Wiki Me This: Why Great Documentation Starts with a Plan

Let’s face it—half the time, when someone asks where the latest process doc lives, the answer is either “somewhere in SharePoint” or “check with John.”

That’s where wiki-based documentation swoops in.

More and more companies are ditching scattered PDFs and outdated SOP binders for dynamic, easy-to-use internal wikis—and for good reason.

Let’s break down what makes wiki documentation such a big deal (and why technical writers are essential to making it work).

What Is Wiki-Based Documentation?

Think of it as your company’s internal Wikipedia—but without the conspiracy theories and midnight edits from random strangers.

A wiki is a living, searchable collection of interconnected pages that anyone on your team can access and (depending on permissions) contribute to. It’s where your policies, procedures, how-to guides, and “here’s how we do things” live—organized, updated, and useful.

💥 Why It’s Blowing Up Right Now

• Remote & hybrid work means people can’t always tap a shoulder to get answers.

• Teams are scaling faster—and legacy knowledge doesn’t scale.

• New hires need clear onboarding without “figure it out” vibes.

• Everyone's tired of asking where the doc is.

  
  

In short: people want answers, not scavenger hunts.

🧰 What Makes a Good Internal Wiki?

A good internal wiki is:

• 🔍 Searchable: No more mystery folders or version 17_final_FINAL edits.

• 🪄 Structured: Organized into categories like HR, IT, Ops, Engineering, etc.

• ✍️ Well-written: Clear, scannable, human-friendly language.

• 🔗 Interlinked: Pages connect to each other logically—like a digital brain.

  
  

And here's the plot twist: just throwing everything into a wiki will not cut it. That’s where technical writers come in.

Where Technical Writers Shine in Wiki Projects

Let’s be honest—handing wiki access to everyone can be like giving toddlers glitter. It gets messy fast.

A great technical writer:

• Builds a template or style guide so everything looks and reads consistently.

• Rewrites vague or outdated docs into something users can follow.

• Organizes pages logically (no orphan docs or hidden gems in weird corners).

• Helps teams decide: What should go in the wiki? What shouldn’t?

• Keeps it updated and clear with regular reviews and feedback loops.

  
  

We’re not just documenting—we’re designing a system that supports your people.

Popular Wiki Tools Companies Are Loving Right Now

• Confluence (enterprise-ready, especially with Jira)

• Notion (modern, visual, flexible)

• SharePoint (solid if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem)

• Guru, Slab, Document360 (for lean teams and knowledge bases)

And yes, we’ve worked in all of them.

The ROI of a Good Wiki

• Onboarding gets faster ✅

• Fewer support tickets ✅

• Less “where’s that thing again?” ✅

• Employees feel empowered, not stuck ✅

That’s a win for everyone—from HR to IT to the person who just needs the VPN instructions… again.

Ready to Build a Wiki That Works?

Whether you’re starting from scratch or staring down a mess of disconnected docs, our writers can help wrangle, write, and organize your internal knowledge into something beautiful and actually usable.

👉 Let’s talk

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Because good documentation doesn’t just sit there—it works for you.