Effective FAQ Design for Support Reduction
How to structure your Help Center and FAQ sections to answer questions before they become support tickets.
Deflecting Tickets with Design
Every support ticket represents a user who couldn't find an answer. While support is important, self-service is better for everyone—it's faster for the user and cheaper for you. A well-designed FAQ section is your first line of defense.
Categorization is Key
As your product grows, a single list of questions becomes unmanageable. Our FAQ Categorized component splits questions into logical buckets: "Billing", "Technical", "Account", etc. This allows users to drill down quickly.
The Power of Search
If you have more than 20 articles, you need search. The FAQ Search component places a large search bar front and center.
UX Tip: Real-time filtering. As the user types "refund", the list below should instantly filter to show only relevant articles.
Accordions for Skimmability
The FAQ Two Column layout often uses accordions (expandable sections). This keeps the page clean. Users can scan the questions and only expand the one they care about.
Writing Good FAQs
- Be Direct: Start the answer immediately. No fluff.
- Link Out: If the answer is complex, link to a full documentation page.
- Update Often: If you get the same support ticket 3 times in a week, add it to the FAQ.
Placement
Don't hide your FAQ in the footer. Place it on relevant pages.
- Pricing Page: FAQ about refunds, upgrades, and billing cycles.
- Feature Page: FAQ about limitations and technical requirements.
Conclusion
An effective FAQ section is a living knowledge base. By using structured components like FAQ Categorized, you turn confusion into clarity and frustration into satisfaction.