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Prerequisites

↑ Docs content model

A prerequisites section lists what a reader must have or do before they start the procedure. It lets a reader confirm they are ready — and, if they are not, stop before hitting a wall midway through the steps.

When to use​

Use a prerequisites section on any page with a procedure that depends on prior setup: accounts, permissions, compute, enabled features, or installed tools. Tutorials and how-to pages almost always have one; a pure concept page does not.

Composed of​

  • Headings — usually an H2 titled Before you begin or Requirements.
  • Lists and links — one item per prerequisite, linking setup docs.
  • Admonitions — call out a non-obvious permission or a version floor.

Technical details​

  • Use the heading Before you begin for task and tutorial pages. Reserve Requirements for a more formal versions-and-permissions list (see Requirements).
  • Write each prerequisite as a bullet, and link to the doc that explains how to satisfy it.
  • Order from most fundamental (an account) to most specific (a particular setting).

Rules​

  • List only what the page's procedure actually needs. Do not pad with unrelated setup.
  • Every prerequisite that has its own setup doc must link to it.
  • State version floors and required permissions explicitly.

Style​

  • Phrase items as things the reader has or has done: "A Unity Catalog-enabled workspace", "The CREATE TABLE privilege on the schema".
  • Keep each item to one line where possible.

Template​

Markdown
## Before you begin

Before you start, you need:

- <Prerequisite, linked to its setup doc.>
- <Prerequisite.>

Examples​

Before you begin​

Before you start, you need:

  • A Databricks workspace with serverless compute enabled.
  • The CREATE CATALOG privilege on the metastore.

Used in​

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