Use & placement
Using help content
Help content provides answers to common questions about your app. Users can submit comments, report bugs, and ask questions that are not already answered by...
Help content provides answers to common questions about your app. Users can submit comments, report bugs, and ask questions that are not already answered by the help content.
Common locations
Help content should be easy for users to find. It can be placed in various points in your navigation. It usually appears in a navigation...
Help content should be easy for users to find. It can be placed in various points in your navigation. It usually appears in a navigation drawer or overflow menu under the label “Help” or “Send feedback.”
Placement
It is easier to find Help content in both the navigation drawer and app bar or only in the app bar. It is less easy to find Help content when it is only in the navigation drawer or overflow menu.
- If your app is complex and has a navigation drawer, place a link to “Help” both in the navigation drawer and the app bar.
- If your app is complex and does not have a navigation drawer, place a link to “Help” in the app bar.
- If your app is not complex, place “Help” in a navigation drawer or overflow menu only.
Navigation Drawer
“Help” should be the last item in the navigation drawer, with “Send feedback” directly above it. Anytime “Sign out” appears in a navigation drawer, it...
“Help” should be the last item in the navigation drawer, with “Send feedback” directly above it.
Anytime “Sign out” appears in a navigation drawer, it should be the last item in the list.
Overflow menu
“Help” and “Feedback” (or “Send feedback”) should be placed in the overflow menu when there is no navigation drawer.
App bar
To provide help for urgent issues, such as payments and refunds, place a Help icon in the app bar. Desktop apps may also place a...
To provide help for urgent issues, such as payments and refunds, place a Help icon in the app bar. Desktop apps may also place a Help icon in the app bar, as there is more space in the desktop UI.
Help screen
The help screen can include a “Send feedback” button for users to report issues or send comments. Content viewed less often (such as “About,” “Privacy,”...
The help screen can include a “Send feedback” button for users to report issues or send comments.
Content viewed less often (such as “About,” “Privacy,” and “Terms of service”) may be placed in an action overflow menu.
Icons
Help
Send feedback
Help Tooltips
When a brief description can help provide context, you can display a help tooltip. Help icons provide helper text on hover, tap, or click.
When a brief description can help provide context, you can display a help tooltip. Help icons provide helper text on hover, tap, or click.
Writing
Make it easy to read
Make content clear and easy to scan by formatting text with bold headings, lists, tables, and space between paragraphs. When referring to elements that users...
Make content clear and easy to scan by formatting text with bold headings, lists, tables, and space between paragraphs.
When referring to elements that users need to select, such as buttons or links, you can bold their names when referring to them.
Give key information
Keep explanations as short as possible, without giving details that aren’t relevant to typical usage.
Use simple language
Avoid using technical terms in help content where possible.
Show images
When providing step-by-step instructions, show relevant images or icons to explain what the user needs to do.