# Use Published Documentation Slugs Published documentation slugs identify your public documentation site in its web address and navigation. Understanding how the slug works helps you open the correct published site and share links that lead readers to the right audience and document. ## Overview When documentation is published, Atloria organizes the public experience around a published documentation slug. This slug is the first identifying part of your published documentation address. It establishes which published documentation collection a visitor is viewing before they move to a specific audience or document. Your published documentation navigation can contain multiple levels. Readers first arrive at the published documentation collection, then select an audience area when available, and then open an individual document. Each level is reflected in the address shown in the browser, which makes links easier to share and helps readers return to the same location. You typically use published documentation slugs after your documentation reaches the **Published** status. From the documentation workspace, the **View Published Docs** action opens the public-facing documentation using the applicable slug. You can then copy the address from your browser to share the collection, a specific audience section, or an individual published document. > 📷 _Screenshot pending: The documentation workspace showing the Published status and the View Published Docs action._ ## Prerequisites Before you begin, make sure that: - Your documentation is available with the **Published** status. - You have access to the documentation workspace for the relevant project. - You know whether you want to share the full published documentation site, an audience section, or one document. - Your browser allows you to view the public documentation site. - You have published content available under the relevant **User Guides** or other audience navigation area. ## Step-by-Step Instructions 1. Open the project that contains the documentation you want to share. 2. Select **User Docs** to open the project’s documentation area. 3. Confirm that the documentation is marked **Published**. 4. Click **View Published Docs** to open the public documentation site. 5. Review the browser address after the published documentation site opens. 6. Identify the first documentation-specific part of the address, which is the published documentation slug. 7. Keep the published documentation slug unchanged when you want to link readers to the main public documentation collection. 8. Select an audience section, such as **User Guides**, when you want to direct readers to documentation for a particular audience. 9. Review the browser address after opening the audience section. 10. Copy the browser address when you want to share a link to that audience section. 11. Select a document from the audience navigation when you want to share one specific published page. 12. Review the browser address after the document opens. 13. Copy the browser address when you want to share the individual document. 14. Use the browser’s Back control or the published documentation back navigation to return to the previous public documentation level. 15. Return to the documentation workspace when you need to review publication status or make further documentation changes. > 📷 _Screenshot pending: A published documentation site showing the collection level, an audience section such as User Guides, and an individual document in navigation._ ## Tips and Best Practices - Share the broadest link that meets the reader’s need. Use the main published documentation link for general audiences, an audience-level link for role-specific readers, and a document-level link for a direct task or policy reference. - Use **View Published Docs** instead of manually assembling a public documentation address. This ensures you start from the correct published documentation collection and its current slug. - Check the **Published** status before distributing links externally. A link is most useful when the intended content is available to readers in the published experience. - Treat the slug as the identity of the published documentation collection. Audience and document selections provide deeper navigation beneath that collection, so a copied address may represent a different level depending on where you are when you copy it. - Test a copied link in a separate browser window or private browsing session before sending it to a large audience. This helps you confirm that the link opens at the intended collection, audience, or document level. - If you are preparing user-facing help content, begin from **📋 User Manuals** or **User Docs** and use **View Published Docs** to verify the public result. If you are managing broader publishing activities, use the relevant **Publishing** area before checking the published site. ## Related Pages - [Publish Documentation](#) — Learn how documentation becomes available with the **Published** status. - [View Published Documentation](#) — Learn how to open and review the public documentation experience. - [Organize User Guides](#) — Learn how audience-level navigation, including **User Guides**, helps readers find content. - [Export Documentation](#) — Learn when to use **Export Documentation** for documentation outside the published site. - [Generate Documentation](#) — Learn how to start documentation creation with **Generate Documentation →**. ## Troubleshooting ### **View Published Docs** does not open the expected documentation site Return to the documentation workspace and confirm that you are in the correct project. Then select **View Published Docs** again. The action opens the published documentation associated with the current documentation collection. ### The link opens a different level than expected Check where you copied the address. A link copied from the main published site opens the collection level, while a link copied after selecting **User Guides** or another audience opens that audience level. A link copied from an individual document opens that specific document. ### Readers cannot find the document from a shared main link Share a more specific link. Open the appropriate audience section, select the document, and copy the browser address only after the document is displayed.