Detailed guides

What is a detailed guide?

Detailed guides tell users the steps they need to take to complete a clearly defined task.

Use this format for content that is regularly updated, for example, if the process to complete a task changes.

A detailed guide:

• usually answers a specific, task-orientated user need
• addresses professionals and practitioners
• is something government has a duty to provide
• is written and updated by agencies and departments themselves

For example, guidance for mainstream audiences (citizens and any general audience) is created by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and then fact-checked by the agency.

Examples:

• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tick-surveillance-scheme
• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-uks-exit-from-the-eu-important-information-for-uk-nationals
• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-clients-trust

Why use the detailed guides format

Detailed guides are:

• dynamic, so they don't require a publication attachment
• easy to update in Whitehall Publisher - no additional publishing requirements
• accessible - they meet our legal requirements for providing accessible content
• good for SEO - detailed guides have a prominent place in the GOV.UK architecture

The 'Publication: Guidance' format is for more traditional print publications and requires a PDF/Word/Excel/ODS/ODT document, or an HTML attachment.

It can be too broad and vague, and written like a report or factsheet rather than answering a specific user need.

We should try to provide HTML content in a detailed guide about a specific task.

When to use detailed guides

Detailed guides are the best solution when you need to:

• explain a task
• incorporate internal and external links to web pages and collections
• include links to video and other media
• include images or infographics

However, you should not include:

• Information about the history of the guidance
• the reasons for it, or the policy objectives

If your content does not fit the criteria, you will find that it is most likely:

• a policy paper
• a document collection

Best practice for detailed guides

Titles

You should:

• make titles active (for example, ‘Submit Statutory Declarations’ not ‘Using and submitting Statutory Declarations’)  
• use a colon as a separator, if you need one (for example, ‘Breast screening: education and training’ or Brucella: laboratory and clinical services)

If the guide does not involve a direct action and is information-led:

• front-load the title with the most popular search terms
• make sure the title provides a full context (use ‘potato growers: guidance’, not ‘potatoes’)

If there are a number of guides with a repeated phrase in the title (for example, Manufactured goods: automotive, Manufactured goods: electronic), change it so the most important information or phrase comes first, like ‘Automotive sector: import and export regulations’ or ‘Chemical sector: import and export regulations’.

Summary

Use the summary to explain the point of the guide, what it will help users do or understand, and who it’s for.

Remember:

• you can use ‘An introduction to…’ if it’s an introduction (for example, the guide is short and links to other sources for the main information)
• using ‘How to xxx’ and ‘Find out xxx’ etc is good

Structure

Section titles should be active (so, ‘Apply for a licence’ not ‘Applying for a licence’)

Do not use:

• technical terms in section titles unless unavoidable - and then only if you’ve already explained them
• ‘introduction’ as your first section – users do not want an introduction, they want the most important information
• questions in section titles
• FAQs - you will not need them if your content is concise, well structured and written in plain English
• ‘we’ - users can arrive at your page from anywhere, so ‘we’ may not be clear to them