Generate User Manuals with Copilot and Playwright MCP

Creating comprehensive user manuals can be time-consuming, but with the right combination of Copilot prompts and the Playwright Model Context Protocol (MCP), you can automate much of the process and generate professional documentation with screenshots.

What You'll Need

• GitHub Copilot or Copilot Chat
• Playwright MCP integration
• Your web application or software interface
• Basic understanding of Markdown formatting

Step 1: Planning Your User Manual with Copilot

Start by using Copilot to outline your user manual structure:

Prompt Template:

Create a comprehensive user manual outline for [your application/software]. 
Include sections for:
- Getting started
- Key features walkthrough
- Step-by-step tutorials
- Troubleshooting
- FAQ

Target audience: [describe your users]
Application type: [web app/desktop app/mobile app]

Example Output Structure:

Copilot will generate a detailed outline that you can use as your foundation.

Step 2: Generate Content with Targeted Prompts

Use specific prompts to generate content for each section:

Getting Started Section:

Write a "Getting Started" section for [application name] that includes:
- System requirements
- Installation/setup steps
- First-time user configuration
- Account creation process

Make it beginner-friendly with clear, numbered steps.

Feature Walkthrough:

Create a detailed walkthrough of [specific feature] in [application name]. 
Include:
- What the feature does
- When to use it
- Step-by-step instructions
- Expected outcomes
- Common use cases

Format as a tutorial with clear headings and bullet points.

Step 3: Automate Screenshots with Playwright MCP

The Playwright MCP allows you to programmatically capture screenshots of your application for documentation.

Setting Up Playwright MCP

1. Install Playwright MCP in your Copilot environment
2. Configure browser settings for consistent screenshots
3. Set up your application in a predictable state

Screenshot Generation Workflow

Prompt for Screenshot Planning:

I need to document [specific workflow/feature] with screenshots. 
Help me create a Playwright script that will:
1. Navigate to the relevant pages
2. Fill in sample data where needed
3. Capture screenshots at key interaction points
4. Save images with descriptive filenames

The workflow involves: [describe the user journey]

Using Playwright MCP in Copilot:

Once you have Playwright MCP set up, you can ask Copilot to help you capture screenshots directly:

Copilot Prompt:

Using Playwright MCP, help me capture screenshots for documenting the login process:
1. Navigate to the login page
2. Take a screenshot of the empty login form
3. Fill in demo credentials
4. Take a screenshot showing the filled form
5. Submit and capture the resulting dashboard

Copilot Response with MCP Actions: Copilot will then use the Playwright MCP to actually navigate your browser and capture the screenshots, returning the image files you can use in your documentation.

Screenshot Best Practices

• Consistent window size: Set a standard viewport size (e.g., 1920x1080)
• Clean test data: Use meaningful, realistic sample data
• Highlight interactions: Use browser dev tools to highlight clickable elements
• Crop unnecessary areas: Focus screenshots on relevant UI sections

Step 4: Integrating Screenshots into Documentation

Prompt for Image Integration:

Help me integrate the screenshots I captured into my user manual. 
For each section, suggest:
- Where to place screenshots for maximum clarity
- Appropriate captions and alt text
- How to reference images in the text
- Markdown formatting for images

Screenshots available: [list your screenshot files]

Markdown Image Syntax:

![Alt text describing the image](path/to/screenshot.png)
*Caption: Brief description of what the user sees*

Step 5: Quality Assurance and Review

Once you have your content and screenshots, use Copilot to help with quality assurance:

Quality Assurance Prompt:

Review my user manual content for:
- Clarity and readability
- Completeness of instructions
- Logical flow and organization
- Missing screenshot opportunities
- Accessibility considerations

Suggest improvements and identify gaps.

Content Validation Checklist:

• Accuracy: All steps work as described
• Completeness: No missing steps or prerequisites
• Clarity: Instructions are easy to follow
• Visual Support: Screenshots enhance understanding
• Accessibility: Alt text and clear descriptions included

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Screenshot Consistency

• Problem: Screenshots look different across team members
• Solution: Use standardized browser profiles and viewport settings

Content Synchronization

• Problem: Documentation gets out of sync with features
• Solution: Integrate documentation updates into your development workflow

Large File Management

• Problem: Many screenshots make repository heavy
• Solution: Use image optimization and consider external storage for assets

Pro Tips

1. Batch screenshot generation: Ask Copilot to capture entire user flows in one session
2. Template reuse: Save successful prompt patterns for future documentation projects
3. Collaborative review: Use Copilot to generate review checklists for documentation quality
4. Accessibility focus: Include prompts for alt text and screen reader compatibility
5. Consistent naming: Use descriptive, consistent filenames for screenshots

Example Complete Workflow

End-to-End Documentation Prompt:

I'm documenting the [feature name] in my application. Help me:

1. Write an introduction explaining what this feature does
2. Create a step-by-step tutorial with placeholder text for screenshots
3. Use Playwright MCP to capture the necessary screenshots
4. Write troubleshooting content for common issues
5. Create FAQ entries for this feature

Feature details: [describe the feature]
User personas: [describe your users]

Next Steps: Advanced Automation

Ready to take your user manual generation to the next level? Check out [Advanced User Manual Automation with Copilot and Playwright MCP](advanced-user-manual-automation.md) to learn about:

• Automated screenshot comparison and updates
• Interactive documentation systems
• Multi-format publishing workflows
• Enterprise-scale documentation management
• AI-powered content optimization

Conclusion

By combining Copilot's content generation capabilities with Playwright MCP's automated screenshot functionality, you can create professional, comprehensive user manuals efficiently. This approach ensures consistency, reduces manual effort, and provides a solid foundation for more advanced automation.

Start with these basic techniques, then explore the advanced automation strategies to build a documentation system that scales with your project's needs.