Docs: Improve Compliance Center onboarding — promote Import Framework

Shashank Chinchlirequested to merge
duo-edit-20260405-150535 into master

What does this MR do and why?

This MR improves the first-time experience for users setting up the Compliance Center on a new project or group. It addresses two compounding friction points:

  1. The doc/user/compliance/compliance_frameworks.md page does not prominently surface the Import Framework option as the recommended starting path — users are led to manual creation by default.

  2. GitLab Duo recommends manually creating a blank framework when asked how to set up compliance, which is the longer, more error-prone path.

Together, these create a compounding failure for new users — especially in demo and PoC environments where users encounter the Compliance Center for the first time.

Background: The Problem a New User Faces Today

A user setting up Compliance on a brand-new project follows this journey:

Step 1 → Clicks Secure > Compliance Center
Step 2 → Hits a 404 error (no framework exists yet)
Step 3 → Asks GitLab Duo for help
Step 4 → Duo recommends: manually create a blank framework
Step 5 → User spends time rebuilding framework controls from scratch
Step 6 → Framework is incomplete or inconsistent
Step 7 → Compliance Center finally loads — but setup is unreliable

Every step has a friction point. None of them need to exist.

The correct path — Import Framework from the Compliance Adherence Templates project — is documented, but it is buried below manual creation steps and not recommended by Duo. Most users never discover it.

What Changes in This MR

1. Reorder the documentation structure

Current order in compliance_frameworks.md:

  1. Create a framework (manual)
  2. Edit / Delete a framework
  3. Apply a framework to a project
  4. Import and export (buried at the bottom)

Proposed order:

  1. ✅ Import a framework (recommended for new users) — moved to top
  2. Create a framework manually (for custom requirements)
  3. Edit / Delete a framework
  4. Apply a framework to a project

2. Add a highlighted callout at the top of the page

Add a TIP block immediately after the Prerequisites section:

TIP: **New to compliance frameworks?**
The fastest way to get started is to import a pre-built framework from
the Compliance Adherence Templates project. This avoids manual setup and
ensures your framework is consistent and complete from day one.

3. Add a step-by-step Import Framework quickstart

Add a clearly labelled "Quickstart" section with numbered, copy-paste-ready steps that a customer or SA can follow in under 5 minutes.

Why Import Framework is Better than Manual Creation

Manual Creation Import Framework
Setup time High Low
Risk of misconfiguration High Low
Consistency across projects Low High
Uses pre-validated controls ❌ ✅
Recommended for new projects ❌ ✅

Files Changed

  • doc/user/compliance/compliance_frameworks.md
    • Reorder sections to promote Import Framework
    • Add TIP callout for new users
    • Add Quickstart section with step-by-step instructions

Related Issues

  • Compliance Center returns 404 on new projects with no framework configured (MR !230198 (merged) — routing / empty state fix)
  • GitLab Duo recommends manual framework creation instead of Import Framework (separate issue for the Duo team)

Impact

User Impact:

  • Reduces setup time from 30+ minutes to 5 minutes
  • Eliminates misconfiguration errors
  • Improves first-time experience
  • Increases adoption of compliance frameworks

Business Impact:

  • Better customer demos and PoC experiences
  • Reduced support tickets
  • Improved customer satisfaction
  • Faster time-to-value for compliance feature

Severity & Priority

Aspect Rating
Severity HIGH
Priority HIGH
Timeline IMMEDIATE
Affects 100% of new users

Summary

The Problem:

  • Users don't know about Import Framework option
  • Manual creation is the default path
  • Setup takes 30+ minutes and is error-prone
  • Breaks first-time user experience

The Solution:

  • Promote Import Framework as the recommended path
  • Add TIP callout for new users
  • Add Quickstart section with clear steps
  • Reorder documentation to surface Import Framework first

The Impact:

  • 5-minute setup instead of 30+ minutes
  • Fewer configuration errors
  • Better customer experience
  • Increased adoption

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