User:APaskulin (WMF)/How to respond to docs feedback

Feedback is a critical element of maintaining and improving documentation. This page provides some useful tips for encouraging and responding to feedback from documentation readers.

1. Thank them

10 2024-01-24

Sharing documentation feedback is not easy. Most readers won't take the time to share their feedback, so make sure to thank them. Expressing your appreciation for their effort shows that you value their participation and can act as encouragement for other potential feedback-givers.

2. Empathize with their perspective

4 2024-01-24

Everyone knows what it feels like to not understand something. Learning something new can be hard! It can also be hard to remember what it feels like to be new to something that you're very familiar with. Try to see where the feedback-giver is coming from. Phrases like "I can see how that would be confusing" or "I agree that it could be more clear" help show the feedback-giver that you are taking their concerns seriously.

3. Ask for clarification

8 2024-01-24

In most cases, the feedback will be unclear or lack specificity. This is understandable since the feedback-giver doesn't have the same understanding as you do. This is a great opportunity to engage them: ask them to expand on certain points; get their feedback on an alternate phrasing. This can help you figure out what exactly needs to be done in response to their feedback and even get more feedback from the interaction than they initially provided. More feedback is your most important goal!

4. Edit their request

7 2024-01-24

If the feedback comes through a task tracker, feel free to edit their request (once you're sure you understand what should be done). You may need to break up their request into multiple tasks.

5. Point them to more ways they can contribute

5 2024-01-24

Now that they've reached out, this is a great opportunity to try to engage them with contributing in other ways.