph G. Ansnaelli, Vice President Marketing, Tim
  Campbell, Vice President and General Manager, Kana Online, Ian Cavanagh, Vice
  President Business Development, Alexander R. Evans, Vice President,
  International, P.V. Kannan, Vice President, Realtime, Joseph D. McCarthy, Vice
  President Finance and Operations, William R. Phelps, Vice President Professional
  Services, Toya Rico, Vice President, Human Resources, Don Whitt, Vice President,
  eBusiness Services, and Michael R. Wolfe, Vice President, Engineering).  The
  aforementioned directors and officers of Kana, as a group, may be deemed to
  beneficially own approximately 52% of Kana's outstanding common stock.
  
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
  Exhibit
  Number                       Description of Document
  ------                       -----------------------
  
  99.1        Joint press release with Silknet Software Inc. dated February 7,
              2000 announce Kana's acquisition of Silknet (incorporated by
              reference to Kana's 425 filing dated February 7, 2000).
  <PAGE>
  
                                    SIGNATURES
  
    Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended,  the  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
  
                                         KANA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  
  
  
  Dated:  February 7, 2000                  By: /S/ MICHAEL J. MCCLOSKEY
                                               ------------------------
                                               Michael J. McCloskey,
                                               Chief Executive Officer
  <PAGE>
  
                                   EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  
  
  Exhibit
  Number                       Description of Document
  ------                       -----------------------
  
  99.1        Joint press release with Silknet Software Inc. dated February 7,
              2000 announce Kana's acquisition of Silknet (incorporated by
              reference to Kana's 425 filing dated February 7, 2000).
metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 6899}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "KANA COMMUNICATIONS INC", "cik": "0001089907", "assigned-sic": "7389", "irs-number": "770435679", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "000-27163", "film-number": "525804"}, "business-address": {"street1": "740 BAY RD", "city": "REDWOOD CITY", "state": "CA", "zip": "94063", "phone": "6503259850"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "740 BAY RD", "city": "REDWOOD CITY", "state": "CA", "zip": "94063"}}
text: OMB APPROVAL
                                                          ------------------------
                                UNITED STATES             OMB Number:  3235-0060
                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION   Expires:  May 31, 2000
                            Washington, D.C. 20549        Estimated average burden
                                                          hours per response  5.00
                                                          ------------------------
  
                                      FORM 8-K
  
                                   CURRENT REPORT
  
       Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)           February 6, 2000
                                                  ----------------------------
                            Kana Communications, Inc.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
           Delaware                   000-26287           77-0435679
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction       (Commission         (IRS Employer
  of incorporation)                   File Number)    Identification No.)
  
  740 Bay Road, Redwood City, California                          94063
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  (Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)
  
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code            (650) 298-9282
                                                    --------------------------
  
                  87 Encina Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94301
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
           (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS
  
    On February 6, 2000 Kana Communications,  Inc. ("Kana"), Pistol Acquisition
  Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kana, and Silknet Software Inc. ("Silknet")
  entered into an Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the "Merger Agreement").
  As a result of the merger (the "Merger"), each outstanding share of Silknet
  common stock will be converted into the right to acquire .830 shares of Kana
  common stock.
  
            A copy of Kana's and Silknet's joint press release is attached hereto
  as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
  
            In connection with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Kana and
  Silknet entered into Stock Option Agreements, each dated February 6, 2000 (the
  "Stock Option Agreements"), pursuant to which (i) Silknet has granted to Kana an
  option to purchase up to 19.9% of Silknet's shares, and (ii) Kana has granted to
  Silknet an option to purchase up to 9.9% of Kana's shares.  The Stock Option
  Agreements are only exercisable upon the occurrence of certain events specified
  in the Stock Option Agreements.
  
            The Merger is intended to constitute a reorganization under Section
  368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to be accounted for
  as a purchase transaction.  Consummation of the Merger is subject to various
  conditions, including, among other things, receipt of the necessary approvals of
  the stockholders of Silknet's and Kana's shareholders.
  
            The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement, the Stock Option
  Agreements and the transactions contemplated thereby do not purport to be
  complete.
  
       All stockholders should read the joint proxy statement/prospectus
  concerning the merger that will be filed with the SEC and mailed to
  stockholders.  The joint proxy statement/prospectus will contain important
  information that stockholders should consider before making any decision
  regarding the merger.  You will be able to obtain the joint proxy
  statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about Kana
  and Silknet, without charge, at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).
  Copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and the SEC filings that will be
  incorporated by reference in the joint proxy statement/prospectus will also be
  available, without charge, by contacting the Secretary of appropriate company.
  
  CERTAIN INFORMATION CONCERNING PARTICIPANTS
  
  Kana and certain other persons named below may be deemed to be participants in
  the solicitation of proxies of Kana stockholders to approve the merger.  The
  participants in this solicitaiton may include the directors of Kana (Michael J.
  McCloskey, Mark S. Gainey, David M. Beirne, Robert W. Frick, Eric A. Hahn,
  Charles A Holloway, Ph.D., Steven T. Jurvetson and Ariel Poler) and the officers
  of Kana (Michael J. McCloskey, Chief Executive Officer, Mark S. Gainey,
  President and Chairman, Joseph G. Ansnaelli, Vice President Marketing, Tim
  Campbell, Vice President and General Manager, Kana Online, Ian Cavanagh, Vice
  President Business Development, Alexander R. Evans, Vice President,
  International, P.V. Kannan, Vice President, Realtime, Joseph D. McCarthy, Vice
  President Finance and Operations, William R. Phelps, Vice President Professional
  Services, Toya Rico, Vice President, Human Resources, Don Whitt, Vice President,
  eBusiness Services, and Michael R. Wolfe, Vice President, Engineering).  The
  aforementioned directors and officers of Kana, as a group, may be deemed to
  beneficially own approximately 52% of Kana's outstanding common stock.
  
  ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS
  
  Exhibit
  Number                       Description of Document
  ------                       -----------------------
  
  99.1        Joint press release with Silknet Software Inc. dated February 7,
              2000 announce Kana's acquisition of Silknet (incorporated by
              reference to Kana's 425 filing dated February 7, 2000).
  SIGNATURES
  
    Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
  amended,  the  Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
  by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  
                                         KANA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
  
  Dated:  February 7, 2000                  By: /S/ MICHAEL J. MCCLOSKEY
                                               ------------------------
                                               Michael J. McCloskey,
                                               Chief Executive Officer
  EXHIBIT INDEX
  
  Exhibit
  Number                       Description of Document
  ------                       -----------------------
  
  99.1        Joint press release with Silknet Software Inc. dated February 7,
              2000 announce Kana's acquisition of Silknet (incorporated by
              reference to Kana's 425 filing dated February 7, 2000).