Technical documentation: a guide for product manufacturers
What technical documentation must include for products sold in several markets, how manuals drift from the approved product, and how to keep safety information matched.
By Chris ConnellUpdated 11 min read
Short answer
Technical documentation is the information that goes with a physical product so it can be installed, used, maintained and disposed of safely: manuals, instructions, safety information and specifications. For products sold in several markets, it has to match the approved product and meet each market’s rules, in the local language. This guide covers product documentation, not software documentation.
What does technical documentation include?
Technical documentation for a physical product usually includes user manuals, installation and assembly instructions, safety information, maintenance instructions and specification sheets. Chemicals add safety data sheets, and regulated products add a technical file kept for the authorities.
Product documentation is often used to mean the same thing. Labels and packaging have their own rules, covered in our label compliance guide.
| Document | Who it’s for | What it typically contains |
|---|---|---|
| User manual | The end user | Intended use, operation, warnings, troubleshooting, disposal |
| Installation and assembly instructions | Installers and technicians | Steps, tools, torque and clearance values, connection details |
| Quick-start guide | The end user | First use in a few steps, with the key safety points |
| Safety information | Everyone who handles the product | Warnings, residual risks, protective measures |
| Maintenance instructions | Service teams and owners | Intervals, procedures, spare parts |
| Specification or data sheet | Buyers, specifiers, distributors | Ratings, dimensions, performance values, approvals |
| Safety data sheet | Workplaces handling chemicals | Hazards, handling, storage and first aid, in a set format |
| Technical file | Market surveillance authorities | Design, risk assessment, test reports, declaration of conformity |
Is technical documentation the same as the technical file?
Not always. In EU product law, “technical documentation” often means the technical file: the evidence a manufacturer keeps to show a product conforms, such as design details, the risk assessment and test reports. Manuals and safety information are a separate requirement that goes with the product.
The two have to agree. A load limit in the risk assessment, a value on the rating plate and the figure in every language edition of the manual should all be the same number. The technical file is usually kept for a set period after the product is placed on the market (often 10 years, depending on the law) and shown to authorities on request.
Which technical documentation rules apply in which markets?
The main technical documentation rules come from product safety and conformity laws in each market, plus language laws that say which languages instructions must be in. Most EU product laws require instructions and safety information in a language users in that country can easily understand, as each member state decides.
| Market | Rule | What it covers | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | CE marking (New Legislative Framework) | Which products carry CE, the declaration of conformity, what instructions and labels include | In force |
| EU | Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 | Instructions and safety information for machinery; digital instructions with paper on request | Applies from January 20, 2027 |
| EU | General Product Safety Regulation | Product and manufacturer details and safety information for consumer goods | Since December 13, 2024 |
| EU | Medical Devices Regulation, Annex I Chapter III | What device labels and instructions for use carry, from UDI to symbols | Since May 2021 |
| EU | Toy Safety Regulation | Warnings, a digital product passport and warnings shown online | Applies from August 1, 2030 |
| GB | UKCA marking | The conformity mark for Great Britain; CE recognition kept for most goods | In force |
| US | OSHA Hazard Communication Standard | GHS labels and safety data sheets for chemicals | 2024 update, phased dates |
| Canada | Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act | English and French consumer product information | In force |
| France | Toubon Law | French in consumer information, including instructions | Since 1994 |
How does technical documentation drift from the product?
Technical documentation drifts when the product changes and the documents don’t all change with it. The English manual is usually updated first; translations, reused topics and older documents are where old values survive.
- An engineering change reaches some documents, not all. The manual is updated; the installation guide and spec sheet aren’t.
- Translations lag behind the source. A language edition is accurate to the old English, not to the current specification.
- Reused content carries old values. A shared topic or snippet with an out-of-date figure appears in every manual that uses it.
- Regional variants diverge. A voltage, plug type or rating that differs by market is copied from the wrong variant.
- Component or supplier changes. A part changes and its ratings or maintenance intervals change with it.
- Content copied between product lines. A similar product’s manual is used as a starting point and a value is missed.
Based on the documentation work we see; not a ranked or statistical list.
How do you keep technical documentation matched to the product?
Keep technical documentation matched by working from a single source of approved values: hold the approved specification in one place, write and translate from it, check every edition against it, and recheck everything when it changes.
- Hold the approved values in one placeSpecifications, safety statements and warranty terms, each with an owner and a date.
- Write and translate from themWriters and translators draw values from that source, not from older documents.
- Check every edition against themEvery language edition is checked against the approved values, not just against the English.
- Send safety statements to an expertWarnings and high-risk statements always get a named reviewer; the rest can go straight through.
- Recheck when the product changesAn engineering change triggers a check of every document, edition and language that states the old value.
Can manuals be supplied digitally instead of on paper?
For machinery sold in the EU, yes, from January 20, 2027. The Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 allows instructions in digital form, but buyers can ask for a paper copy free of charge, and safety information for non-professional users still has to be on paper.
The machinery has to show how to access the digital instructions, and they need to stay available for the product’s lifetime. Other product laws have their own rules, so check the one that applies to your product. Either way, a digital manual has to be as accurate as a printed one, and the printed safety information still can’t be corrected after it ships.
Where Arbitr fits
Arbitr holds your approved specification, safety statements and your regulatory team’s reading of each market’s rules, then checks manuals, instructions and spec sheets against them, in DITA, XML, Word, InDesign and PDF, in every language edition. Safety statements go to the expert you choose, and every decision is recorded.
FAQ
Technical documentation questions
What is the difference between technical documentation and product documentation?
They’re often used to mean the same thing: the documents that go with a product, such as manuals, instructions and spec sheets. In EU product law, technical documentation can also mean the technical file kept for the authorities.
Is technical documentation the same as software documentation?
No. Software documentation covers code, APIs and developer tools. Technical documentation for physical products covers how a product is installed, used, maintained and kept safe.
Who writes technical documentation?
Usually technical writers or a technical publications team, working from engineering’s specification, with regulatory or quality teams reviewing safety content. Translations are often handled by language partners.
What language does technical documentation need to be in?
Generally the language or languages of the market where the product is sold. Most EU product laws require instructions and safety information in a language users there can easily understand, as each member state decides; Canada expects English and French, and France expects French.
How long must technical documentation be kept?
For the EU technical file, often 10 years after the product is placed on the market, depending on the law. Check the rule that applies to your product.
What is DITA?
DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) is an XML standard for writing documentation as reusable topics, assembled into manuals with maps. It makes reuse easy, which is also why one out-of-date value can spread to many manuals.