---
title: How-to guides
description: Guidelines for writing effective how-to guides in the Elastic documentation.
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/contribute-docs/content-types/how-tos
---

# How-to guides
This page provides guidelines for writing effective how-to guides in the Elastic docs. This page and its associated template can be used by humans and LLMs to draft new how-to guides, or to evaluate existing pages.
Use this page to:
- Help you draft a new how-to guide by copying and pasting the [template](https://github.com/elastic/docs-content/blob/main/contribute-docs/content-types/_snippets/templates/how-to-template.md)
- Understand the structure and best practices for how-to guides before you write one
- Evaluate existing how-to guides or drafts against the standards outlined here

Whether you're a regular contributor or reviewing someone else's work, these guidelines help ensure consistency, completeness, and quality across the Elastic documentation.

## What is a how-to guide

How-to guides contain a short set of instructions to be carried out, in sequence, to accomplish a specific task. You can think of it like a cooking recipe.
How-to guides include two essential components:
- A set of **requirements**
- A sequence of **steps** to follow to accomplish a specific task

How-to guides focus on a single, self-contained task. For longer procedural content, use a tutorial.
<important>
  Tutorials differ from how-to guides in scope and purpose:
  - **[How-to guides](https://www.elastic.co/docs/contribute-docs/content-types/how-tos)** are focused recipes for a single, discrete task with minimal explanation.
  - **[Tutorials](https://www.elastic.co/docs/contribute-docs/content-types/tutorials)** chain multiple how-to guides together with explanatory context and often detailed code annotations.
  If your content has a broader learning objective beyond completing a single task, use a tutorial.
</important>


## Structure of a how-to guide

To help users quickly find and follow instructions, how-to guides use a consistent structure. A predictable format improves clarity, reduces confusion, and makes the guide easier to use.

### Required elements

Every how-to guide must include the following elements:
1. A consistent **filename:** Use action verb patterns like `create-*.md`, `configure-*.md`, or `troubleshoot-*.md`.
   - For example: `run-elasticsearch-docker.md`
2. Appropriate **[frontmatter](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/frontmatter/):**
   - `applies_to:` [Tags](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/applies) for versioning/availability info per the [cumulative docs guidelines](https://www.elastic.co/docs/contribute-docs/how-to/cumulative-docs)
- `description`: A brief summary of the page fit for search results and tooltips
- `product`: The relevant Elastic product(s) used in the how-to

1. A clear **title:** A precise description of the task using an action verb
   - For example, "Run Elasticsearch in Docker"
2. An **introduction:** Briefly explain what the guide helps the user accomplish and the outcome they can expect.
3. A **Before you begin** section: List any special permissions or data/configuration needed. Assume basic feature access. You can also link to background knowledge or highlight known pitfalls.
4. A set of **steps:** Numbered instructions that begin with imperative verb phrases. Keep each step focused on a single action.
   <tip>
   Use an [ordered list](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/lists/#ordered-list) for simple, linear steps. For longer how-tos or those with complex steps, use the [stepper component](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/stepper/).
   </tip>
5. **Success checkpoints:** Include confirmation steps that show users whether critical actions succeeded before moving on.


### Recommended sections

Include the following sections in most how-to guides:
1. **Next steps:** Suggestions for what users can do next after completing the task.
2. **Related pages:** Links to related documentation such as conceptual topics, reference material, troubleshooting, or other how-to guides.


### Optional elements

Consider including the following when they add value:
- **[Code annotations](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/code/#code-callouts):** Annotate important lines within code blocks.
- **[Screenshots](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/images/#screenshots):** Add visual aids for UI tasks when context is hard to describe in words. Use screenshots sparingly as they're hard to maintain.
- **Error handling:** Mention common errors and how to resolve them.


## Best practices

When you create how-to guides, follow these best practices:
- **Focus on the user goal:** Organize the content around what users need to accomplish, rather than the tool capabilities.
- **Write recipes, not lessons:** Explain only the information users need to complete the task. Avoid defining concepts or describing why something works unless it’s essential. Add useful context to a "Related pages" or "Learn more" section instead.
- **Keep it focused:** A how-to guide should be scoped to a single, well-defined task. As a rule of thumb, if you need more than 10 overall steps, use the tutorial format.
- **Show alternative approaches:** When multiple valid solutions exist, show the options users might choose. For example:
  - If the same step can be carried out in the UI or with an API, use [tabs](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/tabs/#tab-groups) to show both options.
- If instructions differ per deployment type or version, use an [applies-switch](https://elastic.github.io/docs-builder/syntax/applies-switch/) to show the variations.
- **Skip edge cases:** Focus on the typical, primary use case, and avoid documenting rare or non-standard variations.
- **Test your steps:** Authors and reviewers should follow the instructions from start to finish to identify errors, missing steps, or unclear language.


## Template

To get started writing a new how-to guide, use the [template](https://github.com/elastic/docs-content/blob/main/contribute-docs/content-types/_snippets/templates/how-to-template.md).

## Examples

Here are some examples of well-structured how-to guides in the Elastic documentation:
- [Build your first search query with Python](https://www.elastic.co/docs/solutions/search/get-started/keyword-search-python)
- [Set up a time series data stream](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/data-store/data-streams/set-up-tsds)