maudeunfledged834/startup-founder-skills/support-docs

Support Documentation

When to Use

Activate when a founder or team member needs to create customer-facing documentation that helps users solve problems independently. This includes prompts like "write a help center article," "create an FAQ," "document our API," "write a troubleshooting guide," "build a getting-started guide," or "our support tickets keep asking the same questions."

Context Required

• From startup-context: product type, target user technical level, existing documentation (if any), top support ticket categories, and tools used for docs hosting (e.g., Notion, GitBook, Zendesk, ReadMe).
• From the user: the specific topic to document, the target audience (end users, admins, developers), the user's technical sophistication, common failure modes or confusion points, and whether this is a new article or an update to existing content.

Workflow

1. Identify document type — Determine which template fits: help center article, FAQ, troubleshooting guide, API reference, or getting-started guide. Each serves a different user intent.
2. Define the user's entry point — How will someone find this document? Search query, error message, support agent link, in-app help button? This determines the title and opening line.
3. Write in problem-solution format — Lead with the user's problem (in their words), then provide the solution. Never start with product architecture explanations.
4. Apply progressive disclosure — Put the most common answer first. Nest edge cases, advanced options, and technical details in expandable sections or later in the article.
5. Add searchability elements — Include the exact error messages, feature names, and colloquial terms users search for. Repeat key terms naturally.
6. Test with the "3 AM rule" — Read the article as if you are a frustrated user at 3 AM with a broken workflow. Does it get you to a solution in under 2 minutes? If not, restructure.
7. Link related articles — Add "Related" or "Next steps" links at the bottom to keep users in the self-serve flow.

Output Format

A markdown document following one of the five templates below. Every support doc should be scannable in under 30 seconds and solvable in under 2 minutes.

Template 1: Help Center Article

# [Action-oriented title: "How to X" or "Setting up Y"]
 
[One sentence describing what this article helps you do.]
 
## Before You Start
- Prerequisites or permissions needed
 
## Steps
1. Action step with specific UI path (Settings > Integrations > Slack)
2. Next action step
   > **Note:** Important callout for common mistakes
 
## Frequently Asked Questions
**Q: Common question about this feature?**
A: Direct answer.
 
## Still Need Help?
Contact support at [link] or chat with us in-app.

Template 2: Troubleshooting Guide

# Troubleshooting: [Problem in user's words]
 
## Symptoms
What the user sees when this problem occurs (exact error messages in code blocks).
 
## Quick Fix
The solution that works 80% of the time. Put this first.
 
## If That Didn't Work
### Cause 1: [Most common cause]
How to diagnose → How to fix
 
### Cause 2: [Second most common]
How to diagnose → How to fix
 
## Collect Information for Support
If none of the above worked, gather these details before contacting support:
- [Specific data point 1]
- [Specific data point 2]

Template 3: FAQ Page

Group questions by category (Getting Started, Common Issues, Billing). Each answer is 1-3 sentences with a link to the full article if the answer requires more detail.

Template 4: API Documentation

Structure: endpoint + method, authentication, request parameters (table with name/type/required/description), example request (working curl), response examples (success + every error code), and rate limits. Every code snippet must be copy-pasteable and functional.

Template 5: Getting-Started Guide

Structure: welcome sentence with outcome and time commitment, 3-5 sequential steps (each with the action and why it matters), a verification moment ("you should now see X"), and "What's Next" links to deeper features.

Frameworks & Best Practices

The Problem-Solution-Verification Pattern

Every support document should follow this arc:

1. Problem: State what the user is trying to do or what went wrong (using their language, not internal jargon).
2. Solution: Provide the fix or steps, in order, with exact UI paths and expected outcomes at each step.
3. Verification: Tell the user how to confirm it worked. "You should now see X on the Y page."

Searchability Principles

• Title matches the search query. "How to export data to CSV" not "Data Export Functionality Overview."
• Include error messages verbatim. If users see Error 403: Insufficient permissions, that exact string must appear in your troubleshooting guide.
• Use both technical and colloquial terms. Write "single sign-on (SSO)" so both "SSO" and "single sign-on" searches find the article.
• Front-load the answer. Put the solution in the first 100 words. Many users never scroll.

Progressive Disclosure Rules

• Level 1 (visible): The answer that works for 80% of users.
• Level 2 (expandable): Edge cases, advanced configuration, platform-specific variations.
• Level 3 (linked): Deep technical details, architecture explanations, full API reference.
• Never force a basic user through advanced content to get a simple answer.

Writing Style and Maintenance

• Second person, present tense. "Click Save" not "You will click Save." "You can" not "Users can."
• Specific UI paths. "Go to Settings > Team > Permissions" not "Navigate to your team settings."
• Show, then explain. Lead with the action, then add context. Users want to solve first, understand second.
• Consistent terminology. If the UI says "Workspace," never call it "Organization" in docs.
• Tag and date every article. Outdated docs are worse than no docs. Review on every product release.
• Track deflection rate. If a help article does not reduce support tickets for that topic, rewrite it.
• Include a feedback widget. "Was this helpful? Yes / No" — route "No" responses to the docs owner.

Related Skills

• process-docs — Chain when the support topic requires an internal SOP to handle edge cases or escalations that the customer-facing doc cannot resolve alone.
• onboarding-flow — Chain when creating getting-started guides that serve as part of the new-user onboarding experience.

Examples

Example 1: Troubleshooting guide

User: "Users keep emailing us saying they can't connect their Slack integration. Write a troubleshooting guide."

Good output excerpt:

# Troubleshooting: Slack Integration Not Connecting

## Symptoms

When you click "Connect to Slack," you see one of these errors:

- Authorization failed. Please try again.

- The page redirects back to Settings with no confirmation message.

- Slack opens but shows "This app is not approved by your workspace admin."

## Quick Fix

1. Try a different browser. Browser extensions (especially ad blockers) can interfere with the OAuth redirect. Open an incognito/private window and retry.

2. Check your Slack permissions. You must be a Slack Workspace Admin or Owner. Ask your Slack admin to grant you permission, or have them complete the connection.

## If That Didn't Work

### Cause: Slack workspace restrictions

Your Slack workspace may require admin approval for new apps.

- Diagnose: If you see "This app is not approved by your workspace admin," this is the cause.

- Fix: Ask your Slack admin to approve our app at Slack Admin > Apps > Manage > search for "[Product Name]" > Approve.

Example 2: API documentation

User: "Document our webhook endpoint. It accepts POST requests with event data and returns 200 on success."

Good output approach: Follow the API template precisely. Include authentication details, every parameter with type and required/optional, a working curl example, all response codes with descriptions, rate limits, and a retry policy. Developers will copy-paste from this doc, so every code snippet must actually work.