build-a-knowledge-base-style-guide

name	build-a-knowledge-base-style-guide
category	write
description	Build a knowledge-base style guide for task structure, terminology, evidence, accessibility, search, screenshots, errors, updates, and support boundaries. Use when many authors create help content that must stay consistent and useful.

build-a-knowledge-base-style-guide

Optimize for successful reader tasks, not uniform prose alone.

When to use

• Use for customer help centers, internal operations, product documentation, or support knowledge.
• Do not publish credentials, private customer examples, or unsafe troubleshooting steps.

Procedure

1. Define audiences, top tasks, channels, products, locales, accessibility needs, owners, and success measures.
2. Establish article types for concepts, procedures, troubleshooting, reference, policy, release, and escalation.
3. Define titles, summaries, prerequisites, steps, expected results, branches, errors, rollback, evidence, and next actions.
4. Govern terminology, UI labels, tone, grammar, dates, numbers, units, code, links, notes, and warnings.
5. Set screenshot, video, alternative text, captions, sensitive-data, version, and replacement rules.
6. Define search titles, synonyms, metadata, crosslinks, duplicates, canonical articles, and zero-result handling.
7. Establish review, source, owner, freshness, localization, correction, archive, and analytics practices.
8. Test guide examples with real authors and representative readers.

Done

• A knowledge-base style guide documents article types, structure, terminology, media, accessibility, search, safety, updates, and examples
• Author, task, search, accessibility, screenshot, sensitive-data, link, freshness, localization, and reader-test checks verify usefulness