Leitfaden

Leitfaden is a German noun meaning a concise guide or manual that provides guidelines, instructions, or recommended practices to steer actions, decisions, or processes. It is typically practical in nature and focuses on essential steps, criteria, or principles rather than exhaustive coverage.

Etymology traces the term to leiten, meaning to lead, and Faden, meaning thread, conveying the idea of a thread that guides a path or process. The word is used across many contexts to designate a structured framework that helps users achieve a specific task or comply with standards.

Typical uses include business and administration, where a Leitfaden outlines procedures, compliance requirements, or evaluation criteria; research and journalism, where it serves as a protocol or checklist for methods and data collection; and education or public administration, where it guides assignment design, assessment rubrics, or policy implementation. In software or customer-facing contexts, Leitfäden may appear as quick-start guides or best-practice documents.

Common features of a Leitfaden include purpose and scope, target audience, prerequisites, a sequence of steps or rules, tips or cautions, and references or further reading. It is often shorter and more action-oriented than a comprehensive Handbuch (manual), and more prescriptive than a generic Richtlinie (policy) or Checkliste (checklist).

See also: Anleitung, Richtlinie, Handbuch, Checkliste.