Which document sections?

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When creating user assistance for software, you’re mostly free to choose which sections to include, and how to label them.

When you’re documenting hardware, however, standards and legal requirements often call for you to include specific components and to create a particular structure.

Caution: Always check whether there are any specific standards or legal requirements for your products and for the countries in which you sell your products. If there are any binding requirements, adhere to them strictly.

Within the scope that you have:

Only include those sections that add substantial value for users.

Find headings that reflect the users’ goals. Avoid abstract terms. For example, call a section “Assembling Your …” rather than “Assembly Instructions.”

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General principles

Start with sections that cover the basic concepts.

Continue with sections that contain step-by-step procedures.

End with sections that provide details and reference information.

For more principles and for details on finding the right structure, see Which order of topics?

Specific sections

For specific sections in user assistance for software, see Standard sections in software user assistance.

For specific sections in user assistance for hardware, see Standard sections in hardware user assistance.