VT-01

Pass example

Your changes are saved. Go to settings to update your preferences.

Fail example

Changes have been saved by the system. Preferences can be updated in the settings area by the user.

Relevant content types

• Error message
• Confirmation
• Tooltip or microcopy
• Short UI copy
• Long-form copy
• Heading

Notes by content type

Confirmation

Passive voice is acceptable in confirmations and system status messages. Only flag if the passive construction is unnecessarily complex or awkwardly names the actor (e.g., 'Changes have been saved by the system').

Heading

Passive voice is acceptable when used to emphasize a trust signal, credential, or user benefit (e.g., "Trusted by 10,000 patients," "Handled by the pros"). These constructions correctly foreground what matters to the user. Only flag passive voice when it obscures the actor in a way that reduces clarity or accountability.

Short UI copy

Passive voice is acceptable when used to emphasize a trust signal, credential, or user benefit (e.g., "Trusted by 10,000 patients," "Handled by the pros"). These constructions correctly foreground what matters to the user. Only flag passive voice when it obscures the actor in a way that reduces clarity or accountability.

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
  Active voice keeps decision copy direct and scannable.
• confirmation — relax
  Passive voice is natural in confirmations: 'Your changes are saved.'

Example pairs

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

• task_execution · short_ui_copyCC-BY-4.0

  Not this. The file was uploaded by the user.

  But this. You uploaded the file.

  Active voice puts the actor first; inverts passive construction. — Microsoft Writing Style Guide · Voice and tone — Active voice

• confirmation · confirmationall-rights-reserved

  Not this. Your changes have been saved.

  But this. Changes saved.

  Passive is acceptable in confirmations (the subject is the state, not the actor); Atlassian tightens further by dropping the auxiliary. — Atlassian Design System · Voice and tone — Direct and clear

Sources

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

• Microsoft Writing Style Guide
• Mailchimp
• Atlassian Design System

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 Voice and tone category.

• VT-02 — Address the user directly with 'you' and 'your' in consumer-facing UI copy. Third-person references to 'users,' 'members,' or 'customers' are acceptable in admin interfaces, documentation, and system descriptions where the reader is not the subject.
• VT-03 — Be conversational but not casual. Write like a knowledgeable colleague, not a robot or a buddy.
• VT-04 — Be confident, not arrogant. State things directly without hedging or over-qualifying. Qualification language is acceptable when making definitive claims would be misleading or legally inaccurate — for example, eligibility statements in healthcare, finance, or legal contexts where outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
• VT-05 — Show empathy in error and failure states, scaled to the severity of the problem. High-impact errors (payment failures, data loss) should acknowledge the frustration and reassure the user. Low-impact errors (failed upload, timeout) should be clear and helpful without over-dramatizing.