What are the essential elements of a documentation template?

Not true. If a long description of purpose is necessary, put in a separate instruction document. BRIEF descriptions of document sections (1-2 sentences) are fine.

Doc Design: Beyond the Basics! - Accessibility: Make it easy for everyone to read. - Version Info: Track changes with version control. - Legal Notes: Add necessary disclaimers. - Glossary: Define technical terms. - Visual Consistency: Keep colors and icons uniform. - Real Scenarios: Use real-life examples. - FAQs: Answer common questions. - Cross-Referencing: Link related info. - Call to Action: Guide readers on next steps. - Multilingual Support: Consider global readers. Remember: A great document is more than words on a page; it's a user-friendly guide that speaks to everyone!

Target audience Document version information legal agreement Security things Purpose of the document Introduction of the document Required information Conclusion Link to related document for next reference

Key important things in this: Purpose Clarity: Define scope, audience, and goals. Relevance Check: Answer why, who, and what they'll gain. Reader Engagement: Set the tone, keep it concise.

While I appreciate the emphasis on brevity for purpose statements in technical documents, it's crucial to recognize that the effectiveness of a purpose statement is not only dependent on its length. The primary function of a purpose statement is to clearly convey the intent, scope, and significance of the document to its intended audience. Therefore, a flexible approach to its length and detail depends on the type of document and the audience's needs. In essence, the goal should be to tailor the purpose statement to serve its fundamental role most effectively: guiding the reader's understanding of the document's intent, scope, and importance. This may mean diverging from brevity in favour of clarity, completeness, and audience engagement.

A table of contents (TOC) is an integral part of a document because it provides a road map for readers. Although the complexity of a document often determines the number of heading levels in a TOC, many company style guides specify the number of heading levels a document can have.

A TOC is generally helpful, but using it in every article isn't always the best practice. For instance, some shorter articles won't benefit from using them. Quicker reads mean someone could skim through the article just as fast as they would read a TOC. And if used incorrectly, they can distract from reading the documentation. Consider where they are better placed and whether they should be before the content, after the introduction, or in some other location. Then, consider whether their location will distract from the content. Don't include every heading in it unless it is necessary.

A table of contents is the one thing I would leave out the most frequently. If the document is short, the table of contents is just in the way.

While a Table of Contents (TOC) enhances navigation in lengthy documents, it is optional. A TOC is redundant for short articles or brief reports, adding unnecessary bulk without offering real value. You decide the need for a TOC depending on the document’s length, complexity, and how the audience uses it. Use clear headings and a well-structured layout in simpler documents to ensure readability without overcomplicating. Deciding to include a TOC is a strategic choice to improve user experience rather than adhere to a one-size-fits-all rule.

I agree. My template has Main Body Header. Body Sub Header and a third header for steps that are important but are a function of the sub header.

A style guide is a SEPERATE document, and a living document. Users of this template will (or should) be familiar with it before ever using a template.

I agree with Charles that a style guide is a completely separate document! I've never seen a style guide as part of a documentation template. However, you can include tips & hints in your template. Make tips & hints visually appealing though, and be mindful of making the document too busy.

In 25 years, I have only worked at two companies that used a style guide (I can hear gasps and sighs of SG gurus saying it's my bible). An SG...really. Who will write it? OK, I hear retorts, such as using the Microsoft version. If you feel that way, Carry on Style Guiding. When you build your experience and decide to contract your services, you land a six-month contract to write 20 process and policy documents from scratch. Are you going to chase around asking for a style guide, receiving blank looks at every mention? Trust me, 20 documents from scratch in six months is huge. You should get on with it; you will need more time to breathe than read an SG.

In my experience, trying to incorporate style guide elements into a template leads to different templates going in completely different directions. This is a good example of when a document hierarchy should be used. Having the style guide be a top document that rolls down to templates designed to follow the style guide leads to a more coherent look and feel to a set of documents. This makes for an easier read for end users.

Your style guide is absolutely a separate document, and it informs every piece of content you create, from simple reference materials to complex procedural user guides. In addition to outlining guidelines for tone, voice, and mechanics, I've also found it helpful to write out how your product/org positions itself with the user or customer. That is, what is the user coming to your product to accomplish? And further, how can your docs enable and empower the user to accomplish those things? These are powerful questions to ask when first creating a style guide, but they can remain helpful north stars when iterating on your guide over time.

Too many people try to explain every kind of content in each content section. The goal is not to overwhelm but to simplify the content development process. Too granular, and you risk turning people away from creating the content (because they'll assume it's too hard); too simplified, and you risk writers not developing the content enough to be helpful.

Crucial points I remember with this: Key Structure: Craft clear and logical content sections. Heading Precision: Use descriptive headings for clarity. Objective Alignment: Each section should have a clear purpose and format. Tailored Content: Customize for document type (e.g., user guide, manual). Structured content empowers readers, ensuring clarity and value in every section.

One element that is critical to include in the content sections is "boilerplate text." This aids the first-time user and the occasional document writer in understanding what is expected in a particular section. Of course, not all sections need the same length or level of detail; the Purpose section should be relatively self-explanatory while something less common or peculiar to your company may need additional explanation. An example of the latter would be an "Authorities" or "Mandate" section, which was a required (and misunderstood) section in all documents created by a federal contractor I worked with. A well-written explanation of these more obscure sections will not only make the author's life easier, but the writer-editor's as well.

Not all documents require this. One example:a set of assembly instructions. The purpose and results are obvious, and there may not be any next steps.

I typically include a SIPOC diagram at end of an SOP document. This describes: - SUPPLIERS - INPUT - PROCESS - OUTPUT - CUSTOMERS It offers a visual summary of what the document is about, who participates, and who benefits.

A summary and next steps (or action to take) will vary based on the type of documentation. Trying to prescribe this too thoroughly in a template risks making the template unusable for a number of people who would have otherwise used it. Simplicity is your friend. Almost every type of documentation will require some type of conclusion, and that's what this "Summary and next steps" section acts as.

Ideas to share: Final Flourish: Conclude with a concise summary and next steps. Recap & Propel: Highlight key takeaways and guide readers on what to do next. Empower Action: Reinforce value and facilitate practical application.

“Thank you for your time and attention…” not appropriate or necessary for all documents. In some industries, the reader is addressed in the third person and to do this breaks convention.

I think we need to be careful about what we include in every template. Feedback and contact should be part of the documentation process, not necessarily written into it. Commenting is built into it depending on the platform or tool used. As long as it's part of the documentation process, it has no bearing on the template itself. People will still comment, and the documentation will be improved. In most types of documentation, constant iteration is baked into the writing process because updating it regularly increases the likelihood of folks reading and trusting it.

The feedback and contact section can prove very valuable in documents. It lets your readers know their voices are essential. Readers’ feedback often lead technical writers to elaborate on an existing section in a document, create a new chapter, and even fix mistakes. The outcome of listening to your readers is always a better document.

I can't see this information being in anything but correspondence. Maybe there will be a reference or bibliography section where the reader can go for more information.

Feedback and comments are automatically part of every article on online help portals. They are helpful but must be carefully monitored to determine their usefulness. As Shirmattie said, feedback and comments can help you improve your knowledge center to ensure you are providing relevant content to your customers. Absolutely necessary for product adoption during a pilot phase or on self-service sites.

This is an example of how AI is not able to write an article that will apply to a broad topic. Documentation templates will be varied depending on the audience, purpose, intended use, and method of delivery. We have multiple templates for different types of documentation. A short job aid template would not include a purpose statement, TOC, summary, etc. The only content would be the steps required to perform the tasks. A template for writing policies and standards is completely different. This AI derived article leaves much to be desired and seems to illustrate the value of human technical writers over current AI.

Unless I missed it, I did not see a revision section. A revision section is an industry best practice to keep your documentation fresh and current. A revision section should be in a table format that contains but is not limited to the following: Revision date The name of the person updating the document A summary of new updates The name of the peer reviewer The name of the approver At least once a year, review your documents and, if no longer needed, sunset them.

If this is an AI generated article, it's not very good. To present this as the do-all, end-all of what a template should be is not helpful and not accurate. Different pieces in a documentation set should have different templates. I think AI is not the way to go and as MiMi Lane stated, it just shows how important, vital and needed true, human Technical Writers are.

If this type of information is needed, it either belongs in an appendix, or should be interwoven in the other document sections

It's great when your employer understands the functions and benefits of fit-for-purpose templates and terrible when your employer acts like templates are a waste of everyone's time. If engineers who are not writers produce the first drafts of most technical documents, it can be quite a challenge getting them to understand how templates work and why it's important to use them correctly. Otherwise, the technical writers live in Cleanup Ville.