SaaS Documentation¶

SaaS documentation serves users who access software through the web. Unlike installed software, SaaS products update continuously, requiring documentation that stays current and helps users succeed with features they haven't seen before.

SaaS Documentation Challenges¶

Continuous Updates¶

SaaS products change frequently:

Features launch without warning
UI changes without notice
New functionality appears regularly
Documentation must keep pace

Diverse User Base¶

SaaS serves many user types:

Free tier users exploring the product
Small teams learning together
Enterprise customers with complex needs
Administrators managing accounts

Self-Service Expectations¶

Users expect to find answers independently:

Searchable help content
In-app guidance
Video tutorials
Community forums

Documentation Types for SaaS¶

Getting Started¶

Help new users succeed quickly:

# Getting Started with [Product]

Get up and running in 5 minutes.

## 1. Create Your Account

Visit [product.com/signup](https://product.com/signup) and enter
your email address. No credit card required.

## 2. Set Up Your First Workspace

After confirming your email:

1. Click **Create Workspace**
2. Give it a name
3. Invite team members (optional)

## 3. Create Your First Project

1. Click **New Project**
2. Choose a template or start blank
3. Add your content

## What's Next?

- [Invite your team](invite-team.md)
- [Explore templates](templates.md)
- [Connect integrations](integrations.md)

Feature Documentation¶

Explain capabilities clearly:

# Workspaces

Workspaces organize your projects and team members.

## What Workspaces Do

- Group related projects together
- Control who can access content
- Manage billing separately
- Set workspace-level preferences

## Creating a Workspace

1. Click your workspace name in the sidebar
2. Select **Create New Workspace**
3. Enter a name and description
4. Click **Create**

## Workspace Settings

### Members
Add, remove, and manage team access.

### Billing
View usage and manage subscription.

### Integrations
Connect third-party services.

Admin Documentation¶

Help administrators manage accounts:

# Account Administration

Manage users, security, and billing for your organization.

## User Management

### Adding Users
1. Go to **Settings** > **Team**
2. Click **Invite Members**
3. Enter email addresses
4. Assign roles
5. Click **Send Invites**

### User Roles

| Role | Permissions |
|------|------------|
| Owner | Full access, billing |
| Admin | Manage users, settings |
| Member | Create and edit content |
| Viewer | View only |

## Security Settings

### Single Sign-On (SSO)
Connect your identity provider for centralized authentication.
Available on Enterprise plans.

### Two-Factor Authentication
Require 2FA for all users in your organization.

1. Go to **Settings** > **Security**
2. Enable **Require 2FA**
3. Set grace period for existing users

Integration Documentation¶

Document how to connect with other tools:

# Slack Integration

Send notifications to Slack when important events happen.

## Setup

1. Go to **Settings** > **Integrations**
2. Find Slack and click **Connect**
3. Authorize access to your Slack workspace
4. Select a default channel

## Configure Notifications

Choose which events trigger Slack messages:

- [ ] New comments
- [ ] Task assignments
- [ ] Status changes
- [ ] Due date reminders

## Channel Routing

Send different notifications to different channels:

| Event Type | Channel |
|------------|---------|
| New comments | #feedback |
| Task assignments | #tasks |
| Status changes | #updates |

In-App Help¶

Contextual Help¶

Provide help where users need it:

Tooltips: Brief explanations on hover
Help panels: Detailed guidance in sidebars
Inline hints: Tips within the interface
Empty states: Guidance when there's no content

Onboarding Flows¶

Guide new users through key features:

## Onboarding Checklist

Track progress through setup:

✓ Create account
✓ Verify email
○ Create first project
○ Invite team member
○ Connect integration

Show progress: 2 of 5 complete

Feature Announcements¶

Introduce new capabilities:

## What's New

### Bulk Export (New!)
Export multiple projects at once. Select projects and click
Export Selected.

[Try It Now]  [Learn More]  [Dismiss]

Search Optimization¶

Make Content Findable¶

Users search in many ways:

# Keywords to include:

- Feature names
- Common synonyms
- Error messages
- Task descriptions

# Example: Password reset
Keywords: password, reset, forgot, change, update, can't log in

Search-Friendly Structure¶

# Page structure for search:

1. Clear, descriptive title
2. Summary in first paragraph
3. Headings that match search queries
4. Step-by-step instructions
5. Related links

Keeping Documentation Current¶

Release Coordination¶

Sync docs with releases:

Product announces upcoming changes
Writers prepare documentation
Docs deploy with or before feature
Review and update after launch

Screenshot Management¶

Handle frequent UI changes:

Use minimal annotations
Focus on functionality, not exact appearance
Update critical screenshots immediately
Schedule batch updates for minor changes

Version Tracking¶

Document what users see:

Note when features were added
Mark features by plan tier
Indicate beta or experimental features
Archive deprecated content

Analytics and Feedback¶

Track Documentation Usage¶

Monitor:

Most viewed pages
Search queries
Time on page
Bounce rates

Collect Feedback¶

Page-level feedback:

Was this helpful?  [Yes]  [No]

Detailed feedback:

What were you trying to do?
[Text field]

Did you find what you needed?
○ Yes  ○ Partially  ○ No

Use Support Data¶

Learn from support tickets:

Common questions
Confusing features
Missing documentation
Unclear instructions

Summary¶

Effective SaaS documentation:

Updates continuously with the product
Serves diverse user types and needs
Integrates with the product interface
Optimizes for search and discovery
Uses data to improve continuously

Good SaaS documentation reduces support load and helps users get value from the product quickly.