Professional Writing Online is not a book, but an instructional website, and it is the first course material intended for applied writing courses that makes full use of the dynamic capabilities of the World Wide Web.

The flexibility the Web provides important advantages as a teaching tool over conventional textbooks, and is completely autonomous.

Professional Writing Online offers four primary points of entry, which correspond to the four major sections of the site: Projects, Documents, Principles, and Resources. The Projects section provides extended case studies and shorter exercises for use inside and outside the classroom. The Documents section provides a wealth of real-world examples of a variety of document types. The Principles section offers description and guidance on the topics that are integral to an applied writing course. The Resources section provides teachers and students with additional materials that will be useful in the teaching and practicing of writing on the job. These sections are interlinked so students can move back and forth among the sections to find what they need in focusing on a particular topic.

Overall, Professional Writing Online provides far more material than a conventional textbook and provides additional links to an abundance of related material on the World Wide Web.