Consider the diversity of your audience while you're writing your content. Technology companies often do business in many countries with many cultures.

Word choices

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

Words to avoid

Use suggested alternatives in place of these words.

Ampersands (&)

Use	Don't use
Tools and technologies	Tools & technologies

Appropriate

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.

Click here

Use	Don't use
[View the steps](#click-here) to complete this task.	To view the steps, click [here](#click-here).

Do the following

Use	Don't use
To open an account, type:	To open an account, do the following:

Generally

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.

So

Use	Don't use
When there's a change in the factor...	So, every time there's a change in the factor...

Phrase clarification

• Use information when describing information entered by users, and data when referring to the entered information.
• Write Back up and set up as two words and use them as verbs.
• Use a hyphen to separate a word beginning with "re" if it becomes another word without the hyphen, such as the re-creation of a job as opposed to recreation as a fun activity.

More info

• Guidelines and best practices
• Grammar and mechanics
• Voice and tone
• Interface items and standards