What to look for in a documentation editor?

In the world of technical writing, having the right tools can make all the difference. Whether you’re just starting out as a junior technical writer or you’re a seasoned professional still working with traditional documentation tools, choosing a modern, feature-rich documentation editor is crucial to your workflow.

Documentation has evolved beyond simple text formatting, now requiring dynamic features like multimedia support, collaboration tools, and robust search functionalities. A good documentation editor not only helps you create clear and concise content but also streamlines the entire documentation process—from drafting and editing to publishing and maintaining.

In this post, we’ll explore the key features to look for in a documentation editor that can enhance your productivity and ensure your content is easy to manage, navigate, and maintain. Whether you’re transitioning to a SaaS platform or simply upgrading your existing toolset, these factors will help you make an informed decision.

1. Formatting Options

A robust documentation editor should provide a variety of formatting tools to help you organize and present your content clearly. Basic text styling, such as headings, bold, italics, and bulleted or numbered lists, is essential for structuring your documents. The ability to apply consistent and easy-to-read formatting is key to maintaining readability, especially in technical documentation where clarity is paramount.

In addition, look for features that allow for more sophisticated formatting, such as the ability to create multi-level lists, customize fonts and spacing, and insert tables of contents. The ability to manage styles centrally ensures consistency throughout your documentation without needing to adjust individual sections manually.

2. Blocks and Custom Elements

Beyond text formatting, a high-quality documentation editor should offer a range of blocks and custom elements that you can seamlessly add to your content. These elements allow you to present complex information more interactively and visually. Some essential blocks to look for include:

• Code Blocks: Displaying code snippets with syntax highlighting for multiple languages.

• Callouts: Highlighting important information, such as warnings, tips, or best practices, with visually distinct boxes.

• Images and Videos: Embedding visuals to make your documentation more engaging. The editor should support common video providers (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) and offer customisation options like captions for SEO, resizing, and alignment.

• Custom HTML Blocks: Flexibility to add custom HTML for specialised content or embedding third-party services.

• Tabs: Organising content into tabs for better navigation and structure.

• Integrations: Embedding content from external providers like Google Drive, GitHub, or data visualisations from analytics platforms.

Each one of those blocks can be really simple or with extensive functionality, so double-check what is available before taking a decision.

3. Import and Export Options

As a technical writer, flexibility in how you manage your content is key. A good documentation editor should support smooth import and export options to make transitions between tools or formats as seamless as possible. Whether you’re migrating legacy content or sharing documents with external teams, these capabilities save time and effort.

Importing: Look for an editor that can import various file formats such as Markdown, HTML, or Word documents. This allows you to quickly bring in existing content without losing formatting or structure. For teams that collaborate across different platforms, import support for third-party systems (like Confluence or Google Docs) can be a significant advantage.

Exporting: Equally important is the ability to export content into multiple formats. Common options like PDF, HTML, or Markdown allow you to publish your documents in different mediums and formats. Moreover, the ability to export a full content archive, including images and attachments, ensures you can back up or transfer your work without hassle.

4. Copy, Paste, and Reordering Capabilities

Creating documentation often involves moving content around, repurposing sections, or copying elements between different documents. A solid documentation editor should make these actions simple and intuitive.

Copy and Paste: You should be able to effortlessly copy content between different sections, documents, or even between external sources and your editor. Maintaining formatting during copy-pasting—especially when dealing with tables, images, or code blocks—is essential to preserve consistency and avoid rework.

Reordering Content: Documentation often requires restructuring as content evolves. Look for an editor that enables you to easily drag and drop blocks of text, tables, images, or other elements. This helps keep the content flexible and easy to manage, especially when working with large, complex documents.

5. Advanced Table Features

Tables are essential in technical documentation for organising complex data or comparisons. A modern documentation editor should go beyond basic table creation, offering advanced features to enhance the way you present tabular data.

Merging Cells: The ability to merge cells horizontally or vertically allows you to create more complex layouts within a table, making it easier to group related information and improve readability.

Resizing Columns: Flexibility to resize columns manually ensures that your data is displayed in an easy-to-read format, without awkward wrapping or misaligned text.

Images in Tables: Some documentation calls for visual aids within tables. Look for an editor that allows you to insert images directly into table cells, which can be useful for comparisons or feature showcases.

With these capabilities, you can create dynamic and professional-looking tables that communicate complex information clearly.

6. Search Functionality and AI Integration

One of the most crucial features in any documentation editor is its search capability. As documentation grows, both writers and readers need a fast and efficient way to locate specific information.

Content Coverage: A good editor should search through not only the body text but also through more detailed parts of your content, such as captions, alt text for images, and even within embedded media. This ensures that no important information is overlooked during searches.

Search Customisation: Advanced search features like filters and tagging can make navigating large documents easier. Additionally, search analytics can really help you understand how the documentation is being used.

Natural Language Search & AI Q&A: As AI-powered tools become more common, documentation editors are integrating natural language search features. This allows users to search for content in the same way they would ask a question, improving the usability of your documentation for non-technical audiences. Additionally, some platforms are introducing AI-driven question-and-answer systems, where the editor can automatically suggest relevant content or solutions based on user queries. Beware that some tools might charge you big $$ for such features and others provide it for free.

With strong search functionality and AI capabilities, your documentation becomes more accessible, improving both the writer and reader experience.

7. Version Control

For technical writers, maintaining a clean version history is crucial, especially when multiple people are collaborating on the same document or when updates need to be tracked over time. A well-built documentation editor should offer robust version control features.

Track Changes: Writers should be able to track changes made to a document, view who made specific edits, and when. This helps teams stay organized and ensures transparency in the writing process.

Version History & Rollback: Look for an editor that provides a comprehensive version history. This feature allows you to review previous drafts of your document and, if necessary, restore an older version. It’s particularly useful when a document undergoes many revisions or when content needs to be reverted due to incorrect changes.

Commenting on Versions: Being able to comment on different versions or revisions of a document ensures that any major changes can be documented or justified, adding context to why certain edits were made.

Conclusion

Choosing the right documentation editor is an important decision for any technical writer, whether you’re just starting out or transitioning from a traditional toolset to a more modern, SaaS-based platform. The features we’ve outlined—ranging from robust formatting options and block customisation to version control and advanced search functionality—are all critical in ensuring your documentation is easy to create, maintain, and scale.

When evaluating different editors, focus on those that offer the flexibility and control needed to adapt to your workflow, enhance collaboration, and ensure your content remains clear and accessible. With the right tools in hand, you’ll be able to streamline your documentation process and produce high-quality content that serves your audience effectively.