AI Writing, User Guides
How to Improve User Guides with AI Prompts
Jan
“Efficiency is doing better what is already being done.” — Peter Drucker.
Drafting a comprehensive user guide from scratch is often the most time-consuming task for technical writers and office workers alike. By combining professional templates with a structured AI prompt library, you can transform how you create documentation—moving from blank pages to high-quality drafts in a fraction of the time.
The Role of a Prompt Library in Technical Writing
Rather than treating prompts as disposable inputs, a prompt library treats them as documentation assets—designed, tested, refined, and reused in the same way as templates, style guides, or checklists. For technical documentation, a prompt library provides the structure, repeatability, and control needed when working with AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini.
To get the best results, always start with a professional framework like the Klariti User Guide Template. This ensures your AI-generated content follows a proven structure.
Prompt Example Section: Crafting Meaningful Prompts
To get the most out of AI when writing a User Guide, you must move beyond simple questions. Use the following three levels of prompting to build a better document:
1. Simple Prompt (The Baseline)
Use this for generating high-level summaries or introductory text where the context is straightforward.
The Prompt: “Write a 150-word ‘Purpose of the Document’ section for a User Guide for a new cloud-based payroll system called ‘PayStream’. The audience is small business owners who are not tech-savvy.”
2. Advanced Prompt (The Procedural Specialist)
An advanced prompt adds a specific persona and stylistic constraints. This ensures the output adheres to professional standards like the Microsoft Style Guide.
The Prompt: “Act as a Senior Technical Writer. Write a step-by-step procedure for ‘Adding a New Employee’ in PayStream. Constraints: – Use a numbered list. – Start every step with an active verb. – Use ‘Click’ for buttons and ‘Select’ for menu items. – Keep each step to a single action.”
3. Complex Prompt (The Structural Architect)
Complex prompts use “chain-of-thought” logic to handle intricate parts of the guide, such as troubleshooting tables or error handling, while ensuring the data is ready for a professional template.
The Prompt: “I am using the Klariti User Guide Template. I need to complete the ‘Troubleshooting’ section for the login module. 1. Identify three common user errors (e.g., forgotten password, locked account, expired session). 2. For each error, provide a ‘Possible Cause’ and a ‘Recommended Solution’. 3. Format the final output as a three-column HTML table. 4. Adhere to a helpful, professional tone and avoid technical jargon.”
The Klariti Checklist for User Guides
Follow these best practices to ensure your AI-assisted documentation remains professional:
- Verify Technical Steps: Always test the AI-generated procedures against the actual software to ensure accuracy.
- Maintain Tone Consistency: Ensure all sections follow the Microsoft Style Guide for a cohesive reading experience.
- Use Professional Templates: Integrate AI output into a structured Standard Operating Procedure or User Guide template to maintain formatting standards.
- Build a Shared Library: Store your successful prompts in an Excel spreadsheet to allow your team to reuse them across different projects.
Why Structure Matters
AI does not eliminate the need for structure; if anything, it increases it. Using a central prompt library—often maintained in a simple Excel Template—allows teams to harness AI as a drafting assistant while preserving professional standards.
Take the 30-Day Documentation Challenge
Don’t let your documentation fall behind. Set a challenge to spend 15 minutes every day using these prompt techniques to update one section of your user manuals. By the end of the month, your technical library will be more robust and accurate than ever before.
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