A good instruction manual makes it easy for your customers to use your product successfully. Use our template to offer step-by-step instructions in a digestible, easy-to-follow format.

• Easy to make. Create a beautiful online instruction manual without having to code anything.
• Always on brand. Customize your manual and add your branding so customers will never know that you’ve used a template.
• Available wherever customers need it. Create a standalone user manual or embed it on a product page.
• The help customers want. Organize your manual with an interactive table of contents, so customers can jump right to the help they need.
• An easy path to support. Add a contact form anywhere in your manual so customers can reach your support team when they need more assistance.
• Powerful analytics. Track engagement, and understand what product functionality customers inquire about the most.

What is an instruction manual?

Every product, from small home appliances to large machinery and more, comes with certain standard items. These could include accessories like a power cord, connection cables, additional parts, or any other item the product requires to run.

And then, there’s the instruction manual.

As a matter of fact, the manual is the one thing you can confidently say you’ll always receive with a product.

But what is the instruction manual? Why is it so important that you find it with every product? And does your product really need it?

Well, in the simplest terms, an instruction manual is a “how-to” guide to using a product.

The document typically contains instructions to set up or assemble a product and guides users through all aspects of operating a product. It also instructs them on how to use a product safely and maintain it to prolong its lifespan.

In short, a manual is detailed guidance from someone who knows how a product works and should be operated.

A strong instruction manual will help customers:

• Understand the product’s functionality, features, and capabilities, and the basic uses for each of them.
• Assemble the product and get started with using it.
• Learn how to use specific features and perform various tasks for which the product has been designed. (Many of those sections of the manual would contain detailed step-by-step instructions.)
• Know how to handle and maintain the product to ensure that it operates to the highest standards for a long time.
• Troubleshoot and prevent many issues with the product and resolve others on their own.
• Access in-depth technical information about the product. ( It also helps third-party repair services to quickly access technical information about the product. )

But the instruction manual’s greatest power lies in its familiarity.

Customers expect to find one with any product they buy. Now, it’s true that hardly anyone reads the manual beginning to end. That said, the manual is still the go-to resource for learning more about the product or a reference point for solving particular issues when operating it.

What information should a typical instruction manual include?

No two instruction manuals are the same.

Some come as bulky books full of complex diagrams and tables of technical data. Others contain only a handful of pages with a few illustrations and text.

The manual’s size and format will largely depend on the product and its complexity.. But there are certain elements you will find in practically every instruction manual:

1. The product name and model number. This helps users identify the product and reference it should they require support assistance.
2. A list of the product's parts. This helps customers know t they’ve received the complete product.
3. An overview of product elements. This includes detailed explanations of what each feature does and how to access it.
4. A walkthrough of the product’s capabilities. Plus information on how to use them safely.
5. Installation or assembly instructions. These guide users through getting started with using the product.
6. Usage instructions. Ensure customers’ success with the product.
7. Safety instructions. These detail all the precautions a person should take when using and maintaining the product.
8. A basic troubleshooting section. This will help the user identify and resolve the various issues that may arise while using the product.
9. FAQ section. This offers a quick reference guide, along with answers to the most common questions customers ask about the product.
10. Warranty information
11. Legal notices

How to use the instruction manual template and help customers use the product correctly

Now you know what an instruction manual is, what it does, and why you must create it for your product.

Next, let’s talk about how to create an instruction manual that will help your customers get the most out of the product.

Regardless of whether you decide to write the document from scratch or use an instruction manual template, there are steps you must take to complete the project:

1. Define the audience for the product

Most likely, you completed this step before even creating the product. However, chances are that the intended audience has changed since then. So, talk to your product team. Learn who they’ve developed the product for and the characteristics of those customers.

You’ll need this information to establish the full scope of information to include in the manual and the language that will resonate with the audience.

2. Organize the manual to cater to different stages of user knowledge

Each customer turning to the instruction manual for help will have different knowledge about the product and other needs.

Some will know almost nothing about the product. Other customers may think that they understand its technical intricacies. But in reality, they don’t.

Some will be interested in learning more. Others will just want the information they need at this time, and so on.

Your manual can and should cater to all of them. The best way to do it is by organizing the manual with different needs in mind. Start with the absolute basics, and work toward the most advanced information.

Then, create a table of contents that will help a user identify their needs and knowledge level.

3. Explain information in multiple ways

Some customers prefer diagrams. Others want to see pictures of various product parts.

Some will need step-by-step instructions. Others prefer a walkthrough or an explanation.

Unfortunately, you can’t predict which option your customers prefer. For that reason, you should explain information in more than one way. With that, you’ll cater to different customers’ needs and ensure they find the instruction manual valuable.

4. Use language that your target user will understand

Manuals are technical by nature. Often, their information requires you to use technical language. However, if possible, try to match the vocabulary with what your ideal customer will understand.

If you sell products to engineers and technically-minded people, the manual could use more complex language.

But if an average person uses your product, try to explain it and its various aspects using language they will understand.

If that’s not possible, then include explanations or a glossary of common technical terms relating to the product.

This way, you’ll at least enable the user to learn and expand their knowledge to a level that will allow them to understand the manual.

5. Include an interactive troubleshooting section

The troubleshooting section will allow customers to self-diagnose and resolve issues or problems they may have encountered while using a product.

A troubleshooting guide is a manual section that helps a person identify the problem with the product and offers tips and advice on correcting the issue to make the product operational again.

But to help a user make the most of the troubleshooting section, make it interactive. That way, they’ll be able to use familiar tools to self-diagnose the issue and discover ideas on how to solve it.

Want to help customers use your product correctly from the start? Use the best instruction manual template to create robust product documentation fast.