How to write a how-to guide that users actually follow

Why most how-to guides get ignored

If you’re learning how to write a how-to guide, the goal isn’t to “document the feature.” It’s to help a specific reader complete a task—quickly, correctly, and with confidence.

Most guides fail for predictable reasons: unclear audience, missing prerequisites, steps that don’t match the UI, or visuals that don’t show the right state. The fix is not more words—it’s a tighter workflow.

In this post you’ll get a step-by-step method, a concrete example, templates, and a checklist you can reuse for product docs, onboarding, and customer support.

Definition: what a how-to guide is (and isn’t)

A how-to guide is task documentation that:

• Starts with a user goal (“Export an invoice as PDF”)
• Lists prerequisites and permissions
• Walks through a sequence of actions in the UI (or process)
• Confirms success with an expected outcome
• Troubleshoots likely failure points

A how-to guide is not:

• A feature overview (that’s conceptual documentation)
• A reference list of settings (that’s a reference page)
• A changelog entry

Keep the guide narrowly scoped to one task. If the task has branches, split them into clearly labeled paths.

How to write a how-to guide (step-by-step)

1) Start with one user goal and one audience

Before you write anything, answer:

• Who is this for? (New admin, power user, teammate in finance)
• What is their goal? (One sentence)
• What “done” looks like? (One observable result)

Tip: a good title uses a verb + object, e.g., “Invite teammates to a workspace,” not “Team management.”

Secondary keywords to keep in mind (use naturally, don’t stuff): user documentation, step-by-step instructions, product documentation, onboarding documentation, SOP template, help center article, documentation best practices, process documentation, training material.

2) List prerequisites up front (and be strict)

Readers bail when they hit a blocker mid-way. Add a short “Before you start” section that covers:

• Required role/permissions
• Required plan/feature access (if applicable)
• What they need ready (files, links, credentials)
• Approximate time to complete (rough, not a promise)

If the prerequisite is uncertain (“You may need admin access”), call it out plainly and provide a next step (“Ask your workspace admin to…”).

3) Choose a consistent step format

Use a repeatable structure for each step so users can scan and execute:

• Action (what to click/type)
• Location (where in the UI)
• Result (what should happen)
• Note (only if needed)

Write each step as an imperative sentence that begins with a verb:

• “Click Settings.”
• “Select Billing.”
• “Enter the customer’s email.”

Avoid multi-action steps. If the user must do three things, make three steps.

4) Add screenshots that prove state (not just decoration)

Screenshots work when they reduce cognitive load. Use them to show:

• The exact screen the user should be on
• The correct menu or button (especially if it’s easy to miss)
• The expected “success” state (confirmation banner, updated status, new item listed)

Screenshot guidelines:

• One screenshot per major state change (not every click)
• Crop tight to the relevant UI
• Use annotations sparingly (arrows/boxes) and consistently
• Update images when UI changes (stale screenshots destroy trust)

If you maintain documentation at scale, consider generating screenshots from a walkthrough video so the visuals and steps stay aligned.

5) Handle common pitfalls explicitly

Most support tickets come from the same 2–3 mistakes. Add a short “Common issues” section that covers:

• What the user likely did wrong
• What they should see when it’s right
• The fix (one or two clear actions)

This turns your guide into self-serve support and reduces back-and-forth.

6) End with a verification step and next actions

Users want closure. Finish with:

• A clear confirmation (“You’ll see X,” “Status changes to Y”)
• What to do next (link to a related task page, or a short “Next: …” list)

A concrete example (with prerequisites, steps, and pitfalls)

Below is a practical example you can model—notice how each step is single-action and every section is there for a reason.

Example: How to change a user’s role in a workspace

Goal: Change a teammate’s role from Member to Admin.

Audience: Workspace admins managing permissions.

Before you start:

• You must be a workspace Admin
• You need the teammate’s email or name as it appears in the workspace

Steps

1. Open Settings.
2. Click Team (or Users).
3. Find the teammate by name or email.
4. Click the Role dropdown next to their name.
5. Select Admin.
6. Click Save (if prompted).

Expected result: The teammate’s role displays as Admin in the team list.

Common issues

• You don’t see the Role dropdown: You likely don’t have admin permissions. Ask an admin to update your role first.
• Changes don’t apply: Refresh the page and confirm you clicked Save (some UIs require confirmation).

Templates you can copy (Markdown)

Use these templates to standardize your help center articles and internal SOPs.

How-to guide template

## Overview
One sentence: what the user will accomplish and why it matters.

## Who this is for
- Primary audience (role, experience level)
- Optional: who it’s not for

## Before you start
- Permissions/role required
- What you need prepared (files, access, info)
- Time estimate (optional)

## Steps
1. Start at: [where in the product/process]
2. Click/select/enter: [single action]
   - Expected result: [what should change]
3. Repeat…

## Confirm it worked
- You should see: [UI change, status, output]

## Common issues
- Issue: [what happens]
  - Fix: [what to do]

## Next steps
- Link/describe the next related task

Screenshot + annotation template

## Screenshots
- Screenshot 1: Entry point screen (show navigation)
- Screenshot 2: Critical setting/button (annotated)
- Screenshot 3: Success state (confirmation/status)

## Annotation rules
- Use one style of callout (arrow OR box)
- Label only what the step references
- Crop to the smallest useful area

Checklist: publish-ready how-to guide

• Title states a single task (verb + object)
• Audience is clear (role + context)
• Prerequisites include permissions and required inputs
• Steps are numbered and single-action
• Each step matches the current UI labels
• Screenshots show key states and are tightly cropped
• “Confirm it worked” section describes the expected outcome
• Common issues cover the top 2–3 failure points
• Next steps point to related tasks (without dumping links)
• Date/owner is set for future updates (especially after UI changes)

Tools to create how-to guides (high-level comparison)

Different teams need different tooling depending on volume, change frequency, and whether your source of truth is video, UI walkthroughs, or written docs.

Docs editors (manual-first)

• Best for: Small doc sets, low change frequency
• Pros: Precise control, easy peer review
• Tradeoffs: Time-consuming to keep screenshots and steps aligned

Knowledge base / help center CMS

• Best for: Customer-facing help center articles, searchability
• Pros: Navigation, categories, permissions
• Tradeoffs: Still requires manual authoring and constant updating

Video-first documentation workflows

• Best for: Teams that already record demos, support walkthroughs, onboarding, and internal SOPs
• Pros: Recording is fast; a single source can produce multiple outputs
• Tradeoffs: Without the right workflow, turning video into clean, structured docs is still a lot of manual work

Vidocu fits in the third category: you record once, then turn that video into structured documentation outputs (like subtitles, localization, and a step-by-step help article) with editors to finalize quickly.

Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Pitfall 1: Writing for “everyone”

Fix: Pick one primary reader and write to their level. If you need a second path (e.g., Admin vs Member), split the guide.

Pitfall 2: Burying prerequisites

Fix: Put blockers at the top. If a user can’t complete the task, they should know in the first 10 seconds.

Pitfall 3: Steps that don’t match the UI

Fix: Use exact button/menu labels. After writing, do a fresh run-through in the product and verify each click.

Pitfall 4: Screenshot sprawl

Fix: Use screenshots to confirm state changes, not to narrate every click.

Pitfall 5: No success criteria

Fix: Add a “Confirm it worked” section every time. It reduces repeat attempts and support requests.

Related Vidocu workflows

• Learn how Vidocu helps teams turn recordings into publish-ready outputs on the Vidocu homepage.
• See the workflow for turning a walkthrough into a structured doc in video to documentation.
• If you need a fast first draft to edit, try the help article generator.

FAQ

How long should a how-to guide be?

As long as it needs to be to complete one task reliably. For most product tasks, 6–12 steps plus troubleshooting is plenty.

Should I include a video and a written guide?

If you can, yes: video helps users orient quickly; a written step-by-step guide helps them execute and search later. Many teams record once and derive the written version to keep them consistent.

What’s the best format for steps?

Numbered steps with one action each. Include expected results for steps where the user might not know what “right” looks like.

How do I keep screenshots updated?

Assign an owner and review cycle, and tie updates to UI releases. If your team already records updated walkthroughs, use those recordings as the source for refreshed screenshots.

When should I split a guide into multiple guides?

Split when you have different audiences, different prerequisites, or a major decision branch (e.g., “If you use SSO…”). Don’t force multiple workflows into one page.

Turn one video into an SOP in minutes

When you already have a walkthrough recording, the slow part is rewriting it into clean steps, capturing screenshots, and keeping everything consistent. Vidocu helps you go from video to a structured, editable help article faster—so your team ships documentation on time. Start with the help article generator.