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Deborah edited this page Aug 15, 2022 · 35 revisions

n8n docs writing style

We base our styles on the Microsoft Writing Style Guide

Quickstart

Formatting

  • Headings: sentence case (more info)
  • UI elements: bold (more info)
  • User input: bold, with italics for placeholders (see User input part way down this page for more info)
  • File names, directory names, and paths: code formatted.
  • Make sure you match brand names precisely. For example: "GitHub", not "Github".

Numbers

Write zero to nine in letters, 10 and above in numerals.

More info

Links

All external links open in new tab. Use the following syntax:

[link name](link-url){:target="_blank" class=.external-link}

Indicate external links using a class, like so:

[commits](https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/compare/[email protected]@0.177.0){:target="_blank" .external-link}

Note that the .external-link class currently doesn't do anything. However, it effectively tags all external links, making them easy to find - and to re-style in future if we want to.

Linting

n8n uses Vale to lint documentation. Linting supports writing quality, and helps writers use the style guide.

The setup comprises:

  • A .vale.ini file in the root of the repo, containing the configuration
  • A styles directory, containing the style definitions. This includes off-the-shelf style libraries for Microsoft, write-good, and alex.

Using Vale

Vale can be run locally (on your machine) or remotely (as part of a CI process) Due to the current state of the docs, we are holding off on implementing the Vale GitHub Action in our CI.

Running Vale locally

  1. Follow the Vale docs to install Vale CLI
  2. Choose whether to lint from the command line, or install a text editor plugin:
    1. Running vale --glob='*.md' docs will lint all Markdown files in the docs directory
    2. Or install a plugin and view problems automatically in your text editor. Browse the docs to see options.

Writing tips

  • Plain language:
    • Clearly explain each step of the process you are documenting.
    • Use present tense, active voice, and "you"-form to address the readers.
    • Keep your writing as concise as possible. Hemingway is a free browser app to measure language complexity. There is no fixed rule about what grade to aim for, but the lower the reading grade, the better.
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