Content Guidelines

Write clear, concise, and helpful content. This guide covers voice and tone, microcopy, error messages, labels, and writing best practices.

Voice and Tone

Our Voice

The Everforth voice is:

Clear

We use simple, direct language. No jargon or unnecessary complexity.

Do

"Save your changes before leaving."

Don't

"Please ensure all modifications are persisted prior to navigation."

Professional

We're friendly but not casual. Respectful without being stiff.

Do

"Welcome back, Sarah."

Don't

"Hey Sarah! What's up?"

Helpful

We guide users toward success. We explain why, not just what.

Do

"Add a profile photo to help teammates recognize you."

Don't

"Profile photo missing."

Confident

We know our product. We don't hedge or use weak language.

Do

"Your file is saved."

Don't

"Your file should be saved now."

Adapting Tone

While our voice stays consistent, tone adapts to the situation:

Situation	Tone	Example
Success	Positive, brief	"Changes saved"
Error	Calm, helpful	"We couldn't save your changes. Check your connection and try again."
Warning	Clear, urgent	"You have unsaved changes. Leave anyway?"
Onboarding	Warm, encouraging	"Great start! Let's set up your profile."
Empty state	Helpful, actionable	"No projects yet. Create your first project to get started."

Writing UI Text

Buttons and Actions

Use action verbs

Buttons should clearly state what happens when clicked.

Do

• Save changes
• Create project
• Send invitation
• Download report
• Delete account

Don't

• Submit
• OK
• Click here
• Yes
• Process

Be specific in confirmations

Confirmation dialogs should clearly state the action.

Title: Delete "Q4 Report"?
Body: This will permanently delete the file and cannot be undone.
Actions: [Cancel] [Delete file]

Labels and Placeholders

Labels describe the field

Always use labels. Placeholders are hints, not replacements.

Do

Label: Email address

Placeholder: name@company.com

Don't

Label: (none)

Placeholder: Enter your email address

Use sentence case

Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.

Do

• First name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Company name

Don't

• First Name
• EMAIL ADDRESS
• PHONE NUMBER
• Company Name

Error Messages

Effective error messages are:

1. Specific - Identify what went wrong
2. Helpful - Explain how to fix it
3. Human - Don't blame the user

Format for error messages

[What happened]. [How to fix it].

Do

• "Password must be at least 8 characters."
• "This email is already registered. Try signing in instead."
• "We couldn't connect to the server. Check your internet and try again."

Don't

• "Invalid password"
• "Error: Email exists"
• "Error 500: Connection failed"

Empty States

Empty states should guide users toward action.

Structure for empty states

[What this area is for]
[Why it's empty]
[What to do next]

Example

No notifications

When you receive notifications, they'll appear here.

[Notification settings]

Success Messages

Keep success messages brief and positive.

Do

• "Changes saved"
• "Message sent"
• "Project created"

Don't

• "Your changes have been saved successfully!"
• "Success! Your message was sent."
• "Congratulations! Project created!"

Writing Best Practices

Be Concise

Do

• "3 items selected"
• "Saved 2 minutes ago"
• "Search projects"

Don't

• "You have selected 3 items"
• "Last saved 2 minutes ago"
• "Search for projects"

Use Active Voice

Active voice

• "We'll send you an email."
• "Enter your password."
• "You deleted 3 files."

Passive voice

• "An email will be sent to you."
• "Your password should be entered."
• "3 files were deleted."

Numbers and Dates

Content	Format	Example
Dates	Month Day, Year	January 15, 2025
Short dates	Mon D	Jan 15
Times	12-hour with am/pm	3:30 pm
Numbers < 10	Spell out	"three items"
Numbers >= 10	Use numerals	"15 items"
Large numbers	Use commas	"1,234,567"
Percentages	Use symbol	"25%"
Money	Currency symbol	"$99.00"

Punctuation

• Periods: Use in full sentences, skip in headings and labels
• Exclamation marks: Use sparingly, never in errors
• Ampersands: Avoid in running text, OK in headings
• Contractions: Use them (don't, won't, can't) - they're friendlier

Content Checklist

Is it clear what action to take?

Can I remove any words without losing meaning?

Is it in active voice?

Does it use simple, familiar words?

Is capitalization consistent?

Have I avoided jargon and acronyms?