What is a user guide?

The Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications has almost three pages that explain different types of software documentation.

For practical purposes, we separate software documentation into two groups: user guides and reference manuals.

User guide

A user guide tells people how to do their work-related tasks. Usually, a user guide has information about product features that are used frequently. Sometimes, a user guide excludes advanced features, or gives only a short explanation. Advanced information is contained in a reference manual or in online help.

Reference manual

A reference manual contains technical information about a product. Usually, the information is organized by product feature, or alphabetically. Usually, procedures are not explained.