The SENTINEL-2 User Guide provides a high level description of the MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), its coverage and acquisition, and available product levels. The User Guide also provides information on the relevant applications of each instrument, the format of the products and the software tools required to interpret the data. This information has been harmonised for all the SENTINEL missions and can be accessed under each category via the User Guides panel on the right of each instrument User Guide page.

The categories are:

• Overview
  Gives a brief description of the mission, as well as introducing the product formats available and the geophysical parameters measured.
• Applications
  Describes SENTINEL-2 support to four Copernicus core services: land monitoring, emergency management, security and climate change, and associated thematic applications.
• Product Types
  Describes the granularity of SENTINEL-2 products relative to their product level.
• Processing Levels
  Describes the processing levels in which SENTINEL-2 products are provided - Level-0, Level-1 and Level-2.
• Resolutions
  Defines the temporal, radiometric and spatial resolution of the SENTINEL-2 mission.
• Revisit and Coverage
  Describes the high frequency of revisit for the systematic global coverage of land surfaces that forms the core of the SENTINEL-2 mission, and the latitudinal limits of the coverage.
• Naming Convention
  Describes the data naming conventions used for the two product levels (Level-1B and Level-1C) made available to users.
• Data Formats
  Outlines the data format in which users will get the SENTINEL-2 Level-1 and Level-2 products.
• Software Tools
  Highlights the SENTINEL-2 Toolbox that will be available to facilitate the handling, post-processing and scientific analysis of the data products from the SENTINEL-2 mission.

• Definitions
  Provides information on the terms used in the acquisition and processing of SENTINEL-2 products.

For an in-depth description of the SENTINEL-2 mission's products and algorithms, and details of the MSI and its performance, refer to the SENTINEL-2 Technical Guide. The Technical Guide provides a point of engagement for ESA and the SENTINEL-2 technical user community. The detailed information available in the Technical Guide is focused upon users such as academics and industrial software engineers who have experience of similar Earth observation missions, and expertise in data manipulation and management.