> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.userlane.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.userlane.com/assistance/what-assistance-is.md). # What Assistance is The help capabilities in Assistance and when each is the right response to a user problem. Assistance is the part of Userlane that helps people inside the applications they work in: answering questions, walking through processes, catching data entry errors, and communicating changes. Visibility shows which applications are in use across the organization, and Intelligence proves what changed. Assistance is the step in between, where something actually changes inside the application. ## What each feature does People get stuck in applications, make errors in forms, miss changes, or cannot find help without leaving what they are doing. Six capabilities handle these problems: the Assistant, Guides, Validators, Tooltips, Announcements, and Contextual Actions. The table shows what each one does and when to use it.

Feature	What it does	When to use it
The Assistant	Answers questions inside the application. Hands off to a guide when the user needs to do something, or to support when the question cannot be resolved.	Someone has a question or needs to find the right process, without leaving the application.
Guides	Walks someone through a process step by step, directly on the application screen, from a starting point to a finished outcome.	Someone needs to follow a process from start to finish.
Validators	Checks that what someone types is correct before it is saved, and stops the error at the source. Includes a measure mode that records how often errors happen without interrupting anyone.	Entries need to be right the first time, not fixed later.
Tooltips	Attaches a short explanation to a single element on the screen, and can mark it with a beacon so people notice it is there.	Someone needs one thing explained where it sits, not a walkthrough of the whole process.
Announcements	Delivers a message to users inside the application, targeted to an audience and scheduled, and reports reach and interaction.	A change needs to be communicated without relying on email or a separate channel.
Contextual Actions	Shows the right content automatically when something specific happens: a page loads, an element appears, or a condition the organization has defined is met. Can launch a guide, an announcement, a tooltip, or a measurement action.	Content needs to appear at the right moment, not wait for someone to ask for it.

## Where to find things in the portal and the Editor Assistance work happens in two places: the portal and the Editor[^1]. The portal is where content is configured, targeted, and measured. The Editor is where content is built. ### The portal The portal sidebar groups Assistance under three headings. **Targeting** controls who sees what, and where. This is where audiences, display rules, page rules, and user lists are managed. **Announcements** is where in-app messages are created, scheduled, and targeted. **Customize** covers Assistant settings, guide behavior, knowledge connectors, help sources, languages and texts, default texts, design, and the welcome slide. The AI Assistant is set up separately, under **Agentic Assistance**. Surveys (including NPS and CSAT) and content analytics are found under **Intelligence** in the portal sidebar.

Assistance section of the portal sidebar — The portal sidebar groups Assistance under Targeting, Announcements, and Customize.

### The Editor The Editor opens separately from the portal. The portal decides who sees a piece of content and reports on how it performed. The Editor decides what that content is. Six content types are created here: **Guides** walk someone through a process step by step, recorded directly on the application screen. Steps can be reordered, skipped conditionally, and given images or video. **Tooltips** attach a short explanation to a single on-screen element, for cases where a full guide is more than the situation needs. **Validators** check an entry before it is saved. Measure mode records how often an error occurs without interrupting anyone, which gives a starting reading before any intervention. **Tasks** define a multi-step process with a start and an end condition, so completion is tracked automatically without anything showing to the user. **Tags** define a single tracked action, for cases where a task is more structure than the measurement needs. **Contextual Actions** connect a condition to a response, so content appears when something specific happens rather than waiting for someone to ask.

The Userlane Editor open over an application — The Editor opens over the application, where content is built.

## How Assistance connects to Visibility and Intelligence Assistance acts. Visibility shows which applications need attention, and Intelligence measures whether the actions worked. Validator results feed the Risk dimension of HEART. CSAT responses feed the Happiness dimension. Tasks, set up in the Editor and tracked automatically, feed Task Success and Efficiency. Tags track single interactions and do not feed HEART. Content analytics tracks how Userlane's own content performs (guide completions, tooltip views, announcement reach) rather than the organization's applications. That data tells a content author what to keep, revise, or retire. {% hint style="info" %} **Measure, act, prove.** Visibility shows where adoption falls short. Assistance acts on it. Intelligence proves the result, and the evidence flows back into Portfolio Overview, so the next step is based on what actually happened. {% endhint %} ## Relevant articles {% content-ref url="/pages/XDGntxUJimFOtJOihyow" %} [The Assistant](/assistance/the-assistant.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/PxdAhHlmuv43rj3RxGij" %} [In-app guidance](/assistance/in-app-guidance.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/qTSorzQfsQpzFRQHPERq" %} [Change communication](/assistance/change-communication.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/cg5g8Xki3RfJej7DhphW" %} [Content operations](/assistance/content-operations.md) {% endcontent-ref %} ## FAQ

How does Assistance relate to Visibility and Intelligence?

Assistance helps people inside the application: answering questions, walking through processes, catching errors, and communicating changes. Visibility shows which applications are in use across the organization. Intelligence measures whether what Assistance did made a difference. The three work as a loop: measure, act, prove.

What content types can Assistance deliver?

Guides, tooltips, beacons, validators, announcements, and Assistant answers. Guides, tooltips, validators, tasks, tags, and Contextual Actions are built in the Editor. Announcements are written in the portal. Content is targeted with audiences and page rules, as described in Targeting.

Does Assistance require the browser extension?

Assistance content reaches the application through the browser extension or the JavaScript snippet. Without one of them, content cannot appear inside the application for end users. See How Userlane is deployed.

Who creates and manages Assistance content?

A content author or administrator. Guides, tooltips, validators, tasks, tags, and Contextual Actions are built in the Editor. Announcements are written in the portal. Translating content, targeting it to an audience, reviewing how it performs, and retiring what is no longer used all happen in the portal.

Can the Assistant answer from existing documentation?

Yes. The Assistant can be connected to documentation the organization already keeps in systems such as SharePoint, Confluence, GitBook, KnowledgeOwl, and Zendesk. See Knowledge connectors.

What is the difference between the portal and the Editor?

The portal is where content is configured, targeted, and measured. The Editor is where content is built: guides, tooltips, validators, tasks, tags, and Contextual Actions are all created there. The two work together, but they are separate interfaces.

[^1]: The Editor is the workspace where Userlane content is built, separate from the portal where content is targeted and analytics are viewed. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.userlane.com/assistance/what-assistance-is.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.