The Great Documentation Myth
Picture this: You’ve spent months crafting the perfect user manual—detailed, well-structured, and polished. Surely, users will flock to it when they’re stuck, right?
Wrong.
A recent LinkedIn poll revealed a shocking divide: 53% of technical writers believe users rely on manuals, but market data tells a different story—only 25% actually do. So, where’s the disconnect?
I ran a poll "What resource do you think users refer to when they are stuck in configuring features in software?" on LinkedIn for week.
Turns out, users aren’t behaving the way writers expect—and the reasons are fascinating.
The Poll vs. Reality: A Data Showdown
Here’s what 34 technical writers predicted vs. what real-world analytics say:
| Resource | Writers’ Guess | Actual User Behavior | Gap Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Manuals | 53% | 25% | +28% (Overestimated!) |
| Knowledge Base | 26% | 35% | -9% (Underestimated) |
| Forums | 6% | 25% | -19% (Big miss!) |
| Support Calls | 15% | 15% | Spot on. |
Users don’t think “I’ll check the manual”—they think “I’ll Google the problem.”
Key Takeaways:
✅ Writers overestimate manuals by 28%—a classic case of the "curse of knowledge."
✅ Forums are 4x more popular than writers think—users trust peers over official docs.
✅Knowledge bases win—but writers still undervalue them.
If your knowledge base articles rank higher in search than PDF manuals, they’ll get 10x more traffic—even if the manual is more thorough.
Why Are Users Ignoring Manuals?
1 The "Google First" Mentality
Users don’t think “Let me check the manual.” They think:
🔍 “Let me Google the error message.”
🚀 “I need a fix NOW, not a 200-page PDF.”
Result? KB articles (quick, searchable) beat manuals every time.
2 Forums: The Dark Horse of Tech Support
Writers guessed only 6% of users use forums—but real data says 25% do. Why?
• Real-world hacks (e.g., “I solved this by disabling X in registry.”)
• Instant crowd wisdom (Stack Overflow, Reddit) > static docs.
3 Manuals Are Like Encyclopedias—Nobody Reads Them Cover to Cover
Users want:
✔ Precise answers (not theory)
✔ Copy-paste solutions (not paragraphs of context)
✔ Fast fixes (not deep dives)
Technical writers build libraries, but users want vending machines.
How Can Technical Writers Adapt?
1 Stop Writing "Manuals"—Start Writing "Answers"
• Optimize for search: If users Google first, make sure your KB outranks forums.
• Problem-first headings: “How to fix [Error XYZ]” > “Chapter 4: Configuration Settings.”
2 Spy on Forums—Then Steal Their Best Answers
• Monitor Stack Overflow/Reddit for common issues.
• Embed forum-style solutions in your KB (e.g., “Community workaround: Try this…”).
3 Make Manuals "Lazy-Friendly"
• Add interactive elements (search, tooltips, videos).
• Break PDFs into web snippets (users won’t scroll—but they’ll click).
The Bottom Line: Users Aren’t Wrong—Docs Are
The data doesn’t lie: Users prefer fast, crowd-sourced fixes over formal manuals.
The Future of Documentation?
🚀 Less "comprehensive," more "actionable."
🚀 Less PDFs, more Google-friendly snippets.
🚀 Less isolation, more community-driven help.
So, technical writers—will you keep building libraries no one visits? Or start stocking the vending machines users actually use?
What’s Next?
🔹 Run a user survey—do they even know your manual exists?
🔹 Check Google Analytics—are KB articles getting 10x more traffic than PDFs?
🔹 Experiment—turn one manual chapter into a forum-style Q&A and track engagement.