Software documentation is a specialized branch of technical communication that focuses on telling its users how to use a particular software. Documentation is an essential part of a software product. It is often made available online but it can also be available in a book format.

The most familiar form of software documentation is a help website. It is an online inventory of tasks, concepts, and references that explain to users how to use a software or an app. Another familiar form of documentation is “in-product” help content that is directly available in the software or app through a help button or icon. However, software documentation covers wider aspects and uses of software or apps. 

Audiences

Software or apps can be used by three different types of users – developers, admins, and end users. Each of them interacts with the software with a different purpose and end-goal. As such, each user has different needs and expectations from the documentation. Before we delve into that, let’s first understand these audiences. 

End users

End users are typically non-technical users of a software or app. For example, employees, contractors, and customers. 

End users use the software or app at a personal level. For example, employees use Google Sheets to create spreadsheets. Customers use an e-commerce website to shop.

End users interact with the front-end of the software – that is, elements that you can see on the computer screen. End users need not know about what happens in the background – how the app works or what code it uses. They just want to achieve a personal goal using the software or app.

Admins

Administrators or admins manage end users’ experience with technology. Admins are part of a company’s IT department. They configure an organization’s digital infrastructure and are responsible for providing technical capabilities and support that their end users need. 

For example, a hospital uses proprietary software to manage patients’ records. Its employees use Microsoft Office for emails, document-creation, and other daily tasks. They also use Zoom for meetings. Then each department needs specialized software – HR uses a pay-roll management software, Accounting uses accounting software, and so on. They also have a separate portal for patients to make appointments and access their records. 

IT admins at the hospital are responsible to ensure that all these systems run smoothly and securely. They ensure that all stakeholders – medical staff, general staff, patients – have access to the technology they need. 

Admins interact with software and apps at an enterprise level. They manage who can access what information and to what extent. Their goal is to implement and manage software for their organization.

Developers

Developers are software experts who write code. They interact with the back-end of software. They are interested in how the code works and how they can customize this code to match their needs. Their goal is to develop new software, customize the existing one, or integrate existing it with another. 

For example, developers have written code that allows you to sign in to a Zoom meeting directly from your Outlook email. 

Types of documentation

Since each audience uses software with a different end-goal in mind, they all need documentation that is tailored to their needs and expectations. This leads to a variety of software documentation, which can be divided into the following three categories:

End-user documentation

End-user documentation focuses on personal-level use of the software. This includes short how-to procedures and getting started guides. It can also include video tutorials to guide users through a procedure. End-user documentation typically includes minimal jargon and is written for non-technical users.

For example, see Google’s help website for end users: Gmail Help Center. It guides the end users on personal tasks such as how to configure Gmail filters, how to use video calls in Gmail, and how to use Gmail on your phone.

Admin documentation

Admin documentation focuses on enterprise-level integration of software, and it’s quite technical. It includes comprehensive guides explaining complex procedures such as installation, deployment, and configuration. 

For example, see Google’s help website for admins: Google Workspace Admin Help Center. It guides admins on bigger topics such as how to set up Google Workspace for your business, how to secure the service, and how to migrate user data to Google.  

Developer documentation

Developer documentation is written for software developers to help them customize the software for their needs or integrate it with other software. Developer documentation includes API reference as well as guides. These guides are written for different computer languages such as Java and different operating systems such as Android. 

For example, see Google’s website for developers: Google Workspace for Developers. It focuses on how developers can customize Google Workspace for their organization.

Software documentation helps users leverage the software or app to its full potential. It helps them get things done using the software or app, troubleshoot problems along the way, and even create something new using the software or app.