What Is Online Documentation: Types, Best Practices & Examples

I spoke to over 50 people about the future of customer self-service, and they all shared the same thing—It’s quite a struggle to find answers online and resolve issues independently. 

Effective online documentation serves as a 24/7 customer service representative, providing instant access to answers, troubleshooting guides, and tutorials. When done right, it can help you avoid lengthy phone calls, endless email chains, and a sense of helplessness. 

But simply having online documentation isn’t enough. It must be well-structured, easily searchable, and tailored to your audience’s needs. But how do you do it, and what should you remember? That’s what I’ll discuss in this blog with some examples.

What Is Online Documentation?

Online documentation refers to any form of instructional or informational content accessible via the Internet. It serves as a digital repository of knowledge, providing users with readily available resources to understand and utilize products, services, or systems. Unlike traditional paper manuals, online documentation is dynamic, easily updated, and accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection.

This type of documentation can encompass various formats, including knowledge base articles, FAQs, tutorials, user guides, API documentation, and even embedded help within software applications. The key characteristic is its accessibility through digital platforms, allowing for interactive elements, multimedia integration, and real-time updates, enhancing the user’s learning and problem-solving experience.

For example, a software company might create online documentation for its cloud-based application. This could include a comprehensive knowledge base with articles covering account setup, feature tutorials, troubleshooting guides, and API documentation for developers. 

What Are the Types of Online Documentation?

Understanding these types of online documentation allows businesses to create comprehensive and effective knowledge resources. Here are some common types of online documentation:

Knowledge Bases

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These are centralized repositories of information, often organized into categories and searchable articles. They typically contain FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and how-to articles to provide quick solutions to common user problems. 

Learn how to create a knowledge base in minutes with the help of this short video:

User Manuals/Guides

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These provide detailed instructions on how to use a product or service. They often cover everything from basic setup to advanced features, offering step-by-step guidance and explanations.

API Documentation

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This type of documentation is specifically for developers. It provides information on how to integrate with an application programming interface (API), including technical specifications, code examples, and usage instructions.

Tutorials/Walkthroughs

These are step-by-step guides that walk users through specific tasks or processes. They often include visuals, such as screenshots or videos, to enhance understanding.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

This is a collection of common questions, and their answers are designed to address user queries quickly and efficiently.

Help Centers/Support Portals

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These comprehensive online resources combine various types of documentation, such as knowledge bases, user manuals, and FAQs, into a single, easily accessible platform.

Embedded Help

This type of documentation is integrated directly into software applications, providing contextual assistance to users as they navigate the interface.

Release Notes

These documents provide information about new features, bug fixes, and other changes in software updates.

What Are the Benefits of Creating Online Documentation?

Online documentation can enhance customer satisfaction, streamline support processes, and boost efficiency. Here are the top 5 benefits and how to make the most of them using the example of ProProfs Knowledge Base software:

Enhanced Customer Self-Service

Online documentation empowers customers to find answers to questions and resolve issues independently, reducing their reliance on direct support. This leads to faster problem resolution, increased customer satisfaction, and reduced support ticket volume

Here’s how you can improve it:

• Create comprehensive FAQs to address common customer queries with detailed answers
• Create step-by-step troubleshooting guides to empower customers to resolve issues independently
• Implement a robust search function to enable customers to quickly find relevant information
• Use multimedia content to incorporate videos and images to clarify complex concepts.
• Enable customer feedback to allow customers to rate articles and suggest improvements.

Reduced Support Costs

By enabling self-service, online documentation significantly reduces the number of support inquiries, freeing up support teams to focus on more complex issues. This translates to lower support costs and improved resource allocation.

Here are some simple tips you can follow to ensure reduced support costs: 

• Create FAQs to address common customer questions to deflect support inquiries
• Create detailed troubleshooting guides to help users resolve issues independently
• Ensure easy access to relevant information, minimizing support requests
• Regularly update content
• Identify knowledge gaps and optimize content with knowledge base reports
• Integrate with support channels by providing seamless access to the knowledge base from support tickets and chat.

Improved Customer Experience

Providing readily available and easily accessible information enhances the customer experience by demonstrating a commitment to customer support. Well-structured and user-friendly online documentation fosters a sense of empowerment and satisfaction.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Provide 24/7, mobile-friendly access
• Use simple language and visuals to enhance understanding
• Gather insights and offer multiple search options to improve content relevance
• Maintain consistent branding to create a seamless experience.

Increased Product Adoption & Understanding

Online documentation, such as tutorials and user guides, helps users effectively understand and utilize products or services. This leads to increased product adoption, reduced learning curves, and improved customer engagement. 

Here’s how to do it:

• Create detailed product tutorials to guide users through key features and functionalities
• Create onboarding guides to help new users get started quickly and efficiently
• Provide use-case examples to show users how to apply the product in real-world scenarios
• Offer searchable FAQs to address common questions and clarify product specifics
• Include visual aids by using screenshots and videos to enhance understanding.

24/7 Accessibility & Global Reach

Online documentation is accessible anytime, anywhere, allowing customers to find solutions conveniently. This global accessibility breaks down geographical barriers and ensures that customers worldwide can access the information they need. 

Here’s how to ensure it:

• Enable cloud-based hosting to ensure constant availability from any location
• Enable mobile responsiveness to optimize content for all devices
• Enable multilingual support to translate content to serve diverse audiences
• Consider global CDN integration to improve loading speeds worldwide
• Ensure search engine optimization (SEO) to make content discoverable globally.

What Are the Best Practices to Create Online Documentation?

Creating online documentation requires more than just compiling information; it demands a strategic approach prioritizing user experience and accessibility. Here are some best practices to consider:

Focus on User-Centric Content

Focus on creating content that directly addresses the needs and questions of your target audience. Use clear, concise language, avoid jargon, and organize information logically. Conduct user research to understand common pain points and tailor your documentation accordingly.

Check out this interesting case study on how Altiscale used ProProfs Knowledge Base to track content usage patterns and improve online documentation. 

Read Case Study

Maintain Consistency & Structure

Establish a consistent style guide for your documentation, covering formatting, terminology, and tone. This ensures a cohesive user experience and makes it easier for users to navigate and understand the information. 

Implement a clear and logical structure using headings, subheadings, and categories to organize content effectively.

Utilize Multimedia & Visuals

Incorporating multimedia elements like images, videos, and interactive tutorials can enhance comprehension and engagement. 

Visuals can break up text, illustrate complex concepts, and provide step-by-step guidance. Use screenshots, diagrams, and animations to make your documentation more visually appealing and user-friendly.

Optimize for Search & Accessibility

Use relevant keywords, implement a robust search function, and provide clear and descriptive titles to make your documentation easily searchable. 

Adhere to accessibility guidelines like WCAG to ensure your documentation is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

Regularly Update & Maintain Content

Online documentation is a living resource that must be regularly updated and maintained. Establish a process for reviewing and updating content to ensure accuracy and relevance. 

Encourage user feedback and monitor analytics to identify areas for improvement. Implement version control to track changes and maintain a history of revisions.

What Are Some Top Online Documentation Examples?

I have compiled a few examples of online documentation that will give you a good idea of how different companies approach it. 

RMS

RMS’s documentation prioritizes clarity and accessibility with a straightforward writing style that caters to users of all levels.  The well-structured pages feature concise titles and easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions.  

Key steps are highlighted with bullet points, and internal links connect users to related resources within the help center, promoting seamless navigation and comprehensive problem-solving. 

Manage Engine by Zoho 

ManageEngine’s Help Center makes finding information easy with a prominent search bar and clearly organized topics. Its user manual on End User Experience Monitoring (EUM) effectively uses simple language, helpful links, and insightful visuals to explain this complex topic. 

This approach ensures clarity and accessibility, making it easy for users to understand and leverage ManageEngine’s EUM capabilities.

Slack

Slack’s quick start guide excels in providing a user-friendly and straightforward onboarding experience. Using clear language and step-by-step instructions, it effectively guides users through essential features like channels, direct messages, and notifications. 

The guide also offers helpful tips, shortcuts, and links to further resources, ensuring users can quickly grasp the platform’s functionalities and start using Slack effectively.

Enhance Customer Service & Experience with Online Documentation 

Online documentation serves as a vital resource for users, providing accessible and up-to-date information about products, services, and processes. It enhances user experience, reduces support inquiries, and strengthens brand credibility through clear and comprehensive content.

Effective online documentation empowers users with self-service support, improves product understanding, and enhances customer satisfaction. It also streamlines onboarding, reduces support costs, and strengthens brand credibility.

ProProfs Knowledge Base offers a comprehensive platform for creating and managing diverse online documentation, including user manuals, FAQs, and knowledge bases. Its user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and AI-powered features like the AI  Writer tool simplify content creation, organization, and accessibility.