Refer to this page when you have questions about which words to use and which to avoid. See Grammar and mechanics for other language conventions.
Consider the diversity of your audience while you're writing your content. Technology companies often do business in many countries with many cultures.
Use these preferred terms in your documentation:
| Don't use | Use instead |
| appear | display |
| blacklist | deny |
| button | Click [Link title](link-url) |
| check (such as a checkbox) | select |
| check box | checkbox |
| click on | click |
| double click | double-click |
| dropdown or drop-down | drop-down menu |
| enter | type |
| grandfathered | inherited |
| hence | Omit if possible. Otherwise, use "so" or "as a result". |
| i.e, e.g., etc. | such as, like, for example (sparingly) |
| infra | infrastructure |
| listbox | list box |
| on-board | onboard |
| on-line | online |
| please | you can, action verbs |
| popup menu | pop-up menu |
| proceed to | go to |
| reach out | contact, email |
| screen | window |
| shall | must |
| she, he, him, her | they, them, their |
| terraform | Terraform |
| the user | you |
| uncheck, deselect (such as a checkbox) | clear |
| utilize | use |
| via | using, through, with |
| wish | want |
| whitelist | allow |
| X out | close, exit, quit |
Use suggested alternatives in place of these words.
| Use | Don't use |
| Tools and technologies | Tools & technologies |
| Use | Don't use |
| To limit your results, make selections in the fields. | On the query criteria window, you can make specific selections in the appropriate fields. |
| Use | Don't use |
[View the steps](#click-here) to complete this task. |
To view the steps, click [here](#click-here). |
| Use | Don't use |
| To open an account, type: | To open an account, do the following: |
| Use | Don't use |
| The heading in this template is a special field for topic titles, so you don't need to edit it. | The heading in this template is a special field for topic titles, so generally, you don't have to edit it. |
| Use | Don't use |
| When there's a change in the factor... | So, every time there's a change in the factor... |