Decide what the reader needs to finish
Choose one testable task, such as importing an image or exporting a file. Write what success looks like before capturing anything. Avoid turning one guide into a tour of the entire application.
Capture consistent screenshots
Use the same display scale and realistic fictional data. Show menus open when they matter. Keep enough surrounding interface context for readers to recognize where to click without drowning the target in empty screen space.
Write instructions with visible control names
Say 'Select Export, choose PNG, and save the file', not 'click here.' Put numbered hotspots on controls and describe the expected result after every action. Verify the steps with a clean project rather than relying on memory.
Redact sensitive pixels before publishing
Never publish personal data, access tokens or real customer records in screenshots. Permanent redaction must overwrite the underlying raster data; covering a secret with a movable shape is not enough. Inspect the final image after export.
Deliver useful HTML and PDF versions
A self-contained interactive HTML tour is convenient for step-by-step practice, while a PDF is easier to print or include with a download. Test both from the final exported files: Back/Next/Restart, keyboard navigation, page breaks and text sizing.
Maintain the guide after UI changes
Keep the editable project and old screenshots. Compare each replacement image with the previous one; pixel differences flag what visually changed, but cannot tell you whether a workflow still works. Manually retest instructions and hotspots before republishing.
This is practical guidance, not a guarantee of security, accessibility or automated software validation.