Guidelines for Writing Keywords

---

Microsoft Corporation

Updated June 10, 1999

A comprehensive keyword list is one of the most helpful navigational tools that you can provide for users. It can help them locate help topics even if they are unfamiliar with the terms used in your program.

The more keywords you provide in a topic, the more likely it is that users will be able to find the topic they're looking for. It's typically best to include several types of keywords in each topic, including:

• Nontechnical terms that are likely to occur to beginning users.
• Technical terms that are likely to occur to advanced users.
• Common synonyms for technical terms.
• Words that describe the topic generally.
• Words that describe part of the topic.
• Inverted forms of keyword phrases—for example, "combining help files" and "help files, combining."

	About creating index files