Online help is topic-oriented, procedural or reference information delivered through computer software.
Online help linked to the application's state (what the user is doing) is called Context-sensitive help.
Online help has largely replaced live customer support.
Before its availability, support could only be given through printed documentation, postal mail, telephone, or in person Online help is created using help authoring tools or component content management systems.
It is delivered in a wide variety of formats, some proprietary and some open-standard, including: Online help is also provided via live chat systems, one step removed from telephone calls.