Redesign the support portal to house VPN content

At the moment there are two main sources of official documentation for Tor users:

  • The Support portal, which is a repository of frequently asked questions about Tor-related topics.
  • The Tor Browser User Manual, which is a more detailed guide to using Tor Browser specifically.

If we were to continue to follow this pattern, we would need to create a third resource for the Tor VPN – e.g. the “Tor VPN User Manual”. However, splitting our content across multiple resources like so has led to some ambiguity about which resource our users should consult first when troubleshooting an issue. Therefore we plan to consolidate these resources into one, structured in such a way that generic, application-agnostic Tor questions are answered at the top – for example:

  • What is Tor and how does it work?
  • What benefits and protections does Tor provide?
  • Am I totally anonymous if I use Tor?
  • Et cetera

Followed by application-specific sections for Tor Browser for Desktop, Tor Browser for Android and the Tor VPN underneath. The content for the Tor VPN section will be written from scratch based on our substantial experience responding to the needs of Tor Browser users, and in anticipation of the challenges that VPN users may face. To collect user feedback about this content, the existing functionality whereby visitors may suggest an edit (via Gitlab) or submit feedback about a specific entry will be retained, and made available in the new VPN section too. As is the case with the new download page, the re-engineered support portal would be designed using a responsive grid system to ensure it’s accessible using a range of devices, and would also support RTL text. Similarly, the new content developed as part of this activity would be made available for translation by volunteers via our existing localization infrastructure.

Show anticipated issues

Anticipated issues

Based on our history of providing user support for Tor Browser, in addition to the user research conducted so far in this project, we anticipate that the resources proposed below will need to address the following user needs:

Questions users may have

  • Where and how can I download the Tor VPN?
  • Is the Tor VPN free?
  • What features does the Tor VPN have?
  • What languages is the Tor VPN available in?
  • Is the Tor VPN available for iOS and other platforms?
  • What devices does the Tor VPN support?
  • How is the Tor VPN different from Tor Browser or Orbot?
  • Is the Tor VPN still three-hop?
  • Can I use the Tor VPN with Tor Browser for Android?
  • Why is the Tor VPN better than other VPNs?
  • Can I use another VPN while using Tor VPN?
  • Can I pick which country I'm exiting from?
  • What apps can I use/should not be used with the Tor VPN?
  • How do I exclude certain apps from being routed over Tor?
  • What is the kill switch and when should I use it?
  • I cannot connect to the Tor VPN, what should I do?
  • How do I request and use bridges?
  • Where can I find the Tor logs in the Tor VPN app?
  • How do I report a bug?
  • How can I contact support?

Information users will need to know

  • How to download the Tor VPN in places where the Tor Project’s website and/or the Google Play store are blocked
  • Whether the Tor VPN is available on their device’s platform
  • Whether the Tor VPN supports their device’s hardware
  • How to connect to the Tor network in places where it is blocked
  • How to use the Tor VPN safely

Other obstacles and challenges users may face

  • Low-bandwidth and/or data caps making it difficult to load the page(s) and download the app
  • Deciding which Tor-powered app to download to meet their needs
  • Blocking or censorship of the Google Play store
  • Other installation issues encountered during the installation of an APK
  • Accessing support documentation before connecting to Tor
  • Blocking of the Tor network by censors
  • Blocking of the Tor network by specific websites and service providers, or basic incompatibility with Tor
Show evaluation criteria

General evaluation criteria

Each new resource developed for the Tor VPN will adhere to the Tor Project's Code of Conduct, Social Contract, and our Community Policies. In addition, the following criteria aim to ensure that these resources are user-focused, effective, easy to understand and uphold the standards of privacy and accessibility that are central to our mission.

1. Our new resources are usable and accessible to a diverse user-base

  • Resources are easy to find, understand, and use.
  • The layout and content of new web pages responds to fit users’ devices, in accordance with industry standards, and are tested on a range of small to large screen devices.
  • New page elements developed by the Tor Project meet the AA level of conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), version 2.2. Some exceptions may apply due to platform limitations that are outside of our control, for example with Android, Material Design 3 or Bootstrap.
  • Content is available in multiple languages to ensure broad accessibility. Priority will be given to languages spoken by users from the Global - South, especially those spoken by users in highly censored regions – e.g. Russian and Chinese.
  • Resources support right-to-left (RTL) in addition to left-to-right (LTR) text.

2. Our new documentation meets the needs of our users

  • User documentation addresses the most frequently asked questions new users have, and the issues they encounter (see the “Anticipated issues” section above).
  • User documentation helps users troubleshoot Tor VPN problems effectively, especially issues with connecting to the Tor network and circumventing censorship.
  • User documentation is honest about the capabilities and limitations of the Tor VPN.

3. The Tor front desk provides comprehensive and relevant user support

  • User support templates provide comprehensive coverage for the most common reasons why users contact Tor’s front desk.
  • User support templates are carefully structured to facilitate quick and effective problem-solving, reducing the need for users to make repeated support requests.
  • User support templates are translated into the languages spoken in regions that experience high levels of censorship and/or surveillance, e.g. Russian and Chinese.

4. The privacy of our users is respected while accessing these resources

  • Resources avoid the unnecessary collection of user data that could compromise our users’ privacy and safety.

5. These resources have a positive impact on user migration and onboarding

  • Thanks to these resources, more users successfully find, download, install, and connect to Tor using the Tor VPN.
  • Users make an informed decision to download and adopt the right Tor-powered app to suit their needs.

Specific criteria

Indicator Expectation
Number and ratio of users who respond positively when polled for feedback about the support portal documentation. If the new support portal content meets our users’ needs, they will respond positively when polled for feedback.
Number of languages the new support portal documentation is translated into. If the VPN’s support entries are available in languages other than English, then it will be accessible to more people in the Global South.

This activity pertains to the following objective of Sponsor 101: O1.5: Create and translate download page, user manual and user support materials for launching the Tor VPN client to the world.

Edited by donuts