Writing for understanding

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

If you write clear web content that is easy to navigate and answers your readers questions, you will not need to create a FAQ. FAQs often cause your readers more frustration.

FAQs can be overwhelming and leave your customers searching through a sea of content. Before creating a FAQ, think about: 

• What you are trying to say
• What you want people to do with that information
• The most effective way to convey that information. 

Often, your best solution is a clear, well-organized main content page explaining a process.

How to write better FAQs

• Supplement your main content with FAQs, but don’t try to replace the main content. Do not use FAQs to explain an entire process; a landing page should explain the basics.
• Use real customer feedback. Do not assume what kinds of questions people will have. Track customer calls and emails to create helpful FAQs.
• Use language that non-experts will understand. Use plain language when drafting FAQs. Do not burden your reader with insider jargon or undefined acronyms.
• Provide unique content with your FAQs. Avoid redundant content that can easily become outdated.
• Limit the volume of content. When there are too many questions, searching through them can overwhelm the reader. They may never find an answer to their question.

Designing and editing FAQs

If your agency is using FAQs, the order, length, and content is critical in providing a good user experience. When editing, consider the following process:

1. Read through all the FAQs first. Then, go through and group them by topic or subject.
2. Develop headings for each section and organize the content in a way that would make sense to the reader.
3. Read through each section and edit the content.
   • Focus on steps in a process. Think about what the reader is trying to do.
   • Remove redundancies. This often helps with organization.

For a good agency example, see the Transportation Security Administration’s Frequently Asked Questions about travel. This page:

• Highlights real questions from flyers
• Uses clear headings to chunk the FAQ into sections and accordion files to keep the page short
• Has short, conversational questions

Turning FAQs into web content

Whether you are trying to cut your FAQ section or make certain pieces of information more visible, you may find yourself turning FAQs into web content. Consider the following:

• How many questions are in the FAQ?
• Who will be looking at this content?
• Is the current format helpful to the reader?
• Is this information already available on the web in another format?
• Is the current format easy for readers to navigate and understand?

At USCIS, the Form Filing Tips page began as a lengthy FAQ. The team turned it into web content by adding jump links and headings for people to find their answer.

PDFs

Posting PDF versions (PDFs) of original documents on your site may seem like a good alternative to rewriting your content in web format. Unfortunately, PDFs can make it hard for users to understand your content. In fact, the federal government is working to reduce, remove, and remediate PDFs.

PDF files are:

• Slow to open and can sometimes crash the browser
• Not mobile-friendly
• Difficult for some users to read

If you need to post a PDF, include information about the file on a description page instead of simply linking to the file. Include:

• What the PDF is about
• How large the file is
• Who might find the information helpful

Links

Links are about both content and navigation. Effective link names are key to satisfying your customers. Eyetracking studies show that links written in plain language are the most effective. Write plain language links so that the user understands exactly where the link will take them.

• Be as explicit as you can. Too long is better than too short.
• Make the link meaningful. Don’t use “click here” or “read more.”
• Add a short description when needed to clarify the link.

Remember, you may have users who rely on screen readers. Make sure your links are accessible to everyone. Taking the time to write descriptive link text has the added benefit of improving your search engine optimization.