Standardizing the Documentation Publishing Process from Paligo to Zendesk
Overview
At Simpli.fi, our team used Paligo to create, store, and organize technical documentation to publish to Zendesk. However, the publishing process was complex and inconsistent due to a wide range of configuration settings. I created a comprehensive internal user guide to standardize and explain in great detail how our team published internal vs external-facing documentation.
The Problem
Publishing settings in Paligo and Zendesk didn’t automatically sync for each configuration
Many settings options were not relevant to our workflows and caused extra, unnecessary confusion
Writers struggled to memorize each publishing setting that corresponded to each type of visibility audience
Inconsistent, erroneous selections resulted in publishing errors in Zendesk and extra time rework
Impact
Reduced confusion around nuanced publishing settings, minimizing publishing errors
Improved efficiency when publishing documentation
Created an editable reference for new hires and experienced writers alike
My Role
I identified the gap in our publishing workflow and independently led the effort to document and standardize the publishing process for our small team of writers, editors, and our manager. Specifically, I:
Audited the Paligo-to-Zendesk publishing workflow, manually testing different combinations of configuration settings
Identified which settings options were relevant vs unnecessary
Created a step-by-step user guide for internal vs external audience publishing, documenting best practices, including UI screenshots, and examples
Tools Used:
Paligo
Zendesk
Confluence
Reflection
This project highlighted the importance of translating complex tools into clear, actionable documentation. By simplifying decision-making and removing ambiguity, I improved team efficiency and consistency. By repeated usage of this reference guide, I also helped prevent confidential information visible to incorrect audiences.
