When writing or editing Help Center articles, use the following standards as guidelines.

Formatting, grammar, and word choice

Generally, our voice and style should not talk down to users, but should feel as though we are speaking to a respected colleague.

Put names of fields, buttons, and so on, in bold text.

Click Start.	YES
Click "Start".	NO
Click Start.	NO

Don't refer to UI elements if possible (like button, field, and so on).

Click Save.	YES
Click the Save button.	NO

Don’t capitalize items in the UI unless referring to actual fields, buttons, and so on.

To create an event:	YES
To create an Event:	NO
Select Add Event.	YES
Events module	YES
Events Module	NO

Use second person when referring to the reader.

You can schedule an event based on an event type.	YES
The user can schedule an event based on an event type.	NO

Use present tense verbs, avoiding "will" or "would then."

The menu opens when you click the button.	YES
The menu will open when you click the button.	NO
When you click the button, the menu would then open.	NO

Avoid pleasantries (if desired, please, simply, and so on).

Optionally, re-order the track steps.	YES
If desired, re-order the track steps.	NO
Simply re-order the track steps.	NO

Don’t use Latin abbreviations.

*Do not* use**	Do use
etc.	and so on
e.g.	for example

Use sentence case for article titles and headings and title case for UI fields and buttons.

	YES	NO
Article titles	Help Center writing standards	Help Center Writing Standards
Article headings	Go deeper	Go Deeper
UI elements	Select Add Event from the menu.	Select ADD EVENT from the menu. *even though it is in all caps in the UI

Avoid referring to the "system" or "application" when talking about the instance of PlusPlus the reader is using. If it can't be helped, use "system."

A confirmation dialog appears.	YES
The system displays a confirmation dialog.	NO

You select from a list of options and click on a button that takes action.

Select Dashboard from the menu.

Click Bulk Import.

Buttons are clickable, and icons are not, so don’t tell users to click an icon. When buttons are images (like a context menu), describe what the button looks like in parentheses.

Open the context menu (button with three dots).	YES
Click the three dot icon to open the context menu.	NO

Images

Be as sparing as possible with images since they are difficult to maintain long-term. Use screenshots only when they are needed to clarify the instructions given.

When possible, place images above the text that references it.
This helps convey a logical flow from step to step where an image shows the result of an action taken. For example, if you direct readers to click a button to open a new page, an image of that page should appear after the “click button” step and before the instructions of what to do on that page.

Open the profile menu and select Add Event. The New Event page opens. [IMAGE OF NEW EVENT PAGE HERE] Enter a Title for the event.	YES
Open the profile menu and select Add Event. The New Event page opens. Enter a Title for the event. [IMAGE OF THE NEW EVENT PAGE HERE]	NO

Step-by-step instructions and lists

List procedure steps as numbers, not bullet points. If you need to note the result of a step, put it after a line break within the step rather than delineating it as another step. Steps are actions the user takes, not the result of the action.

YES	NO
Open the profile menu and select Dashboard. The Dashboard opens. Select Surveys on the left side of the page.	Open the profile menu and select Dashboard. The Dashboard opens. Select Surveys on the left side of the page.
	Open the profile menu. Select Dashboard. The Dashboard opens.

Combine two steps when the second logically completes the first and it reasonably reduces the number of steps in the process.

3. Open the menu and select Add Event.	YES
3. Open the menu. 4. Select Add Event.	NO

Always include the concluding step of a process, such as: Save your changes.

2. Select Edit for the event. 3. Edit the Title for the event. 4. Save the event. [END OF PROCESS]	YES
2. Select Edit for the event. 3. Edit the Title for the event. [END OF PROCESS]	NO

Bulleted lists should be parallel.

Field Name 1: it does this Field Name 2: it does that	YES
Field Name 1: it does this Field Name 2: click this field to do that	NO