Designing indexes

An online index is one of the most important components in a well-designed Help project. It is made up of a list of keywords that are associated with topics and URLs (Web and intranet sites).

Online indexes direct users to specific topics according to their ways of thinking. The best indexes are complete, accurate, concise and consistent. The goal is to Help users find information with the least amount of effort in the shortest amount of time.

Online indexes can include multiple levels of keywords as well as cross-references to other terms — like indexes at the back of printed books. In HTML-based Help, index entries are usually sorted numerically and alphabetically, although the organization really depends on how you want users to find information in your project.

Online indexes are displayed on the left side of the viewer or browser, grouped with other tabs such as Contents and Search. You can modify the index design to specify how and where you want it displayed.

Example: