Compliance Checklist for User Documentation

This checklist ensures that user documentation adheres to relevant regulatory, legal, and organizational standards. It is particularly important for regulated industries (e.g. medical, automotive, and industrial IoT) or when documentation is published publicly.

Checklist items

ID	Area	Requirement	Check method	Applies to
C1	Versioning	Each document includes a visible version number and date.	Visual/manual check.	All documentation.
C2	Change Log	Maintain a record of changes for each published version.	Review version control or changelog.	All documentation.
C3	Regulatory Tags	Include mandatory regulatory statements if required (e.g. CE, FCC, HIPAA).	Legal team or compliance checklist.	Regulated products/docs.
C4	Legal Disclaimers	All disclaimers, licensing, and copyright are included.	Visual check, legal review.	Public/external documentation.
C5	Data Sensitivity	No sensitive or confidential information is exposed.	Manual review, redaction tools.	All documentation.
C6	Traceability	Can trace each user doc to a product release, feature, or requirement.	Metadata, Jira, or GitHub linkage.	Full review cycle.
C7	Localization Scope	Content is marked for translation/localization as required.	Source file checks, export review.	Globalized documentation.
C8	Accessibility Law	Documentation meets accessibility laws (e.g. WCAG 2.1, Section 508)	Accessibility checklist	Public-facing documentation
C9	Retention Policy	Obsolete versions are archived or removed as per company policy.	Documentation repository audit.	Internal and external documents.
C10	Export Compliance	No restricted technology, code, or terms in publicly distributed docs.	Legal/export control review.	Public/export documentation.

Best practices

• Use metadata and headers to embed version and release information.
• Tag and track compliance items in source control or PR descriptions.
• Schedule annual compliance reviews or audits.
• Involve legal/compliance early for new product lines or major changes.

RACI

Role	Responsibility
Technical Writer	R (executes)
Legal Team	A (approves)
Product Manager	C (consults)
Product Owners	I (informed)

Tailoring

• Customize regulatory tags and legal requirements based on target region (e.g. EU, US, or APAC).
• Include additional checks for industry-specific standards.