When is it appropriate to have a user manual in your app?

Let me just get this out of the way and say that I have the great privilege in designing applications for highly complex systems and very specialized users. And yet, I will lose my mind if you brush away my concerns for usability by suggesting we include documentation in the form of a user manual.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule, right? You might be thinking to yourself. “I am special! Our tool is special! …And we need a manual.” Do you? DO YOU?!

Here are the three questions you should be asking yourself. Look. Look, with your special eyes:

1) First, am I fancy enough to have a user manual for my application?

Don’t get me wrong. Many people need to include user manuals and they can be very important. So first, ask yourself. Does your application or industry fall in one of these categories?

• Domain complexity: finance, defense, or data science tools, maybe medical imaging software.
• Compliance & safety: regulated industries where documentation is required by law.
• Multi-role enterprise messiness: admins, managers, employees, all with different needs, and permissions.
• Rare, but critical tasks: things users only do once in a while (system recovery, annual reporting), things only advanced users would do or specialized use cases (deep, nuanced configurations)
• Mass onboarding: rolling out to a large team or organization where self-training matters (think benefits programs, etc.)

Yes? Great! You’ve earned the right to write a manual. Next, ask yourself…

2) Are we at a point in our roadmap when it’s appropriate to have a user manual?

Manuals are for when you’ve graduated from “cute MVP” to “serious grown-up software.” Your MVP’s job is simple: prove the core value of your product quickly. Can people get to first value in minutes, not hours?

Focus on simple tasks. You have to walk before you can fly! Here’s the litmus test: If you remove the manual, would new users still succeed at the basics? If the answer is no, stop writing and fix your product.

If users can’t complete the “day one” task without referencing a doc → not good.

Even if you’re working within *most* specialized domains, the core functionality of your tool should not require a user picking up a manual. You’re not there yet.

3) Finally, ask yourself, is your user manual just a bandaid for bad UX? (Be honest!)

• If your manual explains where to click (i.e. they can’t intuitively find buttons or menus) → Bad UX!
• If your manual explains why a domain-specific workflow matters → you probably need it.
• If your docs are filled with “don’t forget to…” or “make sure you click here first” → Thanks, mom. Also, bad UX!
• If your manual explains standards and policies → sounds manual-worthy!
• If your manual explains how to upload a file → C’mon. Bad UX!

You get it. (I hope.)

The Real Test

If your MVP comes bundled with a manual, you’ve already gone off track. Manuals are for power, not for patching. They should show people how to unlock advanced workflows or navigate industry-specific rules — not where the “save” button lives.

So before you write one, ask yourself: are you fancy enough for it, is the timing right, and are you doing it for the right reasons? Because if your manual is explaining clicks instead of concepts, that’s not documentation — that’s just a cover up for bad UX.