# Write a clear how-to guide or user manual

Produces step-by-step instructions people can actually follow, with prerequisites, troubleshooting, and warnings.

- Topic: Writing & Editing
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Write, Explain & Teach, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/write-a-clear-how-to-guide-or-user-manual

## Prompt

```text
Write a how-to guide that a first-time user can follow without help.

**What it explains:** [PRODUCT / PROCESS / TASK]
**Who will use it:** [AUDIENCE and their skill level]
**Format:** [one-page quick start / full manual / help-center article]
**Source material:** [PASTE notes, existing docs, feature list, or steps as I know them]

Structure:
1. What this guide helps you do (one sentence) and what you need before starting.
2. Numbered steps — one action per step, in the order the user does them, with the expected result after key steps.
3. Tips and warnings placed exactly where they matter.
4. Troubleshooting: common problems → likely cause → fix.
5. FAQ (only questions a real user would ask).

Rules:
- Plain language; define any term the reader might not know.
- Use only the information I've given. Where a step is unclear or missing, insert [CONFIRM: …] instead of guessing.
```

## What to fill in

- PRODUCT / PROCESS / TASK
- AUDIENCE and their skill level
- one-page quick start / full manual / help-center article
- CONFIRM: …

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.