Creating a new document

📝 Creating a New Document in BlueDocs

BlueDocs makes it easy to create a wide range of documents tailored to your organization's needs — from operational procedures and policies to training content and knowledge base articles. Whether you're drafting a new onboarding guide or formalizing an internal policy, this guide walks you through the full process of creating, organizing, and managing documents within BlueDocs.

🚀 Getting Started

To create a new document:

1. Navigate to the relevant section in the left-hand sidebar — SOPs, Knowledge Base, Training, or Policies.
2. Click the “+ Create” button at the top of the document list.
3. Fill in the required fields using the document creation form.
4. Save your document as a draft, publish it (if you have permission), or request approval if required.

Your document will be saved in real time, and you can return to it later from your drafts section.

🧾 The Document Creation Form

When creating a document, you'll be prompted to complete several fields.

✅ Required Fields

• Title: Use a clear, concise title that helps others quickly understand the document's content. This title will appear in search results and across your document lists.

• Document Type: Choose from one of the core types:

• Standard Operating Procedure
• Knowledge Base Article
• Training Document
• Policy
• Or any custom document type configured by your admin

> ⚠️ Document type cannot be changed after the document is created.

• Category: Select an existing category or create a new one on-the-fly using the “+” button. Categories help with filtering, searching, and content organization.

• Status:

• Draft: Work in progress; visible only to you or select collaborators.
• Published: Visible to users with appropriate access.
• Archived: No longer active, but retained for reference.

🖼️ Optional Fields

• Feature Image: Upload a visual cover image (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP — up to 5MB). This adds visual context and can help make content more identifiable.

• Folder Assignment: If you’re working within a folder, the document will automatically be assigned there. You can also move it to another folder after creation.

📚 Understanding Document Types

Each document type has its own structure, use case, and publishing workflow:

SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

Used to outline step-by-step tasks and repeatable workflows.

• Common in operations, support, and compliance
• Often routed through approval workflows
• Typically categorized by department or process type

Knowledge Base Articles

Designed for internal guidance and reference content.

• Ideal for FAQs, how-tos, product help, and internal guides
• Often quick to publish
• Organized by topics, audiences, or technical categories

Training Documents

Educational content that can stand alone or be grouped into training modules.

• Used for onboarding, skill development, and certification
• Often reviewed by training or L\&D teams
• Supports tracking, assignments, and progress analytics

Policies

Formal governance documents that require versioning and employee acknowledgment.

• Includes HR rules, IT policies, legal statements
• Typically require legal or HR approval before publishing
• Automatically track user acknowledgment per version

Custom Document Types

Admins can define additional document types based on one of the four base formats.

• Inherit structure and permissions from their base type
• Examples: "Safety Procedures" (based on SOPs), "Product Specs" (based on Knowledge Base)

✍️ Writing Your Document

BlueDocs uses a powerful rich text editor that supports:

• Headings (H1–H3)
• Bold, italic, lists, and blockquotes
• Tables for structured data
• Images via public URL
• Code blocks with syntax highlighting for many languages
• Quotes, links, and inline formatting

Use headings to break up your content, add visuals to enhance understanding, and use tables or lists for clarity.

🔁 Approval Workflows (If Required)

Some documents require approval before they can be published — especially policies or SOPs.

Here’s how the approval process works:

1. Create and save your document as a draft
2. Click Request Approval (if prompted)
3. The system notifies users with the appropriate approval role
4. You’ll be notified when it’s either approved (and published automatically) or rejected (with feedback)

Your ability to publish directly depends on your user role and the document type. If you’re unsure, check with your administrator.

🗃️ Folder Organization

Folders help organize your documents into logical structures by department, project, or topic.

• Create documents inside folders to assign them automatically
• You can move documents between folders later
• Folder assignments are tracked in the document’s version history
• Be mindful of permissions — some folders may have restricted visibility

Use emojis and colors in folder names to help users find content faster.

🔐 Permissions and Access

Permissions to create, publish, and assign documents vary by role:

• Members: Can create drafts and contribute content
• Contributors: May publish certain document types or request approvals
• Admins: Can publish and manage all content

Publishing permissions may also differ between document types — for example, publishing a policy often requires admin or HR approval.

✅ Tips for Successful Document Creation

🧠 Before You Write

• Identify your audience
• Outline the purpose of the document
• Choose the correct document type
• Pre-select the category and folder location

✍️ While Writing

• Begin with a brief intro describing the document’s purpose
• Use consistent formatting and structure throughout
• Add images or tables where helpful
• Break up text with headings and lists

🤝 For Team Collaboration

• Use descriptive titles so documents are easy to find
• Save your work often — the editor auto-saves, but manual drafts help with longer pieces
• Coordinate with approvers if your document is time-sensitive

🛠 Troubleshooting

🆘 Need Help?

• Contact your BlueDocs administrator for permission or publishing issues
• Use internal documentation standards to guide content structure
• Refer to the Help Center for walkthroughs on categories, approvals, and rich formatting

💡 Pro Tip: Save drafts frequently when working on long documents. You can always come back to them later, and they won't be visible to others until you're ready to publish or submit for approval.

Creating well-structured, accessible documents is key to making your internal knowledge base effective. With the right structure, formatting, and collaboration, your documents can drive clarity, training, and compliance across your organization.

Updated on: 27/05/2025