doc/development/documentation/styleguide/word_list.md
To help ensure consistency in the documentation, the Technical Writing team recommends these word choices. In addition:
For guidance not on this page, we defer to these style guides:
<!-- vale off --> <!-- Disable trailing punctuation in heading rule <https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/main/doc/Rules.md#md026---trailing-punctuation-in-heading> --> <!-- Proper names should have the correct capitalization rule <https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/main/doc/Rules.md#md044---proper-names-should-have-the-correct-capitalization> --> <!-- markdownlint-disable MD026 MD044 -->.gitlab-ci.yml fileUse backticks and lowercase for the .gitlab-ci.yml file.
When possible, use the full phrase: the .gitlab-ci.yml file
Although users can specify another name for their CI/CD configuration file,
in most cases, use the .gitlab-ci.yml file instead.
& (ampersand)Do not use Latin abbreviations. Use and instead, unless you are documenting a UI element that uses an &.
@mentionTry to avoid @mention. Say mention instead, and consider linking to the mentions topic. Don't use backticks.
Spell out two-factor authentication in sentence case for the first use and in topic titles, and 2FA thereafter. If the first word in a sentence, do not capitalize factor or authentication. For example:
Try to avoid using ability or able because they can be ambiguous. The usage of these words is similar to allow and enable.
Instead of talking about the abilities of the user, or the capabilities of the product, be direct and specific.
You can, however, use these terms when you're talking about security, or preventing someone from being able to complete a task in the UI.
Do not confuse ability or able with permissions or roles.
Use:
Instead of:
Try to avoid using above when referring to an example or table in a documentation page. If required, use previous instead. For example:
Do not use above when referring to versions of the product. Use later instead.
Use:
Instead of:
Access levels are different than roles or permissions. When you create a user, you choose an access level: Regular, Auditor, or Administrator.
Capitalize these words when you refer to the UI. Otherwise use lowercase.
When a specific access level is required, use one of these patterns:
When there is no specific access level, use minimum access level as a noun phrase. For example:
Use higher and lower to describe the hierarchy:
Use add when an object already exists. If the object does not exist yet, use create instead. Add is the opposite of remove.
For example:
Do not confuse add with create.
Do not use Add new.
Use:
Instead of:
Use title case for Admin Mode. The UI uses title case.
An administrator is not a role or permission. Do not shorten to admin.
On GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated:
Users can be administrators and modify instance-wide settings.
When talking about a user's access level to instance-wide settings, use either:
Instead of:
On GitLab.com:
Only GitLab team members can be administrators and modify instance-wide settings.
Other users cannot be administrators for the GitLab.com instance. They can have the Owner role, which gives them full control over specific groups or projects.
Be specific about what these users can or cannot do compared to GitLab.com administrators. For example:
Use lowercase for advanced search to refer to the faster, more efficient search across the entire GitLab instance.
Use lowercase to refer to the GitLab agent for Kubernetes. For example:
Do not use title case for GitLab Agent or GitLab Agent for Kubernetes.
Use GitLab agent for Kubernetes if agent on its own is not clear, or to distinguish it from other types of agents.
When referring to the specific component in technical contexts, use agentk in backticks.
Use lowercase agent for workspace when referring to the component that runs in a workspace and is used to access the workspace. Do not use title case for Workspace. For example:
When referring to the specific component in technical contexts, use agentw in backticks.
Do not confuse with agent for Kubernetes. Use agent for workspace if agent on its own is not clear, or to distinguish it from other types of agents.
The token generated when you create an agent for Kubernetes. Use agent access token, not:
GitLab Duo Agentic Chat is part of the GitLab Duo Agent Platform.
Options for use are:
Do not use:
Instead of agnostic, use platform-independent or vendor-neutral.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Use AI. Do not spell out artificial intelligence.
When writing about AI, the agent is an entity that performs actions for the user.
You can use AI agent if agent on its own is not clear, or to distinguish it from other types of agents.
Use lowercase for agent on its own. Use title case for the agent name, for example, Code Review Agent.
When you're interacting with an AI agent, a session is running. The user can stop a session.
One or more AI agents can be part of a flow, where they are orchestrated to work together on a problem.
Different types of agents exist, including foundational agents.
Use title case for AI Catalog. Do not use AI catalog (lowercase), and do not hyphenate.
Use title case for AI Gateway. Do not use AI Gateway (lowercase), and do not hyphenate.
Use AI-native instead of AI-powered. For example, Code Suggestions is an AI-native feature.
Use offline environment to describe installations that have physical barriers or security policies that prevent or limit internet access. Do not use air gap, air gapped, or air-gapped. For example:
Try to avoid allow and enable, unless you are talking about security-related features or the state of a feature flag.
Use:
Instead of:
This phrasing is more active and is from the user perspective, rather than the person who implemented the feature. For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Use lowercase for analytics and its variations, like contribution analytics and issue analytics. However, if the UI has different capitalization, make the documentation match the UI.
For example:
To refer to a parent item that's one or more level above in the hierarchy, use ancestor.
Do not use grandparent.
Examples:
See also: child, descendant, and subgroup.
Instead of and/or, use or or rewrite the sentence to spell out both options.
Do not use and so on. Instead, be more specific. For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Use section instead of area. The only exception is the Admin area.
Do not use as to mean because.
Use:
Instead of:
Instead of as well as, use and.
Do not use associate when describing adding issues to epics, or users to issues, merge requests, or epics.
Instead, use assign. For example:
Try to use the most suitable preposition when you use authenticate as a verb.
Use authenticate with when referring to a system or provider that performs the authentication, like a token or a service like OAuth.
For example:
Use authenticate against when referring to a resource that contains credentials that are checked for validation.
For example:
Use authenticated user instead of other variations, like signed in user or logged in user.
Use before you begin when documenting the tasks that must be completed or the conditions that must be met before a user can complete a tutorial. Do not use requirements or prerequisites.
For more information, see the tutorial page type.
For task topic types, use prerequisites instead.
Try to avoid below when referring to an example or table in a documentation page. If required, use following instead. For example:
Use lowercase for beta. For example:
You might also want to link to this topic when writing about beta features.
Do not use blacklist. Another option is denylist. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
Use lowercase for boards, issue boards, and epic boards.
Use text box to refer to the UI field. Do not use field or box. For example:
Use branch by itself to describe a branch. For specific branches, use these terms only:
main instead of master.Do not use the terms feature branch or merge request branch. Be as specific as possible. For example:
Don't refer to individual items in an ordered or unordered list as bullets. Use list item instead. To be less ambiguous, you can use:
Don't use a descriptor with button.
Use:
Instead of:
Use canceled (one L) instead of cancelled (two Ls).
Similarly, use canceling instead of cancelling.
Use two Ls for the noun cancellation.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Use cannot instead of can not.
See also contractions.
Although the UI term might be card, do not use it in the documentation. Avoid the descriptor if you can.
Use:
Instead of:
GitLab Duo Non-Agentic Chat is the older version of GitLab Duo Chat.
Options for use:
Do not use:
Use one word for checkbox. Do not use check box.
You select (not check or enable) and clear (not deselect or disable) checkboxes. For example:
If you must refer to the checkbox, you can say it is selected or cleared. For example:
(For deselect, Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Use check out as a verb. For the Git command, use checkout.
git checkout to check out a branch locally.Use the hyphenated version of cherry-pick. Do not use cherry pick.
Always use as a compound noun.
Examples:
See also: descendant, parent and subgroup.
When talking about GitLab features, use CI/CD. Do not use CI or CD alone.
CI/CD is always uppercase. You are not required to spell it out on first use.
You can omit CI/CD when the context is clear, especially after the first use. For example:
Do not use CI/CD minutes. This term was renamed to compute minutes.
Some GitLab Duo features are non-agentic. These features should not be referred to as classic.
Do not use click. Instead, use select with buttons, links, menu items, and lists. Select applies to more devices, while click is more specific to a mouse.
However, you can make an exception for right-click and click-through demo.
Avoid the phrase cloud licensing, except when you have to describe the process of synchronizing an activation code over the internet.
If you can, rather focus on the fact that this subscription is synchronized with GitLab.
For example:
When you're talking about using a Kubernetes cluster to host GitLab, you're talking about a cloud-native version of GitLab. This version is different than the larger, more monolithic Linux package that is used to deploy GitLab.
You can also use cloud-native GitLab for short. It should be hyphenated and lowercase.
Code Suggestions has evolved to include two primary features:
Use lowercase for code completion. Do not use GitLab Duo Code Completion. GitLab Duo is reserved for Code Suggestions only.
Code completion must always be singular.
Example:
Use title case for Code Explanation.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Code Explanation. Thereafter, use Code Explanation by itself.
Code Suggestions has evolved to include two primary features:
Use lowercase for code generation. Do not use GitLab Duo Code Generation. GitLab Duo is reserved for Code Suggestions only.
Code generation must always be singular.
Examples:
CODEOWNERUse Code Owners to refer to the feature name or concept. For example:
Use code owner or code owners, lowercase, to refer to a person or group with code ownership responsibilities. For example:
Do not use codeowner, CodeOwner, or code-owner.
Use CODEOWNERS, uppercase and in backticks, to refer to the filename. For example:
CODEOWNERS file to define the code ownership rules.Use title case for Code Review Summary.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Code Review Summary. Thereafter, use Code Review Summary by itself.
Use title case for Code Suggestions. On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Code Suggestions.
Code Suggestions, the feature, should always end in an s. However, write like it
is singular. For example:
When generically referring to the suggestions that the feature outputs, use lowercase.
Examples:
Code Suggestions has evolved to include two primary features:
Use collapse instead of close when you are talking about expanding or collapsing a section in the UI.
Use From the command line to introduce commands.
Hyphenate when you use it as an adjective. For example, a command-line tool.
Use compute for the resources used by runners to run CI/CD jobs.
Related terms:
Use compute minutes instead of these (or similar) terms:
For more information, see epic 2150.
When you edit a collection of settings, call it a configuration.
Use configure after a feature or product has been set up. For example:
Use confirmation dialog to describe the dialog that asks you to confirm an action. For example:
Do not use confirmation box or confirmation dialog box. See also dialog.
When documenting the GitLab container registry features and functionality, use lowercase.
Use:
Use create when an object does not exist and you are creating it for the first time. Create is the opposite of delete.
For example:
Do not confuse create with add.
Do not use create new. The word create implies that the object is new, and the extra word is not necessary.
Use GitLab Credits (uppercase) to refer to the usage-based billing feature. Use credits (lowercase) to refer to the unit of measurement.
For example:
Do not use currently when talking about the product or its features. The documentation describes the product as it is today.
(Vale rule: CurrentStatus.yml)
Use custom role when referring to a role created with specific customized permissions.
When referring to a non-custom role, use default role.
Customers Portal is the name of the subscription and license management platform for GitLab. Treat it as a proper noun and use it without the article "the".
Use:
Instead of:
Use data as a singular noun.
Use:
Instead of:
Do not use deadline. Use due date instead.
Use default role when referring to the following predefined roles that have no customized permissions added:
Do not use static role, built-in role, or predefined role.
Use delete when an object is completely deleted. Delete is the opposite of create.
When the object continues to exist, use remove instead. For example, you can remove an issue from an epic, but the issue still exists.
Use title case for the GitLab Dependency Proxy.
Use lowercase for deploy board.
To refer to a child item that's one or more level below in the hierarchy, use descendant.
Do not use grandchild.
Examples:
See also: ancestor, child, and subgroup.
When writing about the Developer role, use a capital D.
Write it out:
When the Developer role is the minimum required role, use:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Developer permissions. A user who is assigned the Developer role has a set of associated permissions.
Use dialog rather than any of these alternatives:
See also confirmation dialog. For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Before you use this term, confirm whether dialog or drawer is the correct term for your use case.
When the dialog is the location of an action, use in as a preposition. For example:
See also in, on.
Do not use disable to describe making a setting or feature unavailable. Use alternatives like turn off, hide, make unavailable, or remove instead.
To describe a state, use off, inactive, or unavailable.
This guidance is based on the Microsoft Style Guide.
Use prevent instead of disallow. (Vale rule: Substitutions.yml)
Use title case for Discussion Summary.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Discussion Summary. Thereafter, use Discussion Summary by itself.
dindUse Docker-in-Docker when you are describing running a Docker container by using the Docker executor.
Use dind in backticks to describe the container name: docker:dind. Otherwise, spell it out.
To be more upbeat and precise, do not use downgrade. Focus instead on the action the user is taking.
Use download to describe saving data to a user's device. For details, see the Microsoft style guide.
Do not confuse download with export.
Use drawer to describe a drawer UI component that:
To see examples of drawers:
Before you use this term, confirm whether drawer or dialog is the correct term for your use case.
Use dropdown list to refer to the UI element. Do not use dropdown without list after it. Do not use drop-down (hyphenated), dropdown menu, or other variants.
For example:
Use earlier when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
Do not use easily. If the user doesn't find the process to be easy, we lose their trust.
Use edit for UI documentation and user actions.
For example:
For API documentation and programmatic changes, use update.
Use lowercase editor extensions when referring to the broader category of extensions offered by GitLab. However, if the UI has different capitalization, make the documentation match the UI.
Individual extensions have their own names. For example, GitLab for VS Code and GitLab Duo Plugin for JetBrains IDEs.
Use:
Do not use Latin abbreviations. Use for example, such as, for instance, or like instead. (Vale rule: LatinTerms.yml)
Avoid ellipses when you can. If you must include them, for example as part of a code block or other CLI response,
use three periods with no space (...) instead of the … HTML entity or the … HTML code.
For more information, see code blocks.
Do not include any ellipses when documenting UI text. For example, use:
Instead of:
For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Do not use e-mail with a hyphen. When plural, use emails or email messages. (Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Use email address when referring to addresses used in emails. Do not shorten to email, which are messages.
Use emoji to refer to the plural form of emoji.
Do not use enable to describe making a setting or feature available. Use turn on instead.
To describe a state, use on or active.
This guidance is based on the Microsoft Style Guide.
In most cases, use enter rather than type.
For example:
my text.When you use Enter to refer to the key on a keyboard, use the HTML <kbd> tag:
See also type.
Use lowercase for epic.
See also associate.
Use lowercase for epic board.
Try to avoid etc.. Be as specific as you can. Do not use and so on as a replacement.
Use:
Instead of:
Use expand instead of open when you are talking about expanding or collapsing a section in the UI.
Use lowercase for experiment. For example:
If you must, you can use experimental.
You might also want to link to this topic when writing about experimental features.
Use export to indicate translating raw data, which is not represented by a file in GitLab, into a standard file format.
You can differentiate export from download because:
For example:
Do not confuse with download.
We want users to find information quickly, and they rarely search for the term FAQ. Information in FAQs belongs with other similar information, under a searchable topic title.
You should rarely use the word feature. Instead, explain what GitLab does. For example, use:
Instead of:
Do not use feature branch. See branch.
Use text box instead of field or box.
Use:
my text.Instead of:
my text.However, you can make an exception when you are writing a task and you want to refer to all of the fields at once. For example:
Learn more about documenting multiple fields at once.
Use one word for filename. When you use filename as a variable, use <filename>.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
When you are viewing a list of items, like issues or merge requests, you filter the list by the available attributes. For example, you might filter by assignee or reviewer.
Filtering is different from searching.
GitLab provides multiple flows that are run by agents.
Use lowercase for flow on its own.
Use title case for the flow name, for example, Convert to CI/CD Pipeline Flow.
Do not use agent flow.
You choose a flow. You start a session.
Do not use foo in product documentation. You can use it in our API and contributor documentation, but try to use a clearer and more meaningful example instead.
A fork is a project that was created from a upstream project by using the forking process.
The upstream project (also known as the source project) and the fork have a fork relationship and are linked.
If the fork relationship is removed, the fork is unlinked from the upstream project.
Foundational agents are a type of agent.
Use lowercase for foundational agents in general.
Use Free, in uppercase, for the subscription tier. When you refer to Free in the context of other subscription tiers, follow the subscription tier guidance.
Use two words for full screen.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
When possible, use present tense instead of future tense. For example, use after you execute this command, GitLab displays the result instead of after you execute this command, GitLab will display the result. (Vale rule: FutureTense.yml)
For GB and GiB, follow the Microsoft guidance.
Use lowercase for generally available and general availability. For example:
Use generally available more often. For example, do not say:
Do not use GA to abbreviate general availability.
Use title case for Geo.
Do not make GitLab possessive (GitLab's). This guidance follows GitLab Trademark Guidelines.
Do not put GitLab next to the name of another third-party tool or brand. For example, do not use:
Instead, use:
Putting the brand names next to each other can imply ownership or partnership, which we don't want to do, unless we've gone through a legal review and have been told to promote the partnership.
This guidance follows the Use of Third-party Trademarks.
Use GitLab-managed model to refer to large language models that customers access through the GitLab AI Gateway through the Cloud Connector.
Do not use this term for models that customers self-host on their own AI Gateway.
Do not use GitLab AI vendor model.
Use GitLab Dedicated to refer to the product offering. It refers to a GitLab instance that's hosted and managed by GitLab for customers.
GitLab Dedicated can be referred to as a single-tenant SaaS service.
Do not use Dedicated by itself. Always use GitLab Dedicated.
Use GitLab Dedicated for Government to refer to the government-specific offering. It refers to a GitLab instance that's hosted and managed by GitLab for government agencies and organizations requiring FedRAMP compliance.
GitLab Dedicated for Government is a single-tenant SaaS service, similar to GitLab Dedicated but optimized for government requirements.
Do not use Dedicated for Government by itself. Always use GitLab Dedicated for Government.
Do not use Duo by itself. Always use GitLab Duo.
On first use on a page, use GitLab Duo <featurename>. As of Jan, 2026,
the following are the names of GitLab Duo features:
Excluding GitLab Duo Self-Hosted, after the first use, use the feature name without GitLab Duo.
Use GitLab Duo Agent Platform. After first use, use Agent Platform.
Do not use Duo Agent Platform or DAP.
Use GitLab Duo Agent Platform Self-Hosted. After first use, use Agent Platform Self-Hosted.
Do not use Duo Agent Platform Self-Hosted or DAP Self-Hosted.
Use GitLab Duo Core for the add-on. Do not use Duo Core by itself.
You can also use the GitLab Duo Core add-on but omit add-on when you can.
In marketing materials, like release posts or blogs, use Premium and Ultimate with GitLab Duo instead of GitLab Duo Core. For example:
Always use GitLab Duo Enterprise for the add-on. Do not use Duo Enterprise unless approved by legal.
You can use the GitLab Duo Enterprise add-on (with this capitalization) but you are not required to use add-on and should leave it off when you can.
Use GitLab Duo plugin for JetBrains IDEs to refer to the extension. You can also use Plugins for JetBrains IDEs or Plugins for JetBrains.
Do not use GitLab plugin. Ensure you include GitLab Duo in the name.
Always use GitLab Duo Pro for the add-on. Do not use Duo Pro unless approved by legal.
You can use the GitLab Duo Pro add-on (with this capitalization) but you are not required to use add-on and should leave it off when you can.
When referring to the feature, always write GitLab Duo Self-Hosted in full and in title case, unless you are referring to a language model that's hosted by a customer, rather than GitLab.
Do not use Self-Hosted by itself.
When possible, spell out GitLab Flavored Markdown.
If you must abbreviate, do not use GFM. Use GLFM instead.
Use GitLab for Eclipse plugin to refer to the editor extension.
Use Eclipse to refer to the IDE.
Use GitLab for VS Code to refer to the extension.
After the first mention, you can use GitLab extension, the VS Code extension, or just extension.
Do not use GitLab Workflow for VS Code, GitLab Workflow, or workflow to refer to the extension.
For terms in VS Code, see VS Code user interface.
To deploy a cloud-native version of GitLab, use:
Do not use the gitlab chart, the GitLab Chart, or the cloud-native chart.
You use the GitLab Helm chart to deploy cloud-native GitLab in a Kubernetes cluster.
If you use it in a context of describing the
different installation methods
use Helm chart (Kubernetes).
You use GitLab Operator to install GitLab.
Do not use the Operator or Operator.
If you use it in a context of describing the different installation methods use GitLab Operator (Kubernetes).
For consistency and branding, use GitLab Pages rather than Pages.
However, if you use GitLab Pages for the first mention on a page or in the UI, you can use Pages thereafter.
Use title case for GitLab Runner. This is the product you install. For more information about the decision for this usage, see this issue.
See also:
GitLab SaaS refers to both GitLab.com (multi-tenant SaaS) and GitLab Dedicated (single-tenant SaaS).
Try to avoid GitLab SaaS and instead, refer to the specific offering instead.
Use GitLab Self-Managed to refer to an installation of GitLab that customers manage.
Use the descriptor of instance as needed. Do not use installation.
Use:
Instead of:
You can use instance on its own to describe GitLab Self-Managed. For example:
See also self-managed.
Use GitLab.com to refer to the URL or product offering. GitLab.com is the instance that's managed by GitLab.
Do not use GitLab Workflow extension for VS Code, GitLab Workflow for VS Code or GitLab Workflow.
The extension was renamed to GitLab for VS Code.
Use GraphiQL or GraphQL explorer to refer to this tool.
In most cases, you should use GraphiQL on its own with no descriptor.
Do not use:
Use sentence case for group access token.
Capitalize the first word when you refer to the UI.
When writing about the Guest role, use a capital G.
Write it out:
When the Guest role is the minimum required role, use:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Guest permissions. A user who is assigned the Guest role has a set of associated permissions.
We want to speak directly to users. On docs.gitlab.com, do not use guide as part of a page title.
For example, Snowplow Guide. Instead, speak about the feature itself, and how to use it. For example, Use Snowplow to do xyz.
Do not use handy. If the user doesn't find the feature or process to be handy, we lose their trust. (Vale rule: Simplicity.yml)
Do not use high availability or HA, except in the GitLab reference architectures. Instead, direct readers to the reference architectures for more information about configuring GitLab for handling greater amounts of users.
Do not use phrases like high availability setup to mean a multiple node environment. Instead, use multi-node setup or similar.
Do not use higher when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
Don't use hit to mean press.
Use:
Instead of:
Do not use first-person singular. Use you or rewrite the phrase instead.
Do not use Latin abbreviations. Use that is instead. (Vale rule: LatinTerms.yml)
Use in as a preposition when describing UI element locations. For example:
Use on only for:
Do not use from.
Do not use in order to. Use to instead. (Vale rule: Wordy.yml)
For the plural of index, use indexes.
However, for Elasticsearch, use indices.
To refer to the installation method that uses the self-compiled code, use self-compiled.
Use:
Instead of:
For more information, see the different installation methods.
Remove -ing words whenever possible. They can be difficult to translate, and more precise terms are usually available. For example:
Use IP address when referring to addresses used with Internet Protocol (IP). Do not refer to an IP address as an IP.
Use lowercase for issue.
Use lowercase for issue board.
Use title case for Issue Description Generation.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Issue Description Generation. Thereafter, use Issue Description Generation by itself.
Use title case for Issue Discussion Summary.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Issue Discussion Summary. Thereafter, use Issue Discussion Summary by itself.
Use lowercase for issue weights.
When you use the word it, ensure the word it refers to is obvious. If it's not obvious, repeat the word rather than using it.
Use:
Instead of:
See also this, these, that, those.
Do not use build to be synonymous with job. A job is defined in the .gitlab-ci.yml file and runs as part of a pipeline.
If you want to use CI with the word job, use CI/CD job rather than CI job.
For KB and KiB, follow the Microsoft guidance.
GitLab Runner can run jobs on a Kubernetes cluster. To do this, GitLab Runner uses the Kubernetes executor.
When referring to this feature, use:
Do not use:
When referring to language models, be precise. Not all language models are large, and not all models are language models. When in doubt, ask a developer or PM for confirmation.
You can use LLM to refer to a large language model if you spell it out on first use.
Use later when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
If you can, avoid level in the context of an instance, project, or group.
Use:
Instead of:
Licenses are different than subscriptions.
Use:
Instead of:
Avoid the terms cloud license or cloud licensing if possible.
The following terms are displayed in the UI and in emails. You can use them when necessary:
You can also use the terms legacy license file and offline license file when describing the files that customers receive by email as part of the overall licensing and synchronization process.
However, if you can, rather than the relying on the term, use the more specific description instead.
Use one word for lifecycle. Do not use life cycle or life-cycle.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Do not use Limitations as a topic title. For more information, see reference topic titles.
If you must, you can use the title Known issues.
Do not use list when referring to a dropdown list. Use the full phrase dropdown list instead.
Also, do not use list when referring to a page. For example, the Issues page is populated with a list of issues. However, you should call it the Issues page, and not the Issues list.
Do not use:
Use sign in instead.
However, if the user interface has Log in, you should match the UI.
Use lowercase for limited availability. For example:
Do not use:
Do not use LA to abbreviate limited availability.
Use authenticated user instead of logged-in user or logged in user.
Do not use lower when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
Use lowercase for machine learning.
When machine learning is used as an adjective, like a machine learning model, do not hyphenate. While a hyphen might be more grammatically correct, we risk becoming inconsistent if we try to be more precise.
When writing about the Maintainer role, use a capital M.
Write it out:
When the Maintainer role is the minimum required role, use:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Maintainer permissions. A user who is assigned the Maintainer role has a set of associated permissions.
Do not use mankind. Use people or humanity instead. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
Do not use manpower. Use words like workforce or GitLab team members. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
Do not use master. Use main when you need a sample default branch name.
(Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
Might means something has the probability of occurring. Might is often used in troubleshooting documentation.
May gives permission to do something. Consider can instead of may.
Consider rewording phrases that use these terms. These terms often indicate possibility and doubt, and technical writing strives to be precise.
See also you can.
Use:
committed_date and authored_date fields are generated from different sources, and might not be identical.Instead of:
committed_date and authored_date fields are generated from different sources, and may not be identical.For MB and MiB, follow the Microsoft guidance.
When you add a user account to a group or project, the user account becomes a member.
Use title case for Merge Commit Message Generation.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Merge Commit Message Generation. Thereafter, use Merge Commit Message Generation by itself.
Do not use merge request branch. See branch.
Use lowercase for merge requests. Avoid the acronym MR, but if you must use it, spell it out on first use.
Use title case for Merge Request Summary.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Merge Request Summary. Thereafter, use Merge Request Summary by itself.
Use lowercase for milestones.
When writing about the Minimal Access role:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Minimal Access permissions. A user who is assigned the Minimal Access role has a set of associated permissions.
When documenting the GitLab model registry features and functionality, use lowercase.
Use:
For usage, see language models.
When possible, use not applicable. Spelling out the phrase helps non-English speaking users and avoids capitalization inconsistencies.
Use namespace when distinguishing between personal and group namespaces. Don't use namespace as a synonym for group or top-level group.
On GitLab.com, top-level group Owners have full control over their groups and projects. Regular users can't have administrator access, as GitLab.com is managed by the GitLab team.
For example:
Do not use navigate. Use go instead. For example:
runner directory.(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Try to avoid need to, because it's wordy.
For example, when a variable is required, instead of You need to set the variable, use:
When the variable is recommended:
When the variable is optional:
Often, you can avoid the word new. When you create an object, it is new, so you don't need this additional word.
Do not use newer when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
An individual server in a GitLab site. A single site can contain multiple nodes. Do not use
primary or secondary to describe a node. Use primary site or secondary site instead.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
See also primary, secondary.
Don't use normal to mean the usual, typical, or standard way of doing something. Use those terms instead.
Use:
Instead of:
(Vale rule: Normal.yml)
Do not use note that because it's wordy.
Use:
Instead of:
The current product offerings are:
The availability details reflect these offerings.
Do not use older when talking about version numbers.
Use:
Instead of:
When referring to the installation method that uses the Linux package, refer to it as Linux package.
Use:
Instead of:
For more information, see the different installation methods.
The word once means one time. Don't use it to mean after or when.
Use:
Instead of:
Put the word only next to the word it modifies.
In the following example, only modifies the noun projects. The meaning is that you can create one type of project--a private project.
In the following example, only modifies the verb create. The meaning is that you can't perform other actions, like deleting private projects, or adding users to them.
If something is optional, such as a command argument, parameter value, or a file, use Optional followed by a period. For optional topics, append (optional) to the topic title.
For example:
### This is a topic (optional)
- `value`: Optional. Use it to do something.
Follow the same guidance for optional task steps.
When referring to the organizations top-level entity:
Use organization when referring to an individual organization.
For example:
Use override to indicate temporary replacement.
For example, a value might be overridden when a job runs. The original value does not change.
Use overwrite to indicate permanent replacement.
For example, a log file might overwrite a log file of the same name.
When writing about the Owner role, use a capital O.
Write it out:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Owner permissions. A user who is assigned the Owner role has a set of associated permissions. An Owner is the most powerful role a user can have, other than an administrator.
When documenting the GitLab package registry features and functionality, use lowercase.
Use:
If you write a phrase like, "On the Issues page," ensure steps for how to get to the page are nearby. Otherwise, people might not know what the Issues page is.
The page name should be visible in the UI at the top of the page, or included in the breadcrumb.
The docs should match the case in the UI, and the page name should be bold. For example:
Use panel to refer to a main area of the GitLab UI that is not fixed on the side of the screen. The content of a panel changes depending on the context.
See also: names for UI elements, top bar, and sidebar.
Always use as a compound noun.
Do not use direct ancestor or ascendant.
Examples:
See also: child, and subgroup.
Do not use per because it can have several different meanings.
Use the specific prepositional phrase instead:
When comparing the permissions required for certain actions, use more or fewer. For example:
Do not use roles and permissions interchangeably. Each user is assigned a role. Each role includes a set of permissions.
Permissions are not the same as access levels.
Use sentence case for personal access token.
Capitalize the first word when you refer to the UI.
When writing about the Planner role, use a capital P.
Write it out:
When the Planner role is the minimum required role, use:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Planner permissions. A user who is assigned the Planner role has a set of associated permissions.
Do not use please in the product documentation.
In UI text, use please when we've inconvenienced the user. For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Use preferences to describe user-specific, system-level settings like theme and layout.
Use Premium, in uppercase, for the subscription tier. When you refer to Premium in the context of other subscription tiers, follow the subscription tier guidance.
Use prerequisites when documenting the tasks that must be completed or the conditions that must be met before a user can complete a task. Do not use requirements.
Prerequisites must always be plural, even if the list includes only one item.
For more information, see the task topic type.
For tutorial page types, use before you begin instead.
Use press when talking about keyboard keys. For example:
Use as adjectives, not as nouns, to reduce confusion. For example:
See primary node or secondary node.
Do not use profanity. Doing so might negatively affect other users and contributors, which is contrary to the GitLab value of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
See repository, project.
Use sentence case for project access token.
Capitalize the first word when you refer to the UI.
Use the term provision when referring to provisioning cloud infrastructure. You provision the infrastructure, and then deploy applications to it.
For example, you might write something like:
Use lowercase for push rules.
Do not use quite because it's wordy.
README fileUse backticks and lowercase for the README file, or the README.md file.
When possible, use the full phrase: the README file
For plural, use README files.
Instead of we recommend, use you should. We want to talk to the user the way
we would talk to a colleague, and to avoid differentiation between we and them.
See also recommended steps.
Instead of register or sign up, use create a user account.
Use reindex instead of re-index when talking about search.
Use remove when an object continues to exist. For example, you can remove an issue from an epic, but the issue still exists.
When an object is completely deleted, use delete instead.
When writing about the Reporter role, use a capital R.
Write it out:
When the Reporter role is the minimum required role, use:
Do not use bold.
Do not use Reporter permissions. A user who is assigned the Reporter role has a set of associated permissions.
A GitLab project contains, among other things, a Git repository.
Use repository when referring to the Git data and Git-specific operations, such as commits, branches, tags, and actions like cloning, fetching, pushing, or pulling.
Use project when referring to the GitLab user interface for managing the repository, wikis, issues, forks, settings, and other features.
For example:
Use title case for Repository Mirroring.
When documenting the tasks that must be completed or the conditions that must be met before a user can complete the steps:
Do not use requirements.
Use reset to describe the action associated with resetting an item to a new state.
Use resolution when the troubleshooting solution fixes the issue permanently. A resolution usually involves file and code changes to correct the problem. For example:
.gitlab-ci.yml file..gitlab-ci.yml file.See also workaround.
Avoid respectively and be more precise instead.
Use:
Instead of:
See the Microsoft Style Guide for guidance on restore.
Use lowercase for review app.
A user has a role for a project or group.
Use:
Instead of:
When referring to the role a user must have to perform an action, list all applicable roles, starting with the minimum:
Do not use roles and permissions interchangeably. Each user is assigned a role. Each role includes a set of permissions.
Two types of roles exist: custom and default.
Roles are not the same as access levels.
Use roll back for changing a GitLab version to an earlier one.
Do not use roll back for licensing or subscriptions. Use change the subscription tier instead.
Use title case for Root Cause Analysis.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Root Cause Analysis. Thereafter, use Root Cause Analysis by itself.
Use lowercase for runners. These are the agents that run CI/CD jobs. See also GitLab Runner and this issue.
When referring to runners, if you have to specify that the runners are installed on a customer's GitLab instance, use self-managed rather than self-hosted.
When referring to the scope of runners, use:
Use lowercase for runner managers. These are a type of runner that can create multiple runners for autoscaling. See also GitLab Runner.
Use lowercase for runner workers. This is the process created by the runner on the host computing platform to run jobs. See also GitLab Runner.
Use runner authentication token instead of variations like runner token, authentication token, or token. Runners are assigned runner authentication tokens when they are created, and use them to authenticate with GitLab when they execute jobs.
Do not use Runner SaaS or SaaS runners.
Use GitLab-hosted runners as the main feature name that describes runners hosted on GitLab.com and GitLab Dedicated.
To specify offerings and operating systems use:
Do not use hosted runners without the GitLab- prefix or without the offering or operating system.
When describing rules and their behavior, use:
For example:
Do not use (s) to make a word optionally plural. It can slow down comprehension. For example:
Use:
Instead of:
If you can select multiples of something, then write the word as plural.
Do not use sanity check. Use check for completeness instead. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
Do not use scalability when talking about increasing GitLab performance for additional users. The words scale or scaling are sometimes acceptable, but references to increasing GitLab performance for additional users should direct readers to the GitLab reference architectures page.
When you search, you type a string in the search box on the top bar. The search results are displayed on a search page.
Searching is different from filtering.
When referring to the subscription billing model:
Use section to describe an area on a page. For example, if a page has lines that separate the UI into separate areas, refer to these areas as sections.
We often think of expandable/collapsible areas as sections. When you refer to expanding or collapsing a section, don't include the word section.
Use:
Instead of:
Use select with buttons, links, menu items, and lists. Select applies to more devices, while click is more specific to a mouse.
However, you can make an exception for right-click and click-through demo.
Use self-hosted model (lowercase) to refer to a language model that's hosted by a customer, rather than GitLab.
The language model might be an LLM (large language model), but it might not be.
To avoid confusion with GitLab Self-Managed, when referring to the GitLab Duo Self-Hosted feature, do not use Self-Hosted by itself.
Always write GitLab Duo Self-Hosted in full and in title case, unless you are referring to a language model that's hosted by a customer, rather than GitLab.
Use GitLab Self-Managed to refer to a customer's installation of GitLab.
See GitLab Self-Managed.
Use title case for Service Desk.
When an agent is working on a flow, a session is running. The session can start and stop.
Do not use AI session or agent session.
A setting changes the default behavior of the product. A setting consists of a key/value pair, typically represented by a label with one or more options.
Use setup as a noun, and set up as a verb. For example:
Do not confuse set up with configure. Set up implies that it's the first time you've done something. For example:
Use sidebar to refer to the fixed areas on the left and right of the GitLab UI. Use top bar to refer to the top fixed area that contains the search box and a user's avatar.
For the main areas that change depending on the context, use panel.
See also: names for UI elements.
To describe the action of signing in, use:
You can also use:
Do not use:
If the user interface has different words, you can use those.
Use create a user account instead of register or sign up when talking about creating an account.
Use a new user account instead of a sign-up.
Other variations:
Use authenticated user instead of signed-in user or signed in user.
Do not use simply or simple. If the user doesn't find the process to be simple, we lose their trust. (Vale rule: Simplicity.yml)
The word since indicates a timeframe. For example, Since 1984, Bon Jovi has existed. Don't use since to mean because.
Use:
Instead of:
Instead of and/or, use or or re-write the sentence. This rule also applies to other slashes, like follow/unfollow. Some exceptions (like CI/CD) are allowed. (Vale rule: WordSlashWord.yml)
Do not use slave. Another option is secondary. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
In the context of:
Gitaly storages have physical paths and virtual storages have virtual paths.
Use subgroup (no hyphen) instead of sub-group. Also, avoid alternative terms for subgroups, such as child group or low-level group.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Do not confuse subscription or subscription tier with license. A user purchases a subscription. That subscription has a tier.
To describe tiers:
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| In the Free tier or greater | In all tiers |
| In the Free tier or higher | In all tiers |
| In the Premium tier or greater | In the Premium and Ultimate tier |
| In the Premium tier or higher | In the Premium and Ultimate tier |
| In the Premium tier or lower | In the Free and Premium tier |
Use title case for Suggested Reviewers.
Suggested Reviewers should always be plural, and is capitalized even if it's generic.
Examples:
For TB and TiB, follow the Microsoft guidance.
Use bold for tab names. For example:
Use lowercase for terminal. For example:
docker login command.Use title case for the GitLab Terraform Module Registry, but use lowercase m when
talking about non-specific modules. For example:
Use title case for Test Generation.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Test Generation. Thereafter, use Test Generation by itself.
Use text box instead of field or box when referring to the UI element.
Do not use that when describing a noun. For example:
Use:
Instead of:
See also this, these, that, those.
Try to avoid there is and there are. These phrases hide the subject.
Use:
Instead of:
Avoid the use of gender-specific pronouns, unless referring to a specific person. Use a singular they as a gender-neutral pronoun.
Always follow these words with a noun. For example:
Try to avoid to which and of which, and let the preposition dangle at the end of the sentence instead. For examples, see Prepositions.
Use lowercase and hyphenate to-do item. (Vale rule: ToDo.yml)
Use title case for To-Do List. (Vale rule: ToDo.yml)
You turn on or turn off a toggle. For example:
Use lowercase for top-level group (hyphenated).
Do not use root group.
Use 2FA and two-factor authentication instead.
Use turn on and turn off instead of enable or disable.
For details, see the Microsoft style guide.
Use type when the cursor remains where you're typing. For example, in a search box, you begin typing and search results appear. You do not click out of the search box.
For example:
Al.doc./.See also enter.
Use Ultimate, in uppercase, for the subscription tier. When you refer to Ultimate in the context of other subscription tiers, follow the subscription tier guidance.
See the Microsoft Style Guide for guidance on undo.
Use a space between the number and the unit of measurement. For example, 128 GB.
(Vale rule: Units.yml)
For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Use update for installing a newer patch version of the software, or for documenting API and programmatic changes.
For example:
Do not use update for any other case. Instead, use upgrade or edit.
Use upgrade for:
For example:
Use caution with the phrase Upgrade GitLab without any other text. Ensure the surrounding text clarifies whether you're talking about the product version or the subscription tier.
See also downgrade and roll back.
Use upper-left corner and upper-right corner to provide direction in the UI. If the UI element is not in a corner, use upper left and upper right.
Do not use top left and top right.
For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Do not use useful. If the user doesn't find the process to be useful, we lose their trust. (Vale rule: Simplicity.yml)
You create a user account. The user account has an access level. When you add a user account to a group or project, the user account becomes a member.
Avoid using in most cases. It hides the subject and makes the phrase more difficult to translate. Use by using, that use, or re-write the sentence.
For example:
Do not use utilize. Use use instead. It's more succinct and easier for non-native English speakers to understand.
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
To describe versions of GitLab, use GitLab <version number>. For example:
To describe other software, use the same style as the documentation for that software. For example:
Pay attention to spacing by the letter v. In semantic versioning, no space exists after the v. For example:
Do not use Latin abbreviations. Use with, through, or by using instead. (Vale rule: LatinTerms.yml)
Use lowercase for virtual registry.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab virtual registry. Thereafter, use virtual registry by itself.
Use:
When describing the user interface of VS Code and the Web IDE, follow the usage and capitalization of the VS Code documentation, such as Command Palette and Primary Side Bar.
Use title case for Vulnerability Explanation.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Vulnerability Explanation. Thereafter, use Vulnerability Explanation by itself.
Use title case for Vulnerability Resolution.
On first mention on a page, use GitLab Duo Vulnerability Resolution. Thereafter, use Vulnerability Resolution by itself.
Try to avoid we and focus instead on how the user can accomplish something in GitLab.
Use:
Instead of:
Use while to refer only to something occurring in time. For example, Leave the window open while the process runs.
Do not use while for comparison. For example, use:
Instead of:
For more information, see the Microsoft Style Guide.
Do not use whilst. Use while instead. While is more succinct and easier for non-native English speakers to understand.
Do not use whitelist. Another option is allowlist. (Vale rule: InclusiveLanguage.yml)
When possible, do not use within. Use in instead, unless you are referring to a time frame, limit, or boundary. For example:
(Vale rule: SubstitutionWarning.yml)
Use workaround when the troubleshooting solution is a temporary fix. A workaround is usually an immediate fix and might have ongoing issues. For example:
See also resolution.
Do not use yet when talking about the product or its features. The documentation describes the product as it is today.
Sometimes you might want to use yet when writing a task. If you use yet, ensure the surrounding phrases are written in present tense, active voice.
View guidance about how to write about future features.
Use you instead of the user, the administrator or the customer. Documentation should speak directly to the user, whether that user is someone installing the product, configuring it, administering it, or using it.
Use:
Instead of:
When possible, start sentences with an active verb instead of you can.
For example:
Use you can for optional actions. For example: