Writing a how-to guide should be easy. You're just explaining something step-by-step, right? Then why do so many of them make you want to throw your laptop out the window?
A great how-to is about guiding someone through a task like a calm, capable friend—minus the rambling, confusion, and 47-step detours.
In this article, we break down how to write how-tos that are:
- Clear: Because “just go to settings” is not a real instruction
- Engaging: No one wants to read a wall of text
- Actually helpful: Like... the reader can do the thing and feel good about it
Ready to write a how-to that doesn’t need its own how-to? Let’s go.
TL;DR
- Start with the outcome. What’s the end goal? Build everything around that.
- Write for the right level. Beginners need hand-holding. Experts want you to skip to the good part.
- Break it down clearly. One step = one action. No chaos. No “kinda, sorta” instructions.
- Show, don’t just tell. Real examples and visuals help things stick.
- Make it skimmable. Short paras. Bold actions. Add white space.
- Keep your voice. No one wants to read a robot.
- Edit for clarity, not cleverness. If it’s confusing, rewrite it.
- Test it. If it doesn’t work in the wild, it doesn’t work.
- Deliver on your promise. Write the how-to guide that closes all tabs. That’s the bar.
The core structure of a great how-to guide
Most how-to guides fall apart before step one. No structure, no clarity, just chaos in bullet points. If you want people to follow your guide (and finish it), the foundation matters.
1. Title: Make it clear and searchable
Your title is doing two jobs: grabbing attention and telling people exactly what they’ll get. This is not the time to be mysterious.
Be specific. Be useful. Use words people are literally typing into Google.
A good title should:
- Say what the reader will achieve
- Hint at how quickly or easily they can do it
- Call out a common pain point (and how you’re solving it)
Try this formula:
"How to [Achieve X] in [Timeframe] Without [Common Problem]"
Tell them exactly what they’ll learn:
- ✅ How to Automate Your Email Replies in Gmail (in 3 Minutes Flat)
- ✅ How to Make Cold Emails Feel Less... Cold (with 3 Smart Tweaks)
The more your title sounds like a solution someone’s been Googling at 11 p.m., the better.
Here’s an example from our blog written by our very own Armin Tanovic:
2. The intro: The ‘why’ before the ‘how’
Your intro doesn’t need to be long—but it does need to be useful.
Set the stage. What’s the goal? Who’s this for? Why should they trust you to guide them?
This isn’t the time for a life story or a motivational quote. Think of it as a quick pep talk: “Here’s what we’re doing, here’s why it matters, and here’s what you’ll walk away with.”
Here’s a quick breakdown from Ray Berry on how to write the perfect introductions.
👇 Want more? Check out our guide on how to write introductions. You’ll find great examples with lots of frameworks that set the scene and deliver.
3. Step-by-step: The meat of your guide
This is where the magic happens—or where your reader gives up and rage-closes the tab. The step-by-step section is the core of your how-to, so clarity isn’t optional. It’s everything.
“Most how-to guides are either not comprehensive enough or they leave gaps between steps... Readers want a single source of truth because it saves them the additional effort of researching other blogs.” - Armin Tanović, Senior Writer and Editor at dslx
A few golden rules:
- One step = one clear action: No "Do X and then Y while considering Z" chaos
- Lead with action words: E.g., Click, Select, Type, Drag, Slap... okay, maybe not slap
- Make it simple: If a step feels like it needs a PhD to follow, break it down further
- Use bold for key actions and keep it logical
Keep the order logical. Don’t jump around. Don’t skip steps because you think they’re obvious. If someone’s reading your guide, they’re trusting you to get them from A to B without surprises.
Want to see this in action? Back to this brilliant piece by Armin:
4. Visuals: Because no one likes a wall of text
We love words! But no one wants to scroll through an endless blob of them when they’re just trying to figure out how to do something.
Screenshots, GIFs, diagrams, or even short videos? Yes please. Visuals help clarify steps, reduce confusion, and give your reader the confidence to actually try what you’re teaching.
“I believe supporting visuals that illustrate the instructions you’re providing make a huge difference. I also like videos or GIFs embedded into how-to guides to make sure you’re providing different options for different reader needs and impairments.” - Stefania Manea, Account Manager at dslx
5. Troubleshooting: Because things WILL go wrong
Even the best guides can’t account for every variable. Buttons disappear. Tools crash. People miss steps. Your job? Catch the most likely errors before your reader does.
Add quick, helpful notes wherever things could go sideways:
- If the tool crashes, try refreshing or switching browsers
- If your file won’t upload, it’s probably too large or the wrong format
- If the ‘Save’ button is grayed out, double-check that the form is complete
Keep the tone calm, direct, and practical. No drama. No vague “check your settings” advice. Your reader is already stuck—help them get unstuck fast.
6. Wrap it up: Quick recap + what’s next?
Don’t just trail off at the end. Recap the steps. Drop a CTA. Then get out.
- TL;DR version:
- Step 1: Do this
- Step 2: Do that
- Step 3: Celebrate, you did it 🎉
Now tell them what to do next:
- Add a CTA:
- "Want more guides like this? Bookmark this page."
- "Tried this? Tell me if it worked (or if you rage-quit)."
This brings us to the next question…
Should you add FAQs to your how-to guide?
Short answer: only if they actually help.
Long answer: stop tacking them on because someone said they’re “good for SEO.” That used to be true, but as Armin pointed out, Google’s not even prioritizing FAQ snippets anymore.
And if a question is truly frequently asked, why isn’t it already covered in the main guide?
Ray recommends adding FAQs only when they feel like a natural next step in the reader’s journey.
“If you’re absolutely sure they can’t be answered in the body, then they should pull the reader on in their journey and guide them to their next read, or a sale.” - Ray Slater Berry, Founder & CEO at dslx
To this, Stefania adds that “Burying FAQs at the bottom just interrupts the flow. If the question is important enough to ask, integrate it into the main content. Don’t make readers scroll for something you should’ve addressed earlier.”
So yes, you can include FAQs. Just be intentional about it. Think of them as:
- Quick ways to handle edge cases
- A bridge to related content
- A helpful recap for scanners
Not a dumping ground for what your guide forgot to say.
Alright—now that we’ve broken down what makes a how-to work, let’s look at how to actually write one from scratch.
How to write how-tos: 8 Steps for success
Here’s the step-by-step process to get it done right, from start to finish.
1. Understanding your audience
Before you write a single word, figure out who you’re talking to. Your how-to isn’t for “everyone”—it’s for someone trying to do something right now.
- Writing for beginners? Spell everything out, even the “obvious” stuff
- Writing for intermediates? Skip the hand-holding, but keep it structured
- Writing for experts? Get to the point—fast. No fluff, no filler, no kindergarten explanations.
The question to ask: What’s the ONE thing your reader desperately needs to accomplish? Build around that.
As Stefania Manea, Account Manager at dslx puts it:
“Writers can dig deeper and ask the right questions to the right subject matter experts, follow relevant top voices on LinkedIn, and conduct original research to offer unique insights that resonate with the audience’s actual needs.”
To this, Ray Slater Berry, Founder & CEO at dslx adds:
“Your reader has come to you because they trust your opinion and want to hear your unique suggestions. So cut the run-of-the-mill advice and give innovative, unique suggestions on how the reader can approach their problem.”
Translation? Know your reader well enough to give them what only you can give.
2. Outline the outcome
Clear outcome = clear purpose = higher chance they’ll stick around
Don’t make your reader guess where this is going. Tell them what they’ll achieve by following your guide—and be specific about it.
Skip the vague promises like “you’ll understand X better.” Instead, go for clarity:
- “You’ll know how to set up automated email replies in Gmail in under 3 minutes.”
- “You’ll learn how to format blog posts for mobile without breaking your layout.”
This isn’t just for the reader—it keeps you focused, too. If the guide starts drifting, come back to the outcome. If it doesn’t help them get there, cut it.
3. Break it into steps
We already covered the anatomy of a strong step-by-step earlier—one action per step, lead with verbs, keep it skimmable. This is where you apply all of that.
Now’s the time to take your outline and split it into clear, numbered steps that walk your reader from start to finish without tripping them up.
4. Add examples (real ones)
Instructions are good. Examples make them stick.
Don’t just tell your reader what to do—show them what it looks like in real life. That might be a screenshot, a product workflow, a snippet of copy, or a tactic pulled straight from a brand doing it well.
We’ll take you back to Armin’s how-to guide on designing breezy reading experiences. Throughout the piece, he weaves in examples from real brands to add context, inspiration, and proof. It’s not just “do this.” It’s “here’s what it looks like when it’s done right.”
As Armin puts it:
“You don’t want to just guide readers to success, but show them what success looks like.”
5. Make it scannable
No one reads how-to guides from top to bottom on the first pass. They skim. They search. They look for step 3 before reading step 1.
So build your layout for scanning, not squinting.
Ray says: “Pick what information needs to be within a paragraph in order for the reader to learn smoothly. Then, anything that isn’t entirely necessary to progressing your guide has two options: a tip box, or a link to a new piece of content.”
In other words, treat your content like it has levels:
- Must-have: Lives in the main step
- Nice-to-have: Goes in a sidebar, tooltip, or tip box
- Deep-dive: Becomes its own guide you can link to
That’s how you keep things clean without dumbing them down.
Pair that with:
- Short paragraphs (2–3 lines)
- Clear subheads
- Bullet points
- Bolded actions
- White space
Now your guide is actually readable—and way more useful.
6. Add your voice
Personality, tone, rhythm, phrasing—all of it matters. It’s what sets your content apart from the hundreds of copy-paste tutorials (and AI regurgitations) out there.
“It’s an important time in writing in general—but particularly for ‘how to’ articles—to connect with our humanness. Find what sets you apart from the rest or a robot, and use that.” - Sam Morrison, Writer at dslx
That doesn’t mean rambling or fluff. In fact, Sam’s other advice hits the balance perfectly:
“People looking for ‘how to’ want an answer... but they’ll choose a blog over AI for that personal touch. So, balance concise writing with storytelling and you’re in the sweet spot.”
7. Edit like a reader
You wrote it. Now read it like someone who has no idea what they’re doing. You need to spot the gaps, clunky phrasing, and missing context that’ll trip someone up. Ask yourself:
- Would this make sense to someone seeing it for the first time?
- Did I explain every step clearly enough to act on, not just read?
- Is anything in here just filler? (Cut it)
- Can I make this faster to scan? (Break it)
- Is this still useful out of context? (Clarify it)
8. Test it before you publish
If you haven’t tested your own how-to, it’s not done.
Run through the steps yourself—or better yet, have someone else do it. Watch where they pause. Where they ask questions. Where they give up.
This is where you catch:
- Steps that sounded clear in your head but read like riddles
- Actions you assumed were obvious but aren’t
- That one button you forgot to mention that makes the whole thing fall apart
Think of it as user testing for your writing. If your guide breaks the moment someone tries to follow it, it’s not a guide—it’s a trap.
Common how-to writing mistakes to avoid
We asked the dslx crew what trips people up when writing how-to guides—and let’s just say... there were a few repeat offenders.
If your how-to is falling flat, it’s probably doing one (or more) of these things:
❌ Writing for SEO, not real people
Stefania Manea flagged this one: “Too many how-to guides are written to rank, not to help. They recycle what’s already out there, say nothing new, and leave the reader still Googling.”
Start with the reader. Then make it searchable. In that order.
❌ Playing it too safe
Ray called out “safe” tutorials as one of the biggest misses:
“ChatGPT can give safe tutorials. Your reader came to you for your opinion. Cut the run-of-the-mill advice and give them something unique.”
Don’t just explain—guide. Say something real. Say something useful. To this, Armin adds: “I don't rely on mental models because I treat each how-to as a case-to-case basis.”
In other words: stop copying the same tired structure. Every how-to deserves its own thinking, angle, and depth. Safe content feels generic—and generic content gets ignored.
❌ Leaving gaps between steps
Armin shared that one of the most frustrating issues is incomplete instructions. He says, “They leave gaps between steps, and the reader ends up lost.”
You know what’s happening next. Your reader doesn’t. Spell it out—clearly.
❌ Skipping the research
Stefania also emphasizes:
“Writers need to educate themselves before giving advice. That means talking to the right SMEs, following credible voices, and doing original research.”
If you’re not qualified to write the how-to on your own, bring in someone who is. Accuracy builds trust.
❌ Rambling intros and fluff
Sam flagged the usual suspects: long intros, filler phrases, and walls of screenshots. He says “Too much fluff. And way too many pictures.”
Respect your reader’s time. Get to the point. Use visuals when they add clarity—not when they replace it.
❌ Writing like everyone’s the same
Ray also reminded us that there’s no such thing as a universal how-to: “Every guide needs to fit the reader, the topic, and the context.”
Beginner, intermediate, expert—pick one. And write to them like you actually know who they are.
The takeaway: Make it so good, they don't need to Google again
That’s the bar.
A strong how-to doesn’t repeat what’s already out there, or leave people halfway to the finish line. It gets the reader from “I have no idea what I’m doing” to “done” without opening three more tabs.
If it’s clear, specific, real, and written like you actually care, your reader won’t need another guide.
Learn how to write with clarity, personality, and purpose at dslx Academy.
