Bulleted and numbered lists

Considerations

• Select the list type. Use numbered (also called “ordered”) lists when giving steps that someone must follow in a specific order. Use bulleted (also called “unordered”) lists for any list that doesn’t require a specific order.
• Introduce the list. Introduce the list with a full sentence. Avoid using “the following” in the list introduction and use a less formal phrase instead. For example, instead of “You’ll need the following documents,” use “You’ll need these documents.”
• Don’t combine the list items’ starting word or phrase with the introduction. For example, don’t introduce the list with “All of these must be true. You’re:” In this case, each item should start with “You’re.” This helps when the content needs to be translated into another language.
• Avoid single-item lists. Don’t use a numbered or bulleted list for only 1 item.
• Avoid using sub-bullets. Sub-bullets can make the content harder to scan. If possible, make the item with sub-bullets a separate list.
  Note: Bulleted lists can be used in step-by-step lists.
• Keep each item in a list succinct. Aim for no more than 1 or 2 sentences per list item to keep lists easy to scan.
• Connect items appropriately. When using “and” or “or” at the end of each list item, use a comma and bold the “and” or “or” at the end of each item.
  Note: Don’t use “and/or” in lists. Instead, restructure the content to list all options (for example, “your income and/or net worth” should be “your income, your net worth, or both”).
• Keep each list to no more than 7 items. If your list has more than 7 items, use subheads to break out the list into smaller, easier-to-digest lists.
• Use parallel construction within a list. Each list item should be consistent. For example, starting with a verb or noun phrase.

Punctuation

Here’s how we determine whether to include ending punctuation for lists:

• If all items in a list are single sentences or sentence fragments, don’t use ending periods for any list items (including the last item)
• If any list item contains 2 or more sentences, use ending periods for all items in the list (including any fragments)

Note: We determine punctuation by list, not by page. It’s OK to have a list of fragments with no ending periods on the same page as a list of multiple full sentences with ending periods. Just use the correct house style of punctuation for each type of list.

Example of bulleted list with fragments

Use parallel construction and don’t use ending periods for fragments.

Example of bulleted list with conjunctions

For complex eligibility criteria, we use the conjunctions “and” or “or” at the end of each individual requirement in the list to help make the relationship between the requirements clear. In these cases, use a comma before the conjunction and bold the “and” or “or” at the end of each bullet point. Always separate out lists of “and” and “or” requirements.

Example of non-eligibility-related bulleted list with “or” at the beginning of the list item

In some cases, you may need to add “or” to the beginning of the list item. For example, with list items that have 2 or more sentences, the conjunction may work better at the beginning of the second list item than at the end of the first.

Note: This guidance only applies to lists that use “or.”

Example of bulleted list with more than 1 sentence

If any item in a bulleted list contains 2 or more full sentences, use ending periods for all items in the list (including any fragments).

Links in lists

• List items can be links in certain situations. But we don’t want to overwhelm people with a long list of links, if possible.
• Not all items in a list need to be a link. It’s OK to have only 1 or 2 items in a list linked.
• If every item in a list is a link, keep the list short (less than 7 items). Every link should go to a different location—don’t link to the same page multiple times in the list.
• If 1 link applies to all items in the list, add the link on a separate line after the list.

There are 3 options for adding links to list items. The formatting depends on what fits best with the content. The VA.gov content and IA team can help you pick the best option for your content.

Option 1

For lists with only a few items that have relevant links, add the links on a separate line after each list item. Use a soft return (shift + enter on PCs, shift + return on Macs) so the link appears on a separate line, aligned with the list indent, with no space between the lines.

Option 2

When you have a list of brief items, make each of the list items a link. With this option, include the entire list item as part of the link. Don’t link just 1 or 2 words.

Option 3

If options 1 and 2 don’t make sense for the content, add the link at the end of the item as a separate sentence.