Maintenance guides are a form of technical writing intended to provide information to end users of a given product on its proper care, including information on technical performance issues, repair, and scheduled part replacement. Maintenance guides serve as reference books that allow operators or users of a given product to consult it in order to find information on what the parts of a given product do, how they are to be cared for, and how and when they can be replaced. Maintenance guides may also include health and safety warnings related to the product and an indication of trained professionals who may be required to service the product or provide replacement parts or other services.

Most maintenance guides contain similar material. Most will contain a schematic or diagram of the product along with a listing of all of the parts that comprise it. It will then offer a technical overview of the product's operation and a description of the performance of each part. The guide will also indicate the expected life of each part and how each part should be cared for, checked, or repaired. It will then indicate how a broken part should be repaired, removed, or replaced. The guide will include health and safety warnings as well as documentation about when professional services are needed to maintain the product.