An FAQ page should shorten the route to an answer. It is less helpful when it becomes a collection of promotional questions nobody asked, or a substitute for clear product and contact pages. Start with evidence from genuine enquiries and place answers where customers are most likely to need them.
GOV.UK's interface-writing guidance encourages clear, direct language and suggests improving the interface when it needs excessive explanation. This is a useful principle for commercial help content too. The method below is an editorial workflow for a small support team, not a prescription for every website.
Collect questions before drafting answers
Review recent support messages and note recurring tasks. Group different phrasings that express the same need, such as “Where is my parcel?” and “Has this shipped?” Keep the customer's wording in a protected working record where appropriate, but remove identifying details from the public content.
Distinguish a question from its cause. Many enquiries about changing an address might mean that the checkout confirmation is unclear or that the order-management route is hard to find. An FAQ can help, but the underlying product page or workflow may also need improvement.
Decide where the answer belongs
Put delivery expectations on the delivery page and near the purchase decision, not only in a general FAQ. Put password-reset help near sign-in. Use an FAQ to provide a clear index or answer cross-cutting questions, while linking to the maintained source page when detailed instructions already exist.
Avoid duplicating lengthy instructions in several places. Every copy creates another place that can become stale. A short direct answer followed by a descriptive link is often easier to maintain, provided that customers do not have to click repeatedly to find a basic fact.
Answer the question in the first sentence
For “Can I change my delivery address?” begin with the actual condition: “You can request an address change before the order enters dispatch.” Only publish that statement if it matches the real process. Then explain how to make the request and what happens if the order has already moved to the next stage.
Do not bury the answer under a friendly introduction or an explanation of company values. Keep sentences focused. Replace internal terms such as “fulfilment exception ticket” with language a customer can use, while preserving any detail that matters for making a decision.
Test the page with a task
Ask someone unfamiliar with the page to find the answer to a realistic question. For example: “Your order has the wrong address. Find out what you should do.” Observe where they look, which words they use and whether they understand the conditions. Do not guide them directly to the answer during the test.
If they search for “delivery address” but the heading says “post-purchase amendments,” improve the wording. If they understand the answer but cannot find the contact route, improve that next step. A page can read smoothly while still failing the task it was created to support.
- Choose topics from actual enquiries and observed difficulties.
- Put important answers near the relevant customer task.
- Lead each answer with the practical response.
- Use clear conditions and truthful process details.
- Link to a single maintained source for longer instructions.
- Test finding and using the answer, not just reading it.
Keep ownership and review dates visible internally
Give each answer a content owner and a review trigger. A delivery-process change should prompt review of related help before it goes live. Periodically check links, contact routes and product terminology. An answer that was once correct can create avoidable support work after the process changes.
Measure whether the content resolves the intended task. Reduced enquiries may be useful evidence, but it could also reflect a harder-to-find contact route. Combine counts with feedback and observed use. A successful FAQ makes accurate help accessible while exposing opportunities to improve the underlying service.
Sources and further reading
This original guide was prepared with AI assistance. Examples are illustrative. The edition date is an assigned date in this 2026 catalogue. See our editorial policy and report a correction.