Instructions: How to Write Procedures for Busy Grouches

Jerz > Writing > Technical & Professional

People hate reading instructions. Write procedures for busy grouches who are already frustrated. Key tips:

Respect the tl;dr crowd. (Cut the fluff.)
State the task. (Say what your document does, and point readers elsewhere if needed.)
Give commands. (Use direct verbs so readers know exactly what to do.)
Number required steps. (Use bullets instead for options or nonhierarchical details.)
Test and revise. (Make each draft harder to misread.)
Follow models. (What is, and what is not, a set of instructions?)

This document does not cover how to boost clicks or hook visitors. (That’s a different writing task.)

Note that this document you reading is not a set of instructions. I’m sharing a collection of tips, numbered by importance; I’m not sharing a list of required steps, numbered chronologically.

1. Respect the “too long; didn’t read” crowd. (Cut the fluff.)

People in the real world turn to instructions when they are impatient, fatigued, or even terrified. They don’t want to be impressed by your cleverness. They won’t read as thoughtfully or carefully as a writing teacher would.

Your writing must be clear enough that readers can understand with minimal effort. This does not mean using baby language or avoiding complex details; it does mean using vocabulary appropriate to your audience, and including details that your readers need to perform the immediate task. (How do you know how much detail to include? Conduct a usability test.)

2. State the task.

In plain language (without marketing hype) say what this document is for. Start with the title.

“Renting Your First Apartment: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Credit and Paperwork”

In just a very brief intro, state who should read it, and why. If you can tell your reader what your document does not do, and where they should go to find what they really need, then your intro has served its purpose. (Marketers will want you to tease the reader, to get them to stick around, but but that’s not a writing task this document covers.)

Readers will typically skip right to the first numbered step. Don’t put anything vital in the intro.
Technical support documents are no place for marketing — the reader has already got the product, and is probably annoyed with it at the moment.

3. Give commands. Use direct verbs.

Each step should answer the question, “What should I do next?”

(Not phrased as a command.)
One of the most important steps is knowing how much flour to add. In most cases, between 2 and 2 1/2 cups should be added. More flour will make the cookies more like cakes.

The “should be added” phrasing de-emphasizes the action. One might agree wholeheartedly that a faulty component “should be removed,” but still have no idea what to push or twist in order to remove it.

(Phrased as a command.)
Add 2 cups of flour. (Or 2 1/2 for a spongier result.)

The revision emphasizes (in bold type) the main step the reader is supposed do, and de-emphasizes minor details. If a choice really matters, then it deserves its own step: “Decide whether you want crunchy or spongy cookies.”

Write steps as commands. (See the section on the “imperative voice” in my handout on active and passive verbs.)

4. Number required steps. (Use bullets for options or nonhierarchical details.)

Busy readers scan for the next step. Orient your reader with headings, and within each section, present important steps as a numbered sequence of commands.

How to manage your YouTube recommendations
Stuck in a “skibidi” rabbit hole? Hoping to avoid spoilers for your favorite show’s new season? Follow these steps to reset your YouTube recommendations.

Resetting YouTube recommendations on your iPhone

Tap “You” (your profile icon) > Settings (the gear) > Manage all history.
Select “Delete.”
Choose from options:
- “Delete today” (to back out of today’s rabbit hole)
- “Delete custom range” (to target a few weeks or months)
- “Delete all time” (the nuclear option)
Clear your “Watch history”
Clear your “Search history”

If you omit numbers, readers will get lost. If you number everything, a reader who is plugging along through a list of numbered steps might not notice the difference between a “do all the things” checklist and a “choose your fighter” lineup.

5. Test and Revise.

In the real world, we get distracted, we skip around, we overthink. Real human beings who read your first draft will probably make mistakes you didn’t expect. (“I didn’t realize they’d skip that part,” or “I didn’t expect them to treat that option as a requirement.”)

Instead of guessing how your readers will misinterpret your draft, create a prototype and conduct usability testing on it. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn.

What is a usability test?

Find a volunteer and simulate, as closely as possible, the environment in which your reader will need to follow your instructions.
- This might mean putting the instructions inside a greasy machine, on a sticker that the user has to read while lying on their back, in a puddle.
- The point is not for you to prove that your instructions are correct if a user reads them carefully enough; but rather, for you to match your instructions to the reader’s real-world needs.
Watch your volunteer try to use your document.
- Keep your mouth shut. Don’t tell them how they *should* use your document.
- Pay attention to the whole system. Was the text too small? Did the sticker get covered with dirt after three weeks?
Revise your document.
Repeat until you are satisfied with the results.

6. Examples: Instructions vs Helpful Tips

Instructions: “How to Do ‘The Hokey Pokey’ Dance”

(This example includes numbered steps that must be performed in a particular order.)

The “Hokey Pokey” is a simple dance that helps teach toddlers the parts of the body. It also helps tire youngsters out.

Warning: encouraging your toddler to perform this dance just before naptime may cause the child to become excited or cranky.

Stand in a circle.
Sing the following words, performing the actions described.
1. “You put your right hand in.”
2. “You put your right hand out.”
3. “You put your right hand in.”
4. “And you shake it all about.”
5. “You do the Hokey Pokey [point at the ceiling with alternating hands] and you turn yourself around.”
6. “That’s what it’s all about!” [A ‘”ta-da” pose.]
Repeat step 2, substituting “right hand” with other terms (such as “left hand”, “right foot,” “left foot,” “head”, and “whole self”) as desired.

There is no specific end to this song. Continue as long as you wish.

Hint: If your objective for performing the “Hokey Pokey” is to tire out your toddler instead of yourself, you may omit the action of turning in a small circle at step 2.5.

Not Instructions: How to Entertain Your Toddler

(Even though this example presents a numbered list, the items are not steps that must be performed in a certain order, so this is a “listicle,” not an example of instructions.)

How to Entertain Your Toddler

Consider your child’s developmental stage.
Pay close attention to what your child does and doesn’t like.
Remember that children imitate everything they see.

1. Consider your child’s developmental stage

A youngster who is just learning to walk may be frustrated by the “Hokey Pokey” dance (which requires children to stand on one foot part of the time). But if you play the game on a nice soft rug, and if you don’t mind falling down yourself in order to keep your child company, then before you know it, your toddler will be able to perform all the steps without any help.

2. Pay close attention to what your child does and doesn’t like.

If your toddler keeps grabbing the book out of your hand while you read a classic, don’t punish them. Just sit back and let their imagination blossom.

3. Remember that children imitate everything they see.

If you want your toddler to clean up their toys, they need to see you organizing your own space first. They don’t just follow the rules; they follow the leader.

Instructions: How to Make a Lime and Coconut Drink

(This example includes a numbered chronological sequence of steps.)
These instructions describe how to make one serving of the beverage described in Harry Nilsson’s 1971 “Coconut” song. It also explains what to do if the drink makes you sick.

You will need one (1) lime and one (1) coconut.

I. Preparing the Drink