Writing for components

Follow the good guidance in the entire style guide to help you write. These guidelines are additional tips to help you create great content for components.

Buttons

Text on buttons must be accurate and specific. Our user should never be surprised by what happens when they press it. Don't use Yes or No. There are always exceptions but try to follow these guidelines to create buttons that really help our user.

Start with an action verb

Something happens when you click or tap a button. Say what happens with a verb. Navigation buttons can be an exception to this rule.

Do not write:	Replace with:
Save Changes? [No] [Yes]	Save Changes? [Discard] [Save]

Don’t use more than 3 words, ideally 1

Do not write:	Replace with:
Add items to your cart	Add to cart

Choose specific words over vague words

Do not write:	Replace with:
Download	Download Update

Choose words that logically align with the preceding content

Do not write:	Replace with:
Sign up for new account [Register]	Sign up for new account [Sign up now]

Think carefully about destructive actions

Destructive actions are where you’re asking the user if they want to cancel something. They can often be confusing. Think about them carefully and take extra time to be extremely clear.

Do not write:	Replace with:
Cancel this download? [Cancel] [OK]	Cancel this download? [Nevermind] [Cancel download ]