Consistency · hard · v4.6.1

CON-02

Use sentence case for headings and UI labels, not title case.

Pass example

Manage your notification preferences

Fail example

Manage Your Notification Preferences

Relevant content types

Weighted in these moments

This standard behaves differently depending on the reader's moment. Moment-aware evaluation picks one of these adjustments when the moment matches.

  • decision_point — emphasize
    Inconsistent casing undermines trust at the point of purchase.
  • celebration — relax
    Achievement copy uses branded/stylized casing as intentional emphasis.
  • wayfinding — emphasize
    Navigation labels must use consistent casing across the product.
  • compliance_disclosure Compliance — suppress
    Regulatory disclaimers use Title Case by convention or legal mandate.

Example pairs

Concrete before/after pairs observed in public style guides, each with inline attribution. See /sources for the full source list and licensing.

  • wayfinding · headingall-rights-reserved

    Not this. Account Settings

    But this. Account settings

    Primer: sentence case for headings. Title case feels corporate; sentence case reads quieter. — GitHub Primer · Content style — Capitalization

  • wayfinding · ui_labelCC-BY-4.0

    Not this. New Project

    But this. New project

    Google: sentence case for UI labels. Capitalize only proper nouns + first word. — Google Developer Documentation Style Guide · Text formatting — Capitalization

  • wayfinding · headingall-rights-reserved

    Not this. the Next Step

    But this. The next step

    Apple HIG: sentence case. Inconsistent title case (lowercase 'the', uppercase 'Next') fails visual hygiene. — Apple HIG · Capitalization

Sources

Style guides that shaped this standard. Each is listed on /sources with its license and opt-out path.

  • Mailchimp
  • GitHub Primer
  • Microsoft Writing Style Guide
  • Google Developer Documentation Style Guide
  • Apple HIG

Version history

  1. v4.6.1 · 2026-04-23

    Per-standard version tracking introduced. Every standard starts at the library version current at introduction; bump per-standard when the rule text, examples, or content_type_notes change.

Related standards

Other standards in the Consistency category.

  • CON-01 — Use consistent terminology. Don't switch between synonyms for the same concept.
  • CON-03 — Use consistent date and time formats. Spell out the month to avoid ambiguity.
  • CON-04 — Use the same word for the same action throughout the product. Don't mix 'delete,' 'remove,' and 'trash.'
  • CON-05 — Capitalize product names and features consistently. Follow the product's own conventions.

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