Tutorial
too-TOR-ee-ul
A step-by-step guide that teaches a developer how to accomplish a specific task or build a specific project using a product.
A tutorial walks a developer through building something specific. Unlike a quickstart (which gets to a first result fast), a tutorial goes deeper. It teaches concepts while the developer builds. At the end, the developer has both a working project and understanding of how the product works.
Good tutorials have a clear goal ('Build a real-time chat app'), progressive complexity (start simple, add features), and working code at every step. The developer should be able to copy the code, run it, and see the expected result at each checkpoint.
Tutorials serve both learning and marketing. A developer who completes a tutorial has invested time in learning your product. They are more likely to use it in a real project. Tutorials also rank well in search for queries like 'how to build X with Y.'
Examples
A tutorial teaches building a real-time dashboard.
Part 1: Set up the project and connect to the API. Part 2: Display live data in a chart. Part 3: Add filtering and date ranges. Part 4: Deploy to production. Each part takes 15-20 minutes. The developer builds a real, usable dashboard.
A tutorial targets a specific audience.
The tutorial is for Python developers migrating from Flask to the company's framework. It maps familiar Flask concepts to the new framework: routes, middleware, templates. The developer learns by translating what they already know.
A tutorial ranks for a high-value search query.
The tutorial 'Build a Slack bot with [product]' ranks #1 for 'how to build a Slack bot.' It gets 3,000 monthly visits. 15% of visitors sign up. The tutorial generates 450 new users per month through organic search alone.
In practice
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a quickstart and a tutorial?
A quickstart gets the developer to their first result as fast as possible (5 minutes). A tutorial teaches them to build something real while learning concepts (30-60 minutes). Quickstarts optimize for speed. Tutorials optimize for learning.
How long should a tutorial be?
30-60 minutes of work for the developer. Longer tutorials should be split into parts. Each part should end with a working checkpoint. A developer should be able to stop after any part and have something functional.
Related terms
A concise, step-by-step guide that gets a developer from zero to a working implementation in the shortest time possible.
Written resources that explain how to use a product, including guides, tutorials, API references, and troubleshooting information.
A complete, working application that demonstrates how to use a product or API for a specific use case.
Programs that teach developers new skills and concepts, including courses, workshops, and learning paths related to a product or technology.
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