Structure articles, product pages, and help content

Match the structure to the decision

An explanatory article, a product page, and a troubleshooting procedure answer different questions. Forcing each into the same FAQ template can bury important context. Start by writing the task the reader wants to complete. Then choose the smallest structure that makes the answer and its boundaries easy to find.

For an article: answer, explain, substantiate

Open with a direct answer and its scope. Use headings to divide real subquestions, not to repeat keywords. Place evidence near the claim it supports. Finish with an action, an unresolved question, or a useful next reading step. A summary is helpful only if it remains accurate without the rest of the page.

For example, an article about evaluating stock discrepancies might explain the common workflow, show an illustrative reconciliation record, and list conditions that require a different procedure. It should not quietly turn an illustration into a measured industry norm.

For a product: identify, qualify, compare

Name the product and edition. Describe the job it does, who it fits, requirements, exclusions, and how to verify current capabilities. A comparison table should use equivalent criteria across alternatives and distinguish “not supported” from “not checked.” Review pricing and availability statements when they change; do not present an old screenshot as a current specification.

For help: state prerequisites and observable steps

Give the starting conditions before the steps. Use ordered steps when sequence matters. Tell the reader what success looks like, how to recognize a common failure, and when to stop and contact support. Commands and code should be formatted as code and reviewed by someone who can assess their effects. Never encourage a destructive command solely to complete a tutorial.

Page type	Reader’s main question	Essential boundary
Article	What does this mean?	Where the explanation applies
Product	Does this fit my needs?	Edition, limits, requirements
Help	How do I complete this safely?	Preconditions and stop conditions

Run a structural pass, then a factual pass

Use the structure checker to inspect heading hierarchy, long paragraphs, list presence, and source-link patterns. A clean structure report is not a factual approval. Separately verify the claims, links, examples, and product version. Test a narrow excerpt: if it loses a critical qualifier, move the qualifier closer to the statement.

Resist arbitrary quotas

This guide does not prescribe a magic word count, heading density, or number of citations. Use the space needed to answer the reader’s question. Cut repeated marketing claims before cutting the caveats that keep the answer accurate.