Getting Started Guide Template for PMs

Short enough to complete in one sitting. For most SaaS products, that means 4-6 steps and 10-15 minutes of user time. If your setup genuinely requires more, split it into "Quick Start" (minimum viable setup) and "Full Setup" (all integrations and configuration) guides.

Yes, if your product serves distinct personas with different first actions. A project management tool might need separate guides for "Getting Started as a Project Manager" and "Getting Started as a Team Member." Each guide should lead to a role-specific aha moment. The [onboarding documentation template](/templates/onboarding-docs-template) covers multi-persona onboarding in more depth.

Instrument each step with analytics events. Measure the completion rate from step 1 to the final step. A healthy getting started guide has 60%+ completion. If a specific step has a sharp drop-off, that step needs clearer instructions, better error handling, or removal.

Both. The in-app version should be a lightweight wizard or checklist that guides the user through setup with contextual tooltips. The docs version should be a detailed reference with screenshots, troubleshooting, and explanations. Some users prefer guided UI. Others prefer to read the docs and figure it out themselves. Support both.

After every UI change that affects the setup flow. Stale screenshots and outdated step descriptions are the fastest way to destroy a new user's confidence in your documentation. Set a calendar reminder to walk through the guide yourself once a month. The [troubleshooting guide template](/templates/troubleshooting-guide-template) complements this by documenting the issues users hit after setup. ---