Excerpt Forum
Templates and style guides for consistent documentation
Hey, I’m working on standardizing our docs, but people keep using different wording and layouts. It’s all over the place—one guide is super detailed, another is just bullet points. Has anyone managed to actually get everyone using templates or a style guide? I tried making my own, but not sure if it’s enough.
Oh man, that used to be us! What finally helped was building out https://www.helpsmith.com and sharing them with the team. We also made a one-page style guide for quick reference. At first, folks ignored it, but after a few reminders and showing how much faster it makes updates, people got on board. Consistency isn’t just about looks—it makes docs easier to update and for users to follow along. Maybe try a short style checklist alongside your templates?
Interesting to hear how different teams handle this. I always notice when docs have a consistent look—it just feels more professional and easier to read. Might try to suggest templates at my place too!