Difference between user manual and documentation

What is Technical Documentation? It also helps users: Troubleshoot their issues. Find the best ways to use a product. Learn the product from scratch and more. What is User Documentation? Product documentation describes the product and how it is to be used. However, these categories are further divided. Product documentation includes both system documentation, which is technical, and user documentation, which should not be too technical.

There is a difference between system documentation and user documentation. In the information systems world, system documentation is much more technical. It is geared toward an advanced or specialized reader, such as a systems administrator or IT professional. User documentation is descriptive language designed to speak to the average user of the software or system as opposed to an IT professional or other technical professional.

It is designed to explain to the average person how to properly install and use the software or service. User documentation may also include best practices for optimal results, describe features and the benefits of those features and can include a description of different tips and tricks for maximizing software performance as well as how to customize the software so it works best for each user and the intended task. Software documentation can include an explanation of the purpose of different settings and how to manipulate them, menus and other customization options within the software once it has been installed.

User documentation has to be written in language the average person can understand, whereas system documentation is written from a much more technical standpoint. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What are the differences between "manual", "guide" and "instruction"? Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 10 months ago. Active 5 years ago. Viewed k times. What are the differences between the three, especially in this context: User manual User guide User instruction. Improve this question. Gigili Gigili 5, 16 16 gold badges 41 41 silver badges 75 75 bronze badges. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes.

Improve this answer. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Asked 7 years, 6 months ago. Active 5 years, 7 months ago. Viewed 7k times. Any suggestions?

Improve this question. Community Bot 1. Could you provide more information about it? What are the existing sections, are they overlapping, should they be consolidated, are they currently used? About how many pages of documentation are we talking about? We are talking about accounting software, we have different products 5 right now each with its manual consisting of over pages.

There's no overlap as each manual has its own life however some users might buy two or more of our products and they expect the naming conventions for the manuals to be similar. I would worry less about the naming, and more about the content.