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Checklist

Documentation drift checklist

Documentation drift is when docs, onboarding, UI copy, and support answers fall out of sync as the product evolves.

This checklist helps teams identify where the answer diverged and restore one canonical explanation across surfaces.

For the full diagnostic brief, read documentation drift .

Diagnostic summary
Documentation drift checklist
Primary symptom
Users receive conflicting guidance for the same task
Underlying mechanism
Multiple surfaces own the answer without traceability to product changes
Consequence
Repeat questions, lower confidence, misconfiguration risk

Explore: problem index ·recurring user confusion ·help content gaps

How to use
Run Steps 1–3 on one workflow. If you check 3+ items in a section, drift is likely contributing to repeat questions. Then apply Step 4.
Common drift hotspots
  • Permissions & roles (edge cases evolve).
  • Onboarding checklists and tours (screenshots go stale).
  • Settings and defaults (labels and location change).
  • Integrations (requirements drift).
  • Error messages (promises diverge from reality).
Quick rule
When a product change ships, update the explanation bundle (docs + onboarding + UI copy + support macros) in one pass. Partial updates tend to create drift.
Read the diagnosis

Step 1

Quick confirmation signals

Start with observable evidence. If 2+ apply, drift is likely present.

Step 2

Surface inventory

Map every place the workflow is explained. Drift is usually multi-surface.

Step 3

Alignment audit

Locate the divergence: which surface is out of sync?

Practical note
Fix the canonical explanation first, then align dependent surfaces. Updating one surface often increases inconsistency.

Step 4

Fix workflow

Restore one canonical explanation, then align all surfaces back to it.

Often confused with…
Where this shows up

If this problem is present, it usually creates one or more of these situations in practice.

Use case index
Help content gaps
Identify recurring question clusters and prioritize content changes that reduce recurrence.
Unclear product wording
When terminology diverges across UI and docs, users form an unstable mental model.
If you want to measure whether it worked

The easiest validation is whether the same question clusters decline over time. If you’re collecting customer questions through an in-product assistant, you can track repeat themes and see whether changes reduce recurrence. How it works

Continue exploring the problem space

Documentation drift is one diagnosis. If repeat questions persist after alignment work, check the pattern index for recurring confusion.

Problem index Apply as a use case
Observed impact
Drift increases time-to-answer and repeat questions, and reduces confidence when guidance changes across surfaces.
Support signal
When macros and docs diverge, users receive inconsistent answers across agents—even when underlying behavior is stable.
Change velocity
The higher the release cadence, the higher the drift risk unless explanation updates are tied to changes.
Next diagnostic step
If this checklist passes but confusion persists, move to recurring user confusion and map repeating question clusters across channels.