Every piece of content we publish is supported by a number of smaller pieces. This section lays out our style in regards to these web elements, and explains our approach to the tricky art of SEO.
Guidelines
Alt text
Alt text is a way to label images, and it's especially important for people who can’t see the images on our website. Alt text should describe the image in a brief sentence or two.
For more on how and why we use alt text, read the Accessibility section.
Buttons
Button copy should always include verbs. Keep things clear and concise, and use sentence case. It’s OK to use an ampersand in button copy.
Standard website buttons include:
- Log in
- Sign up free
- Subscribe
- Email us
Checkboxes
Use sentence case for checkboxes.
Drop-down menus
Use title case for menu names and sentence case for menu items.
Forms
Form titles should clearly and quickly explain the purpose of the form.
Use title case for form titles and sentence case for form fields.
Keep forms as short as possible.
Only request information that we need and intend to use. Don’t ask for information that could be considered private or personal, including gender. If you need to ask for gender, provide a field the user can fill in on their own, not a drop-down menu.
Headings and subheadings
Headings and subheadings organize content for readers. They should include the most relevant keywords and cover/highlight the main point(s) of the page.
Headings and subheadings are written in sentence case. Avoid using end punctuation except for question marks or when a heading is two or more sentences.
Organize headings and subheadings hierarchically, with headings first, followed by subheadings in order.. (An H2 will nestle under H1, an H3 under H2, and on down.)
- Headings (H1) give people a taste of what they’re about to read. Use them for page and blog titles.
- Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) break articles into smaller, more specific sections. They give readers avenues into your content and make it more scannable.