Quality / How-to
Review documentation before release
Combine technical checks, editorial review, and a realistic task test.
Verify the technical facts
Check the supported product version, permissions, exact labels, commands, field names, and expected outputs. Ask the responsible expert to resolve factual uncertainty. Keep a record of what was tested and when.
Review the reading experience
Check that the title matches the task, prerequisites precede actions, and success is observable. Remove unexplained abbreviations, ambiguous pronouns, inconsistent terms, and links with unclear destinations.
Automate what is repeatable
Use a prose linter for agreed terminology and style rules. Vale is designed for configurable consistency checks; it does not establish that an explanation or command is correct. Review false positives and keep the rule set focused.
Release gate
A practical gate requires a successful build, valid internal links, the necessary technical approval, and a completed task test for critical instructions. Publish with an owner and review date so maintenance has a clear starting point.
Sources & further reading
Original guidance and examples by TechWriter, informed by these resources.