Style Guides — Complete Guide to Documentation Standards

A technical style guide is a set of standards for writing documentation covering voice, tone, terminology, formatting, and grammar. It ensures every page reads like it was written by one author even when dozens of people contribute. This guide covers the most popular style guides and how to create your own.

In this tutorial, you will learn about the major style guides, how they differ, and how to choose and adapt one for your project.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this guide, you will understand the major style guides, know their key rules and differences, and be able to create a custom style guide for your project.

Why It Matters

A consistent style guide reduces cognitive load for readers, improves translation quality, and builds brand trust.

Real-World Use

DodaTech uses a custom style guide based on Google Developer Documentation Style Guide with project-specific additions for product names and API terminology.

flowchart TD
  A[Style Guides] --> B[Google]
  A --> C[Microsoft]
  A --> D[Apple]
  A --> E[Chicago Manual]
  A --> F[Custom]
  B --> G[Developer Focus]
  C --> H[Accessibility Focus]
  D --> I[UX Focus]
  E --> J[Publishing Focus]
  F --> K[Project Specific]
  A:::current
  classDef current fill:#f90,color:#fff,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Common Mistakes

1. No Style Guide at All

Every writer writes differently. Without a guide, documentation is inconsistent.

2. Copying Without Adaptation

Using an existing guide as-is without adding project-specific rules.

3. Manual Enforcement Only

Relying on human reviewers to catch style issues. Use Vale to automate.

4. Contradictory Rules

Rules that conflict confuse writers. Review for internal consistency.

5. Style Guide Not Accessible

Buried in a wiki that nobody reads. Store it in the Repository.

6. Never Updated

A guide written in 2020 with outdated examples. Review annually.

7. No Examples

Rules without examples are hard to apply. Every rule needs good and bad examples.

Practice Questions

1. What are the three most important voice rules?

Active voice, second person, and present tense. These make documentation clearer.

2. Why is Google's style guide recommended for developers?

It covers the exact scenarios developers encounter: API docs, code formatting, and terminology.

3. How does Microsoft's style guide differ?

It emphasizes Accessibility and writing for translation more than Google's.

4. What should a custom style guide include?

Adapted base rules, project-specific terminology, formatting conventions, and automation configuration.

5. Challenge: Compare two major style guides on the same topic. Identify three differences in their recommendations. Decide which approach is better for your project and explain why.

FAQ

Do I need a custom style guide or can I use an existing one?

Start with an existing guide like Google or Microsoft. Add project-specific rules as needed.

How strict should style enforcement be?

Use error level for critical rules like terminology. Use warning level for preferences like passive voice.

What is the biggest style mistake in technical documentation?

Passive voice. It adds unnecessary words and hides the actor.

How do I get my team to follow the style guide?

Make it easy to access, automate enforcement, and celebrate consistency wins.

Should I use Oxford comma or not?

Pick one and be consistent. Google and Microsoft both use Oxford comma.

Mini Project

Create a custom style guide for a project. Include adapted base rules, 15 project-specific terms, formatting conventions, and Vale configuration.

What's Next

Introduction to Style Guides

Writing for Developers

Docs-as-Code Guide

Published Topics

Introduction to Style Guides — Why Documentation Standards Matter

Learn why style guides are essential for technical documentation. Master the purpose of documentation standards, how they improve consistency, and how to choose the right style guide for your project and audience.