User Guides, IFUs, and SOPs Walk Into a Bar…

User Guide: “I help people use stuff.”

IFU: “I help people use medical stuff… without accidentally hurting themselves.”

SOP: “I help people follow the rules at work… and avoid lawsuits.”

The bartender squints. “So… you’re all instructions?”

They nod in unison. And somewhere in the background, a technical writer starts typing.

Welcome to the surprisingly entertaining world of documentation! If your team is staring down a pile of processes, products, or regulatory hoops and wondering what kind of documentation you need, this article is for you.

Let’s break down what makes these docs different (and how they all get better with a professional writer on your side).

User Guides: Your Friendly Neighborhood Instructions

What it is: A user guide helps your customer or end-user use your product, software, or service. Think of it as the helpful friend who walks you through setup without judging your Wi-Fi password.

Common examples:

• Software instruction manuals

• Product setup guides (looking at you, Bluetooth printer, otherwise known as my nemesis)

• Online help centers and how-to walkthroughs

Who needs it: Companies launching anything new that’s not 100% self-explanatory, especially in the tech, consumer electronics, and SaaS spaces.

Pro tip: The best user guides are written by people who weren’t involved in making the thing. Why? Because they ask the questions that users will.

🩺 IFUs (Instructions for Use): Your Medical Rulebook

What it is: An IFU is a specific kind of user guide for medical devices, diagnostics, and equipment. But unlike a regular guide, an IFU has to follow strict formatting, regulatory language, and legal compliance.

Common examples:

• Instructions packaged with a blood glucose monitor

• Prep steps for a diagnostic test

• Detailed usage instructions for Class II or III medical devices

  
  

Who needs it: Any company manufacturing or distributing regulated healthcare products (hello, FDA).

Pro tip: An IFU needs both a clear writer and a strong understanding of compliance. This isn’t just good writing—it’s risk management.

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures): Your Process Everything!

What it is: An SOP tells your team how to do something—consistently, correctly, and usually within a regulatory or safety framework.

Common examples:

• Internal safety protocols

• Quality control steps

• “How we onboard new employees without chaos” manuals

Who needs it: Any business with repeated processes, especially in regulated industries like biotech, pharma, manufacturing, or food.

Pro tip: SOPs aren’t meant to collect dust. The best ones are clear, useful, and written so people will use them.

So… Which One Do You Need?

Here’s a quick cheat sheet:

If you're…	You probably need…
Selling a product or service to users	User Guide
Making or distributing medical devices	IFU
Managing teams or regulated processes	SOP

Not sure? We can help you figure it out (without making you fill out a flowchart).

Why a Technical Writer Makes All the Difference

Good documentation is more than just “putting it in writing.” It’s about clarity, usability, tone, and compliance. A great technical writer bridges the gap between your brilliant engineers, your marketing team, and your overwhelmed end user.

At Writer Resource, we live for this stuff. We write the kinds of instructions people actually want to read. No robotic jargon, no confusing diagrams—just solid, user-first documentation that gets results (and maybe a few thank-you emails from your customers).

Ready to Order?

Whether you're in the market for a user guide, an IFU, an SOP—or you’re not quite sure what you need but suspect your documentation has... vibes—we’re here to help.

Let’s raise a glass to documentation that works.

👉 Contact us and let’s chat.