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  1. RoboHelp User Guide
  2. Introduction
    1. Get to know RoboHelp workspace
    2. What's new in RoboHelp 2022 release
      1. What's new in Update 5
      2. What's new in Update 4
      3. What's new in Update 3
      4. What's new in Update 2
      5. What's new in Update 1
    3. Fixed Issues in RoboHelp
    4. RoboHelp System Requirements
    5. Download RoboHelp on Windows and macOS
    6. Download and install Adobe app
    7. RoboHelp FAQs
    8. What's new in RoboHelp 2020 release
      1. What's new in Update 8
      2. What's new in Update 7
      3. What's new in Update 6
      4. What's new in Update 5
      5. What's new in Update 4
      6. What's new in Update 3
      7. What's new in Update 2
      8. What's new in Update 1
  3. Projects
    1. Plan your RoboHelp project
    2. Create a project
    3. Manage projects
    4. Work with topics and folders
    5. Generate reports
    6. Work with context-sensitive help
    7. Manage References
    8. Set preferences in RoboHelp
  4. Collaborate with authors
    1. Collaborate using Git
    2. Collaborate using SharePoint Online
    3. Collaborate using Azure DevOps (Team Foundation Server)
  5. PDF Layout
    1. PDF templates
    2. Design a page layout
    3. Publish PDF output
    4. Work with the common content styles
    5. Components of a PDF template
    6. Support for language variables
    7. Customize PDFs
  6. Editing and formatting
    1. Format your content
    2. Create and manage cross-references
    3. Create and manage links
    4. Single-source with snippets
    5. Work with images and multimedia
    6. Create and use variables for easy updates
    7. Work with Variable Sets
    8. Use Find and Replace
    9. Auto save your content
    10. Side-by-side editing in Split View
    11. Use the Spell Check feature
    12. Create and Edit Bookmarks
    13. Insert and update fields
    14. Switch between multiple views
    15. Autonumbering in CSS
  7. Import and linking
    1. Import Markdown files into a project
    2. Import Word documents into a project
    3. Import FrameMaker documents into a project
  8. TOCs, indexes, glossaries, and citations
    1. Create and manage a Table of Contents
    2. Create and manage an index
    3. Create and manage a glossary
    4. Create and manage citations
    5. Create and manage browse sequences
    6. Work with See Also and Related Topics
  9. Conditional content
    1. What is conditional content
    2. Create and apply condition tags
    3. Configure output presets for conditional content
    4. Optimize and manage conditional content
  10. Microcontent
    1. Microcontent
  11. Review and Collaboration
    1. Review and Collaboration
  12. Translation
    1. Translating content to multiple languages
    2. Configure a translation framework for a service provider
  13. Generating output
    1. Generate output
    2. Generate Frameless output
    3. Generate Knowledge Base output
    4. Generate PDF output
    5. Generate Responsive HTML5 output
    6. Generate Word Document output
    7. Generate Content Only output
    8. Generate eBook output
    9. Generate Microsoft HTML Help output
    10. Generate Mobile App output
  14. Publish output
    1. Publish to a RoboHelp Server
    2. Publish to an FTP server, a Secure FTP server, or a File System
    3. Publish to SharePoint Online
    4. Publish to Zendesk Help Center
    5. Publish to Salesforce Knowledge Base
    6. Publish to ServiceNow Knowledge Base
    7. Publish to Zoho Knowledge Base
    8. Publish to Adobe Experience Manager
    9. Publish to Atlassian Confluence Knowledge Base
  15. Appendix
    1. Adobe RoboHelp Scripting Reference
    2. RoboHelp keyboard shortcuts

Basic FAQs

Create and deliver exceptional Help, policy and procedure, and knowledgebase content with Adobe RoboHelp, now also on Mac. Author microcontent to fuel chatbots, featured snippets in search results, and more. Create media-rich experiences using HTML5 and CSS3. Make collaboration seamless using web-based review capabilities. Personalize customer experiences using Dynamic Content Filters. Publish content as Frameless Responsive HTML5, PDF, mobile app, and much more to serve customers across all touchpoints.

The latest release of Adobe RoboHelp is designed for:

  • Help authors, knowledgebase experts, Help developers for mobile applications, user assistance designers, and content strategists who produce Help systems, professional knowledgebases, technical support information, user guides, maintenance manuals, and Help content for mobile apps. They want a scalable authoring and publishing solution that enables them to single-source content and publish it to multiple channels, platforms, and devices across mobile, web, desktop, and print.
  • Policies and procedures specialists who produce documentation that helps government and corporate organizations achieve compliance with accounting, privacy, accessibility, and other regulatory statutes. They need a tool that enables them to write structured, searchable documents that can be easily accessed by anyone in an organization.
  • Instructional designers and eLearning professionals who create document-based learning materials for real and virtual classrooms and self-study programs. They are looking for an authoring and publishing tool that is comprehensive but easy to use and integrates with specialist tools like Adobe Captivate. They need to develop and maintain instructionally sound eLearning courses that integrate with Learning Management Systems (LMSs). They work in a collaborative environment with multiple review cycles and follow-up. Productivity is a major concern - they need to deliver more in less time, with fewer people, at a lower cost.
  • Technical subject matter experts and engineers who create comprehensive technical documentation, including test plans, designs, reports, and product specifications. They increasingly want to include 3D models and simulations in their documents and often seek solutions with these rich media capabilities.

Create and deliver exceptional help, policy, and procedure, and knowledgebase content with Adobe RoboHelp, now also on Mac. Author microcontent to fuel chatbots, featured snippets in search results, and more. Create media-rich experiences using HTML5 and CSS3. Make seamless collaboration using web-based review capabilities. Personalize customer experiences using Dynamic Content Filters. Publish content as Frameless, Responsive HTML5, PDF, mobile app, and much more to serve customers across all touchpoints.

Adobe Technical Communication Suite provides five market-leading tools for your technical, eLearning and business content in one value-for-money suite. The suite empowers technical communicators to:

  • Easily author long, complex XML and non-XML documents.
  • Deliver highly personalized interactive Help experiences with best-in-class search.
  • Create responsive eLearning content and transform presentations to enable on-demand learning.
  • Publish content across channels, formats, and devices.
  • Collaborate in real time with shared PDF reviews.

Adobe Technical Communication Suite combines:

  • Adobe FrameMaker 
  • Adobe RoboHelp 
  • Adobe Captivate (2019 release)
  • Adobe Acrobat#
  • Adobe Presenter 11.1

#Note: Adobe Document Cloud services is only available under subscription buying programs with Named User Licensing (NUL) deployment.

Create exceptional help, policy, and procedure, and knowledgebase content using RoboHelp, now available on Mac. Efficiently reuse existing content (paragraph, table, images, and so on) from within a topic or across multiple topics using cross-references. Author modular, information-rich microcontent snippets that can be leveraged by search engines, social platforms, in-context help, feature snippets, FAQs, chatbots, and more. Easily import HTML or Markdown content as HTML topics. Seamlessly collaborate with reviewers and subject matter experts using a web-based review process. Reach global audiences by leveraging the all-new translation support to export XLIFF files for your content. Save time and costs by taking advantage of advances in machine learning to auto-translate content within RoboHelp itself. Make navigating on devices with various form factors easy with new Frameless HTML5 layouts featuring a navigation bar in the header. Leverage out-of-the-box support for the Zendesk and Salesforce Knowledge platform.

See all the new features in the latest release of Adobe RoboHelp.

Responsive HTML5 is an output type in Adobe RoboHelp. It is based on a single responsive layout that automatically scales to different screen sizes. Generating Responsive HTML5 output using RoboHelp is as easy as generating WebHelp because you don’t need to configure anything - just choose the responsive layout as you choose a WebHelp skin.

Yes. RoboHelp supports Unicode, which enables you to author and edit Help topics in many different languages. You can publish Help systems in Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Canadian French, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Swiss German, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Adobe RoboHelp checks spelling, auto-corrects words, and creates a keyword index in any of these languages. The generated Help system, including navigation, appears in the selected language. Full text search is also operational in all the languages.

You can import FrameMaker MIF and FrameMaker files with style mapping, conditional tags, user-defined variables, and Adobe Captivate content intact into RoboHelp.

The following browsers support the output generated by RoboHelp:

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 (Basic Certification)

Microsoft® Word 2019, 2016 are compatible with RoboHelp.

Adobe Acrobat Pro (2015 release), Pro 2017 and Adobe Document Cloud are compatible with RoboHelp.

Adobe Captivate 2019 is compatible with Adobe RoboHelp.

You can import the final Help system output, but you cannot import proprietary file formats from third-party authoring tools.

RoboHelp introduces Frameless output with sleek layout designs and an improved user experience. The Frameless output significantly improves Google search for online help as it does not use iframes or framesets for the layout. In the Frameless output, every topic has a unique URL, which improves access to context-sensitive information. The Frameless output includes a built-in Mini TOC, an improved dynamic content filter experience, the capability to present a PDF version of the online version, and enhanced security and accessibility features.

RoboHelp Classic is no longer shipped with the Adobe RoboHelp. You can migrate existing projects from RoboHelp Classic into the latest release of RoboHelp. However, once you have migrated and changes have been made, those projects cannot be imported back to RoboHelp Classic (2019 release and previous versions).

Yes, you can publish to Adobe RoboHelp Server from Adobe RoboHelp.

You can publish content as Frameless, Responsive HTML5 and WebHelp to RoboHelp Server from Adobe RoboHelp.

You can find an Adobe Technical Communication Partner to assist you in your country or region by visiting the Partner Portal.

You can access free learning assets and training material for your Adobe Technical Communication software here.

Pricing and purchasing information

Full license of Adobe RoboHelp is no longer available for purchase. For individual needs, you can opt for subscription plans via adobe.com.

For enterprises, SMBs, Education and Government segments, one can opt for volume licensing plans like Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) and Value Incentive Program (VIP).

To explore all the buying options, visit the Buying guide page or write to us at techcomm@adobe.com.

The latest version of Adobe RoboHelp is available on subscription for US$29.99†/month per user (annual commitment). Visit the Buying guide page to explore all the buying options.

RoboHelp Server is available on VIP and ETLA plan. Visit the Buying guide page to explore all the buying options. Request a call back for more details on RoboHelp Server.

Please note: Full version perpetual license of the latest release of Adobe RoboHelp and RoboHelp Server is no longer available.

†Prices listed are the Adobe direct store prices. Actual price can vary depending on the country and currency of purchase, product language and applicable local taxes.

There is no upgrade path available for users holding a valid license (with serial key) of Adobe RoboHelp (2017 release) or Adobe RoboHelp (2019 release).

To access the latest version of Adobe RoboHelp, you must move to subscription plans. To explore all the buying options, visit the Buying guide page. You can also request a callback or write to us at techcomm@adobe.com.

Yes. You can download a fully functional, free 30-day trial version.

Special programs are available for volume licensing of RoboHelp. To learn more about volume licensing plans, request a callback.

Yes. Adobe provides maintenance programs for users who participate in the volume licensing programs. Learn more.

You can buy RoboHelp through the online Adobe Store or by calling: +1-866-647-1213 (Monday to Friday, 8 AM ET – 5 PM ET). Learn about other ways to buy RoboHelp, including buying directly from Adobe, through authorized resellers or purchasing with education or government discounts here.

Adobe does offer educational pricing for RoboHelp, but only via licensing and not via retail. Learn more about special education pricing.

You can find an Adobe Technical Communication Partner to assist you in your country or region by visiting the Partner Portal.

You can access free learning assets and training material for your Adobe Technical Communication software here.

Support information

For any customer service questions, write to us at techcomm@adobe.com.

For any technical support questions, visit the Customer Support page.

Activation is a mandatory process that requires the software to connect to Adobe servers via the Internet and associates the products you have bought from Adobe with the computers on which you use those products. Activation helps protect your computers and environment from malicious code by ensuring you are using genuine Adobe software.

Adobe does not gather, transmit, or use personally identifiable information during activation, other than the computer’s IP address.

The machine with RoboHelp installed must connect to the Internet at least once within 30 days of the first launch of your product.

Activation occurs silently in the background after installation when the system detects an Internet connection. You don't have to do anything proactively to activate.

The product must connect to the Internet at least one time within 30 days of the first launch of your product. If the product has not been activated after 30 days, the application does not launch until an Internet connection is detected and the software can be activated.

The software silently tries to connect to the Internet to activate for the first 7 days after the first launch of your product. If the software has not activated within the first 7 days, you receive a reminder for the next 23 days on every launch that the machine must connect to the Internet and activate the software. As soon as the software detects an Internet connection, it silently activates the product.

In case of Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)*, the activation method is different. Please visit this page or contact support.

*Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is recommended for organizations that have very specific needs to control data flow in and out of locked down or restricted network environments.

No. Activation of the product via the Internet is required for RoboHelp. If your system is connected to the Internet and you receive an activation reminder, contact your local Customer Support for assistance. Customer Support, however, cannot activate your software over the phone if you don’t have an Internet connection.

If your system is connected to the Internet and you have received a reminder asking you to activate your product, contact Customer Service.

Yes. All users of RoboHelp need to activate their product. If your company has firewall restrictions that prevent the machines from connecting to the Internet, have your IT administrator contact Customer Service.

In case of Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)*, the activation method is different. Please visit this page or contact support.

*Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is recommended for organizations that have very specific needs to control data flow in and out of locked down or restricted network environments.

Yes. Every computer that has RoboHelp installed must activate to continue using the software.

If your company has firewall restrictions that prevent the machines from connecting to the Internet, have your IT administrator contact Customer Service.

In case of Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)*, the activation method is different. Please visit this page or contact support.

*Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is recommended for organizations that have very specific needs to control data flow in and out of locked down or restricted network environments.

Activation of the latest version of RoboHelp is required via the Internet to continue use of the product. Activating your product helps protect your computer and your environment by ensuring that you are using a genuine Adobe product. Activating your product has other benefits. Visit the activation page for more information. The machine with RoboHelp installed must connect to the Internet at least once within 30 days of the first launch of your serialized product or the product stops working. If you work in a company that has a firewall that prevents your system from connecting to the Internet, have your IT administrator contact Customer Service.

In case of Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)*, the activation method is different. Please visit this page or contact support.

*Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is recommended for organizations that have very specific needs to control data flow in and out of locked down or restricted network environments.

No. Activation of RoboHelp is required via the Internet. Each machine with an application installed must connect to the Internet at least once within 30 days of the first launch of your serialized product to continue using the product.

In case of Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL)*, the activation method is different. Please visit this page or contact support.

*Feature Restricted Licensing (FRL) is recommended for organizations that have very specific needs to control data flow in and out of locked down or restricted network environments.

For details on Adobe return policies in your region, see this Return or exchange a non-subscription product.

No. Activation is a mandatory process that requires the software to connect to Adobe servers via the Internet and associates the products you have bought from Adobe with the computers on which you use those products. Activation helps protect your computers and environments from malicious code by verifying that you have genuine Adobe software. Registration is an optional process that gives you access to a wide range of benefits and options, including access to support, notification of product updates, newsletters, special offers, and invitations to Adobe events.

Registration and activation are completely different.

Activation is a mandatory process that requires the software to connect to Adobe servers via the Internet and associates the products you buy from Adobe with the computers on which you use those products. Activation helps protect your computers and environments from malicious code by verifying that you have genuine Adobe software.

Registration is an optional process that gives you access to a wide range of benefits and options, including access to support, notification of product updates, newsletters, special offers, and invitations to Adobe events.

Contact Adobe Tech Comm Customer Support at tcssup@adobe.com or write to techcomm@adobe.com.

Subscription information and pricing

A subscription is a new, more flexible way to get technical communication software. It gives ongoing access to the software for a low monthly fee, as well as access to all upgrades at no additional charge as long as your subscription remains active.

Note: The subscription plan requires an annual commitment, billed monthly or prepaid. There is no month-on-month subscription plan.

The software installs locally on your computer. It is unnecessary to be online to use your subscription. Access to the Internet is required during installation and licensing of your software and once every 30 days, thereafter. The software alerts you when a connection to the Internet is required for a license status check. You have access to the software as long as your subscription is current.

Subscribing is a great option to consider if:

  • You always want to benefit from the latest capabilities and updates of the latest version.
  • You haven’t upgraded your software in years and want to move up to the current version at an affordable price.
  • You have never used Adobe Technical Communication software and want to try it.

The following Adobe Technical Communication software are available by subscription:

  • Adobe FrameMaker
  • Adobe RoboHelp
  • Adobe Technical Communication Suite

Adobe Technical Communication software are available only via the one-year subscription plan. One-year plans have lower monthly payments and require that you remain a subscriber for at least a year. For more details, visit the buying guide.

Subscription fees vary by product, plan, and your country of residence. Visit Adobe.com or the online Adobe Store in your respective country for pricing information.

FrameMaker Publishing Server and RoboHelp Server are not available for Subscription via Adobe.com or online Adobe store.

Under an annual plan, paid monthly, you’ll be charged the rate stated at the time of purchase, plus applicable taxes (such as value added tax when the stated rate doesn’t include VAT), every month for the duration of your annual contract.

Under an annual plan that is prepaid, you’ll be charged the annual rate stated at the time of purchase as one lump sum, plus applicable taxes. Your contract will renew automatically, on your annual renewal date, until you cancel.

See terms and conditions for more details.

Adobe Technical Communication software subscription plans are available exclusively through Adobe.com or respective product websites (in select countries).

No, there are no differences in the functionality or in the system requirements between the two. However, if you suspend or cancel your subscription, you cannot use the software.

Yes, you can convert the 30-day trial version of Adobe RoboHelp into a subscription by purchasing a license from adobe.com. For any queries, you can reach us at techcomm@adobe.com.

No. When you purchase a subscription on adobe.com, you immediately receive an email that contains a link to the electronic download of the software.

If you live in a region where you purchase from the Adobe Store with a price quoted in U.S. dollars or euros (but you receive credit card statements with charges stated in your local currency), you could see different amounts charged from month to month. Changes in the currency exchange rates from one billing date to the next affect the charges.

No, there is no increase in subscription pricing.

Your subscription includes access to current and future versions of the Adobe technical communication application as long as your subscription remains active.

No, only individual subscription editions are available, and only on adobe.com. For volume licensing needs, kindly request a call back.

Education customers are eligible to discounted prices if they meet the eligibility requirements. For more details, write to techcomm@adobe.com.

Adobe FrameMaker, Adobe RoboHelp, and Adobe Technical Communication Suite subscriptions are available in English, French, German, and Japanese.

Getting started with a subscription is fast and easy: Go to our buying guide and choose your product and plan, and then complete the purchase. Immediately after purchase, check your email for a message from Adobe with your serial number and a link to download your software. After you download the product, double-click the installer and follow the onscreen instructions to install your product and start your subscription.

Download and install the trial build from here. Once you have downloaded and installed the software, activate the software using your Adobe credentials.

Your subscription begins as soon as your payment is processed.

Visit the Troubleshooting download problems page, where you can find information about typical software download issues. You can also reach out to us at techcomm@adobe.com for any queries.

During your purchase and installation, you are asked to create or enter an Adobe ID. An Adobe ID is simply your current email address with a password you create. Learn more about the benefits of an Adobe ID.

No. You can use the same Adobe ID with all your Adobe products, including subscriptions.

See subscription terms and conditions. 

If you have questions relating to managing your subscription, contact Adobe Customer Service.

Contact Adobe Technical Communication support for issues with your Adobe software. You can also reach out to us at techcomm@adobe.com for any queries.

If you have questions about your subscription, visit the Support page. You can also reach out to us at techcomm@adobe.com for any queries.

Similar to traditional licensing model of Technical Communication products, support is not a part of the license and needs to be purchased separately from Adobe.com.

†Prices listed are the Adobe direct store prices. Actual price can vary depending on the country and currency of purchase, product language and applicable local taxes.

^This product may integrate with or allow access to certain Adobe or third-party hosted online services (“Online Services”). Online Services are available only to users 13 and older and require agreement to additional terms of use and Adobe’s online privacy policy (www.adobe.com/go/terms). Online Services are not available in all countries or languages, may require user registration, and may be discontinued or modified in whole or in part without notice. Additional fees or subscription charges may apply.

∑Adobe FrameMaker (2020 release) allows users to create content that is compliant to popular industry standards such as XML, DITA 1.2 and S1000

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