The description provides an overview over the question, usually defining the context. This makes the question shorter and allows it to be scanned quicker.

For simple questions, where the context is clear, the description is often overkill. Sometimes even the Short Description is more than is needed. But for complex environments, it may come handy. Check if the context may be transcluded from a Module document.

Formulate the question from the reader's view, in the context defined in the Description. Try to make it short and precise. Readers scanning the questions should find it easy to locate the relevant documents.

Make the answer short and precise. Maybe add links for readers to find more information on this topic quickly.

Since questions and answers are usually aggregated on pages to form lists, it may make sense to add links to this section in addition to links in the References and Resources sections.

Make sure to categorize your question and answer by using Tags and Categories. But the most important tool for categorization is the intended Audience. If your FAQ grows in numbers, a natural structuring information is the intended audience. So you may want to get it right from the start.

The Categories property has to match the semantics of other document types, too. This is seldom an issue, but if you need more fine-grained categories, you may alter your template and add some additional properties. The same is true for Tags.

Constructing hierarchies of FAQ documents usually only makes sense, if the parent FAQ defines a question that is the context for some more questions. Keep in mind that the child FAQs also have to be understood independent from their parent. So check if this structure really supports finding information quickly with feedback from your readers.

The question and the answer are the most important sections of this doctype. The name and especially the short description properties are often difficult to formulate. The information may be not relevant, since everything is already said in the Q and A. The time invested for finding appropriate information for these properties may not be justified by the additional help given.

So if you intend to never list the name and short description, you may enter some arbitrary ids and you are done. But since a description may set the context of the question, a short description may be valuable to readers.

Names make is also easier, if your want to reference an FAQ from another document.

So you my use a phrases for the Name of an FAQ and a Short Description to set the context of the question in one to three sentences.

Keep in mind that document instances of the FAQ doctype are usually compiled into lists that only show the question and the answer. So expect readers to not read the description and especially the References and Resources section.

The Space Index for the central FAQ documents usually get divided into a link collection to pages that compile questions for a given audience or category.

If you think it is important to show the context specified as Short Description and/or Description, make sure that everyone on the team knows and appreciates the benefits, since this is an all-or-nothing: It does not make sense to specify the context for some of your FAQ, if you list either of the information in overview lists. So check if you may just stick to the question and answers sections. Usually it is best to start with descriptions as optional and design your queries to list only questions and answers.

Authors may be used to compile questions and answers directly in a definition list on one page. But having one document for each pair has the following advantages: