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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
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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
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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
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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
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- a policy paper
- a document collection
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Best practice for detailed guides
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- 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
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