The Best Technical Writing Blogs
Technical writing is the art of explaining complex technical topics in simple language for readers at different experience levels. Technical writers can create anything from manuals, articles, and tutorials to whitepapers, ebooks, and product descriptions for various organizations. Before I became a technical writer, I studied a number of tech blogs and learned about various writing opportunities in the tech industry so that I could better understand how to do it.
This isn’t always easy work. You need to be technical enough to write about a topic but not too technical for the end-user. For example, if a quality assurance engineer wants to learn about machine learning, your article needs to explain machine learning in simple terms and focus on the basic concepts, not the algorithms and frameworks.
If you’ve chosen to be a tech writer, you need to stay on top of the latest developments in the tech world. An excellent way to do this is to read good technical blogs. You can study other tech writers’ work to see how they write about tech-heavy topics both concisely and effectively.
In this article, I offer my recommendations for the fifteen best technical writing blogs that you should follow. I’ve ranked and graded these blogs on the following criteria:
- writing quality
- consistency
- longevity
- technical depth
These recommendations are a mix of highly specific tech blogs for a certain niche, beginner-level blogs, and general-market blogs. Reading them will help you improve your understanding and writing skills.
Draft.dev
I decided to write for Draft.dev after reading one of its blog posts on technical writing. Doing so has changed my life, and I cannot stop talking about it. I would recommend checking out the blog’s tips for technical writing, content marketing, and other tech expertise. Draft.dev is known to deliver quality technical articles, which is reflected in its blog.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
I’d Rather Be Writing
I’d Rather Be Writing is maintained by technical writer Tom Johnson, who works for Google. It has been around since June 2006. He writes about API documentation, reference guides, and technical communication news and trends. If you are looking to learn about trends in the technical writing industry, then this is a good place to begin.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
ClickHelp Technical Writing Blog
ClickHelp Technical Writing Blog on the ClickHelp cloud platform site is by and for technical writers. This blog is one of the first that I read to learn more about technical writing, and posts have been added since 2013. It offers resources to help a technical writer of any level, from how to write a quick start guide to what’s required in various tech job positions. The team’s writing style is generally simple and to the point.
TechWhirl
TechWhirl provides resources for content management as well as technical writing. Its three-part series on technical writing was published ten years ago. During my research, this was one of the most highly rated blogs in the market. It doesn’t seem to be updated regularly, but you can still check it out for information about various aspects of technical communication as well as more general tips on good writing.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
Heroic Technical Writing
In Heroic Technical Writing: Advice and Insights on the Business of Technical Communication, freelance writer Bart Leahy has a wonderful way of explaining things with his blog, which has been around since September 2011. He offers detailed information on better technical writing and communication in multiple categories, including a recent post about ways to capture the attention of the reader.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
Cherryleaf Blog
Cherryleaf Blog, a combination tech writing blog and podcast that has been publishing since April 2005, lists many topics that are relevant for technical writers. Everything that you need to know about the technical writer role is covered in this blog, which is known for its simple, clear use of language and consistent posts on the latest trends.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
Michael Clark’s Blog
Michael Clark: Technical Writer launched in February 2012, and it offers a great set of posts around technical docs and technical writing. You can learn about the writing process as well as other topics like IT operations, using the Confluence CMS, and the challenges of information governance.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 4 |
| Consistency | 3 |
| Longevity | 4 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
Netflix Tech Blog
Netflix Tech Blog is a publication on Medium maintained by Netflix since 2016. It lists blogs from a variety of departments at Netflix. The posts, which are written by developers, are technical articles with a lot of detail. This is a good place to learn how developers and the engineering community increase their knowledge.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 3 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
Docs by Design
Senior programmer writer Bob Watson created Docs by Design in December 2014 to talk about his work on technical documentation, including such topics as writing UI text and reporting feedback. He uses a casual, personal writing style to share his experiences and knowledge.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 4 |
| Longevity | 3 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
I Create Docs
I Create Docs is another fun blog that has been around since 2016 for technical writers. Swapnil Ogale writes about his work creating all types of technical documentation, his book about technical writing, and his involvement with the Write the Docs Australia community in a friendly, casual style. The blog isn’t updated regularly, but it’s still worth a read.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 2 |
| Longevity | 3 |
| Technical depth | 3 |
AWS Blog
The AWS Blog offers tons of technical articles for anyone who wants to learn more about services and products from Amazon Web Services. You can search articles by categories including “Blockchain,” “Internet of Things,” and “Serverless,” and by products/solutions including “Customer engagement,” “Migration and transfer services,” and “Storage.”
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
Google Developers Blog
Google Developers Blog is famous in the dev world. You can learn a lot of technical information and news about the tools used by developers at Google and other areas, such as Apps Script and the Google Chat API. The blog isn’t always as technical as you’d expect, but the information provided is specific and domain-related.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 5 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
Information Developers Foundation
The Information Developers Foundation blog offers detailed step-by-step posts on how to become a technical writer and other topics, like a guide to chatbots and how to find good mentors. The IDF, which was founded by Rahul Karn in 2009, offers courses, mentor programs, and presentations. I learned a great deal from this blog when I was starting out. It hasn’t been updated recently, but it offers a lot of detailed content.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 4 |
| Consistency | 4 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Technical depth | 5 |
HackerNoon
HackerNoon, which launched in 2016 but has become famous with the rise of crypto, is read by many people who like to be updated on the latest tech news. Many technical writers have curated stories on HackerNoon, and it’s a good platform if you want to learn about programming, hacking, gaming, machine learning, cybersecurity, and other tech-related content.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing quality | 4 |
| Consistency | 5 |
| Longevity | 3 |
| Technical depth | 4 |
Conclusion
The internet is full of lists for technical blogs, but this list has been curated for you based on personal experience as well as quality recommendations. When you’re getting started as a technical writer, it can be hard to know how to begin. I’ve gotten great benefits from following these blogs and I hope that you will too.
If you’d like to kick-start your career as a technical writer, be sure to check out Draft.dev, the leading technical content marketing provider for many organizations in the tech industry. It’s a great place to hone your skills and build your professional visibility. To get a sense of what Draft.dev can teach you, check out the blog.
By Sheekha Singh
I am the author of the bestselling book "The IT Girl: 3 Steps to Find Career Options for Young Women in Tech." I have worked in the IT/tech industry for seven-plus years in both the US and Canada. In addition to being a software engineer and writer, I am a public speaker at international tech conferences.
