Story: the help system
This page is for journalists and creators who write about documentation and usability. The help you are reading is itself a feature of the 6.0.15 line: the project put its own repository documentation inside the administration.
Contents
- The story in one paragraph
- What is new, and when
- Facts you can print
- What not to claim
- Angles and headline ideas
- Who to ask
The story in one paragraph
Most software keeps its documentation on a separate website that drifts away from the version you run. Exponential's
help system shows the documentation that ships with the installed version: every git-tracked Markdown file under
doc/, rendered with headings, tables, callouts and highlighted code, searchable, filtered by audience (editors,
administrators, developers, site users and many more, now including the press), and opened in context by a Help
button on every administration page (Help system). The pages are free
documentation under the GNU FDL (Story: free documentation).
What is new, and when
| What | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The help system in the administration | October 2026, in the 6.0.15 line | October 2026, 6.0.15 changelog |
| Help pages written as content in the database, phase 1 | 6.0.15 line | Help as content |
Facts you can print
| Fact | Source |
|---|---|
| A help dashboard with search, help per audience, categories, featured pages, recent changes and how to report an error | Help system, In short |
Help pages show every git-tracked Markdown and text file under doc/, with a table of contents and a link to the file on GitHub | same |
Search by title, headings and text, with filters for audience, category and type; / focuses the search field | same |
| A Help button in the header opens the page for the current module and view, or the dashboard | same |
| Report an error prefills an issue with diagnostics, "never passwords, keys, database hosts or personal data" | same |
| Pages can be printed and exported as PDF | Help system, Print and PDF |
| Extensions can contribute their own help | Help from extensions |
What not to claim
| Do not say | Say instead |
|---|---|
| "AI-generated documentation" | The help shows the project's written documentation |
| "Available in all languages" | The help shows the documentation's language; check Help system, Languages and accessibility |
| "Released in 6.0.14" or a release date | Part of the 6.0.15 line; "released" only once the tag v6.0.15 exists |
Angles and headline ideas
- "Documentation that ships with the version you run."
- "A CMS whose help is free to copy, translate and improve."
- "Help for the press, inside the product": this section is itself an example.
Who to ask
7x, which leads development (Press contacts). To see the help yourself, install a demo (Setting up a demo installation).
Related pages
- Story: free documentation
- Feature stories: index
- Help system
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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