Formatting

How we style our written content.

Capitalization

Sentence case

Use sentence case for most text, including headlines, subheadings, and buttons. Capitalize the first word and proper nouns only.

✓ “Getting started with your account”

✗ “Getting Started With Your Account”

Title case

Reserve title case for formal titles, proper nouns, and branded features.

✓ “Live Wires Design System”

Punctuation

Periods

  • Use periods in body copy and full sentences
  • Skip periods in headlines and subheadings
  • Skip periods in buttons and navigation
  • Use one space after periods, not two

Commas

  • Use the Oxford comma (a, b, and c)
  • Use commas to separate clauses
  • When in doubt, read aloud—pause = comma

Apostrophes

  • Use curly apostrophes (’), not straight (')
  • It’s = it is; its = possessive
  • Decades: 1990s, not 1990's

Dashes

  • Em dash (—) for breaks in thought
  • En dash (–) for ranges: 9–5, Mon–Fri
  • Hyphen (-) for compound words

Numbers

General rules

  • Spell out one through nine
  • Use numerals for 10 and above
  • Use numerals for measurements, stats, and data
  • Never start a sentence with a numeral

Dates and times

  • December 4, 2025 (not Dec 4th, 2025)
  • 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM (with space)
  • Use 12-hour time with AM/PM
  • Abbreviate months in tight spaces: Jan, Feb

Currency

  • $100, $1,000, $1.5M
  • Include decimals for cents: $19.99
  • Specify currency for international: USD, CAD

Percentages

  • Use the % symbol: 50%
  • No space between number and %
  • Spell out in formal writing: fifty percent

Abbreviations

When to abbreviate

Spell out terms on first use, then abbreviate. Skip the abbreviation if you won’t use it again.

✓ “The application programming interface (API) handles requests. The API returns JSON.”

Common abbreviations

  • e.g. (for example)
  • i.e. (that is)
  • etc. (and so on)
  • vs. (versus)
  • No. (number)
  • approx. (approximately)
  • min (minute)
  • hr (hour)
  • sec (second)

Lists

Bulleted lists

Use for unordered items where sequence doesn’t matter.

  • Start each item with a capital letter
  • Use parallel structure
  • Skip periods unless items are full sentences

Numbered lists

Use for sequential steps or ranked items.

  1. First, do this thing
  2. Then, do this other thing
  3. Finally, finish up here