A website user guide, also called a user manual, tells people how to use or manage a website. There are two kinds: guides for visitors who use the site, and guides for owners and staff who manage it. This page gives examples of what each should contain, with section-by-section outlines you can adapt. Javedify builds websites and can include handover guidance in a project, remotely from Mumbai.
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Most websites launch without any guide, and the cost shows up later: the owner is afraid to edit anything, staff ask the same questions again and again, and customers email support for things the site could have explained. A simple guide prevents all three.
The best guides are not long. They cover the ten or fifteen tasks that people actually perform, in the order they perform them, with a screenshot for each step and a short note on what to do if something goes wrong.
Below are outlines for the two main kinds of guide, with examples of sections, followed by tips on format and upkeep.
How to create an account, log in, reset a password and update a profile, with the steps in order.
How to search, filter and navigate, with the main menus explained.
How to add items to a cart, check out, pay, track an order and request a return or refund.
How to change details, view past orders or bookings and manage subscriptions.
How to edit pages, change images, add blog posts and update menus.
How to add products, process orders, manage customers and handle roles.
How to check backups, update plugins carefully and review forms and enquiries.
Where to get support, what information to include and typical response times.
A visitor guide helps customers or members use the site, and it often appears as a help page or FAQ. An admin guide helps the owner and staff manage content, orders and users, and is usually a private document handed over after launch. Many sites need both, and they should be written separately, because the readers have different goals and different vocabulary.
Start with how to log in and what each part of the dashboard does. Then add one short section per task: edit a page, change an image, add a post, add or edit a product, check an order, reply to an enquiry and update contact details. Finish with routine care, such as backups, updates, who to contact and what never to change.
Keep each task to a handful of numbered steps. If a task needs more than ten steps, split it.
Use plain words and name buttons exactly as they appear on screen. Avoid developer terms or explain them in a few words. Start each section with what the reader will achieve and end with how to check that it worked. Test the guide by asking someone who did not build the site to follow it and noting where they stumble.
A screenshot with a highlighted arrow often explains more than a paragraph. Short screen recordings suit tasks that involve several clicks, such as adding a product. A PDF is easy to share and print, while a help page on the site is easy to update and search. Many teams use both: a PDF at handover and a help centre that grows over time.
A guide that no longer matches the site is worse than none. Date each guide, note the version of the website or plugin it describes and review it whenever a feature changes. Keep a short list of questions that support receives, and add answers to the guide.
Use clear headings, readable fonts and descriptive text for images, so the guide works for people using screen readers and for those on small screens. If your users prefer Hindi or another language, offer a translated version reviewed by a native speaker.
On projects we hand over, we can walk you through the admin area and, if you agree it in the scope, provide a written guide or screen recording of the tasks you will perform. We also hand over logins, files and domain details. If you want ongoing help, our maintenance service can take care of updates and fixes.
Describe what you want to achieve and we will outline the steps, the timeline and the cost.
A short written guide or screen recording is usually a small addition to a website project. A full help centre for a larger product costs more. We quote in writing. The main factors are:
Related: website development cost, website maintenance, custom website development, or request a custom quote.
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The things you will do on the site each week.
Guide, recording or walkthrough, noted in the scope.
Short, step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
You follow the guide on your own to find gaps.
Questions answered and the guide updated.
A document or help page that explains how to perform tasks on a website, for visitors or for site owners.
The terms are used almost interchangeably. Both explain how to use something step by step.
Logging in, editing pages, adding posts or products, managing orders and users, and routine care such as backups and updates.
As short as possible. Cover the common tasks in a few numbered steps each, with screenshots.
A PDF is easy to share. A help page is easy to update and search. Many teams use both.
We can walk you through the admin area and, if agreed in the scope, provide a written guide or screen recording.
Yes. Our maintenance service can handle updates, fixes and support.
A short guide is usually a small addition to a project. We quote in writing.
Leave your number and our team will call you back with a clear scope, timeline and quote.