| name | how-to-guide |
| description | Write a task-oriented how-to guide for an already oriented user, focusing on prerequisites, direct steps, variants, verification, and recovery without turning the page into a tutorial or conceptual essay. |
How-To Guide
Use when users know the product but need reliable instructions for one specific task.
Procedure
- Define the task, intended user, supported versions or environments, prerequisites, and what successful completion looks like.
- Verify the task on the current supported implementation before documenting it.
- Put prerequisites and important consequences before the first mutating action.
- Give the shortest complete sequence using exact UI labels, commands, arguments, or paths where needed.
- Add alternatives only when they represent common supported variants, and clearly separate them from the main path.
- Include verification steps that prove the task succeeded rather than assuming command exit or a saved setting is enough.
- Put likely error recovery and rollback close to the relevant operation, especially for configuration or destructive tasks.
- Link to concepts, reference, or troubleshooting material instead of duplicating them extensively.
Decision rules
- A how-to solves one task; it does not need to teach the entire system.
- Do not omit prerequisites because an experienced author finds them obvious.
- Verify exact commands and product labels.
- Alternatives should not obscure the default supported path.
Quality gate
The guide is ready when a qualified user can complete the task from a known starting state, exact actions are current and reproducible, success can be verified, common recovery is available, and unrelated conceptual material does not bury the procedure.
