Use case · Updated
Content gap analysis for documentation
Every support team knows the docs have holes. Few know which holes cost the most. usedocs measures that from real questions, ranks the gaps, and hands you a drafted article for each, so the analysis ends in published docs instead of a spreadsheet.
TL;DR
Short answer
Content gap analysis for documentation should start from what customers actually asked, not from a keyword tool. usedocs groups questions the assistant could not answer, "not helpful" votes, and imported tickets into ranked gaps, then drafts an article for each one. You approve the drafts in the same queue as the edits proposed from your code.
Who this is for
SaaS teams that publish a help center and want to know which articles to write next, usually founders, support leads, or a part time docs owner. Best fit when questions arrive through chat, email, or a helpdesk and the team has no time for a formal content audit.
Problems this solves
- The team knows docs are missing but argues about which ones matter.
- Ticket tags are too coarse to say which article would have prevented the ticket.
- Search analytics show what people typed, not whether they found an answer.
- Audits happen once a year and are stale by the next release.
- Even when gaps are known, nobody has time to write the articles.
How usedocs works for this job
Collect the questions The assistant on your help center and widget logs every question it could not answer. Imported tickets from Zendesk, Intercom, Help Scout, Crisp, Plain, HubSpot, or CSV add history.
Group and rank Similar questions are grouped into gaps and ranked by how often customers ask, with their exact wording.
Draft each gap usedocs drafts an article for each gap from your existing docs, ready to edit and approve.
Close the loop Published drafts answer the next customer, and new misses keep the list current.
What you get
Gaps from real questions
Built from unanswered questions, "not helpful" votes, and tickets, not guesses.
Customer wording
Each gap keeps the phrases customers used, which become better titles and search terms.
Drafted articles
Every gap comes with a draft, so analysis turns into docs the same day.
One review queue
Gap drafts sit next to edits proposed from merged PRs.
Audit on demand
Run an audit from Drafts to check docs against your code and website and list articles readers found unhelpful.
Run your first analysis this week
Import three to six months of tickets and turn on the assistant. After a few days, the ranked gap list shows the themes customers ask about most that the docs do not cover. Approve drafts for the top five and dismiss gaps that need account access or a human decision. Keep the first week small: five well written articles that answer the most common questions remove more tickets than twenty rushed ones.
Read the wording, not just the count
The questions inside each gap are the best brief you will get. Use the customer's phrasing in the title and the first sentence. Articles titled the way customers ask are found by search, matched by the assistant, and opened from support replies.
Measure closure
A gap is closed when the article is live and the assistant answers that question with a source. Track gaps closed per week and repeat tickets on those themes the following month. That is the number that shows the docs are doing work.
Pair gaps with drift
Missing docs and outdated docs feel the same to a customer. Connect GitHub so merged pull requests propose edits to the articles they change; together with gap drafts, that covers both reasons a customer cannot find an answer.
Use "not helpful" votes as a second signal
Some gaps are articles that exist but do not answer the question. Sort by "not helpful" votes and read the comments readers leave. Usually the answer is buried, the steps skip a screen, or the article covers an older version. Rewrite the first paragraph so it answers directly, and the votes tend to change within a few weeks.
Share the list with the product team
The ranked gap list doubles as product feedback. A theme that keeps growing after you publish an article often points at a confusing setting or flow, not a missing doc. Share the top themes each month with whoever owns the roadmap.
Why teams pick usedocs
- Ranked gaps from chat, tickets, and votes
- A drafted article for every gap
- Ticket imports from six helpdesks or CSV
- Same review queue as code edits
Not for you if
Skip this if you want SEO keyword gap analysis against competitors, or a content calendar for marketing. usedocs finds the docs your customers need, from their own questions.
FAQ
What is content gap analysis for documentation?
Finding which articles your docs are missing or failing, ideally from the questions customers actually ask.
Where does usedocs get the questions?
From questions the assistant could not answer, "not helpful" votes, and tickets you import.
Does usedocs write the missing articles?
It drafts them from your existing docs. You edit and approve before anything goes live.
Which helpdesks can we import from?
Zendesk, Intercom, Help Scout, Crisp, Plain, HubSpot, or a CSV export.
Is this SEO keyword gap analysis?
No. It finds the docs your customers need from their own questions, which also tend to be what they search for.
How often is the list updated?
Continuously. New misses and votes join the list as they happen.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. A 7 day Growth trial with no card, then one plan at $99 a month.