A Help Authoring Tool is the solution you might need to improve your business. You can find a wide range of options on the market, each offering specific features. It does not matter which industry you work in, choosing a Help Authoring Tool would be beneficial to increase your sales and reputation. This development software helps you to create the documentation you might need for multiple platforms and handle the huge volumes of content you might require. To use a Help Authoring Tool properly, you have to learn more about it.
About Help Authoring Tool
A Help Authoring Tool or HAT is the specific program created to help technical and IT writers in providing software documentation. You can see such texts in manuals, explanation guides, instructions, and FAQs. You may find different types of HATs based on your demands for the document creation and specifics of your work. They all were made to ease the life of technical writers and businesses in general. The best HAT has to meet the next requirements:
- It should provide tools for the data and text editing.
- It has to collect the data for the help files.
- There has to be an input for the source text.
- Each professional HAT needs specific instruments for creating content tables, adding images, and indexes.
- You can customize the interface with the tools from advanced HAT.
HAT allows you to use the text as code, created to help users to understand details on the software. The tool is mainly used by big enterprise organizations that have to work with a huge amount of documentation every day. This information is used in different formats and travels around multiple departments before it reaches the target audience. HAT can help you with documentation inside the company, keeping all the data you gather in a single database. You can provide access to the entire department that works on software development.
You produce content not only after the creation process is over, but all the way, marking each step. Every department has its own documentation they share with each other. It can be in the format of PDF, HTML, CHM, and Word files. You have to gather everything about the project you are working on and use HAT to create an intuitive manual or guide. Many experienced content writers prefer to pick HATs by the outputs the program supports.
Features You Might Require in HAT
If you are wondering about how to pick the right program for you, start by exploring the features. Compare every tool you find with each other. Think about what you need the most. What would help you with the projects? The most popular features are:
- CSS, WYSIWYG text, and Preview advanced editors;
- ability to import the files;
- ability to preview the code;
- compatibility with ePUB, HTML, PDF, HLP, and CHM;
- basic tools for the project management;
- variables, snippets, and topics;
- useful media library you may extend with your own files if you need.
After you download HAT on your device, you have to create your personal account, and may start working. The dashboard must contain Content Management System features to start the creation of the file. Make sure you can import the documentation you already have in the formats you need.
Why Do You Need HATs?
Here is the basic information on why you need to use this software. While you might work on unique documentation, you still need some helpful instruments. Here is why:
- The simplicity of writing. If you have lots of papers to make, there is no time to waste waiting for the muse to come. HATs make everything easier since you can use all the tools to create high-quality manuals and technical papers. It allows you to access all the other documents you need in your work. You may edit and publish your projects in no time;
- Multiple languages. If you work with the manuals or any other documentation for international users, this feature might be helpful to you. Your HAT provides the translation of the content you’ve created so that even your team can use it to avoid misunderstanding;
- You can provide access to HAT to all the co-workers you need. This way, the working process is faster. The members of your team or other teams you collaborate with will be able to send you notes or add them to the document. Grant access to editing tools to the department that works with you, and you will be able to fix technical problems and specify details together;
- Self-serve option. You can save hours by assisting customers to help themselves. HAT offers to provide documentation that can help clients to solve the problems without the need to contact the support team. Make the documentation user-friendly, and you will significantly decrease the number of customer tickets sent to the support;
- Online editor. This is a must-have for every HAT you work with. You need to be able to change the data during the working process and provide them access to others. Depending on the documentation you work with, the number of tools might vary. Yet, there must be basic editing options;
- You can import and export the documents. This is a crucial feature that usually every HAT provides. Pay attention to whether this option is available before you download anything. You have to be able to import at least standard formats like PDF, PPTs, Word, and Excel;
- Several publishing opportunities. You should have the possibility to file the created documents anywhere you want in the most suitable format for you.
Best Help Authoring Tool for Your Business
If you have not found the most beneficial tool for your work yet, keep on looking. Keep in mind all the features you want to see in the HAT, and you will definitely pick the one you need. This program might assist you in work, improving your daily routine. It will help your business and make you more reachable to other workers and customers. Search for the best tool until you find the one that matches your requirements. Check out the benefits each HAT offers.
