Customer support
Turn a repeated support question into a useful article
A good help article opens with what the customer sees, says who it applies to, gives steps someone has tested and states what success looks like. It also says where the instructions stop working and how to reach a person. Collect these facts before drafting.
A text to start with
I want a help article for this repeated question: [question as customers phrase it]. The symptom is [what the customer sees]. It applies to [plan, device, version or account type] and does not apply to [exclusions]. Prerequisites: [list]. Steps I have tested: [steps]. Expected result: [result]. If it fails, customers should [help route]. Draft the article using only these details.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Help article planning sheet
Question in the customer's words: [ ] Symptom the customer sees: [ ] Exact error text, if any: [ ] Applies to: [ ] Does not apply to: [ ] Prerequisites: [ ] Step 1: [ ] Step 2: [ ] Step 3: [ ] Tested by, on what version, and date: [ ] Expected result: [ ] What to do if it did not work: [ ] Help route and hours: [ ] Related articles: [ ] Date to recheck: [ ]
Prerequisites and exclusions
Articles fail when a step assumes something the reader lacks, such as admin rights, a particular app version or a setting enabled earlier. Walk through the steps as a new customer would and note every unstated requirement. Check that the title uses the customer's wording, not internal terms, and that each step matches the current screen and menu names. State the cases where the article does not apply, such as a different plan or an error with a different message, so those readers are sent elsewhere.
Ask another agent to check the result
Follow this article as a customer who has only what the page provides. List every missing prerequisite, every step that assumes prior knowledge, and every case where the instructions would not apply but the article does not say so. Quote the sentence involved for each.
Test with a fresh reader
Ask a colleague who has not handled this issue to follow the article exactly while you watch, and note where they hesitate. Fix those spots, then publish through your normal approval process. Link the article in saved replies and cite it in future tickets on the same topic. Set a date to recheck the steps after any product change.