guidelines Content guidelines Primary audience: Product design and engineering. Purpose and scope In-product content connects people and transforms how they communicate and collaborate. In product UI, our voice is human — welcoming, grounded, empathetic, and enthusiastic — while tone adapts to the moment. This guide covers:

• Voice and tone principles for in-product copy
• Style mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, emphasis, formats, emojis)
• Accessibility, inclusion, and localization
• Vocabulary and terminology
• Reusable content patterns and before/after examples
• Evaluation criteria

Product teams should prioritize Spirited, Diligent, and Thoughtful in UI/UX copy. Voice Voice vs tone Voice isn’t what we write. It’s how we write. Voice is the consistent character across products. Tone is delivery — how that character adapts to context and situation. Product characteristics Dial up these three in UI/UX copy:

Characteristic	Description	TL;DR
Spirited	Enthusiastic. Energetic. Positive. Our voice is never static. Sure, we’re a touchstone for industry knowledge and innovation, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a laugh. We tell uplifting stories with relatable examples and wry humor. We’re excited about what we do and share that spirit.	If the moment is exciting, share it. Use dynamic language. Sneak in wry humor if it feels right. Write with passion.
Diligent	We speak with intention; every word serves a purpose. We’re consistent with terms and use research to make informed choices. Our language is clear and actionable, informative without being verbose. We know the stakes, so our approach is never careless.	Make every word count. Ensure users don’t get lost. Use clear, actionable language. Write with intention.
Thoughtful	We listen and learn. Customer needs and goals are a priority, and we strive to create an effortless experience. This means our voice is thoughtful, understanding, and inclusive. Our audience is global and diverse, so we use plain, everyday language, sticking to simple concepts and descriptions.	Use everyday words. Think about next steps. Write like chatting with a friend.

Voice contrasts Our voice is:

• Confident but not condescending
• Intelligent but not erudite
• Wry and cheeky but never goofy or obnoxious
• Empathetic rather than emotional
• Straightforward but not without personality
• Informative but not rambling
• Enthusiastic but not bubbly

Writing rules

1. Vary sentence structure — Mix short and long sentences; avoid monotonous rhythm.
2. Choose active voice — “The dog took the ball” not “The ball was taken by the dog.”
3. Simplify — Cut filler ruthlessly. Kill your darlings.
4. Remove jargon — When you’re part of an industry, it’s easy to forget not everyone understands, or cares about, the jargon you use daily. The best writing is understandable to anyone. No matter the topic, there’s almost always a simpler way to say it—find it.
5. Think about story — Even when writing a few sentences, think about the journey you’re taking readers on. Strive to build arcs. Does where you land make sense considering where you took off? Writing toward a bigger picture or story will make your copy easier to digest.
6. Mobile-first content thinking — Just like mobile-first design, content should also be crafted with small screens in mind. Designing content for smaller screens first encourages removing anything unnecessary, making the experience cleaner, simpler, and easier to navigate.

Tone Tone is all about delivery While our voice is unchanging, our tone changes across the experience. It adapts to the context and the situation—to the moment. So imagine throwing confetti during a complete system failure…Your system is broken. All is lost 🎉… or greeting new users with one-word responses… Sup… Doesn’t quite feel right. And since we’re not mind readers, pinpointing a user’s emotional state is a wild goose chase. Instead, it’s best to think deeply about what’s happening around them. Is the moment sensitive? Speak with an extra bit of compassion (that’s being thoughtful) and precision (that’s being diligent). It’s more art than science. Moment matrix Every message contains all characteristics, but delivery shifts by context. Use the moment to decide which to dial up.

Product moment	Message delivery	Spirited	Diligent	Thoughtful	Example
Impression	Enthusiastic, clear, welcoming	High	Low	Medium	Hi there. So great you’re here. We’ll do some amazing work together!
Crisis	Positive, direct, understanding	Low	High	Medium–high	Your trial ends Nov 14, 2023. After that, you’ll switch to a monthly subscription, but no worries, you can easily cancel or make changes anytime.
Instructional	Exciting, simple, conversational	Medium	High	Medium–high	Copy the link to share your Registration page, or click Continue if you’re not ready to spread the word just yet.
Achievement	Vibrant, open, supportive	Medium–high	Medium	Medium–high	Great job! Over 80% of your users met your goal. Ready to take it up a notch?

Tone is more than words Use illustration, color, type, sound, animation, and flow to convey tone — not words alone. Not us

• CPU overheating. Meeting performance has slowed.
• To ensure a smooth experience, please close any background applications that are not essential for your meeting.

This is us

• Your computer’s working overtime
• Close unneeded apps to keep your meeting running smoothly.

Empty state tone Two approaches, depending on need:

Type	When to use	Dial up	Guidance
Informative	Most often	Diligent, empathetic	Avoid negatives (“No…” or “You don’t have…”). Use descriptive headers. Explain the screen simply, like to a friend. Offer guidance or actions when possible.
Timely	Occasionally	Spirited, always improving	When guidance isn’t needed, create encouragement or excitement. Headers can be more abstract and punchy. Always tie back to the user’s context.

Style mechanics Capitalization Sentence case is the default casing for all products and platforms (Desktop, Mobile, Web, Room). Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. Exception: When using native Apple components, follow Apple capitalization standards, which use sentence, title, and all caps casing. Note: With Material 3, Android has moved to all sentence case. Android components will reflect this change as they get updated. Punctuation Periods

• Do: use periods at the end of full sentences in banner text, body text, linked text, URLs, errors, dialogs, tooltips, and field labels.
• Don’t: use periods in titles, headers, subtitles, subheaders, bullet points, checkboxes, radio buttons, hint text, or any text that is not a full sentence.

Ellipses

• Do: use ellipses to indicate in-process states, truncate when space is limited, or show that a menu option opens further choices (only when the copy does not include a verb).
• Don’t: use ellipses in tooltips, buttons, hyperlinks, or menu options that take immediate action.

Exclamation points Use sparingly — one per flow. Appropriate for onboarding and updates. Avoid in error messages, tooltips, and alerts. Apostrophes

• Do: use for possession.
• Don’t: use for plurality (e.g. “API’s”). Contractions are encouraged — they sound friendly and informal.

Commas Use commas in body-copy lists. For lists of three or more items, use the serial (Oxford) comma. If a sentence needs too many commas, split it into shorter sentences. Colons Use colons to format time, introduce lists of items or steps, and label elements (Contact info: +xxx-xxx-xxx). Capitalize the word after a colon in a list on a separate line; in running sentences, capitalize only proper nouns after the colon. Emphasis Emphasis uses formatting and type symbols to add personality and clarity. Bold

• Do: highlight key points and refer to labels or directions without quotation marks.
• Don’t: overuse bold or rely on bold alone to convey meaning — the message must be clear without it.

Emojis Emojis are small, digital expressions representing many things, including objects, people, actions, and ideas. Emojis are now a widely recognized aspect of digital language. When used correctly, they can:

• Support message meaning
• Set a playful tone
• Be enjoyable to users

In product UI, use emojis deliberately, intentionally, and sparingly. An emoji’s tone and meaning are always changing and subjective, so use them wisely. Your words should do the talking. Emojis are just visual aids. When to consider an emoji Well, it really depends on the context and moment your message is in. Emojis immediately make messages more playful, even quirky. Using an emoji should be a last resort to enhance a message. A situation where an emoji may be appropriate to consider is if the tone of voice is Spirited. Use Spirited voice only when the moment and tone is celebratory, like in:

• Onboarding
• New feature or product announcements
• Successes or accomplishments

Before using an emoji, confirm you can firmly answer yes to all of the following:

• Does the situation call for a Spirited tone — is it uplifting and celebratory?
• Does the situation limit the use of other expressive brand elements like illustration, icons, or more descriptive writing?
• Will the clarity and meaning of the message be enhanced with an emoji?

If yes to all, you’re in emoji territory. Follow the rules below. Emoji rules

1. Use emojis in headlines only — Never in descriptive text or buttons. Place emojis at the end of the headline.
   • Do: Your calendar is completely free 🎉
   • Don’t: 🎉 Your calendar is completely free
2. Don’t use punctuation with emojis — The emoji is your punctuation.
3. Never use emojis to replace words — This will make your message inaccessible for everyone.
   • Don’t: Your 📆 is completely free
4. Use only popular and widely accepted emojis — Emojis can have multiple meanings depending on culture, region, and age. Examples: 🙏 = High-five (in the US) or Prayer (in India); 💩 = Being silly or sarcastic (in the US) or Good luck (in Japan). See recommended emojis below.
5. Don’t use repeated or multiple emojis — Using more than one emoji repeatedly can be tedious to people using a screen reader.
   • Don’t: File uploaded 👏👏👏 (Screen reader: File uploaded clapping hands clapping hands clapping hands)
6. Use emojis that work in dark and light mode — Use the default yellow skin tone for people and hands.
   • Do: 👋
   • Don’t: 👋🏻👋🏼👋🏽👋🏾👋🏿
7. Don’t use emojis if another visual element is used — If there are icons or illustration being used in the same message, don’t use an emoji.
8. Use emojis, never emoticons — Emojis have built-in alt text descriptions and can be read as text by a screen reader. Emoticons are punctuation and will be read out as punctuation.
   • Do: 😎
   • Don’t: 8-)

Recommended emojis You’re not limited to these emojis, but these are commonly understood and play well with our Spirited tone of voice:

Emoji	Name
👍	Thumbs up
🙌	Hands raised (Celebration)
👋	Waving hand
👏	Clapping hands
💪	Flexed bicep
😄	Grinning face
🤩	Face with starry eyes
🥳	Party face
🫅	Person with crown
🦸	Superhero
❤️	Heart
🎁	Present
🎉	Party popper
🏆	Trophy
🔮	Crystal ball

Formats Date and time

Type	Format	Example
Date (full)	Day, Month DD, YYYY at HH:MM:SS XM	Tuesday, May 15, 2023, at 10:22:13 AM
Date (constrained)	3-character month abbreviation	Mar 15, 2023
Date (very constrained)	MM/DD/YY	12/25/21
Time (12-hour)	H:MM XM	7:20 AM
Time (24-hour)	HH:MM	07:20
Duration (≤24h)	HH:MM:SS	01:15:30
Duration (>24h)	Xh Xm Xs	135h 28m 15s
Duration (labels)	X seconds; X min X sec	13 seconds; 20 min 11 sec

Numbers and ranges

• Use en dashes for ranges: 10 AM – 11 AM
• No leading zeros; never spell out standalone numbers
• Use commas in large numbers: 8,888,000
• Phone (international): +XX-XXX-XXX-XXXX
• Phone (US): (XXX) XXX-XXXX

Menu paths Embed paths in a sentence when possible. Use > as the separator. Example: Go to Settings > Preferences > Personal Room > Host PIN Accessibility and inclusion Writing for accessibility Language is an extremely powerful way to promote inclusivity. We write for a diverse audience that interacts with our content in different ways. We aim to make our content accessible to anyone using a screen reader, keyboard navigation, Braille interface, and users of all cognitive capabilities. As you write, think about the following:

• Does this language make sense to someone who doesn’t work here?
• Can someone quickly scan this and understand the material?
• If someone can’t see the colors, images, or video, is the message still clear?

Always try to write from more than one perspective and limit assumptions or biases. If you can’t think of an alternate term, find another way to write what you want to say. Best practices

• Use neutral, precise, relevant descriptions — include personal qualities only when essential.
• Choose words carefully; beware of historical significance and appropriation from marginalized communities.
• Avoid terms that assign value to racial characteristics (e.g. “dark pattern”). Color terms like “dark mode” or “light theme” are acceptable when they refer to brightness, not value.
• Avoid proxy statements and stereotypes. Communicate from equality and consider worst-case interpretation.

Readability Target: 5th to 8th grade reading level. Simple copy helps all users and makes localization easier. More than 20% of US residents don’t speak English at home.

• Write short sentences. Avoid unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.
• Use simple verb tenses and active voice.
• Prefer common words: Buy over Purchase, Help over Assist, Like over Such as.

Writing about disabilities Avoid ableist language — including metaphors and euphemisms (e.g. “fall on deaf ears”). Center the person, not the ability. Writing about gender Avoid gendered assumptions and stereotypes. When gender-neutral phrasing is possible, use it — even if slightly longer. Prefer you over third-person she/he. If gender must be referenced, choose the most understandable expression. Terms to avoid This list is not exhaustive. When uncertain, choose the inclusive alternative.

Avoid	Use instead
Differently abled; the disabled	Disabled person; person with disabilities
Tone-deaf	Inconsiderate
Dummy	Placeholder
Whitelist	Allowlist
Blacklist	Blocklist
Master or slave	Primary / main or secondary
Native	Operating system or built-in
Businessman	Businessperson
What are your preferred pronouns?	What are your pronouns?
Other (as a gender option)	Prefer to self-describe; Prefer not to respond

Tips when writing

1. Links — Describe what the link does.
   • This is us For the best experience, download our desktop app.
   • Not us Our desktop app provides the best experience. Learn more.
2. Front-loading — Put essential information first.
   • This is us To annotate, tap the pencil icon.
   • Not us Tap the pencil icon to begin annotating.
3. Directional language — Avoid location-dependent wording.
   • This is us Select from these options.
   • Not us Select from the options below.
4. Plain language
   • This is us The password you entered is incorrect.
   • Not us Credentials you provided can’t be determined to be authentic.
5. Button labels — Describe the action.
   • This is us Send logs
   • Not us Submit
6. Logical order
   • This is us Search bar → Search tips → Search results
   • Not us Search bar → Search results → Search tips
7. Concise permission copy
   • This is us The app uses ultrasound to pair with nearby devices. Allow access to your microphone?
   • Not us Long technical explanation before the ask.
8. Form labels before fields
   • This is us Password required → [Input field]
   • Not us [Input field] → Password required

Localization Products are localized into 20+ languages. Write for a global audience and for non-native English speakers. Tips when writing

1. Include articles when space allows (a, the, this, that).
2. Write in the active voice.
3. Be careful with words that have multiple meanings (has, right, left).
4. Use descriptive labels and feature names.
5. Use descriptive subjects — avoid this, it, and that after a specific subject.
6. Don’t rely on idioms, metaphors, slang, humor, cultural references, or uncommon foreign words for critical information.
7. Don’t use unnecessary abbreviations (e.g., e.g., i.e., etc.).
8. Don’t embed text within images.
9. Don’t create sentences that depend on UI element placement.
10. Plan for text expansion — English often expands 20–30% in German or Russian.

Vocabulary Preferred terms

Use	Not	Context
Sign in	Log in	Authentication
Select	Choose	UI controls
There aren’t any [items]	No [items]	Empty states
Do you want to continue?	Are you sure	Confirmations
Enter your email to continue	Oops	Error recovery

Prohibited or discouraged terms

Avoid	Reason	Use instead
Please	Implies the system is asking a favour	Avoid; rare exceptions for high-effort actions
Sorry	Focus on moving forward	State what happened and next step
No	Negative, stark	Reframe positively (“There aren’t any drafts”)
Oops	Too casual for errors	Direct, actionable message
Are you sure	Vague, repetitive	Specific confirmation title + consequence

Please, sorry, and no Please We try to avoid using “please” as it’s often unnecessary and can be annoying to users if used often. Only consider using it if you’re asking a user to do an action that requires significant effort or time. Sorry We don’t use the word “sorry” in any of our product writing. Saying sorry can seem insincere to users or imply we’re to blame for a problem. It’s not really important who is to blame. Instead, to align closer to our voice, we try to move the user forward with language and experience. No We don’t use the word “no” in any of our product writing. Write around it. Writing for empty states Sometimes, there may not be much to say or share. You often see empty states with “No new messages” or something similar.

• Instead of saying “No BLANK” say: “There aren’t any BLANK” or “You can find BLANK here” or something similar.
• Consider using this moment to play with language or highlight our voice. Like instead of “No meetings” say “Meetings free” or “The day is yours.” Use your best judgement.

Pronouns and determiners

Pronoun	Usage
I, me	Sometimes in buttons (“I agree”)
You	When speaking directly to the user
We, us	When the product is speaking
My	User-owned feature names (e.g. “My Personal Room”) — capitalize per product terminology
Articles	Use in longer messages; omit in buttons/CTAs when meaning is obvious (“Upload file” not “Upload the file”)

Terminology glossary

Term	Definition	Usage notes
Space	A persistent collaboration area for a team, project, or topic	Capitalize when referring to the product feature; use specific name in delete confirmations (“Delete Spring Campaign”)
Meeting	A scheduled or ad hoc audio/video session	Prefer “meet” as verb in casual copy (“meet face-to-face”)
Personal Room	A user’s persistent meeting room	Always capitalize; use “My Personal Room” in navigation paths
Studio	Studio product or feature context	Use in status/sign-off copy when contextually appropriate
App name	The client application	Prefer “[App name] would like to…” over “[App name] Needs to…” for permissions

Content patterns Button labels

• Format: Verb + noun when the noun adds clarity
• Case: Sentence case
• Length: Aim for 25 characters or fewer when possible
• Examples: Save changes, Create project, Delete, Cancel, Continue, I agree

Error messages

• Format: What happened + what to do next
• Tone: Crisis moment — positive, direct, understanding. No exclamation points.
• Example: You don’t have access to this page. Ask your admin for permission.

Empty states

• Format: Descriptive header + brief purpose or encouragement + optional action
• Tone: Informative (most) or Timely (occasional). Avoid “No [thing].”
• Example: Spaces — When you start or join a space, it’ll appear here. Spaces are great for collaborating on specific topics or projects.

Confirmation dialogs

• Title: Name the specific item or action (“Delete Spring Campaign” not “Delete space?“)
• Body: State the consequence plainly; use contractions; avoid asking the same question twice
• Example: Once deleted, all content and history in this space will be gone forever.

Permission prompts

• Title: Inviting, not commanding (“[App name] would like to access your camera”)
• Body: Benefit-led, warm (“This is so you can show your smiling face in meetings.“)

Status and system messages

• Format: Personal, plain language + optional peppy sign-off
• Example: Your network strength and CPU are doing great. Enjoy the Studio!

Multi-step flows

• Format: Set honest expectations upfront; acknowledge friction with warmth
• Example: Connecting %App% to your account may take a few steps — Depending on the platform, a code might need to be entered multiple times. Usually, it’s just once. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through every step.

Onboarding

• Tone: Dial up Spirited and Diligent
• Format: Descriptive headers + benefit-led body + clear next action
• Examples: “Stay close with your team”, “Be ready before the curtain rises”, “A space for all your magic”

Alerts and in-meeting notifications

• Tone: Dial up always improving and empathetic
• Format: Explain what’s happening onscreen and what the product is doing to help — conversational, short, and direct

Dialogs

• Tone: Dial up Diligent and empathetic
• Format: Descriptive headers; explain purpose simply, like to a friend; offer guidance or actions when possible

Tooltips and helper text

• Brief, instructional tone
• Use periods on full-sentence tooltips
• No ellipses in tooltips

Placeholder text

• Never use: Lorem ipsum, Sample text, Placeholder, TODO copy
• Write real, on-brand copy that serves the user

Examples in action These examples show how to dial up voice principles and adapt tone across the user journey. High CPU usage

	Not us	This is us
Copy	CPU overheating. Meeting performance has slowed.	Your computer’s working overtime — Close unneeded apps to keep your meeting running smoothly.
Why?	Clinical and system-centric.	Uses metaphor, explains the issue, and gives a clear next step. Dials up Spirited, Empathetic.

In-meeting video off

	Not us	This is us
Copy	Video disconnected due to poor network signal.	Weak internet connection — We shut off videos to keep you in the meeting. Other folks are still here.
Why?	Technical and detached.	Explains what’s happening and what we did to help. Conversational phrases like “shut off” and “folks” (use sparingly). Dials up Diligent, Empathetic.

In-meeting video quality lowered

	Not us	This is us
Copy	Video quality lost due to poor network signal.	Weak internet connection — We lowered video quality to keep you in the meeting.
Why?	Jargon-heavy.	Plain language, short, and reassuring. Dials up Diligent, Empathetic.

Spaces empty state

	Not us	This is us
Copy	No spaces — You don’t have any spaces. Use the plus button to create a space.	Spaces — When you start or join a space, it’ll appear here. Spaces are great for collaborating on specific topics or projects.
Why?	Negative header and tone.	Descriptive, conversational, and helpful. Dials up Spirited, Diligent.

Drafts empty state

	Not us	This is us
Copy	No drafts — Come here to find all your draft messages. You can start composing your thoughts here, and they’ll be saved as drafts for later.	Drafts — This is where your unfinished messages await their finishing touch.
Why?	Uses negative “No.” Bland and obvious. Passive voice (“be saved”). Sounds copied from another app.	Avoids negative language. Wondrous, helpful tone. “Await the finishing touch” adds whimsy. Clear and encourages action.

Delete space confirmation

	Not us	This is us
Copy	Delete space? — Deleting a space will erase all data. This can not be undo. Are you sure you want to delete this space?	Delete Spring Campaign — Once deleted, all content and history in this space will be gone forever.
Why?	Lacks energy and clarity. Wordy, repetitive. No contractions — formal and harsh. Passive and weak. Ambiguous buttons.	Direct, specific title. Plain consequence. “Gone forever” adds wry humor while communicating permanence.

Network status

	Not us	This is us
Copy	Network strength and CPU usage are within acceptable operating parameters.	Your network strength and CPU are doing great. Enjoy the Studio!
Why?	Cold, clinical. Wordy, complex. “Acceptable” isn’t reassuring.	Upbeat, personal. Simple wording. Peppy sign-off reduces worry.

Camera permission

	Not us	This is us
Copy	[App Name] Needs to Access Your Camera — Make your camera available so you can meet face-to-face.	[App Name] would like to access your camera — This is so you can show your smiling face in meetings.
Why?	Generic, command-like. Lacks engaging language. Unclear buttons.	Inviting tone. Benefit-led. Warm personality (“smiling face”). Clearer actions.

Account connect

	Not us	This is us
Copy	Connect %App% account with [App Name] — Want connect your %App% account to [App Name] in just three simple steps?	Connecting %App% to [App Name] may take a few steps — Depending on the platform, a code might need to be entered multiple times. Usually, it’s just once. Don’t worry, we’ll guide you through every step.
Why?	Generic, oversimplified (“just three simple steps”). Redundant. Hides technical limitations.	Conversational, empathetic. Sets honest expectations. Acknowledges friction with warmth.

Evaluation checklist Before shipping any user-facing copy, verify:

• Message alignment — Matches intended message, context, and goal
• User enablement — Helps user move to next step or complete a task
• Accuracy — All facts and logic correct
• Spelling and grammar — No errors
• Simplicity — No jargon; simple, clear language
• Voice characteristics — Spirited (dynamic, subtle humor), Diligent (precise, intentional), Thoughtful (inclusive, empathetic)
• Moment fit — Tone matches Impression, Crisis, Instructional, or Achievement context
• Accessibility and inclusion — Plain language, inclusive terms, no directional-only instructions
• Localization readiness — Active voice, no idioms or unnecessary abbreviations; room for expansion
• Forward momentum — Always provide a next step; no dead ends
• Style alignment — Sentence case, correct date/time formats, punctuation rules
• No placeholder copy — Never Lorem ipsum, Sample text, Placeholder, or TODO copy

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