Tone
Dedicated to others
Show that we are dedicated to helping people accomplish their tasks. Consider their goals, motivations, context, and flow.
Proposal received from ChicagoTribune.com (notification to
agency user who sent the RFP)Needs ad server export
Add to plan without a contact
Proposal received from ChicagoTribune.com (notification to
all members of account team)
Honest
Be honest about how the application behaves and when things go wrong.
Campaigns are not receiving delivery data from Google
Campaign Manager. Reconnect or select a different accountThere was an error loading the page. Please try again. If the
problem persists, contact support.
Something went wrong. You need to reconnect your Google
Campaign Manager account.
Positive
Present information using positive language instead of negative language--say “can” and “do” instead of “can’t” and “don’t”. It gives users confidence. Avoid being too cheerful as it can come off as insincere.
Upload a CSV with column headers representing Unique ID,
Name, Date, and at least one delivery metric.Try again
To apply add ons, create a revision.
Spring 2016 exported to Google Campaign Manager
File (.csv) must include column headers representing Unique
ID, Name, Date, and at least one delivery metric.An error occurred
You can’t apply add-ons to an approved plan
Great job! You successfully exported Spring 2016 to Google
Campaign Manager!
Smart
Demonstrate that we understand the complexity and pain points of the domain. Emphasize the benefits of our technology, but be humble.
Export your media plan to Google Campaign Manager or
SizmekSend your media plan to leading ad servers with one
click!Send and receive messages, RFPs, Proposals, and IOs
Send your media plan to leading ad servers with one click!
All of your communication in one place
Professional
Our users are professionals – treat them as such. Remember that professional doesn’t mean curt or overly formal. Be inviting and human.
Upload a file 150 KB or less
Edit selected
Enter a brand name
Data Segment reports no longer include metrics calculated
from spend
Oops! File is too big!
Edit checked
Please ensure your brand has a name
Please be aware that selected columns have been removed
from Data Segment reports
Clear and Direct
Respect the fast paced nature of our users’ work. Only provide essential details so they can focus on their own task.
Your tactic did not save and is turned off to prevent overspend. Try saving again.
Vendor ID is already used
An API error occurred and some of your changes could not be saved. Your tactic was turned off to prevent overspend. Verify your changes, turn the tactic back on, and try saving again.
This ID is already used by another vendor. Vendor IDs should be unique within your ERP system. Contact your billing specialist for help.
Style
Avoid redundancy
Avoid using the same word multiple times in a sentence or short paragraph.
No results. Try a different search.
No properties on this plan. Click “Add properties” to get
started.
No search results. Change the search term to search
campaigns again.No properties on this plan yet. To add properties, click “Add
properties above.
Use contractions
Contractions give your message a friendly tone. They can also make your sentences more concise. You don’t need to follow this rule if your sentence is more clear without a contraction. For example, “cannot” can be used instead of “can’t” to provide emphasis on the word.
You haven’t selected any domains
You don’t have any brands selected
You cannot edit this field on a revision
You have not selected any domains
You do not have any brands selected yet
Prioritize
Prioritize your information. Begin with the main point and reveal details as necessary. If a sentence describes both an objective and the action needed to achieve that objective, start the sentence with the objective.
To RFP the vendor directly, click “Send” above.
Running on all exchanges targets a wide collection of
inventory. Use additional targeting options to avoid
spending your tactic's budget too fast.
Click the Send button above to RFP the vendor directly
Use additional targeting options to avoid spending your
tactic’s budget too fast. Running on all exchanges targets a
wide collection of inventory.
Address users in second person
Use second person when you need to speak directly to the user. In some cases, you may need to use first person to emphasize the user's ownership of content or actions. Avoid mixing second person and first person in the same sentence. Avoid using “we” to describe application behavior.
You were added to Spring 2016 campaign
My Campaigns
I agree to the terms and conditions
View your campaigns in My Campaigns
We will notify vendors when the campaign is archived
Check if you agree to the terms and conditions
Be consistent
Use the same word or phrase to describe a particular object or action throughout the application.
Closes a non-editable window
Cancels an action and closes the window without saving changes
Progresses to the next step of a multi-step process
Returns to the previous step of a multi-step process
Allows the user to make changes
Confirms the completion of a task where changes have already been saved
Adds an existing object to a list
Removes an object from a list
Creates a new object
For dropdown placeholder text and copy referring to checkboxes, add toggles, or radio buttons
Opens the user's file browser and attaches the selected file
Opens the user's file browser and reads the selected file
Sends to a different application
Downloads files from the application to the user's computer
Provides the user more information or instruction
Close
Cancel
Next
Back
Edit
Done
Add
Remove
Create
Select
Attach
Upload
Export
Download
Help
Cancel
Close
Continue
Previous
Update, Modify, Change
Close, Cancel
Create, Apply
Delete
Add
Choose, Choose [field]
Upload
Attach
Send
Export
User Guide
Write in present tense
Avoid using future tense to describe actions and application behavior. One exception is when the action has not happened yet.
Changes saved
Proposal sent
Vendors will be notified
Changes will be saved
Proposal will be sent
Be specific
Be specific and reinforce the subject or action.
Save changes?
Send RFP
Create Campaign (as button label)
No messages
Are you sure?
“Yes” or “No” as button labels
Create New (as button label)
Nothing here yet
Write simply and avoid jargon
Use language that’s simple and easy to understand. Don’t provide more information than necessary. Avoid jargon such as technical terms and names invented to describe the UI.
To link delivery sources, click “Map Delivery.”
Primary conversion metrics will be shown for Groups and
CampaignsOnce deactivated, this property cannot be added to new
plans
Open the mapping panel to associate delivery sources to line
items.Setting a primary pixel will display additional metrics for the
selected pixel on all Group and Campaign screensOnce deactivated, users will be notified of the details
provided below and will not be able to add this property to
new plans
Be concise
Write in short, scannable sentences. Avoid unnecessary modifiers.
Changes saved
Create property
You are in support mode
No results
Select at least one ad before linking campaigns
Your changes have been saved successfully
Create new property
You are currently in support mode
No results found for your search
Please check at least one ad before attempting to link
campaigns
Mechanics
File sizes
To represent file sizes, use the abbreviated version in all caps with a space a er the file size number.
233 KB
50 MB
1 GB
233 kb
50mb
1GB
File extensions
When referring to a file type in general, use all uppercase letters without a period. For specific files, the file extension should be lowercase.
Attach a PDF, JPG, or PNG
Upload CSV...
IAB-standard-terms-conditions.pdf
sample-site-list.xlsx
Attach a .pdf, .jpg, or .png
Upload .csv...
IAB-standard-terms-conditions.PDF
sample-site-list.XLSX
Acronyms
Acronyms may be used in place of common phrases or when it is industry standard. Acronyms are typically all uppercase. If there’s a chance your reader won’t recognize an acronym, spell it out.
Accept IO
Sent RFP
CPM
KPI
Accept I.O.
Send rfp
Abbreviations
Field labels may be abbreviated if necessary. Abbreviations should be in lowercase with no period at the end. If an abbreviated label is being referenced directly, be consistent and use the abbreviated version. Write out the words where more explanation is required for understanding.
imps
proj balance
imps.
IMPS
proj. balance
Exclamation points
Avoid using exclamation points. They can come across as shouting and if used too frequently can be bothersome. One exception is for greetings.
Changes saved
RFP sent
Welcome to Centro Platform!
Changes saved successfully!
RFP sent!
Campaigns not receiving delivery!
Periods
Avoid using periods for a single sentence or sentence fragment in these elements:
Tooltips
Flash messages
Error messages
Title tags
Bulleted lists
Notifications
Activity Feed items
Periods should always be used for:
Multiple sentences
Body text
Any sentence followed by a link
Any sentence with punctuation, like a comma.
Commas
Use commas where grammatically appropriate. Use the serial (oxford) comma in any series of 3 or more terms.
To create line items, click “Edit” above.
Tom Jones, Jack Conrad, and Jessica Finster added to the
campaign.
To create line items click “Edit” above.
Tom Jones, Jack Conrad and Jessica Finster added to the
campaign.
Capitalization
Use sentence case for:
Button / link text
Input placeholder text
Tooltip text
Body text
Empty state messages
Checkbox text
Title case should be used for:
Form field labels
Referring to form fields in sentences
Dropdown menu items
Headings
Wizard step names
Proper nouns
Range
When representing a range or span of numbers, use an en dash with no space between the two values.
10–12
$1.10–$5.60
02/22/17–03/30/17
10-12
$1.10 – $5.60
02/22/17—03/30/17
Phone numbers
Use parentheses to separate the area code and a hyphen between the last two sets of numbers. Use the country code only for numbers outside of the US and Canada.
(312) 456-7890
+44 (312) 456-7890
312-456-7890
312.456.7890
Date and time
For forms and tables, use the numeric format with numbers separated by a forward slash. The month should appear first.
mm/dd/yy
02/06/17
For communication (activity feed, message center, notifications), use abbreviated text for the month. Do not use a “0” in front of days with only one digit. Avoid omitting the year unless completly necessary.
Feb 6, 2023
May 22, 2020
Jul 8, 2016
For time, use numerals and am or pm in lowercase without a space.
9:00am
3:30pm
Join date and time using “at."
Feb 6 at 9:00am
Jul 8, 2016 at 3:30pm
Abbreviate time zones and include only when necessary.
3:30pm CT
Feb 6, 2023 at 9:00am ET
Jul 8, 2017 at 3:30pm PT
10:04am MT
Use "data as of:" to indicate the freshness of the data.
data as of: Dec 4, 2022 at 12:00am CST
data as of: 3:30pm
data as of yesterday
Use "data thru" to indicated the date range of a data set.
data thru: 01/10/23 - 02/12/23
01/02/17
Feb 6, 2023
May 22, 2023 at 9:00am
3:30pm CT
1/2/2017
February 6
9AM on May 22
3:30pm CST
Null values
Use a double-dash (--) if there could be data / information but it is not yet collected. Use n/a when it is not possible to have a value for the field. For CSV or XLS downloads, leave all null fields blank rather than including the double-dash or n/a.
-- media spend
n/a media spend
n/a data spend
-- total spend
n/a media spend
n/a media spend
n/a data spend
n/a total spend
Number formats
Numbers with more than three digits get commas.
6,938,124
For monetary values, use the currency sign in front of the amount and two decimal places to the right.
$16,000.00
One exception applies when you need to represent a particular level of accuracy (for example, rates fields in the Planning grid).
30.0000%
$5.2000
Use hyphens to represent negative numbers.
-$12.50
When using a numeric value in a sentence, use the digit instead of spelling out the word.
112,983
$100,000.00
-$2,003.76
There are 5 performance issues
112983
$100000
$100k
($2,003.76)
There are five performance issues
Error Handling
Positive Laguage
Present information using positive language instead of negative language--say “can” and “do” instead of “can’t” and “don’t”. It gives users confidence. Avoid being too cheerful as it can come off as insincere.
Upload a CSV with column headers representing Unique ID,
Name, Date, and at least one delivery metric.
Try again
To apply add ons, create a revision.
Spring 2016 exported to Google Campaign Manager
File (.csv) must include column headers representing Unique
ID, Name, Date, and at least one delivery metric.An error occurred
You can’t apply add-ons to an approved plan
Great job! You successfully exported Spring 2016 to Google
Campaign Manager!
Provide helpful links or resources
Offer links to Basis support pages that can provide more information or assistance.
There was an error generating the report. [Please
issue].There was an error loading the page. Please try again.
If the problem persists, [contact support].
There was an error generating the report. Please navigate to
the support page and click the submit issue link.
There was an error loading the page. Please try again.
If the problem persists, navigate to the support page and
click the contact support link.
Use "Please" sparingly
Even though we want to be polite, try to use “please” sparingly. Only use “please” when the suggested action is inconvenient for the user or implies an issue with the product.
If the issue persists, please contact your CSM.
If the issue persists, contact your CSM.
Be polite and respectful
Use a friendly tone and avoid blaming the user for the error.
There was a problem. Please check the format and try again.
There was a problem. You most likely used the wrong format
Suggest a solution
Offer specific guidance on how to fix the error, including any steps the user should take.
Tactics pasted are outside of group date range. Try updating
your date range.
Tactics date range incorrect.
Explain the problem
Clearly describe the issue that has occurred and why it has occurred.
Changes were not saved because service provider is inactive
Changes were not saved
Use clear and concise language
Ensure that the error message is written in simple and easy-to-understand language.
File must be in CSV format.
The file that you are trying to upload must be in a .csv format
so that the back-end database can process it