---
title: Choose the right content type
description: Structure tutorials, how-to guides, concepts, references, and release notes so readers can find the kind of answer they need.
url: https://pr-7-a9c4e9fe1b6c.thally.app/guides/content-types
---

# Choose the right content type

Structure tutorials, how-to guides, concepts, references, and release notes so readers can find the kind of answer they need.

Start each page with one reader goal. Separating learning, task, explanation,
and lookup content makes a documentation set easier to scan and maintain.

## Tutorial

Use a tutorial to help a new reader reach a complete first result. Provide the
prerequisites, a guided sequence, a clear verification step, and focused next
tasks.

The [Quickstart](/quickstart) is a tutorial: it creates a site, adds a page, and
checks the result in one path.

## How-to guide

Use a how-to guide for a specific job the reader already understands, such as
deploying to Cloudflare or protecting a site with a password.

A useful task page usually follows this order:

1. State the result.
2. List prerequisites.
3. Give the shortest reliable procedure.
4. Show how to verify it.
5. Cover likely failures near the task.
6. Link to the next related jobs.

Name task pages with verbs: **Deploy to Vercel**, **Add reusable snippets**, or
**Configure the API playground**.

## Concept

Use a concept page to explain how a system behaves or why a decision matters.
Concept pages should clarify a mental model, not hide a long setup procedure.

Examples include [How Thally works](/architecture) and the
[product-change pipeline](/product-change-pipeline).

## Reference

Use a reference page for complete, scannable facts: configuration fields,
commands, components, environment variables, or API endpoints. Prefer tables,
signatures, defaults, and constraints over narrative.

Reference pages should not be the only place a beginner can discover a task.
Link to them from the relevant guide, then link back to a practical example.

## Changelog entry

Use the changelog for a dated product change. Explain what changed, who it
affects, and what the reader needs to do. Do not use it as a substitute for
updating the permanent guide or reference page.

## Page checklist

- Does the title match one reader intent?
- Is the expected result clear in the first paragraph?
- Are prerequisites before the instructions?
- Can the reader verify success?
- Are examples real and copyable?
- Does the page link to the next task instead of repeating it?

## Next steps

- [Create and edit pages](/guides/writing-content)
- [Frontmatter reference](/guides/frontmatter-reference)
- [Organize your navigation](/guides/configuring-navigation)