Content Operations
Part of Professional video and document posts
Choosing a document post for a step-by-step explanation
Decide when a document post helps readers follow a process, give each page a purpose and check the file they can download.
Choose a document post when separating a process into pages helps readers follow decisions, inspect conditions or return to a stage later. If the whole instruction fits in a short paragraph, publish the paragraph. A set of pages needs to make the process clearer, not merely longer.
Check that there is a sequence
Write the process in plain text first. Name the starting situation, the action at each stage and the condition for moving on. If items can happen in any order, present them as a checklist. If a step branches, explain the choice before showing either path.
Imagine a supplier handover explanation. It might ask a team to identify the receiving owner, check what information must move and resolve an open exception. Those stages are useful only if the real process supports them and the document states when another route applies.
Remove each proposed page in turn. If its absence would not change what readers understand or do, combine it with another page or cut it.
Give each page a job
The first page should tell readers which process the document covers and who it helps. A step page should name the action and the condition for proceeding. Put an exception beside the step it changes. Finish with a check that lets readers tell whether they are ready to proceed.
Page role / Reader’s question
- Opening
- Is this the process I need?
- Action
- What happens at this stage?
- Decision point
- Which condition changes the route?
- Finish
- What must be true before I proceed?
For a process with few stages and no branches or exceptions, combine related actions on one page rather than giving each one a separate page.
A complex process that changes often may need a maintained document outside the feed rather than a post attachment.
Page Roles in a Document Post
- Opening PageAnswers: Is this the process I need?
- Action PageAnswers: What happens at this stage?
- Decision PointAnswers: Which condition changes the route?
- Finish PageAnswers: What must be true before I proceed?
Document Post vs. Standalone File: When to Use Each
- Use a document post when:The process has clear steps, decisions, or exceptions that benefit from visual separation
- Use a standalone maintained document when:The process is complex and changes frequently; better suited outside the feed
Review the file readers receive
Before publishing, check the file in the form readers will receive, not only the original slides. Confirm the title, page order, readable text and any explanation needed for an essential diagram.
A PDF that looks orderly may still have a confusing reading order for a screen reader. Check its tags and reading order with a suitable tool or reviewer, rather than assuming the file’s accessibility is intact.
Check dates, conditions and technical claims before upload. If a material error appears after publication, assess whether a visible clarification is sufficient or whether readers need a corrected file.
Make the post text specific
The accompanying text should name the reader and the decision covered without transcribing every page. Someone unfamiliar with the process should be able to find the next action and any relevant exception from the file itself. If the connection between pages needs an oral explanation, revise the sequence.
