Capitalization

Inconsistent capitalization is one of the most visible signs of an undisciplined knowledge base. Readers notice when the same term is capitalized in one article and lowercase in another, and it erodes confidence in the documentation's reliability. This article provides clear rules for every capitalization context you will encounter.

Sentence Case for Headings

Use sentence case for all headings and titles. Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns. Do not capitalize every major word (that is title case, which is not used in documentation headings).

Proper nouns are always capitalized in headings, as they are anywhere: "Integrating with Slack," "Using the Google Analytics integration."

Capitalization After a Colon

Capitalize the word after a colon only if what follows is a complete, independent sentence. If what follows is a fragment, a list, or a single word, keep it lowercase.

Correct: "The dashboard shows three types of data: page views, session duration, and search terms." (fragment — lowercase)
Correct: "Remember this: the export cannot be undone once started." (complete sentence — either is acceptable, but lowercase is the documentation default; capitalize only if your house style specifically calls for capitalizing full sentences after a colon)

Keep this consistent across your knowledge base rather than deciding case by case.

UI Element Names

Capitalize UI elements exactly as they appear in the interface. If a button says "Save changes," write "Save changes" — not "Save Changes" or "save changes."

When referring to named UI elements in prose, use bold formatting and capitalize to match the interface: "Click Save," "Go to Settings," "Open the Dashboard."

Generic UI element types are not capitalized: "the settings panel," "the navigation menu," "the dropdown," "the toolbar." Only the specific named instance is capitalized: "the Settings panel," "the Navigation menu" — only if those are the exact names displayed in the interface.

Product and Feature Names

Capitalize the proper names of products, services, and named features. Do not capitalize generic descriptions of what those features do.

This is ultimately a terminology decision as much as a capitalization one — if you haven't already decided whether a term refers to a specific named product feature or a generic capability, resolve that in your terminology/word usage guidance first. Capitalization should follow from that decision, not substitute for it.

Job Titles and Roles

Capitalize job titles only when they are used directly before a name as a form of address. Do not capitalize them when used generically.

Role names within a product — such as "Admin," "Editor," and "Viewer" — should be capitalized when referring to the specific role as it is named in the product, and lowercase when used generically: "Admins can delete articles" (referring to the Admin role) vs. "users with admin-level access" (generic description).

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronyms and initialisms (API, URL, ID, SSO, SDK, CSV, PDF) are capitalized consistently, in every grammatical position — as a noun, as an adjective, standing alone, or embedded in a longer phrase. Do not lowercase an acronym just because it's functioning as a modifier.

The one exception is when an acronym has become a common noun in its own right through established convention (for example, "laser" or "radar") — but this is rare enough in product documentation that, by default, treat every acronym as always-capitalized.

Spell out an acronym on first use in an article, with the acronym in parentheses: "Single Sign-On (SSO)." After that, the acronym alone is sufficient.

Code and Case-Sensitive Values

Inline code, variable names, parameter names, command-line flags, and file paths are often case-sensitive, and their capitalization is part of their identity — not a stylistic choice. Reproduce them exactly as they exist in the system, regardless of where they fall in a sentence, even if that means a lowercase term appears at the start of a sentence.

Correct: "userId is required in the request body."
Incorrect: "UserId is required in the request body." (if the actual parameter name is lowercase userId, changing its case to match sentence capitalization introduces an error, not a style improvement)

If a case-sensitive value would need to start a sentence and changing its case isn't an option, restructure the sentence so it doesn't lead with that value: "The request body requires userId."

Common Capitalization Errors to Avoid

"Internet," "web," and related terms

These terms are lowercase: the internet, the web, a website, a web page, an email address, online.

File types and formats

File extensions and format names are capitalized consistently as acronyms, in every grammatical position: a PDF, a PDF file, a CSV, a CSV export, a JPEG image. Do not lowercase them when they function as an adjective — "a pdf file" and "a csv export" are incorrect; use "a PDF file" and "a CSV export."

Feature names used generically

When referring to a feature by its function rather than its specific product name, use lowercase: "the search feature," "the export function," "the commenting tool."

"Knowledge base"

"Knowledge base" is lowercase when used generically: "your knowledge base," "a well-structured knowledge base." It is only capitalized when it forms part of a specific proper name.

Capitalization in Lists

Capitalize the first word of every list item, regardless of whether it is a complete sentence.

Correct:

• Page views by article
• Search queries with no results
• Average time on page

This applies to ordered and unordered lists, as well as definition lists and table cells that begin a phrase or sentence.

Self-Audit Checklist

Before publishing, check capitalization against these questions:

• Are headings and titles in sentence case, not title case?
• Is the word after every colon capitalized or lowercase consistently, based on whether a full sentence follows?
• Do UI element names match the exact capitalization shown in the interface, and are they bolded?
• Are proper product/feature names capitalized, and generic descriptions of the same functionality left lowercase?
• Are job titles capitalized only when used as direct address before a name?
• Are acronyms capitalized consistently in every grammatical position — never lowercased as an adjective?
• Are case-sensitive code values, parameters, and file paths reproduced exactly, with sentences restructured if needed to avoid changing their case?
• Is "internet," "web," and "knowledge base" lowercase unless part of a specific proper name?
• Does every list item start with a capital letter?