Getting started is often the hardest part — but with Whale, we guide you step by step toward building a winning documentation strategy.
🧭 Level 1 — Board → “The Big Picture”
This is your broadest level — the main department, business area, or theme.
Think of Boards as your top-level navigation — where users instantly understand what kind of content they’ll find inside.
Examples:
Company
Sales
Marketing
Product
Customer Success
HR & Culture
Tips:
Each Board should represent a strategic pillar of your business.
Avoid mixing structural types (e.g. don’t have “Templates” alongside “Sales”).
🗂️ Level 2 — Library → “The Subdomain”
Each Library lives within a Board and groups content by function, process type, or topic area.
This helps users zero in on a specific subset of knowledge.
Examples (inside the “Sales” Board):
Playbooks
Tools & CRM
Outreach Templates
Sales Enablement
Examples (inside “HR & Culture”):
Hiring
Onboarding
People Operations
Policies
Tips:
Think of Libraries as folders of related playbooks.
Use short, descriptive names (avoid internal team acronyms).
📘 Level 3 — Playbook → “The Process or Topic”
Each Playbook should describe a repeatable process, workflow, or key concept.
This is where the real knowledge lives — structured and reusable.
Examples:
Qualifying a Lead
Running a Discovery Call
Handling Churned Customers
Launching a Marketing Campaign
Conducting Performance Reviews
Tips:
Start Playbook names with a verb (e.g. “Handle,” “Run,” “Launch,” “Conduct”).
One Playbook = one process.
Don’t make them too long — clarity beats cleverness.
🧩 Level 4 — Cards → “The How-To Details”
Cards are the bite-sized instructions, SOPs or resources within each Playbook.
They’re the most actionable level — what people actually use to execute the process.
Examples (in a “Discovery Call” Playbook):
Pre-Call Checklist
Example Questions
Call Script Template
Post-Call Follow-Up Steps
Tips:
Keep each Card focused on a single action or idea.
Use visuals, bullet points, and links to make it scannable.
Good rule of thumb: a Card = what someone could read in 1–3 minutes before doing the task.
🔧 Putting It All Together
Here’s how a typical structure might look in Whale:
Board → Sales
2. Library → Our Sales Process
3. Playbook → Discovery Process
4. Cards →
- Before the call
- Call introduction
- Discovery questions
Best Practices for Structuring Your Workspace
Start Broad → Then Go Deep
Begin with company-wide content
Example: Remote Work Policy, PTO Guidelines
Create department-specific boards
Example: Marketing, Customer Support, Finance
Add role-specific libraries or playbooks
Example: Payroll Process (HR), Monthly Reporting (Finance), Technical Audits (IT)
Tips for Writing Effective Playbooks and Cards
A Playbook should focus on one complete process or subject area
e.g., Performance Reviews, Customer Onboarding, Website Launch Plan
Keep Cards short, actionable, and focused
Don’t overload them — break longer processes into multiple cards
e.g., Objective of Audit, How to Start an Audit, How to Report an Audit
Think User-First: Who Will Use This?
Before creating content, ask:
👤 Who is this for?
🧠 What do they need to know to do their job well?
🧩 How should this knowledge be structured so it’s easy to find and follow?
Creating Boards with the intended audience in mind helps you build a workspace that flows naturally and makes sense from day one.
How to Start Building Your Structure
Use these guides to start creating your documentation:
Start with just one board — and let Whale grow with your team. You’ll have a scalable, searchable, and smart documentation system before you know it.