appguide

Appguide is a term used to describe a family of software tools and services that provide guided assistance for learning and using other applications. It encompasses in-app tutorials, contextual tips, searchable guides, and curated content designed to help users understand features, complete tasks, and resolve common issues. While the phrase can refer to any implementation of such guidance, many vendors position appguide as a modular solution that can be embedded in web or mobile apps as a companion layer.

Core features typically include a content repository with step-by-step guides, an in-app overlay or coach marks, contextual prompts tied to the active UI, search and indexing for quick access, multimedia support (text, images, video), localization, and usage analytics to track guide completion and user engagement.

Deployment options vary. Some appguide solutions are offered as software as a service with a hosted content library, while others provide SDKs or APIs that developers integrate into their apps. Content authors create guides using authoring tools, and publishers can update materials without redeploying the underlying application. Security and privacy considerations include access control and data minimization for analytics.

Usage contexts include onboarding for complex software, self-help for customer support, feature discovery to promote new capabilities, and training scenarios in enterprise environments. Advocates say appguides reduce support requests and shorten time-to-value for users, while critics note the need for well-structured content and minimal intrusiveness to avoid user frustration.

Related topics include in-app guidance, user onboarding, and help authoring tools.