Give each section one clear idea with the answer in the first sentence. Make it understandable on its own.
For anyone writing or editing a page you want quoted. You will have a repeatable way to shape every section.
AI answers are built from passages, not pages. A system retrieves a few paragraphs that seem to answer the question, and writes an answer from them. If your best explanation is buried in the fourth paragraph of a section that opens with scene-setting, it is hard to find and hard to use. The fix is not tricks. It is writing each section so it can stand on its own.
1Write the heading as the question
A buyer types a question. A heading that echoes it makes the match obvious to a reader and to a retrieval system. Clever labels hide what the section is about.
| Hard to quote | Easy to quote |
|---|---|
| Our approach | How does onboarding work for a new team? |
| The details | What does the Pro plan include? |
| Why it matters | Why do trial users stop using a product? |
| Security | Is our data encrypted, and who can access it? |
2Answer in the first sentence
Under each heading, put the answer in the first one or two sentences. Then add the detail, conditions and examples. This is the opposite of building up to a conclusion, and it works for impatient human readers as well.
Builds up to it
Onboarding is a topic we take very seriously. Many tools promise quick setup but leave you waiting on support. We wanted to do things differently, with careful attention to your data.
Answers first
Most teams connect Fernhollow to their store and see their first report the same day. Setup takes about an hour for one store. Teams with several stores or custom data usually need a short call to map their fields.
The second version states the answer, a realistic range and when it changes. It is complete if lifted out on its own.
3Name things, and say when the answer changes
Use the product's name and the specific term, not "it" or "our solution", because a passage taken out of context loses its pronouns' meaning. Then state who the answer applies to, since an assistant that quotes an unconditional claim may mislead the reader.
- Name the product and the feature, not it or this
- Say which plan, size of team or region the answer applies to
- Keep exceptions short and next to the claim
- Avoid superlatives you cannot support
4Support it with one concrete detail
A passage is more useful, and more citable, when it contains something specific: a figure you can source, a short example, a named step. One concrete detail per section is enough.
## How long does setup take?
Most teams connect Fernhollow to one store and see a first report the
same day, in about an hour. Multi-store teams usually need a short
mapping call.
Steps: connect the store, choose the fields to import, confirm the
first report. Last checked: 12 November.5Test each section on its own
Copy a section out of the page into a blank document. Does it make sense? Does it contain the answer? Does it name the thing it is about? If not, rewrite it until it does. Then read the whole page and check it still flows for a human, because the aim is a good page that is also easy to quote.
Section test
- Heading is a real question
- First sentence is the answer
- Subject is named
- Conditions are stated
- One concrete detail
- Makes sense alone
Say it in 30 seconds
The 30-second version
Write the heading as the buyer's question and answer it in the first sentence. Add who the answer applies to, then one sourced fact or example. If the section still makes sense copied out on its own, it is quotable.
Worksheet
Quotable section checklist
The full guide and a worksheet to fill in, as a PDF you can print or share with your team. The worksheet covers:
- The heading is a real question a buyer would type
- The first sentence answers it directly
- The product or subject is named, not replaced by a pronoun
- Conditions and exceptions are stated, such as by plan or team size
- and 6 more
One email with the PDF. No list, no follow-ups.
