Help authoring software or a help authoring tool (HAT) is a specialized content development program designed to create, manage, and distribute support documentation such as instruction manuals, white papers, and user guides. It often appears as a FAQ or white paper section on a company’s website, providing users with instant answers to their questions.

Help creation tools cover a wide spectrum, from basic versions with basic features to advanced component-based content management systems (CCMS) that manage information at a detailed level. Most companies will benefit from a solution that falls somewhere in between these two extremes.

Some basic features you can expect from any help authoring tool include:

• Single-source creation: adding source text that can be compiled into various formats
• Import and export help documentation
• Edit text, code, or data
• Manage indexes, tables of contents, or images
• Add multiple authors to work together on the same text
• Customize the interface to match your brand

Several tools offer advanced features such as customization, enhanced security features, and analytics tools. Many tools offer a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) view, making it easy to see the impact of any changes. Others are more powerful XML-based development tools that require more technical expertise from the user, but can accommodate more complex processes.