Micro-suspension (20–40mm of travel) shines when you're regularly riding rough, chunky gravel, washboard roads, or long days where hand fatigue becomes a real issue. If your gravel routes include a lot of jarring terrain or you have wrist or hand problems, a short-travel fork like the RockShox Rudy or Fox 32TC can make a noticeable difference in comfort and control.
The tradeoff is weight and complexity. These forks add roughly 400–600g compared to a rigid carbon fork, and they require periodic maintenance like any suspension. They also reduce your mounting options, which matters if you're into bikepacking with fork-mounted bags.
For most gravel riding—smooth fire roads, moderate terrain, even gravel racing—a rigid fork with wide tires (40mm+) run at lower pressure handles things just fine and keeps the bike lighter and simpler. Micro-suspension is really for riders who frequently battle rough surfaces and want that extra cushion without moving to a full mountain bike.