Be Concise

Do not say in 150 words what could be said in 75. Do not say in 75 words what could be said in 30.

Write Simply

Long sentences with complex structures that endeavor to explain in complicated terms a topic that could otherwise be described in a more straightforward manner are best avoided. Use simple sentences.

Avoid Marketing Language

Neutral language is easier to read and understand than subjective and boastful text. Be clear and direct.

Place Important Information First

Put the essential and most interesting information at the beginning. Include additional information in order of diminishing importance.

Use Keywords

Use terms that are commonly used to describe your topic. Avoid using proprietary terms and abbreviations as much as is possible.

Use Headings

Break up your text with brief but descriptive headings and subheadings, this way, users can find information faster.

Break up Different Ideas into Different Paragraphs

Long, dense blocks of text are intimidating to readers. Several short paragraphs are preferable to a single long paragraph.

Make Your Text Skim-Friendly

Use bulleted lists in place of long series or text lists.

Highlight Only as Necessary

Use bold very sparingly to draw attention to an important point.

Use the Proper Case

Sentence case is much easier to read than uppercase. To emphasize an important point, use bold.

Make Links Easy to Identify

Links should be a consistent color and style. Do not change the color of a link to make it stand out. Do not underline any text since it may be confused for a link.

Elementary

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High

K-8

Other

San Diego Unified School District

Writing for the Web