Create a page structure
Purpose. Organize a page into concept and task blocks that match how readers think about the problem—not by how much content you have or the order you learned the feature.
Information generally becomes more specific as a page or guide progresses:
- H1
- Introduction—what it is and why it matters
- Prerequisites (if needed)
- Important limitations
- Procedure
- Examples
- Reference
Patterns
- Multipage: Parent concept page in the TOC; child pages are tasks.
- Single page: One concept H1, then multiple task H2s, each with a short intro and steps.
Should
- Give each section one job—explain what something is, help the reader do something, or let the reader look up a fact. Don’t bury explanation inside a procedure; explain the feature first, then let the procedure focus on the task.
- Give each task H2 enough context before its numbered steps. If the heading already states the action and no extra context is needed, you can move directly to steps.
- Put information where the reader needs it: prerequisites before the task, warnings before the risky step, a result with the step that produces it, definitions near first use, and optional details last.
- Write headings and opening sentences so a section makes sense on its own—readers often land mid-page from search, a deep link, or an AI-generated answer, not from the top of the page.
- Split off a new section or topic when a section’s purpose changes (explanation turns into a procedure, the audience changes, or a chunk is likely to be searched for on its own)—not just to make a long section shorter.
Quick test. Before publishing, ask: Can you state what each section does for the reader in one sentence? Would the section still make sense to someone who landed there directly?
See also — Concepts and tasks, Steps and bullet lists.
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