What are FAQ?

Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be frequently asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. Depending on usage, the term may refer specifically to a single frequently asked question, or to an assembled list of many questions and their answers. The term FAQ, and the idea behind it, has spread offline as well, even to areas not related to the Net at all.

Many websites contain a link with the curious abbreviation FAQ, which stands for "Frequently Asked Questions". Indeed, many new visitors to a website will gravitate towards the FAQ page as a way to orient themselves. A good FAQ page should answer almost all of the most common questions concerning a website's policies, content or procedures. By anticipating these questions in a FAQ format, website owners often reduce their email volume considerably.

An FAQ page is usually written in a question and answer format, and may be separated into different categories for easier discovery. An FAQ page is not required to be comprehensive, but it should address the majority of questions customers or other visitors may have. For questions not covered in an FAQ page, many websites offer online forms or email links which will forward those questions to the appropriate department. Visitors may be strongly encouraged to read the entire FAQ page before submitting specific queries, since the answers they seek may be listed under other categories.