10.5.3. Task steps

After the user clicks Start, a series of steps appears that they must perform to complete the quick start.

Follow these general guidelines when writing task steps:

Use "Click" for buttons and labels. Use "Select" for checkboxes, radio buttons, and drop-down menus.
Use "Click" instead of "Click on"
- Correct example:
  Click OK.
- Incorrect example:
  Click on the OK button.
Tell users how to navigate between Administrator and Developer perspectives. Even if you think a user might already be in the appropriate perspective, give them instructions on how to get there so that they are definitely where they need to be.
Examples:
```
Enter the Developer perspective: In the main navigation, click the dropdown menu and select Developer.
Enter the Administrator perspective: In the main navigation, click the dropdown menu and select Admin.
```
Use the "Location, action" structure. Tell a user where to go before telling them what to do.
- Correct example:
  In the node.js deployment, hover over the icon.
- Incorrect example:
  Hover over the icon in the node.js deployment.
Keep your product terminology capitalization consistent.
If you must specify a menu type or list as a dropdown, write "dropdown” as one word without a hyphen.

Clearly distinguish between a user action and additional information on product functionality.

User action:

Change the time range of the dashboard by clicking the dropdown menu and selecting time range.

Additional information:

To look at data in a specific time frame, you can change the time range of the dashboard.

Avoid directional language, like "In the top-right corner, click the icon". Directional language becomes outdated every time UI layouts change. Also, a direction for desktop users might not be accurate for users with a different screen size. Instead, identify something using its name.
- Correct example:
  In the navigation menu, click Settings.
- Incorrect example:
  In the left-hand menu, click Settings.
Do not identify items by color alone, like "Click the gray circle". Color identifiers are not useful for sight-limited users, especially colorblind users. Instead, identify an item using its name or copy, like button copy.
- Correct example:
  The success message indicates a connection.
- Incorrect example:
  The message with a green icon indicates a connection.
Use the second-person point of view, you, consistently:
- Correct example:
  Set up your environment.
- Incorrect example:
  Let's set up our environment.