Creating effective documents in Waybook ensures your team can find and use the information they need. Here are the key practices:
Structure Your Documents Well
One purpose per document - Each document should explain one complete process, policy, or guide. If one person can own it and say, "I know how to do this," it's the right size.
Keep steps to 5-10 - Limit documents to digestible chunks. If you're hitting 15+ steps, consider splitting into multiple documents.
Use clear, consistent naming - SOPs should end with "SOP," policies with "Policy," and guides start with "How to." This helps people know what they're looking at instantly.
Make Content Engaging
Incorporate varied content types - Use images to clarify complex ideas, tables for data, callouts for key details, and collapsible boxes for supplementary information. Mix at least two content types per step to engage different learning styles.
Keep steps focused - Each step should cover one action or concept, roughly the length of a single sheet of paper, to reduce cognitive overload.
Use links strategically - Connect to related documents and external resources to create a cohesive knowledge base.
You can learn more about editing Steps and creating engaging content in Waybook here.
Maintain Quality Over Time
Assign document owners - Every document needs an owner to ensure accuracy and relevance as things change. This keeps accountability clear.
Review regularly - Set review cycles so documents stay current as your business evolves.
Link, don't duplicate - Reference existing documents where possible rather than copying content across multiple places.
By following these practices, you'll create documents that are effective, adaptable, and easy for your team to use. If you have questions or would like help optimizing your content in Waybook, let us know - we're happy to help!