AI can help you organize ideas, explore angles and revise a rough draft. The strongest workflow still begins with your knowledge of the audience and ends with your own editorial judgment.
Write a brief before a prompt
Specify the reader, the question you will answer, and what the reader should be able to do afterward. Add the facts, examples and sources you already have. Decide what is outside the scope so the article stays useful.
Make an outline you would actually read
Ask for two or three possible structures, then select and edit one. Each section should answer a real question. Remove repeated introductions and headings that say the same thing in different words.
Draft around your own examples
Supply original observations, screenshots you have permission to use, or a step-by-step example you have tried. If you use AI to help draft, work in small sections. Rewrite wording that feels vague, exaggerated or unlike your voice.
Check claims at their source
Verify names, links, numbers, dates and product capabilities. Open cited sources yourself: an AI-generated reference may not exist or may not support the claim. Treat prices and features as time-sensitive. Make clear when you are sharing an opinion or an untested idea.
Edit for the reader’s next action
Read the piece aloud. Cut padding. Make the next step specific, and check that the article delivers on its headline. Review the mobile layout and every link before publication.
Keep a reusable checklist
- One reader and one useful outcome.
- Original examples and verified sources.
- No unsupported claims or invented results.
- Readable layout and working links.
- A clear next step.
Consistency matters more than a large publishing quota. Improve the articles that readers find useful before expanding into new topics.
A worked example: a tutorial with a clear outcome
Consider an article that teaches a beginner to turn a meeting outline into an action list. The outcome is a checked list of tasks, owners and dates. Start with fictional notes or material you have permission to use; do not paste private meeting transcripts into a tool without approval.
| Stage | Your job | Useful AI assistance |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | Define the reader and useful result | Suggest questions the reader may have |
| Draft | Supply the actual process and examples | Organize your notes into a clear sequence |
| Verify | Check facts, links and output yourself | Flag statements that need evidence |
| Publish | Review the finished page and next step | Suggest clearer headings or summaries |
A prompt for careful drafting
Help turn the notes below into a tutorial for a beginner. Preserve the facts provided. Do not invent tool features, sources, test results or personal experience. Mark missing information as a question. Use numbered steps and finish with a checklist the reader can use. Notes: [paste approved notes].
Separate a demonstration from a real test
If an example uses invented data, label it as illustrative. If you report a hands-on test, perform the steps yourself and keep evidence of what happened. A generated screenshot or an AI-written description is not proof that a tool behaved that way.
For a tool tutorial, record the date, the version or plan you used when visible, the exact task, and any limitation you encountered. Product features and interfaces can change. Link to official documentation for claims that depend on the current product.
Edit in three passes
- Accuracy: check every factual claim, quote, source and link. Remove anything you cannot support.
- Usefulness: follow the steps from a beginner’s perspective. Add the missing decision or example.
- Clarity: cut repetition, shorten vague sentences, and make headings describe what the reader will learn.
Use real screenshots of your own work when they explain a step, and remove private details before publishing. Add alt text describing the useful information in the image.
Publish and maintain the article
Give it a descriptive title and a short summary. Link to related articles only when they help the reader continue. Revisit the piece when the underlying process changes, and update the date only when you make a meaningful revision.
Google’s guidance emphasizes original information, clear authorship and useful content for people. It also says there is no preferred word count. See Google’s people-first content guidance.
To apply the workflow to a download, read the digital-product planning guide.
Editorial note: This is an AI-assisted educational guide. Worked examples are illustrative, not customer results or earnings claims.