Practical guidelines to help engineers and writers produce concise, useful technical documentation.
A step-by-step guide covering planning, structure, writing style, and review for effective technical documentation.
Plan before you write
Identify the target audience, their knowledge level, and the tasks they need to perform. Create an outline that prioritizes the most important information and groups related topics together.
Use clear structure
Use a consistent hierarchy of headings, short sections, and a table of contents. Start with a concise summary, then provide step-by-step instructions, examples, and troubleshooting tips.
Write for clarity and brevity
Prefer short sentences, active voice, and plain language. Define acronyms at first use, avoid unnecessary jargon, and use bullet lists or numbered steps for procedures.
Review and maintain
Have subject matter experts and representative users review the content. Keep documentation up to date, track changes, and archive or mark deprecated content to avoid confusion.