Help center article generator · free AI skill

Generates a complete, clarity-first help center article from a feature description or support topic — with a searchable title, a summary answer, numbered step-by-step instructions, screenshots callouts, troubleshooting…

Purpose

Turn a feature description or support topic into a publish-ready help center article that answers the user's question in the first sentence, walks through the task in scannable steps, and preempts the follow-up tickets — formatted to paste directly into Zendesk Guide, Intercom Articles, or HelpScout Docs.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

Write a help center or knowledge base article
Document a new feature or product update for self-serve support
Convert a recurring support ticket or macro into a standalone article
Rewrite an unclear or outdated help article for clarity
Create a "how do I…" or troubleshooting article for end users
Standardize an article to match a knowledge base platform's structure

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

Topic or feature: What the article explains — the task, feature, or problem
Article type: How-to (step-by-step) / Conceptual (what it is & why) / Troubleshooting (fix a problem) / Reference (settings, limits, definitions)
Audience: End user / admin / developer — and their technical comfort level
Product context: The product/feature name and where it lives in the UI
Prerequisites & permissions: Anything the reader needs before starting (plan tier, role, enabled setting)
Known edge cases or FAQs: Common failure points, error messages, or follow-up questions support sees
Platform: Zendesk Guide / Intercom / HelpScout / generic markdown

If article type isn't specified, infer it from the topic (a "how do I" phrasing → How-to; "why isn't X working" → Troubleshooting) and state the assumption.

Instructions

Step 1: Write a Searchable, Task-Oriented Title

Title the article the way the user would search for it — use their words, not internal feature names.

How-to articles: start with a verb or "How to" — "How to reset your password," "Export a report to CSV"
Troubleshooting articles: name the symptom — "Fix a payment that won't process," "Why your invite email didn't arrive"
Conceptual articles: name the concept plainly — "Understanding user roles and permissions"
Keep under 60 characters where possible; front-load the keyword; avoid clever headlines

Step 2: Open With the Summary Answer

Write a 1–2 sentence intro that answers the question or states the outcome immediately — no "In this article we will…" throat-clearing.

Sentence 1: what this article helps them do and the result they'll get
Sentence 2 (optional): who this applies to or a critical prerequisite
The reader should know within 5 seconds whether they're in the right place

Step 3: State Prerequisites and Requirements

Before the steps, list what the reader needs — as a short "Before you start" callout.

Required role, permission, or plan tier
Any setting that must be enabled first
Link phrasing to the enabling article if a prerequisite is itself a task
If there are no prerequisites, omit this section rather than padding it

Step 4: Write the Body by Article Type

How-to → Numbered Steps

One action per step; begin each with the verb ("Click," "Select," "Enter")
Name exact UI labels in bold: click Settings, then Billing
Insert screenshot placeholders where a visual reduces confusion: [Screenshot: the Billing tab with the "Update payment" button highlighted]
State the visible result after key steps ("A confirmation banner appears")
Cap at 7–9 steps; if longer, split into phases with sub-headings

Conceptual → Plain-Language Explanation

Lead with a one-line definition, then why it matters to the reader
Use a short comparison or example to ground abstract ideas
Break distinct concepts into H2 sections with bolded terms

Troubleshooting → Cause → Fix Structure

List the most common cause first, each as its own sub-section
For each: a one-line "This happens when…" followed by the numbered fix
Order causes by likelihood, not complexity
Include exact error message text so it's searchable

Reference → Scannable Table or Definition List

Use a table for settings, limits, or plan comparisons (Setting | What it does | Default)
Use a definition list for terminology

Step 5: Add a Troubleshooting / FAQ Section

Convert the known edge cases and follow-up questions into a short Q&A or bulleted "Common issues" list.

Phrase each as the user's actual question
Answer in 1–3 sentences; link out rather than nesting a second procedure
This is the section that kills follow-up tickets — do not skip it

Step 6: Close With Related Articles and Next Steps

Suggest 2–4 related article titles the reader would logically want next (formatted as link-ready titles)
If there's an obvious next task, name it explicitly ("Next: Set up two-factor authentication")

Step 7: Format for the Target Platform

Zendesk Guide / HelpScout: use H2/H3 headings, ordered lists, bold UI labels, and a short intro paragraph (these render cleanly in their editors)
Intercom: keep sections shorter and use collapsible-friendly H2 breaks
Generic markdown: standard markdown with callout blocks noted as > Note:

Output Format

Structure: Title → summary answer → optional "Before you start" → body (by type) → troubleshooting/FAQ → related articles
Length: 300–600 words for how-to and troubleshooting; up to 800 for conceptual/reference
Format: Structured document with H2/H3 headings, numbered steps, bolded UI labels, screenshot placeholders, and callouts
Sections: Title, Summary, Before You Start (if applicable), Steps/Body, Common Issues (FAQ), Related Articles
Tone: Direct, calm, second-person ("you"); no jargon unless defined; no marketing language

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

[ ] The title uses the reader's search words and leads with a keyword or verb
[ ] The first 1–2 sentences answer the question or state the outcome — no throat-clearing intro
[ ] Every how-to step is a single action starting with a verb, with exact UI labels bolded
[ ] Prerequisites (role, plan, permission) are stated before the steps, not buried in them
[ ] A troubleshooting/FAQ section addresses at least 2 of the provided edge cases
[ ] 2–4 related article titles are suggested at the close
[ ] No bracketed placeholders remain except intentional [Screenshot: …] callouts

Notes

The single most valuable line is the summary answer — most help center abandonment happens when the reader can't tell in 5 seconds if they're on the right page
Screenshot placeholders are written as instructions for whoever captures the image, so be specific about what the screenshot should show
When converting a support ticket into an article, generalize the specific customer's scenario into the common case, then capture their exact wording in the FAQ section
If the topic is broad enough to be several articles (e.g., "billing"), recommend splitting it and name the sub-articles rather than producing one bloated page

How to use this skill

This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.

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