- Each question is worded the way a customer would type or say it.
- Each answer begins with the direct answer and gives the detail after it.
- Every answer that depends on a price, date or policy has a review date and a link to its source.
- The limits and exclusions are stated as clearly as the services.
- No answer describes a feature or service that is not actually available.
- Questions are grouped by the task a reader is trying to complete, not by the department that handles them.
- A contact route appears on the page, with the hours it is staffed and the details to include.
General BusinessContent Creator
FAQ page: the questions people ask, answered first
An FAQ page answers the questions people ask most often about a product, service or policy, in the words they use, with the direct answer first and the detail after it. The key judgement is where the questions come from: take them from support requests and search terms rather than from what the business would like to say, and keep every answer accurate and dated.
Quality checklist
Check the page before readers see it
Section outline
The parts of an FAQ page, in order
Introduction
Who the page helps and what it does not cover. Two sentences are enough, and they should tell a reader quickly whether they are in the right place.
40 wordsQuestion groups
Three to six groups, each named for a task such as changing a booking or cancelling an order. Avoid groups named after internal teams, because readers do not know which team they belong to.
60 wordsQuestions and answers
Each question as readers phrase it, a direct answer in the first sentence and the detail after it. Keep answers to what the reader needs to act, and link to the full policy for the rest.
400 wordsLimits and exclusions
What you do not offer, what is excluded and the conditions that apply. Put these in plain words in the same format as the answers, so they are not hidden in the fine print.
120 wordsStill need help
One contact route, the hours it is staffed and the information that speeds up a reply, such as an order number.
60 wordsReview date and sources
When the page was last checked, who checked it and where the authoritative wording of each policy is kept.
40 words
Total: 720 words
Example excerpt
Sample questions for an equipment hire company
Sample section
Sample questions for a fictional equipment hire company, Juniper Event Hire. Policies are invented for illustration. Booking and changes How do I change my delivery date? Email the hire desk with your booking number at least two working days before the delivery. Changes inside two working days depend on van availability, and we will confirm by phone. Can I cancel a booking? Yes. Cancellations made more than seven days before the hire date return the deposit in full. Cancellations inside seven days keep the deposit, unless we have rebooked the equipment. Can I add items after I book? Yes, up to three days before delivery, at the daily rate on your booking. Added items depend on stock, and we confirm them in writing before the delivery day. Limits and exclusions Do you deliver outside the city boundary? Not on standard hires. Delivery outside the boundary is possible for large marquees, with a surcharge that we quote in writing before you confirm. Still need help? Call the hire desk on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Have your booking number ready.
Mistakes to avoid
Where FAQ pages lose their readers
Writing questions nobody asked
Questions chosen for what the business wants to say read like marketing and go unread. Take each question from a support request, a search term or a phone log.
Burying the answer after a preamble
A reader who scans for the answer may give up when the first sentence is a preamble. Answer in the first sentence, then add the detail after it.
Letting answers go out of date
A price changed on one page and not on the FAQ gives customers two answers to the same question. Give each answer a review date and link it to the policy that holds the authoritative wording.
Leaving out the limits
Many readers would rather learn a limit from the FAQ than at the point of purchase or on the day. State what you do not offer in the same plain words as what you do.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free FAQ page template?
A template gives you the layout: groups, questions and a contact block. The questions and answers are what make the page useful, so write them from your support records rather than copying a generic list.
How many questions should an FAQ page have?
As many as your support requests show are common, grouped so a reader can find the one they need. A long unsorted list is hard to use, and a short list that misses the common questions can send people to the phone.
Can I make an FAQ page in PowerPoint or as a PDF?
Neither is what this tool outputs. You get a single page of HTML to share by link or to keep as a download, and that page is the FAQ itself.
Should an FAQ page replace a knowledge base?
Usually not. An FAQ answers the common questions in one place, while a knowledge base holds longer articles that the FAQ can link to. Link the two so a reader can move from a short answer to the full guide.
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How to build it
Follow the eight-step wizard: type, assets and description, images, branding, contact and call to action, Atty Suggestions, blueprint, and generate. Atty generates one HTML page in the background. Review it, then publish and share the page link or download the HTML file.
