Editorial Style Guide

This style guide provides the standards, rules and best practices for SailPoint.com, Compass and digital advertising content. If you can’t find an answer here, please check these secondary resources:

For general spelling: Merriam‐Webster
For style and usage: The Associated Press Stylebook (AP)
For U.K. English variations: Oxford Dictionary of English

Have questions or want to contribute additions to the Style Guide? Just send an email to: content@sailpoint.com

Alphabetical List of Rules

A

a, an

Use the article a before consonant sounds: a CSS border, a SAS device. Use the article an before vowel sounds: an SEO review, an NSA program.

abort

Avoid in customer‐facing content unless it’s part of a menu or command. Choose an alternative such as cancel, end, exit or stop instead.

Acronyms

Spell out on first reference followed by the acronym in parentheses. Exception: if the acronym is commonly known by the general public or your intended audience, you may use it on the first reference. However, always ask yourself if a businessperson without technical expertise would understand the meaning of the acronym. If not, spell it out on first reference. See also Abbreviations and Acronyms

adapter

Not adaptor

affect, effect

In general, use affect as a verb and effect as a noun. Notable exceptions include the verb effect, which means “to bring about,” and the noun affect, which means “emotion or an observed emotional response.” When in doubt, consult a dictionary.

afterward, afterwards

Use afterward in the U.S. and Canada, and afterwards outside of North America.

agile

Avoid using agile to mean “flexible.” Do use agile, lowercase, when referring to the software‐ development methodology. Capitalize Agile only when referring to a formally named product or program.

Examples:

· Our team is moving from waterfall development to agile.

We arrived at our agile method using principles from the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, also known as the Agile Manifesto.

align, alignment

Use when describing the relative placement of objects or lines of text within a predetermined space. Avoid using as jargon to refer to concepts of agreement, consensus or common understanding.

alternate, alternative

Use alternate (or its forms, such as alternating) when referring to things that happen in turns or sequentially in patterns: scheduling a meeting on alternate days.

Use alternative when indicating a choice limited to two or more things (an alternative to traditional spinning hard drives), or to concepts that exist outside the norm: an alternative newsweekly.

a.m., p.m.

Lowercase, with periods. Include a space after the hour and minute: 9 a.m., 11:30 p.m. Avoid redundancies such as 9 a.m. this morning or 11:30 p.m. this evening.

among, between

In general, use between to introduce two distinct items, or to designate more than two pairs of items from one another.

Examples:

· Choose between SailPoint and the competition.

· The study found significant differences between Asian, European and North American audiences.

Use among to introduce three or more distinct items, or to make a distinction within a generalized category of items.

Examples:

· Market share was split among SailPoint and Saviynt.

· Make the best choice among dozens of cloud providers.

Among can also indicate inclusion in or exclusion from a group: Find your place among the conference attendees.

Finally, among (for more than two) and between (for two) can also indicate location or direction: color between the lines, stroll among the palm trees.

amongst

Acceptable in U.K. English; considered to be archaic and unnecessarily formal in U.S. English.

ampersand (&)

Avoid using unless you have space constraints (in digital ads, for example). The ampersand symbol creates translation issues in languages such as Traditional Chinese, Korean, Turkish and Hebrew, where no equivalent character exists.

analyse, analyze

Analyse in the U.K. and analyze in the U.S.

anti‐

Most words formed with the prefix anti‐ require a hyphen.

The only exceptions are extremely common words that have specific meanings of their own, such as this list from AP: antibiotic, antibody, anticlimax, antidepressant, antidote, antifreeze, antigen, antihistamine, antiknock, antimatter, antimony, antiparticle (and similar physics terms such as antiproton), antipasto, antiperspirant, antiphon, antipollution, antipsychotic, antiseptic, antiserum, antithesis, antitoxin, antitrust and antitussive. When in doubt, refer to Merriam-Webster.

API

Acceptable in all references as an acronym for application programming interface. No need to spell out.

app

Short for application. Common and acceptable on first reference for general software that runs inside another service, such as on a smartphone.

Use Windows app on first reference when referring to software that runs on the Windows 8 (Start screen) or Windows 10 (Start menu) interface. App alone is acceptable thereafter.

B

Do not use as an abbreviation for “billion” except when there are space constraints in graphics, ads or infographics.

B2B

Acronym for business‐to‐business. Spell out on first reference.

B2C

Acronym for business‐to‐commerce. Spell out on first reference.

back end

Not backend. Hyphenate as a compound modifier. See also hyphen in Punctuation and Symbols

back up/backup

Use backup as a noun or adjective; use back up as a verb. In some cases (see example), it’s acceptable to use both in the same sentence.

Examples:

· Druva offers a great solution for backup and recovery.

· Looking for the quickest way to back up your photo library?

· Back up your data using the built‐in backup software.

base

Avoid using baseball metaphors such as “touch base” and “cover the bases.” These clichés translate poorly and are contextually inappropriate for international audiences.

bi‐

English words formed with the prefix bi‐ generally don’t require a hyphen: for example, bilateral, bidirectional, bilayered.

· Bi‐ can be ambiguous, however, when you’re using it to express a window of time. Readers may interpret bi‐ to mean “every two” or “twice a” in words such as biannual, bimonthly and biweekly, so it’s best to avoid using these words in favor of clearer alternatives (such as “every two weeks”). See also Prefixes and Suffixes

biannual/biennial

Biannual means “twice a year”; biennial means “every two years.” Because of widespread confusion about the meanings of these words — as well as semiannual, which means the same as biannual — it’s often best to avoid using them.

big data/Big Data

Lowercase when used as a general term. Capitalize only if the term refers to an officially named program or project within an organization. Hyphenate the lowercase when used as a compound modifier: Everything you need in a big‐data solution.

C

canceled/canceling/cancellation

Use these spellings in the U.S. In the U.K., use two l’s, even in the verb forms (cancelled, cancelling). See also Spelling

center/centre

Center in the U.S. and centre in the U.K. See also Spelling

CEO

Acceptable in all references for chief executive officer.

CFO

Acceptable in all references for chief financial officer.

CIO

Acceptable in all references for chief information officer.

CNET

Acceptable in all references for the tech‐media website. All caps in text, even though the stylized CNET logo is lowercase.

cloud Lowercase.

co‐

Follow AP style and hyphenate words formed with co‐ that indicate occupation or status. Otherwise, do not hyphenate. Note that words like coordinate are exceptions to the general practice of hyphenating when a prefix ends with a vowel and the base word ends with the same vowel. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· Co‐author, co‐chairperson, co‐worker, cooperate, coordinate.

color/colour

Color in the U.S. and colour in the U.K. See also Spelling

complement(ary)/compliment(ary)

Complement means “to complete” or “something that completes.” Compliment means “to praise” or “an expression of praise.” In addition to the adjective sense of the preceding definitions, complimentary can also refer to something that is given for free as a gift or courtesy.

CRM

Acronym for customer relationship management. Spell out on first reference.

CST, EST, MST, PST/CDT, EDT, MDT, PDT

The S and D in these American time zone designations stand for Standard and Daylight. The abbreviations with D are correct when and where daylight saving time is being observed, and the abbreviations with S are correct during the rest of the year and always in those locations that don’t observe daylight saving time. See also Abbreviations and Time

cyber‐

In general, words formed with the prefix cyber‐ don’t require a hyphen. Exceptions include proper nouns and abbreviations, for example Cyber Monday. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

D

data center

Not datacenter or data‐center as a noun. (The latter is acceptable as a compound modifier.)

datasheet

Not data sheet.

DB

Acronym for database. Do not use in isolation to mean “database,” even though it may stand for “database” within other abbreviations.

different from/different than

To contrast two nouns or noun phrases, use different from, not different than.

downtime

One word.

E

each

Takes a singular verb, regardless of what it precedes.

each other/one another

In general, use each other for two people or things; use one another for more than two.

earth

Lowercase earth except when using it as the proper name of the planet (such as in a context with other planet names). When capitalizing Earth as a proper name, never include the (not the Earth).

Examples:

· It feels as if I’ve traveled the earth looking for an answer.

· One day technology will enable astronauts to travel from Earth to Mars.

e‐

Most words formed with the e‐ prefix (standing for electronic) require a hyphen. A few well‐established e‐ words, however, should not include the hyphen in SailPoint communications.

Currently, these exceptions are as follows: ebusiness, email and ecommerce. In certain proper nouns, the e may be lowercase, in which case the first letter of the base word (no hyphen) is uppercase, known as a medial capital. If the word in question is not a proper noun or part of one but is otherwise in a capitalized context, the E should be capitalized, and the hyphen retained — or omitted in the case of the aforementioned exceptions. See also Capitalization

and Prefixes and Suffixes

Examples:

· email, ebusiness, ecommerce

· e-waste, e‐government, e school

· eSupport, eBay, Email [in a capitalized context], E‐government [in a capitalized context]

ebusiness

Not e‐business. Note that the Oracle software suite, however, is named E‐Business.

ecommerce

Not e‐commerce.

effect/affect

See affect/effect.

e.g./i.e.

The abbreviation e.g. means “for example”; the abbreviation i.e. means “that is.” Do not use these abbreviations, which are often confused and cause translation and readability issues. Instead, spell out “for example” or “that is,” respectively.

ELT

Acronym for Executive Leadership team. Spell out on first reference.

email

Not e‐mail.

endpoint

One word. This is an exception to Merriam‐Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

end user

Not enduser or end‐user as a noun. (The latter is acceptable as a compound modifier.) Most of the time, just user will suffice.

ensure/insure

Use ensure when the meaning is “to make sure” or “to guarantee.” Reserve insure for references to insurance companies, policies and the like.

enterprise

Lowercase unless it’s part of a proper noun. Examples:

· It’s time to explore alternatives for enterprise storage.

· He’s working closely with IBM’s Enterprise Application Services Group.

EPA

Acronym for Environmental Protection Agency. Spell out on first reference.

ERP

Acronym for enterprise resource planning. Spell out on first reference.

etc.

Use this abbreviation for “et cetera” with a period at the end.

EU

Acceptable as a noun or adjective for “European Union.” See also Abbreviations

everyday/every day

Use everyday only as an adjective; use every day as an adverb.

Examples:

• First‐rate technical support is available every day.

• This is no everyday occurrence.

F

fall

Lowercase the season name unless part of a proper noun.

farther/further

Use farther in reference to physical distance and truly spatial relationships; use further in reference to degree or extent.

fewer/less

In general, use fewer with plural nouns (in reference to countable, individual things). Use less with singular nouns (in reference to amount or degree).

Example:

· Our new tablet costs less than a major competitor’s product.

fewest number

This is a redundancy. Just use fewest.

fraction

A fraction can take either a singular or a plural verb, depending on the meaning. See also Fractions and Percentages

Examples:

· A fraction of the revenue [it] comes from consulting services.

· A fraction of the customers [they] participate in product surveys.

‐free

Hyphenate compounds formed with ‐free whether they precede or follow the noun they modify. Examples:

· an error‐free website

· a return policy that’s hassle‐free

FY

Acronym for fiscal year. Spell out on first reference.

G

gray

Not grey.

H

headset

One word.

healthcare

One word.

helpdesk

Not help desk or help‐desk as a noun.

I

IaaS

Not IAAS. Stands for infrastructure as a service.

i.e./e.g.

See e.g./i.e

imply/infer

Imply means “to hint at or suggest” and is done by the speaker. Infer means “to draw a conclusion from something” and is done by the listener.

infrastructure as a service/infrastructure‐as‐a‐service

Spell out on the first mention. After that, it's OK to use IaaS. Don't hyphenate as a modifier but include the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Example:

· As the growth of infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platforms…

internet

Lowercase. Not synonymous with World Wide Web.

intranet

Lowercase. Refers to a private network inside an organization.

IP

Acronym for intellectual property. Spell out on first reference.

irregardless

Don’t use it; use regardless instead.

IT

Acceptable in all references for information technology.

its/it’s

Its is a possessive personal pronoun; it’s is a contraction of “it is” or “it has.” Do not let the apostrophe in it’s lead you to mistake it for a possessive.

J

Java

Capitalize in reference to the Java software platform. Java is a trademark of Oracle Corporation (and previously of Sun Microsystems, Inc.).

K

Do not use as an abbreviation for “thousand.”

Example:

· 10,000 rpm [not 10K rpm]

know how/know‐how

Use know how when know is a verb. Use know‐how when the term is a noun (meaning “knowledge or expertise”).

L

LAN

Acceptable in most cases for local area network. Spell out only when necessary for consistency (e.g., when discussing LANs and WANs together).

laptop/notebook Laptop is preferred.

learnings

Use lessons instead whenever possible. Learnings is jargon.

‐less

In general, words formed with the suffix ‐less do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include words ending in ll, abbreviations and proper nouns. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· lossless, cell‐less, DVD‐less, Google‐less

leverage

Try to avoid using this term because it’s not conversational. Instead, replace with a form of use (use, uses, used) or choose a verb like empower (Ex: empower users with password reset self-service instead of leverage password reset self-service)

‐like

In general, words formed with the suffix ‐like do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include words ending in ll, abbreviations, proper nouns and words that would result in difficult‐to‐read combinations (such as most base words with four or more syllables). See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· lifelike, cell‐like, CFO‐like, Twitter‐like, application‐like

log in/login

Use log in as a verb; use login as a noun or adjective. Also, the phrasal verb log in takes the preposition to, not into.

Examples:

· Log in to [not into] Compass.

· Don’t forget your network login.

M

Do not use as an abbreviation for “million” except when there are space constraints in graphics, ads or infographics.

M&A

Acronym for mergers and acquisitions. Spell out on first reference.

make sure

Use this expression instead of ensure, where space allows, it’s more conversational

Microsoft applications

Always use Microsoft [application name] in the page headline and first mention in body copy

Microsoft Office

Always use Microsoft Office upon first mention in body copy. Note that neither term must be marked with a trademark symbol anymore. Office is a brand, not a version. So do not refer to Office as, for example, Office 2013. Products, however, do have versions. Do refer to the Office products, which can be suites or individual applications, with the version.

midnight

It is clearer to use midnight than 12 a.m. Technically, midnight is neither a.m. nor p.m.

multi‐

In general, words formed with the prefix multi‐ do not require a hyphen but see exceptions below.

multi‐cloud

Not multicloud. This is an exception to this guide’s (and AP’s) general recommendation for words formed with multi‐.

multi‐tenant

Not multitenant. This is an exception to this guide’s (and AP’s) general recommendation for words formed with multi‐.

multi‐tier

Not multitier. This is an exception to this guide’s (and AP’s) general recommendation for words formed with multi‐.

multi‐touch

Not multitouch. This is an exception to this guide’s (and AP’s) general recommendation for words formed with multi‐.

N

N/A

Acceptable in all references for not applicable (sometimes used in tables).

new

Do not advertise any products, configurations or services as new for longer than 60 days. New should precede the product name and should not be followed by an exclamation point or be rendered in all caps.

New Year’s/New Year/new year

Capitalize references to the holiday but lowercase general references.

Examples:

• Happy New Year!

• Celebrate New Year’s with these great deals.

• It’s a great start to the new year.

No.

Acceptable in all references for number.

non‐

In general, words formed with the prefix non‐ do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include proper nouns, abbreviations and words that would cause awkward combinations.

Example:

• nonessential, non‐SailPoint, non‐PC, non‐numerical

noon

It is clearer to use noon than 12 p.m. Technically, noon is neither a.m. nor p.m

O

OEM

Acronym for original equipment manufacturer. Spell out on first reference.

online One word.

onsite/on‐premises

Use either onsite or on-premises. Note hyphenation of on-premises only.

open source/open‐source

Hyphenate as a compound adjective preceding a noun. Otherwise, do not hyphenate.

Examples:

· The client selected an open‐source solution for our developers to build on.

· Open source is permitted.

outside/outside of

The of is superfluous when outside is used as a preposition.

over‐

In general, words formed with the prefix over‐ do not require a hyphen. Consult Merriam Webster for specific examples and exceptions. Hyphenate if the combined form is not listed. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

P

PaaS

Acronym for platform as a service. Spell out on first reference.

PAM

Acronym for privileged access management. Spell out on first reference.

PII

Stands for personally identifiable information. Spell out on first reference.

platform as a service

Spell out on the first mention. After that, it's OK to use PaaS. Don't hyphenate as a modifier but include the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Example:

· As the growth of platform as a service (PaaS) models…

post‐

In general, words formed with the prefix post‐ do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include proper nouns, abbreviations and years. Consult Merriam‐Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and hyphenate only if not listed there. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· postdate, post‐Thanksgiving, post‐RFP, post‐2018

pre‐

In general, words formed with the prefix pre‐ do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include proper nouns, abbreviations, years and words beginning with e. Consult Merriam‐Webster and hyphenate only if not listed there, as either an independent entry or within the pre‐ list. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· prepay, pre‐Christmas, pre‐IPO, pre‐2000s, pre‐establish

pre‐integrated

Per the “pre‐” entry above, hyphenate this term. It does not appear in Merriam Webster’s pre‐ list.

premier/premiere

Use premier as an adjective to mean “first” or “best.” Use premiere as a noun to mean “the first showing of something.”

Q

Q and A/Q&A

Capitalize Q and A in this informal expression (meaning “an exchange of questions and answers”).

R

R&D

Acronym for research and development. Spell out on first reference.

re‐

In general, words formed with the prefix re‐ do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include words beginning with e and combinations that could be understood to mean something different if not hyphenated.

Consult Merriam‐Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and hyphenate only if not listed there. See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

· redo, re‐engineer, re‐sign [to distinguish from resign]

re‐architect

Not rearchitect.

re‐host

Not rehost.

reign/rein

Reign means “a period of rule”; rein refers to a strap used to control a horse, or the use of such straps. Hence, use rein in expressions like rein in.

roadmap

One word. This is an exception to most dictionaries.

ROI

Acceptable in all references for return on investment.

S

SaaS

Not SAAS. Stands for software as a service.

set up/setup

Use set up as a verb; use setup as a noun or adjective

sign in/sign‐in

Use sign in as a verb; use sign‐in as a noun or adjective.

smartphone

One word.

SMB

Acronym for small and medium business. Spell out on first reference.

SME

Acronym for subject matter expert. Spell out on first reference.

software as a service/software‐as‐a‐service

Spell out on the first mention. After that, it's OK to use SaaS. Don't hyphenate as a modifier but include the abbreviated form in parentheses.

Example:

· As the growth of software as a service (SaaS) platforms…

T

TCO

Acronym for total cost of ownership. Spell out on first reference and do not precede the abbreviation with the.

3D

Not 3‐D. This is an exception to most dictionaries.

that/which (to introduce relative clauses)

Use which to introduce a relative (adjective) clause that is nonrestrictive, or not essential to the overall meaning of a sentence and set off the clause with commas. Use that to introduce a relative clause that is restrictive, or essential to the overall meaning of a sentence, and do not set off the clause with commas. In rare cases, which is acceptable with restrictive clauses, such as those that follow noun clauses introduced by that. However, that should never introduce a nonrestrictive clause.

Examples:

· The compact unit, which fits almost anywhere, can replace your printer, scanner, copier and fax machine.

· To get the best value, choose a printer that includes multiple functions.

· You’ve noticed that the printer which also scans, copies and faxes is the best value

that/which/who/whom (in reference to antecedents)

For the most part, use who and whom in reference to humans and that and which in reference to anything other than humans. That may sometimes be used to refer to humans in a very general way, such as in reference to a type or class of person.

Examples:

§ For a laptop that combines the best of mobility, functionality…

§ If you’re someone who enjoys watching media on the big screen…

§ He’s the kind of customer that expects comprehensive services…

their/there/they’re

Their is a possessive pronoun. There is an adverb or a pronoun in expletive constructions (in which the real subject follows the verb and there or it begins the clause). They’re is a contraction of “They are.”

toward/towards

Most often toward in the U.S. and towards in the U.K. See the “Spelling” Spelling (/copywriting‐style‐ guide‐spelling/) page for more information.

try and

This is colloquial; use try to.

24×7

Not 24/7, 7/24, 7×24 or other variations. Also note that there is no space on either side of the x. This differs from measurements in which dimensions are given in number x number format.

U

U.K.

Acceptable as a noun or adjective for “United Kingdom.” Use periods in this abbreviation.

U.S.

Acceptable as a noun or adjective for “United States.” Use periods in this abbreviation.

USA

No periods in this abbreviation for “United States of America.”

V

Veterans Day

No apostrophe; Veteran’s Day is incorrect

W

web

Short for “World Wide Web.” Lowercase.

web conference

Not webconference. The word web is lowercase.

webinar

One word, lowercase.

web page

Not webpage. The word web is lowercase.

website

One word, lowercase.

which/that

See that/which (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐t/).

white paper

Not whitepaper.

who’s/whose

Who’s is a contraction of “who is”; whose is a possessive form.

‐wide

In general, words formed with the suffix ‐wide do not require a hyphen. Exceptions include words ending in w, abbreviations, proper nouns and words that would result in difficult‐to‐read combinations (such as most base words with four or more syllables). See also Prefixes and Suffixes

Examples:

· nationwide, companywide, window‐wide, EMEA‐wide, Austin‐wide, infrastructure‐wid

workflow

One word.

X

Y

YouTube

One word. Capitalize the “T.”

Z

ZIP Code

Note capitalization. ZIP is an acronym and the whole term is a trademark of the U.S. Postal Service.

Abbreviations and Acronyms

While corporate communication often includes abbreviations and acronyms as kind of a tribal shorthand, we need to be careful when using them in customer‐facing content. When in doubt, ask yourself, “Would an average reader understand this with no additional context?”

Generally speaking, unless an abbreviation or acronym is so widely used that it has replaced the full term, spell it out on first reference. To do this, introduce the full term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

Correct:

Computer‐aided design (CAD) engineers require professional‐class graphics cards

Incorrect:

CAD (computer‐aided design) engineers require professional‐class graphics cards

Capitalization and punctuation

Most acronyms are all caps and don’t include periods.

Exceptions to the all‐caps rule include acronyms that have evolved into regular words (laser, scuba), as well as acronyms that include a lowercase letter as the second letter of a word (SaaS) or the first letter of a minor word.

Exceptions to the no‐period rule include academic degrees (B.A., Ph.D.) and countries (U.S., U.K.).

Unit‐of‐measure abbreviations are generally lowercase, but there are some exceptions: for example, Mbps for Megabits per second. Don’t use periods in unit‐of‐measure abbreviations unless the abbreviation could be mistaken for a word (for example, in. for “inches”).

Plural and possessive forms

If the abbreviation contains periods, use an apostrophe to form the plural. If there are no periods, add a lowercase s. Unit‐of‐measure abbreviations are never pluralized.

Examples:

CDs
CEOs
M.A.’s
B.A.’s

To write the possessive form of an abbreviation, add an apostrophe and a lowercase s.

Examples:

You can use NVBU’s command line utility to perform these actions.
The poll reflects the CTOs’ concerns about information security.

Latin abbreviations

Latin abbreviations cause translation and readability issues. Use plain‐English alternatives instead.

Instead of i.e., use that is
Instead of e.g., use for example
Instead of etc., use and so on

Months of the year

If you need to abbreviate any month that is more than five letters long using the following conventions:

Jan.
Feb.
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.

When you’re using a month by itself or with a year (no day), write out the complete month name.

Correct:

We started talking about this project in December 2014.

Incorrect:

We started talking about this project in Dec. 2014.
We started talking about this project in Dec 2014.
We started talking about this project in Dec., 2014.

Days of the week

Spell out the names of the days of the week whenever possible, and always when the day stands alone.

If you have space‐constraints, use these standard forms:

Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.

Times of day

Use the abbreviations a.m. and p.m. (lowercase, with periods) with times to indicate before noon and after noon. Insert a space between the time and the abbreviation, as in the following examples:

Correct:

11 a.m.
12:30 p.m.

Incorrect:

11AM
12:30 pm

When necessary for clarity, the following American time‐zone designations can be used with times, and don’t need to be spelled out on first reference:

EST [for “Eastern Standard Time”]
MST [for “Mountain Standard Time”]
EDT [for “Eastern Daylight Time”]
CST [for “Central Standard Time”]
PST [for “Pacific Standard Time”]
CDT [for “Central Daylight Time”]
PDT [for “Pacific Daylight Time”]

For regional audiences, other local time zones may be abbreviated (for example, IST for India Standard Time) without being spelled out on first reference.

For a global audience, the abbreviations GMT for Greenwich Mean Time or UTC for Coordinated Universal Time may also be used on first reference without spelling out.

U.S. states

Never abbreviate the names of U.S. states when they stand alone.

When state names appear with a city name in running text, 42 of them (and District of Columbia) may be abbreviated using the standard AP abbreviations. Never abbreviate Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas or Utah in running text.

Should you choose to abbreviate state names in running text, do so consistently: Within a given web page, abbreviate all instances of the state names that may be abbreviated.

Postal abbreviations may be used in full addresses that include a ZIP code. Postal abbreviations are also acceptable, though not preferred, with city names in tables, graphics, web parts or other places where space is limited.

The abbreviations U.S. and U.K. are acceptable for United States and United Kingdom when used as nouns or adjectives. Note that both abbreviations include periods.

The abbreviation EU — acceptable as a noun or adjective for European Union — does not include periods. The abbreviation U.N. is acceptable for United Nations as a noun or adjective and includes periods by analogy with U.S. and U.K.

Miscellaneous technical units

kilobit: Kb
kilobits per second: Kbps Megabit: Mb
Megabits per second: Mbps Gigabit: Gb
Gigabits per second: Gbps Terabit: Tb
Terabits per second: Tbps kilobyte: BV
kilobytes per second: KB/s or KB/sec megabyte: MB
megabytes per second: MB/s or MB/sec gigabyte: GB
gigabytes per second: GB/s or GB/sec terabyte: TB
terabytes per second: TB/s or TB/sec petabyte: PB
exabyte: EB hertz: Hz megahertz: MHz gigahertz: GHz ampere: A
ampere‐hour: Ah or AHr watt: W
watt‐hour: Wh or WHr kilowatt: KW
kilowatt‐hour: kWh or kWHr megapixel: MP
revolutions per minute: rpm or r/min dots per inch: dpi
floating point operations per second: FLOPS megaFLOPS: MFLOPS
gigaFLOPS: GFLOPS teraFLOPS: TFLOPS petaFLOPS: PFLOPS exaFLOPS: EFLOPS
I/Os per second: IOPS

Ads and Banners

Headlines

Unlike web pages, headlines on website banners and online ads should be in sentence case, followed by a period or question mark. See Capitalization for help with cases.

If the headline includes two different thoughts, they should both be followed by periods regardless of whether they are short phrases or sentences. Alternatively, the two thoughts could be separated by other punctuation, such as an em dash or comma, in which case end punctuation may or may not be necessary. If an em dash is used, capitalize the word following the em dash.

Examples:

Cloud storage is your blind spot.
Earth friendly. Wallet friendly. [The headline includes two thoughts.]
Earth friendly — Wallet friendly

Subhead

Like the headline, the subhead should be sentence case, followed by a period or question mark.

Example:

Secure cloud with identity.

Call to action

The call to action (the clickable text) that exists on many kinds of banners and fragments should be title case. See Capitalization for help with cases.

Note that common errors with title case include capitalizing every word, even articles and short prepositions. Only the principal words should be capitalized.

TIP: Want an easy way to automatically capitalize your text correctly? Go to https://capitalizemytitle.com/ and click on the AP tab at the top.

Calls to action should be short, descriptive imperatives.

Examples:

Read the White Paper
Get Started Now
Register Today

Legal text

Any legal text on a banner —like source citations, disclaimers, offer conditions, etc. — should be sentence case. The legal text should appear below the call to action, except on homepage banners and online banners. If the legal text is a complete sentence, it should be followed by a period.

U.S. offer expiration dates should always include the time and time zone, as in the first two examples, and the time zone should always be abbreviated in two‐letter form. In all regions, the date should include the month, day and year. Although it’s best to spell out the date in words for maximum clarity, numerical dates are permitted when space constraints dictate. Always make sure that numerical dates are formatted correctly for the banner’s region. See also Dates and Time

Examples:

Offer ends November 23, 2015, at 6 a.m. CT.
Offer ends 11/23/15 at 6 a.m. CT.
Offer ends 3 March 2024.

Style and word choice

Banner copy should be direct, concise and engaging. Big blocks of copy discourage readers and reduce the banner’s impact. For easy readability and fast comprehension, avoid marketing or technical jargon and unfamiliar abbreviations The more time readers have to spend deciphering content, the more likely they are to leave the page.

Banner copy should generally conform to the same rules of good grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization and spelling as other copy in SailPoint communications. (See rules for Capitalization, Dates, Punctuation and Symbols, Spelling and Time) However, the brevity of banner text necessitates certain exceptions to usual style. For example, on banners it is acceptable to use numerals instead of spelled‐out numbers in all cases and it is okay to use the ampersand (&) instead of the word “and.”

Bulleted Lists

Bulleted lists

Types of subjects that lend themselves well to bulleted lists are:

Itemized challenges/problems that customers might face
Itemized benefits they might gain
Itemized technologies or features of a product

Also, whenever the list elements include complicated phrases or clauses, it is usually best to use a bulleted‐list format, with a phrase or sentence introducing the list.

Introductory text

Always use an appropriate lead‐in phrase or sentence to introduce a list.

Punctuation and capitalization

It’s best to follow the introductory text with a colon before a bulleted list. (See example above.)

Even if the elements are complete sentences, they should not end with a period.

Capitalization

All caps

All caps refers to the practice of capitalizing every letter in a word or group of words. Testing has shown that all‐caps text is less legible than lowercase text. It can also change the tone and appear overemphatic, like shouting.

Avoid using all‐caps text in headlines or subheads.

Exceptions: Use capital letters in most acronyms and follow any brand‐specific casing specs that may call for all caps.

Bullets

Always capitalize the first word following a bullet.

Examples:

All new employees
Employees who transfer from another department

Colon

Always capitalize the first word following a colon.

Example:

These include: All employees who started last year, employees who transfer…

Common nouns

A common noun is not capitalized unless it is the first word of a sentence or sentence‐case phrase; is part of a multiword proper noun, such as a title; or appears within an otherwise capitalized context. (See Title Case)

Examples:

man
city
laptop

Proper nouns

A proper noun (which names a person, place or thing) is almost always capitalized, meaning that the first letter of the word (or each principal word) is uppercase.

If a service or feature in question is truly a branded and consistently named entity, it can be capitalized as a proper noun. But if it’s not something that’s named consistently (if the words in the name are not always the same or the order of the words can vary) then it’s not a proper noun and should not be capitalized. Terms should never be capitalized merely for emphasis. When in doubt, use lowercase.

Examples:

Mark
SailPoint
IdentityNow

Title case

Title case refers to the practice of capitalizing the first, last and principal words in a group of words. The principal words are any nouns, verbs, adverbs or adjectives — regardless of length — as well as prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Headlines should be set in title case.

When using title case, lowercase coordinating conjunctions (such as and, but and or), prepositions of fewer than four letters (such as of, on and in), articles (a, an, the), and infinitive markers (the to before a verb).

TIP: Want an easy way to automatically capitalize your text correctly? Go to https://capitalizemytitle.com/ and click on the AP tab at the top.

When a hyphenated compound appears in a title‐case context, always capitalize the first element. Generally speaking, also capitalize subsequent elements if they would be capitalized if there were no hyphen (that is, if they are principal words, as described above). However, if the first element is a prefix that couldn’t stand on its own, lowercase the second element unless it is a proper noun or proper adjective.

If there is a colon in title‐case text, what follows should be treated like a subtitle. Capitalize the first word after the colon even if it is a minor word.

Note that title case should be used very rarely — only in headlines, actual titles or other multiword proper nouns and in calls to action (CTAs). A few examples of title case CTAs follow.

Examples:

Follow Us on Twitter
Sign Up Now
Read the Paper: Intro to Identity Governance

Sentence case

Sentence case refers to the practice of capitalizing only the first word in a group of words and any proper nouns in the group — that is, just like a sentence. In sentence case headings, the first word after a colon ( to the first word of a subtitle) should also be capitalized. The following example shows a sentence‐case heading over regular body copy.

Example: One solution makes it easy.

Subheads, unless they are proper nouns, should be set in sentence case.

TIP: Want an easy way to automatically capitalize your text correctly? Go to https://capitalizemytitle.com/ and click on the AP tab at the top.

Contractions

Use and format

in marketing‐related copy, contractions can strike the right informal, conversational tone. However, when using contractions, always be sure to put the apostrophe in the right place — that is, where letters have been removed.

Example:

wouldn’t [not would’nt]

When you wish to emphasize a certain word, it’s best to spell out that word rather than contracting it.

Example:

Do not [not Don’t] share this information with anyone.

Contraction vs. Possessive vs. Plural

Examples:

Contraction: Wouldn’t (meaning would not)
Possessive: Employee’s password (meaning the employee’s password)
Plural: Several employees (meaning more than one employee)
See also Apostrophe in Punctuation and Symbols

Currency

Numerals and decimals

Except in the most general references (“If I had a million dollars”), use numerals (Ex: 200) to represent currency values.

Use a decimal point to separate the main units (dollars or pounds) from the subunits (cents or pence).

Note that a comma (or commas) should be used with currency values with four or more digits ($1,000, $4,000,000)

Designation with symbols

In currency values with symbols, the symbol typically precedes the value without a space.

Examples:

$399
£579
€479

Designation with letters

In currency values designated with letters, the letter abbreviation still typically precedes the value, but there is usually a space between the abbreviation and the value. There are certain exceptions, such as currency designations for subunits of the core currency and currency designations that are a mix of letters and symbols/punctuation.

For example, the abbreviation for British pence is p, which directly follows the value (no space). And the abbreviation for Indian rupees is Rs., which includes a period and is often closed up with the value.

Examples:

RM 2,999
SF 599
50p
Rs.34,000

Dates

Days

Whenever possible, spell out days of the week rather than abbreviating them. For the abbreviations in certain contexts, see Abbreviations and Acronyms

Months

When space permits, spell out the month. However, when there are space constraints, it’s always acceptable to abbreviate the names of months that are more than five letters long if the month is part of a full date. (In running text, never abbreviate a month when used alone or used with a year only.) Should you choose to abbreviate, however, make sure you do it consistently within a content item. For the approved abbreviations, see Abbreviations and Acronyms

Years

It’s best to include all four digits of a calendar year rather than shortening to just the last two, especially in formal contexts. However, if you must abbreviate the year, note that the two‐digit form is preceded by an apostrophe (’84).

Decades

Decades do not include an apostrophe before the s. However, an apostrophe is used at the beginning of the shortened form.

Examples:

the 2010s [not the 2010’s]
the ’90s [not the 90’s]

Centuries and Time Periods

Follow the general rule for numbers versus numerals when citing centuries: Spell out numbers one through nine and use numerals for 10 and beyond. Using this rule, numerals will be most common. Note that the word century is lowercase. (An exception here is proper names — use numerals or words as the proper name dictates and capitalize Century.)

Examples:

the 2010s [not the 2010’s]
the ’90s [not the 90’s]
20th Century
the Middle Ages

Seasons

Lowercase the names of the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) and their derivatives (for example, summertime), even when they appear with a year. Avoid references to a particular season in global audience content because the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere do not correspond. Capitalize a season name only as part of a proper noun.

Examples:

fall
springtime
summer 2016
Winter Olympics

Punctuation and format

It’s preferred to spell out months (or abbreviate with letters) rather than use numerals, especially for a global audience. This is because the order of the three elements within a date — the day, month and year — varies around the world. In some countries, the month precedes the day. In others, the day precedes the month.

NOTE: On web pages intended for both the U.S. and other countries, follow the U.S. style of spelling out the month first, followed by the day and year. Ex: May 3, 2011

Month‐day‐year format (M/D/YYYY)

In the month‐day‐year format — the most common format in the United States — the month is the first element, followed by the day and the year. As mentioned above, it’s preferred to spell out months, but when writing out a date in this order, always use a comma after the day. In running text (in which the date isn’t isolated), a comma should also follow the year.

Examples:

May 3, 2011
On October 16, 2019, SailPoint announced its acquisition of Orkus.

If a date consists of only the month and the year, however, do not separate the year and the month with a comma.

Example:

February 2011 [not February, 2011]

Days should always be written without the ‐st, ‐nd, ‐rd or ‐th affix.

Examples:

July 3 [not July 3rd]
Sept. 6, 2016 [not Sept. 6th, 2016]

If there is a compelling reason to use numerals for a date, the preferred format in the United States is M/D/YYYY or M/D/YY. The shorter YY form is acceptable if the century is clear in context.

Examples:

5/9/2016
5/9/16

Date range

When an event spans several days, do not put spaces around the dash.

Examples:

August 3-5, 2020 [not August 3 – 5, 2020]
July 31-August 5, 2020

Day‐month‐year format (D/M/YYYY)

In the day‐month‐year format, which is common throughout most of Europe and elsewhere, the day is the first element, followed by the month and the year. When writing out a date in this order, a comma should not precede the year.

Example:

3 May 2016 [not 3 May, 2016]

If there is a compelling reason to use numerals for a date, the preferred format for much of the non‐U.S. world is D/M/YYYY or D/M/YY. The shorter YY form is acceptable if the century is clear in context. Also, extra zeros don’t need to be included with the numeric day or month, but they will often appear in lists, as they are beneficial to sorting.

Examples:

9/5/2016
9/5/16
09/05/2016

Note that the D/M/YYYY (or D/M/YY) format should be used only in countries where it is the norm. Avoid its use in content intended for a global audience.

Inclusion of day of the week

When a full date is given, it isn’t necessary to include a day of the week. But if you choose to include a day of the week for emphasis, note that it should be followed by a comma. Include the comma regardless of whether the month or the day comes first in the date.

Examples:

Friday, Oct. 21, 2016; Wednesday, 2 May 2016
Hurry — registration ends Sunday, Nov. 6.

Error Messages

By following some basic guidelines for error messages, you can prevent user frustration, which often results in site abandonment.

Clarity

Make it easy to understand and fix

The message should offer a clear indication that an error has occurred and provide content that explains how to recover from the error. Indicate the error on the top of the page and offer possible solutions to the problem, if feasible.

Consistency

Identify errors in a consistent manner

Use the same language, highlights and graphical cues to ensure they are predictable and consistent for the user. See also Typographical Styles

Avoid the need to backtrack

Avoid making users go back and forth to correct errors. Try to display everything relevant on the same page so that the user doesn’t have to backtrack.

Tone

Be polite and straightforward

Don’t blame the user if they’ve made a mistake. Point out the problem and communicate how to rectify it. See also Style and Tone

Avoid technical jargon

Put yourself in the user’s shoes. Submission error 71 doesn’t mean anything to the customer. See also Language Use/Word Choice

Footnotes

Numbers

Use numerals for footnotes, not asterisks. If multiple pieces of content come from the same source, use the same number for each.

Examples:

5.5 access changes per user annually, requiring nearly 1 IT hour each1
1.1 IT hours to deprovision one employee1

Format

Footnotes should be displayed in the following format: Number (followed by a period), Company, Organization or Name of Source, Author Name(s) if available, Content Title in quotes, Date followed by a period, URL if available.

Examples:

1. Security Intelligence, “How Can You Quantify the Value of Automated Provisioning and Deprovisioning?” January 4, 2017. https://securityintelligence.com/how-can-you-quantify-the-value-of-automated-provisioning-and-deprovisioning/
2. Accenture Insight Driven Health Blog, John Schoew, “Losing the Cybersecurity Culture War,” March 2, 2018. https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/blogs-losing-cybersecurity-culture-war

Fractions and Percentages

Format

Simple fractions should generally be spelled out. If the fraction can be expressed with two words, include a hyphen between the words, regardless of whether the fraction is functioning as a noun, adjective or adverb (unless the point is to emphasize the parts, as in the second example below). If the spelled‐out fraction requires more than two words, however, hyphenate only the part of the fraction that would be a two‐digit numeral.

Examples:

three‐quarters
The fiscal year is divided into four quarters.
two twenty‐fifths

Mixed numbers, on the other hand, should always be expressed with numerals. Note that there should not be a space between the whole number and fraction that together make up a mixed number. It is generally preferable to express a mixed number in decimal form when practical.

Examples:

3½, 3.5 [preferred]

In certain cases, it is acceptable to use numerals for simple fractions. Numerals are appropriate in tabular material and may be used when space is at a premium (for example, within banners). And numerals must be used when a fraction precedes a unit of measurement.

Example:

3/8 inch

Subject‐verb agreement with fractions

Whether an actual fraction or the word fraction is used, a fractional subject takes a plural verb if it refers to part of a countable set. It takes a singular verb if it refers to a noncountable entity or a collective entity considered en masse.

Examples:

One‐fifth of our customers are choosing this feature.
A fraction of the systems include it.
Two‐thirds of the site features the new design.

Percentages Format

Always use numerals with percentages. SailPoint uses the percent symbol without a space between the numeral and symbol. For non‐whole‐number percentages, use decimals, not fractions.

Examples:

15%
2.5%
0.5%

Subject‐verb agreement with percentages

A percentage takes a singular verb if it stands alone or is followed by of and a singular noun. It takes a plural verb it is followed by of and a plural noun. See also Verb Agreement and Numbers

Headlines and Subheads

Case/Punctuation/Length

Headlines (H1) should use title case without periods. Keep headlines short (50 max characters, including spaces).

Exception: When you have two short statements, end with a period. Example below.

Examples:

Identity for Salesforce
Careers at SailPoint
Intelligent Cloud Identity Governance Platform
Industry Leading. Industry Recognized. (short statements)

Subheads (H2) should use sentence case and end with punctuation regardless of whether they are fragments or full sentences. Keep subheads relatively short (65 max characters, including spaces)

Examples:

Do you know who’s accessing your data?
Ensure cloud business productivity is secure and compliant.
Strengthen and simplify.
Give your users the access they need from day 1 — automatically.

For definitions of sentence case and title case, see Capitalization

For questions about punctuation, see Punctuation and Symbols

TIP: Want an easy way to automatically capitalize your text correctly? Go to https://capitalizemytitle.com/ and click on the AP tab at the top.

Clarity

Headlines and subheads should be descriptive and clearly relate to the content they introduce. A brief scan of the headline and subheads on a page should give the reader a good idea of the kind of information the page conveys and help the reader navigate toward particular information.

Note that search engines weight online headings more heavily than regular body copy, so headings play an important role in search engine optimization (SEO). See also Search Engine Optimization

Language Use / Word Choice

Correct meaning

Always be sure that you’re using the correct word for your intended meaning. For example, technology doesn’t gain efficiencies; it provides them. You do not have visibility into a problem; you have insight into it. See the alphabetized usage pages at the beginning of this guide for other terms that are frequently misused.

Jargon

Avoid and eliminate jargon, including marketing terms and internal or industry vocabulary. Instead, use plain, straightforward conversational language. Minimize the use of acronyms and explain the ones that you must use.

Examples of jargon to avoid include words like leverage, incentivize and ideate. See the usage pages at the beginning of this guide for these and other jargon terms to void. See also Abbreviations and Acronyms

Exception: If industry jargon is common enough to have sufficient search volume, it might be appropriate, from an SEO perspective, to use it. When undesirable terminology is necessary, it’s best to add it to search elements that are less customer facing, such as image alt text, if possible. See also Search Engine Optimization

Slang, figurative language and humor

Avoid using metaphors, slang and idioms, puns and jokes. These devices do not always translate well and are often inappropriate for an international audience. For example, a baseball metaphor like touch base is unfamiliar or meaningless to someone in a region where baseball is not played. See the usage pages at the beginning of this guide for other slang terms to avoid.

Do not use sailing puns.

Exceptions: It is acceptable to use sailing puns and references internally and in SailPoint Navigate conference web pages, collateral and break-out session materials. In digital ads aimed at a U.S. audience, general puns may be used to grab attention but make sure they also relate to the messaging.

Numbers

Numerals or words?

The general rule is to spell out zero to nine in words and use numerals for 10 and above. This rule applies to both cardinal numbers (three, 13) and ordinal numbers (third, 13th). Below are exceptions to the general rule.

Avoid beginning a sentence with a numeral. Either spell out the number — even if it’s 10 or greater — or rewrite the sentence. (Exception: It’s acceptable to begin a sentence with a calendar year.)

Examples:

The top 10 myths about identity governance may surprise you.
Twelve days after the launch, customer feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
2025 is projected to be a record‐setting year.

Always spell out numbers in casual expressions that are intentionally imprecise.

Example:

Thousands of users, a third of the time, a million dollars

Always use numerals in percentages. Always use numerals with units of measure, whether the units are spelled out or abbreviated. And always use numerals to express currency, time (except for noon and midnight), dates and ages. Spell out most common fractions (except with units of measure) but use numerals for mixed numbers. It’s often best to convert numeric fractions and mixed numbers to decimals if possible.

Examples:

16%
3 inches, 5 mm, 16GB
$5, $599.99
9 a.m., noon, 11:30 p.m.
January 2002; March 3; August 2, 1976; 22 June 1988
a 9‐year‐old boy; an 11‐year‐old; the girl is 8 years old; he’s only 26
three‐fourths, ¾ inch, 0.75 inch [better], 1¾, 1.75 [better]

Always use numerals for address numbers but follow the general guidelines for numbered street names — that is, spell out First through Ninth and use numerals for 10th and above.

Examples:

288 Grand St.
8 Cloudview Circle
One Dell Way
1521 Second Ave
3158 W. 11th St.

Always use numerals for numbered divisions of publications and other documents. Always use numerals for numbered rooms and the like. And always use numerals in ordinal numbers when certain naming conventions dictate (for example, geographic, political and military designations, per AP).

Example:

Page 3, Chapter 9, Act 2, Room 6, 3rd Ward

Numeral usage in violation of the general rule is also acceptable, though not preferred, in small content items such as online banners, as space constraints dictate.

In proper nouns — such as company and brand names — use either numerals or words as the accepted usage of the proper noun dictates, regardless of whether doing so violates any of the guidelines above.

Example:

3rd Gen Intel Core i5, 7‐Eleven

Very large numbers

To represent numbers over 1 million, use numerals with million, billion and so forth as long as the value can be represented with no more than two decimal places. If the value cannot be represented in that way, use numerals entirely.

Examples:

$2.5 billion, $3,750,210, 6.25 million units, 5,351,614 users

Note that M and B are acceptable abbreviations for “million” and “billion” when there are space constraints in graphics, ads or infographics. Do not add a space between the numeral and abbreviation.

Examples:

$2.5B, 6.25M units

Plurals and punctuation

To form the plural of numbers represented with numerals, simply add an s. Do not include an apostrophe between the numeral and s. To form the plural of spelled‐out numbers, form the plural as you would with any other noun — by adding s or es as the spelling of the singular term dictates.

Examples:

He was still in his 20s.
The 1990s
The ’90s fives and sixes

In numerals with four or more digits, commas are generally used between every three digits, starting from the right. However, these commas are omitted in certain numeric designations, such as page numbers, serial numbers, room numbers, years and addresses.

Examples:

1,312; 12,000; $5,325,000
Page 1110; in 2011; 4711 Crystal Shore Dr.

Telephone numbers

Include the country code in front of all phone numbers, including toll-free numbers. Capitalize letters when used in place of digits in phone numbers and use hyphens instead of periods for enhanced readability and conformance with AP style. For country codes, visit: https://countrycode.org/

For international numbers use 011 (from the United States), the country code, the city code and the telephone number. Use hyphens, not periods.

If extension numbers are needed, use a comma to separate the main number from the extension.

Examples:

·1-888-472-4578
1-512-346-2000
1-800-GoFedEx
011-44-20-7535-1515 (international calls from the U.S.)
212-621-1500, ext. 2.

Paragraphs

Length/complexity

Dense chunks of text can be unwelcoming to readers, so strive for concision and scanability. Try to limit the number of sentences in a paragraph and vary the structure of your sentences to help the paragraph flow naturally and emphasize important ideas. (It’s best to include more short sentences than long ones, however.)

Limit each paragraph to just one main idea and use bullets to break up complex information or call attention to crucial points. See also Bulleted Lists

Organization

Every paragraph should have a main idea expressed in a topic sentence, followed by sentences that contribute to the main idea. Omit or move sentences that don’t effectively support the main idea.

Between paragraphs or groups of paragraphs, use subheads to improve scanability.

Possessives

Follow the guidelines below to form the possessive case of nouns.

Singular nouns not ending in s

Add ‘s to the word (or last word in the compound if it’s a compound noun).

Examples:

Microsoft’s newest operating system
Mark McClain’s speech

Singular common nouns ending in s

Add ‘s to the word (or last word in the compound if it’s a compound noun) unless the word that follows begins with s. If the word that follows begins with s, add only an apostrophe.

Examples:

the business’s focus
the business’ solution

Singular proper nouns ending in s

Add only an apostrophe to the word (or last word in the compound if it’s a compound noun).

Example:

Charlotte Jones’ idea

Plural nouns not ending in s

Add ‘s to the word (or last word in the compound if it’s a compound noun).

Example:

the children’s software

Plural nouns ending in s

Add only an apostrophe to the word (or last word in the compound if it’s a compound noun).

Special cases

Conventional expressions

Treat certain conventional expressions like possessives — adding either an apostrophe or an apostrophe and s, according to the rules above.

Examples:

your money’s worth
30 days’ notice

As an exception to the rule for common nouns not ending in s, add only an apostrophe to certain fixed expressions in which the noun ends in an s sound and the word that follows beings with an s.

Example:

for appearance’ sake

Descriptive phrases

In descriptive phrases that are not true possessives (for example, engineers symposium), an apostrophe is usually not used if the word ends in s. AP offers the following rule of thumb: Generally forego the apostrophe if for or by — rather than of — would be appropriate in the full expression (a symposium for engineers). Add an ‘s, however, if the plural word doesn’t already end in s. Also note that the official names of certain organizations and institutions are descriptive phrases of this sort. Always follow the organization’s practice regardless of the guidelines above.

Examples:

writers networking group
women’s networking group
American Medical Writers Association
Maryland Writers’ Association

Individual/joint possession

When possession is individual, use a possessive form with both “owners.” When possession is joint, use a possessive form with only the last word.

Examples:

Steve’s and Karen’s teams
Steve and Karen’s conversation

Pronouns

Possessive personal and interrogative pronouns have special forms, which do not include an apostrophe.

Examples:

my, mine, our, ours your, yours
his, her, hers, its, their, theirs whose

Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefixes

The general rule for prefixes is this: Close up prefixes with base words in most cases when the base word begins with a consonant. Some key exceptions and additional guidelines follow.

If the prefix ends in a vowel and the base word begins with the same vowel, hyphenate the combined form.

Exceptions to this guideline include cooperate and coordinate.

Examples:

re‐engineer, pre‐establish, cooperate, coordinate

Use a hyphen if the word after the prefix is a proper noun, an abbreviation or a numeral.

Examples:

non‐SailPoint, post‐RFP, pre‐2020

Use a hyphen to join double prefixes.

Example:

sub‐subtopic

Note that these are general guidelines. For certain prefixes, consult Merriam‐Webster. See also the individual prefixes in the Usage List for specific guidance: “anti‐,” “bi‐,” “co‐,” “e‐,” “multi‐,“ “non‐,“ “over‐,“ “post‐,” “pre‐,” “re‐,” “super‐” and “ultra‐.”

Suffixes

See the individual suffixes in the Usage List for specific guidance: “‐less,” “‐like,” “‐over,” “‐up” and “‐ wide.” Otherwise, consult Merriam‐Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. If a combined form isn’t listed there, hyphenate nouns and adjectives. (Leave phrasal verbs open — that is, make them two words.)

Examples:

follow‐up [noun or adjective], follow up [verb]
standby [noun or adjective], stand by [verb]

Punctuation and Symbols

Period

As an end mark

A declarative sentence — a statement — is followed by a period.

Example:

Customers are at the core of everything we do. We listen carefully to their needs and collaborate to find new ways to make technology work better for them.

The purpose of the period in running text is to signal a full stop to the reader and to indicate that the sentence is neither exclamatory nor interrogative.

A declarative sentence can contain an indirect question (one that does not include the questioner’s exact words). Such a sentence should still be followed by a period.

Example:

Industry experts wondered whether the bandwidth would ever be fully utilized. [not Industry experts wondered whether the bandwidth would ever be fully utilized?]

In abbreviations

Periods are also used within certain abbreviations — especially those that end with a lowercase letter. Most abbreviations made up entirely of capital letters don’t require periods, although there are some exceptions.

Examples:

a.m., Feb., Thurs., Mich., CT, PC, JPEG, MI, U.S., U.K., B.A.

Exclamation point

Exclamation points should be used sparingly in SailPoint content. Never use multiple exclamation points in a row (Hurry!!!). A single exclamation point, when necessary, will always suffice.

Examples:

Available now!
Hurry!

Comma

In a series

Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not include a serial (or Oxford) comma before the coordinating conjunction (and or or) in a simple series.

Examples:

Correct: They offer hardware, software and services.
Incorrect: They offer hardware, software, and services.

Between coordinate adjectives

Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that equally and separately modify a noun.

Example:

They sell the newest generation of fast, lightweight laptops.

Between independent clauses

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction — and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet — when the conjunction joins independent clauses. (An independent clause is a clause that could stand alone as a sentence.)

Example:

The network could still handle the workload, but it was clear that more servers were needed.

Watch out for compound verbs, which can make a verb phrase seem like a separate independent clause. Note in the example below how there is only one independent clause because there is only one subject (Fred).

Example:

Dave installed three new servers and rearranged the racks in the data center.

The comma joining two independent clauses can sometimes be omitted if the clauses are very short and clarity wouldn’t be sacrificed without the comma.

Examples:

Dave worked hard and the client was happy. [The meaning is clear.]
Dave checked the racks, and the switches looked good. [The comma is necessary to prevent misreading.]

After introductory elements

Use a comma to set off certain introductory elements.

Use a comma after an introductory subordinate clause. (A clause is a group of words that includes a subject‐verb relationship.

Example:

Before the network was ready to go live, it had to be thoroughly tested.

Use a comma after an introductory participial phrase. (A participle is a verb form acting as an adjective.

Example:

Setting up the data center, the engineer had to reconfigure the existing network before installing new hardware.

Use a comma after an introductory infinitive phrase acting adverbially. (An infinitive is a verb form acting as an adverb, adjective or noun.)

Example:

To get the most out of the new data center, virtualize everything.

Use a comma after a very long introductory prepositional phrase or two or more introductory prepositional phrases.

Examples:

In a data center featuring a large network of servers and storage devices, you need to conduct frequent load testing.
In a busy office or in an academic setting, you want to get the best results in the least time.

The comma can be omitted after a short introductory prepositional phrase as long as clarity isn’t sacrificed.

Examples:

By now you probably know what to expect. [The meaning is clear.]
Between each test, change the parameters. [The comma is necessary to prevent misreading.]

Use a comma after exclamations and introductory words such as yes, no, oh, well and why.

Examples:

Yes, IT can help you with that issue.
Oh, we also provide free returns if you need them.

To set off nonessential phrases and clauses and other interrupters

Commas are used to set off many different kinds of nonessential phrases and clauses and other words that “interrupt” the main point of a sentence. Note that em dashes and parentheses may instead be used for many of these functions. (See also “Em dash” and “Parentheses” below.)

A nonessential (or nonrestrictive) phrase or clause is one that could be omitted without changing the general meaning of the sentence. It provides supplementary information that should always be set off with commas. An essential (or restrictive) phrase or clause is one that could not be omitted without changing the general meaning of the sentence. It “restricts” the meaning of the word it modifies, and commas should never separate it from that word.

Examples:

The compact unit, which fits almost anywhere, can replace your printer, scanner, copier and fax machine. [The which clause is nonessential; it could be omitted.]
To get the best value, choose a printer that includes multiple functions. [The that clause is essential; it couldn’t be omitted without changing the meaning because it tells exactly what kind of printer.]

An appositive is a word or phrase that renames a noun. A nonessential (or nonrestrictive) appositive should be set off with commas. An essential (or restrictive) appositive should not be set off with commas.

Examples:

OpenManage, an industry‐leading portfolio of server management technologies, is a key differentiator. [The appositive gives supplementary information about OpenManage and thus isn’t essential.]
The server management portfolio OpenManage is a key differentiator. [OpenManage is essential because it tells which server management portfolio.]

Use commas to set off words used in direct address.

Example:

Thank you, team.

Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions. Common examples of parenthetical expressions include after all, for example, of course, therefore, and however. Note that some words commonly used as parenthetical expressions can also be used other ways, as in the last example below.

Examples:

In fact, Gartner named SailPoint a leader in identity governance for six years in a row.
Data security, for example, is crucial in the healthcare industry.
Data security, however, is only one concern among many. [However is parenthetical.]
However you choose a services provider, make sure you consider mobile security. [However is not parenthetical.]

Use commas to set off contrasting expressions introduced by the word not.

Example:

You want the solution deployed in days, not weeks.

Other conventional uses

As a matter of convention, commas are also used in certain other situations — for example, in long numbers, addresses and dates.

Examples:

$12,500
Austin, TX 78726
March 14, 2020

Note that a comma is not needed when the day precedes the month or no day is given.

Examples:

14 March 2018 [not 14 March, 2018]
March 2018 [not March, 2018]

Other erroneous uses

Every comma you use should be justifiable. If there is no rule requiring a particular comma — and the meaning of the sentence is clear without it — don’t use it. Don’t insert commas simply because you feel a pause is warranted at the point of insertion. Common comma errors include using a single comma between a subject and its verb and using a single comma between a verb and its object.

Incorrect: The server management portfolio OpenManage, is a key differentiator.
Correct: The server management portfolio OpenManage is a key differentiator.

Semicolon

Between independent clauses

The main function of the semicolon is to link closely related independent clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction. Such clauses are often similar in content, structure or both.

Example:

Our approach can accommodate any hardware platform and any hypervisor platform; this flexibility allows your organization to use its existing hardware assets.

Note that the first word of the second clause is not capitalized unless it’s a proper noun.

A semicolon is often used when the second independent clause begins with a conjunctive adverb (for example, however, thus, moreover, nevertheless) or transitional expression. You don’t have to use a semicolon in such cases, though. The clauses can always be separated by a period instead.

Examples:

Lower costs may motivate your organization to consider SaaS; however, make sure you understand the tradeoffs.
Lower costs may motivate your organization to consider SaaS. However, make sure you understand the tradeoffs.

A semicolon is also sometimes used (instead of a comma) between especially long, complex independent clauses, even if they are joined by a coordinating conjunction. It’s often best in such cases, however, to turn the independent clauses into separate sentences. Shorter, straightforward sentences are easier on the reader.

Original: One reason for leasing equipment is to reduce maintenance costs and downtime associated with servicing and replacing older equipment; and another is to provide your workforce with the latest technology.
Revision: One reason for leasing equipment is to reduce maintenance costs and downtime associated with servicing and replacing older equipment. Another reason is to provide your workforce with the latest technology.

In a series

Another conventional use of semicolons is to separate elements in a running list when any of the elements include internal commas. Again, though, it’s best to avoid such complicated sentences. Instead, consider formatting the items in a bulleted list.

Original: In a third contract, the State Department plans to replace antiquated telephone systems and computers essential for classified and unclassified processing, both domestically and at 285 overseas embassies and consulates; provide technological improvements to the Department of State Mobile
Computing platform; increase the number of employees that have mobile access; and ensure continuity of operations for such services as processing passport and visa applications.

Revision: In a third contract, the State Department plans to do the following:

Replace antiquated telephone systems and computers essential for classified and unclassified processing, both domestically and at 285 overseas embassies and consulates
Provide technological improvements to the Department of State Mobile Computing platform Increase the number of employees that have mobile access
Ensure continuity of operations for such services as processing passport and visa applications

Erroneous uses

Correct usage of the semicolon is limited to the situations described above. Do not use a semicolon in place of a colon, dash or comma for parenthetical information or emphasis. Such mistakes are common.

Incorrect: CIOs and business managers should ask themselves how their organization will ultimately benefit from modernization; keeping in mind the timeline for return on investment.
Correct: CIOs and business managers should ask themselves how their organization will ultimately benefit from modernization — keeping in mind the timeline for return on investment.

Colon

To draw attention to what follows

Use a colon to introduce a bulleted list. Also use a colon to introduce a list in running text if what precedes the list is grammatically complete. See Lists (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐lists/) for specifics, including examples.

Use a colon to introduce a long quotation, especially one that includes multiple sentences. As with a list, ensure that what precedes the quotation is grammatically complete.

Example:

Mark spoke about SailPoint: “Creating a great company doesn’t happen by accident. It takes leadership and focus from the top, an innovative work environment that attracts the best talent in the industry, and a collective passion to solve customer problems.”

Use a colon between independent clauses when the second clause is an explanation or restatement of the first clause.

Example:

The reason is simple: We are committed to anticipating, rather than responding to, environmental issues.

Note that the first word after a colon is capitalized. This differs from the capitalization following a semicolon. (See above.)

Other conventional uses

The colon has other conventional uses, many of which are not likely to come up in SailPoint content. Some are, including the following:

Use a colon between the hour and the minute in clock times. See also Time

Example:

7:30 a.m.

Use a colon between a title and subtitle.

Example:

Direct from SailPoint: New Technologies That Revolutionize Identity Governance

Hyphen

In compound modifiers

Hyphenate a compound adjective when it precedes the noun it modifies. Such hyphens aid readability and speed comprehension, which is especially beneficial in web copy because readers often merely scan.

Examples:

best‐selling systems three‐day sale
first‐rate support blue‐green laptop
case up‐to‐date information
small‐business owner

Some exceptions and further details follow:

Do not use a hyphen if one of the modifiers is an adverb ending in ‐ly.

Correct: brightly lit display
Incorrect: brightly‐lit display

Do not use a hyphen with measurement compounds if the unit of measure is abbreviated.

Correct: 12.7‐millimeter tray
Incorrect: 12.7‐mm tray
Correct: 12.7 mm tray

Do not use a hyphen if the compound modifier is a proper noun.

Correct: SailPoint Services rollout
Incorrect: SailPoint‐Services rollout

Do not use a hyphen unless the compound is truly functioning as a modifier and precedes the noun.

Correct: three‐day sale
Incorrect: The sale lasts for three‐days.
Correct: The sale lasts for three days.

Certain other compounds can also remain unhyphenated, such as noun‐noun compounds (data center solutions) and adjective‐noun compounds that have become so common that they would never be a stumbling block for readers (high school student, real estate agent). Such compounds are not incorrect hyphenated, but they can remain unhyphenated if handled consistently.

Certain classes of compound modifiers, however, should always be hyphenated. These include compounds that include a verbal (best‐selling systems), number‐noun compounds (three‐day sale, first‐ rate support — but note the exceptions above for abbreviated units and percentages), color compounds (blue‐green laptop case), multiword compounds (up‐to‐date information), and any compound that could be misread (small‐business owner — without the hyphen, small business owner could refer to a business owner who is small). When in doubt, unless a hyphen would violate one of the rules above, include the hyphen for greater clarity.

In fractions and numbers

Use a hyphen in most simple fractions. See also Fractions and Percentages

Example:

three‐fourths

When spelling out numbers from twenty‐one to ninety‐nine, use a hyphen. Note, however, that SailPoint style is generally to use numerals for 10 and above. See Numbers (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐numbers/) for specifics.

With prefixes

Although SailPoint style is generally to close up words formed with prefixes, a hyphen is called for in certain situations and with certain prefixes. See Prefixes and Suffixes

Example:

post‐2012

In other compound words/terms

Some compounds words are hyphenated. Others are open if they’re not being used as a compound modifier before a noun. And others are hyphenated regardless of how they are being used in a sentence. Generally speaking, compound words evolve from being open to being hyphenated to being closed up as a single word. To determine whether a compound word is open, hyphenated or closed, check the dictionary.

Suspensive hyphenation

When the second part of a hyphenated compound is omitted, include the hyphen and insert a space after it.

Examples:

pre‐ and post‐IPO
right‐ and left‐handed users

Other erroneous uses

Beyond incorrect hyphenation of compounds, the most common hyphen‐related error is using a hyphen when an en dash or em dash is called for.

Incorrect: We offer a broad range of services – from a simple online tool that lets you manage images yourself to imaging specialists who provide on‐site assistance.
Correct: We offer a broad range of services — from a simple online tool that lets you manage images yourself to imaging specialists who provide onsite assistance.
Incorrect: 2‐3 pounds
Correct: 2–3 pounds

En dash

To mean “to”

Use an en dash (–) to mean “to” in numeric ranges, such as dates, times and measurements. The en dash signifies “up to and including.” Note that there should be no space on either side of the en dash.

Examples:

2009–2011
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
2–3 pounds

For parallelism, do not use a dash if you use from or between before the range.

Incorrect: The sale lasts from 8 a.m.–11 a.m.
Correct: The sale lasts from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Correct: The sale hours are 8 a.m.–11 a.m.
Incorrect: Call between 8 a.m.–11 a.m.
Correct: Call between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

You can also use an en dash to mean “to” in certain other contexts, such as directions.

Example:

an Austin–Chicago flight

With prefixes and compound modifiers

You can also use an en dash with prefixes and compound modifiers when one element of the expression is an open compound, such as a proper noun. (Note: Never add hyphens to a proper noun.) The en dash signals a stronger linkage than the hyphen, which suggests a linkage between only the words it connects. Because this distinction is likely to be lost on most readers, it’s often best to rephrase instead.

Examples:

pre–Orkus acquisition [or, better: before the Orkus acquisition]
the Austin–based company [or, better: the company, based in Austin]

Other conventional uses

The en dash is sometimes used as a minus sign. When an actual minus sign character is available, as it is in Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign, use the minus sign. Otherwise, an en dash is preferable to a hyphen if the en dash, but not the minus sign, is available.

The en dash is also used in the names of certain universities that have more than one campus.

Example:

the University of Wisconsin–Madison

Instead of the hyphen

When possible, use an en dash — not a hyphen — for the situations described in this section. If the en dash symbol is not available or will not display properly in the type of content you are creating, use a hyphen instead. See above.

Em dash

For emphasis

Use em dashes (—) to signal an emphatic pause or change in a sentence, whether in the middle of a sentence or at the very end. If at the end, only one dash is necessary. Note that there should be a space before and after an em dash.

Example:

We offer a broad range of services — from a simple online tool that lets you manage images yourself to imaging specialists who provide on‐site assistance.

A comma or colon could have been used in the example above, but the dash provides stronger emphasis.

To set off nonessential information

Nonessential information is information than can be omitted from a sentence without altering the sentence’s meaning. It is usually supplementary but not crucial. Use em dashes to set off such nonessential information when you desire a strong break.

Example:

Setting up a business intranet — a private website that can be seen only by people in your company — is a good way to improve access to information, share resources and reduce costs.

Commas or parentheses could have been used in the example above, but the dashes provide a stronger break and help emphasize the supplementary information.

Dashes or parentheses, not commas, should also be used when the nonessential information is a list that contains commas.

Example:

The accessories available for your PC — keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer and so forth — range from essential to highly specialized.

For source attribution

Use an em dash with the source of a quotation when including such attribution immediately after the quotation.

Example:

“Creating a great company doesn’t happen by accident. It takes leadership and focus from the top, an innovative work environment that attracts the best talent in the industry, and a collective passion to solve customer problems.”

— Mark McClain

To indicate a pause or trailing thought

You can also use an em dash to indicate a pause in speech or a thought that trails away, incomplete.

Example:

“There are malicious websites, viruses, Trojans, spyware, spam —” he began, noting the many threats to internet security.

Ellipsis points (…) could have been used in the example above, but a dash is often better in quoted material because it can’t be misconstrued as indicating an omission.

Instead of hyphens

When possible, use em dashes — not hyphens — for the situations described in this section. If the em dash symbol is not available or will not display properly in the type of content you are creating, use double hyphens (‐ ‐) instead. See above.

Apostrophe

In contractions

Use an apostrophe to show where letters, numbers or words have been omitted to form a contraction.

Examples:

you’re [short for you are]
we’ve [short for we have]
the ’80s [short for the 1980s]

In possessives

Use an apostrophe to form the possessive case of most nouns. For detailed guidance on whether to add an s, see Possessives (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐possessives/).

Examples:

Microsoft’s newest operating system
The business’s focus
The engineers’ assessment
Mark’s speech
Sara Jones’ idea

Exception: Do not use an apostrophe to form possessive personal or interrogative pronouns.

my, mine, our, ours your, yours
the engineers’ assessment
his, her, hers, its, their, theirs whose

In plurals

In most cases, do not use an apostrophe to form plurals — even the plurals of most acronyms and initialisms.

Incorrect: These network switch’s provide support for power‐dependent network technologies.
Correct: These network switches provide support for power‐dependent network technologies.
Incorrect: Three CIO’s presented at the conference.
Correct: Three CIOs presented at the conference.

However, use an apostrophe to form the plural of an abbreviation that includes periods, and use an apostrophe to form the plural of single letters.

Examples:

Three Ph.D.’s presented at the conference.
SailPoint based its strategy on the four I’s: innovation, integrity, impact, and individuals.

Quotation marks

Double versus single

Universally in American practice and in some British publications, direct quotations and certain other words and phrases, such as titles, are set in double quotation marks. If quoted material appears within another quotation, the innermost quotation is enclosed in single quotation marks.

Example:

The speaker said, “I read the book ’Leadership Is an Art.’”

Many British publications reverse the order, with single quotation marks used for quotations, titles and so forth and double quotation marks reserved for quotations within quotations.

Placement of punctuation

Similarly, these guidelines recommend what is commonly considered the American practice in placing other punctuation relative to quotation marks. Commas and periods are usually placed inside closing quotation marks because of aesthetic concerns, simplicity and long‐accepted convention. Dashes, semicolons, colons, question marks and exclamation points, however, are placed inside closing quotation marks only if they are part of the quoted material. Otherwise, they are placed outside the closing quotation marks, serving their function within the sentence as a whole.

Examples:

I read “Leadership Is an Art.”
I read “Leadership Is an Art,” but it was several years ago.
He asked, “Have you read that book?
Isn’t it subtitled “Strategies That Revolutionized an Industry”?

An exception is when quotation marks enclose words or characters that a user must enter exactly. In such cases, place all punctuation outside the closing quotation mark, or recast the sentence so that the quoted material does not fall near a punctuation mark. Note, however, that the use of boldface is generally preferred to quotation marks for this function. (See User Interface and Support Text (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐user/).)

Examples:

In the search box, type “servers” or “storage”
Type “servers” or “storage” in the search box.

Long quotations

When a quotation spans multiple paragraphs, do not use a closing quotation mark at the end of the first paragraph. However, do add another opening quotation mark at the start of the second paragraph. Add the final closing quotation mark when the entire quotation is complete.

Example:

Michael Dell once said this in a University of Texas commencement speech: “The key is to listen to your heart and let it carry you in the direction of your dreams. I’ve learned that it’s possible to set your sights high and achieve your dreams and do it with integrity, character and love. And each day that you’re moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are, you’re winning. Look around you. At a school this size, with an international reputation for greatness, you might think of yourself as just a number. However, I recommend that you choose the number 1.

“I’ve talked today about a journey, one that each of us travels. Often we travel together, as all of you have during your time at UT. But in the end, it’s your journey. Your path to travel and your responsibilities along the way. You are free to choose, and you are free to succeed. It just takes hard work and a dream. Most who finally leave this great university never imagine that they’re going to change the world. Yet every one of you will. How you change the world is all up to you to decide.”

Quotation marks are not required in long excerpts, but it should always be clear (via source attribution) when third‐party content appears in SailPoint communications. Quotation marks are also not required in dialogue that follows a Q‐and‐A format.

For titles

Use quotation marks for the titles of compositions that require special treatment — for example, books, movies, articles, albums, songs, radio and TV shows, radio and TV episodes, and works of art. Do not use italics for titles.

Examples:

He mentioned reading the book “Leadership Is an Art.”
The preinstalled movies include “Spider‐Man 3.”

No special treatment — beyond appropriate capitalization — is required for the titles of games (including computer games), software, magazines, newspapers and websites (though titled blog posts should be treated like articles, with the title enclosed in quotation marks).

Examples:

Mass Effect 3 came out on March 6.
The new strategy was featured in a Wall Street Journal article.
Mark Ferrentino wrote the guest blog post “SaaS, Service Delivery, and the Public Sector” on the corporate blog.

To indicate sarcasm or irony

Another common function of quotation marks is to indicate special usage of a word, such as ironic or sarcastic (nonliteral) usage. This use is discouraged in SailPoint content, however, be aware of this function when deciding whether to enclose a word in quotation marks. You may inadvertently convey a sarcastic tone or suggest an inappropriate meaning.

Incorrect: Presidents Day “sale” [The quotation marks are unnecessary and suggest that the sale isn’t really a sale.]
Correct: Presidents Day sale

For words as words and letters as letters

Use quotation marks, not italics, to indicate words used as words or letters used as letters. If a letter must be pluralized, do not use quotation marks.

Examples:

The use of the word “partner” does not imply a legal partnership.
the letter “C”
the three C’s

Erroneous usage

Never use quotation marks merely for emphasis. Doing so — because of their other common uses — can lead to unintended interpretations. For example, see “To indicate sarcasm or irony” above. If emphasis is necessary, use boldface or italics as appropriate. See Typographical Styles

Parentheses (or “brackets” in the U.K.)

To set off nonessential information

Use parentheses to set off supplementary information of minor importance.

Example:

Shared web hosting is inexpensive (about £5 a month) and suitable for most new and low‐traffic websites.

Commas and dashes can also be used to set off nonessential information. In fact, it’s best to use commas or dashes in most cases unless the information is of very minor importance or fits one of the specialized descriptions below (acronyms, measurement conversions, time zone offsets and processor descriptions). See also “Comma” and “Em dash” above.

When using parentheses, note that the enclosed information should begin with a lowercase letter when it’s in the middle of a sentence — even if the enclosed information could be a grammatically complete sentence — unless the first word is a proper noun. And it should not include a period in such cases. It can include a question mark or exclamation point, if necessary, though exclamation points should be used sparingly.

Examples:

Shared web hosting is inexpensive (it’s about £5 a month) and suitable for most new and low‐traffic websites.
Shared web hosting is inexpensive (it’s only £5 a month!) and suitable for most new and low‐traffic webs.
Shared web hosting is inexpensive (doesn’t it start around £5 a month?) and suitable for most new and low‐traffic websites.

If the parenthetical information is a grammatically complete sentence (or sentences) and does not fall in the middle of another sentence, you should capitalize the first word and include a period. The period goes inside the closing parenthesis.

Example:

Shared web hosting is inexpensive and suitable for most new and low‐traffic websites. (The cost of shared web hosting starts at £5 a month.)

With acronyms

Use parentheses to enclose an acronym you wish to introduce after first spelling out the term. See Abbreviations (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐abbreviations/) for specifics and examples.

With measurement conversions

Use parentheses to enclose a measurement conversion (metric or U.S. customary) given after a measurement. See Measurement and Units (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ measurement/) for specifics and examples.

With time zone offsets

Use parentheses to enclose a UTC or GMT time offset given after a local time. See Time (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐time/) for specifics and examples.

With processor descriptions

Use parentheses to enclose processor descriptions (speed, cache and so forth) in line lists for MDA compliance. See “’Line lists’ and MDA compliance” — in Lists (/copywriting‐ style‐guide‐lists/) for specifics and examples.

Square brackets

Use square brackets to insert explanatory material into a quotation or words to make a quotation grammatically complete.

Examples:

“We have a customer in China called Tencent [an internet service portal] that has 650 million customers, serving millions of cell phone users. Through them, we participate in the internet‐in‐ your‐pocket trend. We’ve sold them enormous numbers of servers.”
“I had and still have a great interest in computers. There was a business opportunity [with] this product that I realy liked, and it all kind of lined up together.”

Otherwise, avoid the use of square brackets in regular text. Square brackets are also sometimes used to enclose parenthetical material within other parenthetical material (in parentheses), but you’re usually better off rewriting if you must use square brackets in this way.

Ellipsis points

For omission in the middle of a sentence

Use ellipsis points to indicate the omission of words from a quotation.

Example:

“Recognize that there will be … obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, for there is very little learning in success. Whether you’ve found your calling, or if you’re still searching, passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work.”

For omission at the beginning or end of a sentence

If the words omitted fall at the beginning of a sentence in the quotation, the preceding sentence should still include its end punctuation (usually a period). What follows should still be a grammatically complete sentence — otherwise, rethink your elision

— and begin with a capital letter. It is not necessary to place the capital letter in brackets, even if it’s lowercase in the original. Capitalization, along with the correct use of ellipsis points, constitutes a permissible change.

Example:

“Recognize that there will be failures, and acknowledge that there will be obstacles. … There is very little learning in success. Whether you’ve found your calling, or if you’re still searching, passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work.”

Likewise, if the words omitted fall at the end of a sentence in the quotation, the sentence — which should still be grammatically complete — should include its end punctuation (usually a period).

Example:

“Recognize that there will be failures. … But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, for there is very little learning in success. Whether you’ve found your calling, or if you’re still searching, passion should be the fire that drives your life’s work.”

If the words omitted fall at the very beginning or very end of your quotation, or both, it’s not necessary to use ellipsis points at all.

Example:

“Acknowledge that there will be obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes.”

To indicate a pause or trailing thought

You can also use ellipsis points to indicate a pause in speech or a thought that trails away, incomplete.

Example:

There are many threats to internet security: malicious websites, viruses, Trojans, spyware, spam …

If such a pause or trailing though appears in quoted material that might include omissions, consider using an em dash instead of ellipsis points. See “Em dash” above.

Do not include spaces between the periods.

Note the spacing around the ellipsis points in all of the examples above. Whether you use the ellipsis character or must use three periods, include a space on either side of an ellipsis. But do not include a space before the period at the end of a sentence preceding an ellipsis.

Erroneous uses

Do not use ellipsis points to introduce a list, a table or other content preceded by an introductory statement. Use a colon instead.

Incorrect: Druva inSync addresses the following problems
Correct: Druva inSync addresses the following problems:

Ampersand

In general, avoid using the ampersand symbol (&) to mean “and” in body copy, both in print and online. It is not universally recognized and causes translation issues. Do use the symbol when it’s part of the official name of a product or organization, however.

Examples:

Office Home & Student
Texas A&M University

The ampersand is also acceptable in headings and in online banners. When the ampersand is used in a web page title, in‐text links to the page may also contain the symbol.

Slash

The slash (/) — or forward slash, virgule or solidus — is used to express alternatives or indicate joint roles or functions. It also has other specialized uses.

To express alternatives

Use the slash judiciously as an informal way of expressing alternatives. If spelling out “or” makes sense, it is often best to do so.

Examples:

an either/or situation
his/her [better: his or her]
and/or

It is acceptable to use and/or when necessary for clarity but note that or alone will often suffice.

To indicate joint roles or functions

Use the slash to indicate that something has two key functions or that somebody has dual roles.

Examples:

the on/off button
our secretary/treasurer

In many such expressions, a hyphen may also be used. (See also “Hyphen” above.)

Other conventional uses

The slash is also used in numerical (non‐spelled‐out) fractions, in certain measurement abbreviations to express rates, in numerical dates and in URLs. For examples, see see Fractions and Percentages (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐fractions/), Abbreviations (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ abbreviations/), Dates (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐dates/) and Links and URLs (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ links/).

Format Typically, there is no space on either side of a slash. Include a space before and after only if the slash is separating open compounds. In such cases, the spaces can prevent misreading.

Examples:

either/or
Small and Medium Business / Public and Large Enterprise

Degree symbol

When using the degree symbol for temperatures, whether degrees Fahrenheit or degrees Celsius, do not include a space between the numeral and the degree symbol. This is different from the SI convention — observed in much non‐English content — of spacing the Celsius symbol/abbreviation similarly to other metric abbreviations.

Examples:

32°F, 112°C

Currency symbols

In general, when a symbol (rather than a letter abbreviation) denotes a currency, do not include a space between the numeral and symbol.

Examples:

$399, £579, €479

Also see Currency (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐currency/).

Sailing References

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines. By following certain techniques, online content creators can increase a site’s search ranking — how highly it appears in a list of search results. But the key is to strive not only for high search engine rankings but for accurate, relevant results.

We want web users to easily find high‐quality SailPoint.com content that’s relevant to their searches. Following proven SEO strategies can make this happen — and directly affect readership and revenue. SEO is so important that other rules of usage and consistency recommended in this guide will sometimes be violated for search purposes. Ideally, undesirable variations will be hidden in search elements that are less customer facing, such as image alt text, but that will not always be possible.

Some basic search guidelines follow. See “Additional SEO resources” below for a link to the more in‐depth Search Wiki and other helpful search tools.

SEO best practices

Speak your audience’s language

Use simple, everyday language. Target search intent and customer benefit. Use locally searched terms and phrases. And avoid internal SailPoint acronyms and jargon. See also Language Use/Word Choice

Write for people, not bots

Write naturally — not forced. Don’t overload your copy with search terms in an artificial way. (Don’t “spam.”)

Be unique

Avoid duplication. Make titles, descriptions and content unique to a given page.

Be focused

Tightly focused content better enables search engines to match pages to search queries. See also Paragraphs

Be indexable

Ensure that key messages can be crawled — that they’re rendered in basic HTML. Content embedded in images, videos, Ajax and Flash generally won’t be indexed. If necessary, use an alternative crawlable path.

Redirect expired pages

Permanently “301” redirect old pages to suitable new ones.

Page elements and their SEO purpose

Primary targeted keywords

These match most search queries. Use the one to three most commonly and locally searched terms/phrases that are descriptive of the page. Use them everywhere — from titles, headings and content through to URLs, image alt text and filenames.

Secondary supporting keywords

These match additional search queries. Use them to supplement primary keywords with common synonyms, spelling variations, acronyms and English for non‐English sites.

Browser title

The browser title is heavily weighted. It’s the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) link and appears in the browser frame. The browser title can be a maximum of 60 characters long and cannot include slashes or symbols. It should be unique to a page. Include the page’s one to three primary keywords in the browser title, but don’t overstuff. Clearly and succinctly describe the product or key customer benefit (for example, “durable,” “lightweight”).

Page title

The page title is also weighted by search engines. Ensure the same or similar treatment as in browser title. However, popular keyword variation is beneficial.

Headings

Headings are also weighted by search engines. Ensure that they are keyword‐rich and descriptive of their section’s content. See also Headlines and Subheads

Meta description

The meta description should be a keyword‐rich blurb describing the page. It’s displayed in SERP to compel a click‐through. It should be a minimum of 50 characters and a maximum of 155 characters — in one to two easy‐to‐scan sentences that compellingly describe the page. Within the first 65 characters, include the page’s one to three primary keywords and purchase‐related call to action. And ensure that the meta description is unique to the page.

Body content

Search engines judge page content for quality, value and relevance to search queries. Use primary and secondary keywords throughout, but in a natural way (no spam). Ensure that there is one focused topic per page — with no duplicated content — and that the body content is at least 200 words long. Also ensure that the content contains a call to action if the content is along a learn, purchase or support path. Key messages and links must be indexable — not embedded in images, video, Flash or image PDFs. Include keywords in emphasized text, such as boldface text and bulleted or numbered lists.

Links

Links should pass “link equity” to boost rankings. Include only useful links — neither too many nor too few — and avoid unnecessary repetition. Place links within paragraphs of text; don’t use JavaScript or bury them in Flash.

Link anchor text

Link anchor text is the clickable text displayed as the link. It is heavily weighted by search engines. It should be a two‐ to four‐word phrase that is descriptive of the location to which it links. For example, use primary keywords from the linked‐to page’s browser title. Do not use generic phrases like “click here” or “more info.” Note that some variation is permissible and beneficial in link text leading to the same page.

Image alt text

Search engines read and index image alt text (the text displayed when you mouse over an image in older browsers). In alt text, accurately describe the image with targeted keywords that are unique to the image. (Note that including “SailPoint” is not necessary.) Do not stuff with keywords or copy and paste entire sentences unnecessarily. It’s OK, however, to use the full message in the alt text of banners. When using an image as a link, apply the guidelines above for link anchor text to your image alt text. Image alt text is also a place to include popularly searched terms that are best avoided in the main page copy — spelling variations, jargon and so forth.

Filenames

Search engines read and index filenames. Make your filenames keyword‐rich, and separate words with hyphens, not underscores. But don’t overstuff the filename. Name product images thus: product category‐brandname‐modelname‐size.png. (Don’t add “SailPoint.”)

Images, PDFs and Videos

Images, PDFs and videos can accentuate your page and offer additional search‐ ranking opportunities. To derive SEO benefit, be sure they are contextually placed and have descriptive file names and that there is related text nearby on the page. Also ensure that images are properly formatted for web use.

URL

Search engines read and index URLs. Use primary keywords with hyphen separators. Use only letters and numbers — no symbols.

JavaScript, Ajax and Flash

JavaScript, Ajax and Flash cannot be crawled. For content that should be indexed, be sure to provide alternative crawlable content and links.

Meta keywords

Meta keywords are of negligible value. Though they are only minimally weighted, use primary keywords and variations, which are valuable for audits.

Spelling

Dictionary usage

To determine the correct spelling of a word, do a search in this style guide first. If the word is not found, consult a dictionary and use the first or standard spelling. Refer to Merriam‐Webster for U.S. spellings and the Oxford Dictionary of English for U.K. spellings.

Use Oxford as a resource only for U.K. spelling with regard to the letters used. For hyphenation and style concerns, refer to Merriam‐Webster.

TIP: Want an easy way to automatically check for correct U.K. spelling? Go to https://www.spellcheck.co.uk/

U.K. versus U.S. spelling

The spelling of certain words varies among the English‐speaking countries of the world. Though this is a broad simplification, the distinction is often framed as U.K. versus U.S. spellings — with Commonwealth nations generally following U.K. practice. Some of the many differences are exemplified in the following words:

U.K. spelling /U.S. spelling

afterwards/afterward
analyse/analyze
cancelled/canceled
centre/center
colour/color
fulfil/fulfill
practise/practice (v.)
programme/program (n., but program even in the U.K. for software)
sizeable/sizable

Style and Tone

Style

Content in all SailPoint communications should be written simply and clearly. Try to get to the point fast and avoid long, complex sentences. Short sentences and small paragraphs help users scan the page to quickly find the information they need.

Because web content will have fewer words than its print equivalent, make the words you choose count. Avoid confusing jargon and idioms. Know your audience. While use of some technical jargon is acceptable for deeper/consideration-stage content, conversational wording should be used for higher level/awareness-stage content aimed at both a technical and non-technical audience.

TIP: Want to know whether your content is conversational? Read it aloud to see if it sounds like something you would say to a friend who knows nothing about identity governance.

For more guidance, see Language Use/Word Choice and Paragraphs

Tone

Users respond to content both intellectually and emotionally. A stiff, formal tone creates emotional distance, while an overly hyped‐up tone lessens credibility and cheapens the company brand.

The middle ground is a genuine, honest and transparent voice and tone that encourage a stronger, more positive connection to SailPoint. Customers have learned to spot insincerity. That’s why it’s important to write content that:

Sounds as natural and conversational as possible
Presents information without using jargon
Focuses on the customer rather than SailPoint
Avoids overstatements and exaggeration
Conveys enthusiasm with honesty and transparency

Time

Basic format

Give times in term of the 12‐hour clock, not the 24‐hour clock.

Use numerals to indicate times except for noon and midnight. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight, rather than 12 p.m. and 12 a.m., which are not as immediately clear to readers and are not technically correct. When using noon and midnight, avoid the redundant 12 noon and 12 midnight.

Use the abbreviations a.m. and p.m. — lowercase, with periods — to indicate before noon and after noon, respectively, whenever the time could be ambiguous otherwise. Include a space between the numeral and the abbreviation.

It is not necessary to include minutes (:00) with on‐the‐hour times but do include them when necessary for consistency with other times.

Examples:

noon [not 12 p.m. or 12 noon]
midnight [not 12 a.m. or 12 midnight]
3 p.m. [not three o’clock, 3 P.M., 3P.M., 3PM or 3pm]
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. [not 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.]

Time zones

Include the relevant time zone abbreviation whenever necessary for clarity. (For a list of American time zone abbreviations, see “Months, days and time of day” in Abbreviations (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ abbreviations/).) The time zone abbreviation, which should be capitalized and should not include periods, follows a.m. or p.m. and need not be set in parentheses.

Note that the S and D in three‐letter American time zone designations (such as CST and CDT) stand for Standard and Daylight, respectively. Thus, the abbreviations with D are correct when and where daylight saving time is being observed, and the abbreviations with S are correct during the rest of the year and always in those locations that don’t observe daylight saving time. If you would like a time reference to be accurate year‐round, use the two‐letter forms instead. In online banners, always use the two‐letter form.

If you are creating content for a global audience, consider including a GMT or UTC offset with the time zone for maximum clarity. When doing so, place the GMT or UTC offset in parentheses after the local time zone. Style the offset as an abbreviation followed by a plus sign or minus sign (en dash) followed by a numeral — no spaces.

Examples:

8 a.m. ET
7:30 a.m. CT (UTC–6)
10:30 a.m. IST (UTC+5:30)
May 7 at 8 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET)

Trademarks

The following are trademarks of SailPoint Technologies, Inc. They should be capitalized as shown below.

SailPoint Technologies & Design
SailPoint
IdentityIQ
IdentityNow
IdentityAI
AccessIQ
Identity Cube
Managing the Business of Identity
SecurityIQ
Identity is Everything
The Power of Identity
SailPoint Predictive Identity: Use SailPoint Predictive Identity™ on first instance. You can continue to use SailPoint Predictive Identity or Predictive Identity in subsequent instances on the same page

If you need more guidance on trademark usage, please email SailPoint Legal.

Correct use of trademarks

In general, apply the appropriate trademark symbol (typically ®, ™ or SM) to the first or most prominent in‐text reference to a trademarked term in a document or on a web page. The ® symbol indicates that a mark is registered with a national authority, such as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The others indicate that the user or another party is claiming trademark status but that the mark may or may not be officially registered. For certain trademarks, an attribution statement naming the mark’s owner may be required in addition to, or instead of, a trademark symbol.

Avoid using trademark symbols in headings unless the trademarked term appears only in the heading. (Exception: Intel processor trademarks must be marked in the first appearance in an online heading as well as the first appearance in body text, as noted below.) Online, do not use trademark symbols in the masthead, image alt tags, link anchor text, browser titles or meta descriptions. Trademark symbols are not required in the text of online banners except in certain APJ countries and with the products of certain companies, noted below.

Use trademarks as adjectives, not nouns, in the first or most prominent reference (the reference marked with the appropriate symbol). This means, for example, that a trademarked product name should be followed by a general description of the product. Continue adjectival usage of the trademarked term where feasible.

Example: SailPoint Predictive Identity™

It is not necessary to use trademark symbols when a trademark that is also a company’s name is used as a noun to refer to the company rather than to a product or service of the company.

Example: “Google, Facebook and YouTube all have great deals and packages and can offer targeted marketing to niche groups,” Matthews advises.

Third‐party trademarks

Most third‐party trademarks should be marked according to the guidelines above, with a few notable exceptions: For Intel, Microsoft and AMD, use ™ or ® upon the first mention per product per document or web page. For Microsoft, the proper marks must also be included in online banners. (Note, however, that trademark symbols are no longer required with many Microsoft trademarks, such as Windows and Microsoft Office. See, for example, Microsoft Office (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐m/) and Windows 8 (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐w/) in the Usage List.) For Intel, the proper marks must also be included in online banners and with the first appearance in an online heading. The Corning Gorilla Glass trademarks must also be marked in online banners (Corning® Gorilla® Glass).

Example: Intel® Core™ and Intel® Celeron® processors

Certain third‐party trademarks may not need to be marked if the web page or document includes a statement about ownership of the relevant trademarks. This is the case, for example, with Intel processor trademarks on pages within the online product configurator.

The easiest way to determine whether a third‐party brand name is trademarked is to check the company’s website. If the brand name includes a trademark symbol on the company’s site or the site advises others to mark the name as a trademark, use the appropriate symbol — in accordance with the guidelines above — in SailPoint communications. The intranet site also includes some helpful information on the trademarks of particular companies.

Format and placement of trademark symbols

When the platform allows, use actual symbols to mark a trademark.

Trademark symbols immediately follow the trademarked term in most cases. If a trademark is required in a SailPoint.com page title, however, include a space between the term and the relevant symbol so that the term doesn’t lose its value as a search keyword. See also Search Engine Optimization

Note that ™ and SM are always superscript as symbols.

Typographical Styles

Boldface

Used sparingly, boldface text catches the reader’s attention and even aids reading comprehension. Too much boldface, however, has the opposite effect — it is difficult to read, hinders skimming and scanning, and leaves an unclear impression of what’s truly important.

Italics

There are several traditional uses for italics. Many books and magazines set some or all of the following in italic type: letters as letters, words as words, the titles of certain compositions, the names of periodical publications and media, the names of ships and spacecraft, foreign words, and the names of scientific species. Often, too, words are italicized simply for emphasis.

On SailPoint.com — and on most websites — it’s best to minimize the use of italics. It isn’t as easy to notice italic text online as it is on a page, making the special uses of italics less meaningful in online content.

Underscore

Do not use underscore (underlining) as a typographical style in SailPoint content, especially on SailPoint.com. Though underscore is sometimes used in print for emphasis or for composition titles, online readers will expect underlined text to be a link. (On SailPoint.com, links appear underlined when they are moused over.)

User Interface and Support Text

Brevity

Copy should be concise. This means short paragraphs with one main idea and short sentences with a single point to make. If your sentence contains words that can be omitted without changing the meaning or clarity of the sentence — modifiers, prepositional phrases and so forth — cut them.

Example: We’re here to help you diagnose and solve some of the hardware‐related performance issues you may be experiencing, including freezes, slowdowns and start‐up problems.

There’s a lot of unnecessary content here. Cutting “some of the” doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence. Likewise, listing a sampling of the problems one might be experiencing isn’t strictly necessary. If the customer is having issues, they’ll know it. If you must list a few examples, it’s better to bullet them out in a list following the opening paragraph.

Clear formatting

Content should be broken up and spaced out, or “chunked,” as much as possible. If it is formatted as a big block of text, the reader is burdened with skimming for key words.

Some good rules of thumb:

If a paragraph runs longer than four lines, it should be broken up into smaller paragraphs.
If a paragraph contains a list of more than two items divided by commas, consider breaking these items out into a bulleted list.

Consider how the copy will be placed on the page. Open spacing, bolded text and bullet points can make content easier for readers to skim and find relevant information.

Style and tone

Sentence structure

As mentioned above, avoid dense blocks of UI text. To keep sentences short and clear, use simple (single‐clause) sentences as much as possible. See Sentences (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ sentences/) for specifics on sentence structure.

Original: This test typically takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete, however it may take longer depending on your system configuration. [Not only is this a run‐on sentence, but the thought can be easily expressed in a single clause.]

Revision: This test typically takes 15–20 minutes to complete.

Verb usage, tense and voice

Use single‐word verbs instead of phrasal verbs whenever possible. Avoid modal verbs such as may, might, shall and should. Favor present tense over future tense.

Original: Click on the button.

Revision: Click the button.

Original: The instructions explain how you should complete the form.

Revision: The instructions explain how to complete the form.

Original: This test will take approximately 15 minutes.

Revision: This test takes about 15 minutes.

Avoid the passive voice. The active voice is more direct and engaging and less wordy. (See Voice (Active Versus Passive) (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐voice/).) Reserve the passive voice for sentences in which the doer is unknown or unimportant and for error messages in which the user, as the potential subject, might feel blamed for the error. Note that other rewrites are possible in the latter case. See also “Tone” below.

Original: The information can be entered in either field.

Revision: You can enter the information in either field.

Tone

Do not be overly technical when it’s not necessary. UI text is often written originally by engineers or designers who may assume that users share their level of knowledge. Aim to simplify. Use everyday language in lieu of technical terms and acronyms whenever possible.

Strive for an encouraging, user‐focused, objective tone. Strike the right balance: Avoid both the “machine” voice — “objective” need not mean “impersonal” — and the overly enthusiastic “sales rep” voice. Remember that you are writing for users. Give them the information they need to complete their goals as easily as possible, and write in a way that makes them feel empowered to do so. In error messages, avoid language that blames the user. Be helpful and affirming instead. See also Style and Tone.

Original: You probably pressed the wrong button.

Revision: Please press the Enter key.

Word choice

As mentioned above, use simple, everyday language. Strive for a low reading level so that online functionality and support are accessible to a wide audience. Avoid unnecessary adverbs and filler language and try to standardize terminology for a consistent experience with our content. Do not invent words or apply novel meanings to words. See also Language Use/Word Choice (/copywriting‐style‐guide‐ language/).

Referring to keyboard keys

When referring to simple keyboard keys, appropriate capitalization is sufficient. Do not boldface or otherwise highlight the key label. When multiple keys must be pressed at the same time, use the plus sign (+) between the two key labels, with no space on either side.

Examples:

Type IDN into the search box and press Enter.
Press Ctrl+Alt+Num – to create an em dash in Microsoft Word.

Voice (Active vs. Passive)

Voice refers to the relationship between a verb and its subject. In English, the voice of a verb is either active or passive. As much as possible, use the active voice in SailPoint communications.

Active voice

In an active construction, the subject of the verb is doing something. It performs the action of the verb.

Example: All of the students used the laptop.

Passive voice

In a passive construction, the subject of the verb isn’t doing anything. It receives the action of the verb.

Example: The laptop was used by all of the students.

Changing passive to active

Although there are situations when the passive voice is appropriate or necessary, the active voice is more direct and engaging. It is also generally less wordy than the passive voice and less likely to lead to dangling modifiers. And often, you can easily enough change a passive construction to an active one.

If the passive construction includes a “by” phrase — like the example above — simply rewrite the sentence with the object of the preposition (all of the students) as the new subject, and the old subject (the laptop) as a direct object.

Passive: The laptop was used by all of the students.

Active: All of the students used the laptop.

If the passive construction doesn’t include a “by” phrase, the performer of the action is probably not revealed. If you know it, can infer it or can reasonably use a nonspecific term (like somebody), consider doing so.

Passive: Your feedback is appreciated.

Active: We appreciate your feedback. Passive: The customer was helped.

Active: A representative helped the customer.

Passive: The data has been erased.

Active: Someone has erased the data.

Acceptable uses of the passive voice

As mentioned above, the passive voice is useful in some situations — for example, when you don’t know the performer of the action, you don’t want to reveal the performer of the action, or you wish to emphasize the receiver of the action.

Example: Lisa Jones, the former CEO, was elected chairman of the board. [It makes sense to emphasize who’s been elected, not who did the electing.]

You should also use the passive voice as necessary to avoid unsupported product claims.

Example: This new all‐in‐one system is designed to make your life easy. [There’s no guarantee that it will, and it would be awkward to introduce a different subject (the designers, engineers or whomever).