Self-Help Guides: Organize & Construct a Self-Help Guide

This self-help guide will guide you through the process of preparing your content and constructing a self-help guide.

Prepare

Self-Help Guide Overview

What is a Self-Help Guide?

A Self-Help Guide provides the context and step-by-step instructions needed to learn about and complete specific tasks. Users can either start from the beginning of a self-help guide and follow it to the end, or they can jump in at any point to find the help that is most needed at the moment.

Understand the Structure

A Self-Help Guide (SHG) can be laid out in one to three columns depending on the scope of the content.

Understand the Structure

Organize the Content

Analyze the Content

Provide a Clear Focus

Use Rapid Task Analysis (RTA)

Assemble the Content

Curate Existing Content

This article was written for knowledge base articles but also applies to content for self-help guides.

Write for an Online Audience

This guide was written for knowledge base articles but also applies to content for self-help guides.

Determine Where to Store your Content

Use a Spreadsheet to Track your Content

Build

Turn on Self-Help Guides in Your Site

Activate and Customize the Settings

Activate the Self-Help Guide Module

Set the Column Colors

Enable "Read/Watch" Icons

Create a New Self-Help Guide

Create Self-Help Guide Pages and Columns

The Self-Help Guide Module comes with two content types. Use the "Self-Help Guide Column" to create the individual columns for the self-help guide. Use the "Self-Help Guide Page" to create the master document that pulls together the individual columns of the self-help guide.

Create a Self-Help Guide Column

Create a Self-Help Guide Page