Content style guide

What's new for content

This page describes the content updates to the content style guide and Design System (components, patterns, and IA) from the most recent 6 months.

We have a list of all updates dating back to May 2025 in GitHub.

Learn more on the Style guide and Design System updates page

April 2026

Content style guide

Page titles and section titles

Fixed the formatting of the intro text so the last sentence isn’t below the table of contents
Added a crosslink to the Title tags section

Title tags

Title tags use the H1 as part of the tag. The Title tag section has specific information on what to use for the title tag and how to format it, depending on the context.

Learn more in the Title tag section
Made minor edits throughout to align with the style guide

March 2026

Content style guide

Bulleted and numbered lists

Added guidance on what to consider when ordering bulleted lists:

Bulleted lists generally don’t need to be in a specific order. But in some cases, you may want to consider ordering the list based on the type of list items.

Grouping like items

Some lists may include sets of similar items. For example, a list of documents may include some documents related to education, some for personal information, and some for financial information. In this case, group each set of similar items together in the list.

Order of importance or level of urgency

In some lists, certain items may be more important or urgent than others. In this case, order the list with the most important or urgent item first. Consider a numbered list if appropriate for the content.

Numerical

In lists of dates, dollar values, percentages, or other numerical values, it may make sense to order the list from either high to low or low to high.

Alphabetical

Use alphabetical order for lists of certain items, like medications or specific locations, that don’t have another natural order. But don’t default to alphabetical order for all lists.

Punctuation and formatting

Added guidance on parentheses:

When to use parentheses

For short examples within a sentence

To set off brief additional information (an aside) that helps readers understand the sentence, the context, or a specific word or phrase

To introduce an acronym or abbreviation

To add a VA form number after the form title

When not to use parentheses

Consider making the parenthetical a separate sentence in these cases:

If the parenthetical is a full sentence on its own

If the parenthetical is long or makes the sentence harder to understand

Plurals

Don’t use “(s),” “(es),” or “(ies)” at the end of a word to show a possible plural. Screen readers don’t announce the parenthetical in a way that people can easily understand. Instead, use the plural version of the word. You can also reword the sentence to use “any” before the plural to mean 1 or multiple.

Payments and debts

Updated the definition for balance:

balance

Use “balance” when you refer to the total amount owed for copay bills or overpayment debt.

Like this: Pay your full balance or request help by the due date on your collection letter or billing statement.

Readability and usability of VA digital content

Added this new page to the style guide. This page explains our approach to ensuring digital content is easy to find, understand, and use. And it explains our approach to readability scores.

Added information on ID.me to the first Considerations bullet:

ID.me provides more flexibility for identity verification for Veterans in certain situations, such as living outside the U.S.
Updated the identity verification and verify your identity definition to specify that ID.me and Login.gov are accounts. And added information to the note about using “confirm” or “confirmation” when asking someone to check information they provided on a form (like a mailing or email address).

Word list

Updated these entries:

verify and verification: Specified that ID.me and Login.gov are accounts
Veterans Service Organization (VSO): Fixed typo

Added these new entries:

balance

Use “balance” when you refer to the total amount owed for copay bills or overpayment debt.

Like this: Pay your full balance or request help by the due date on your collection letter or billing statement.

community care

Lowercase.

confirm or confirmation

Use “confirm” or “confirmation” when asking a person to check the information they provided on a form or application, like an email address or mailing address. Avoid using the terms “verify” or “verification” in this context. We only use the terms “verify” and “verification” to describe the initial, one-time process of verifying your identity with an ID.me or Login.gov account.

discharge status (character of discharge)

The discharge statuses are honorable, general, medical, other than honorable, bad conduct, dishonorable, officer, and entry-level separation. If you’re grouping multiple statuses together, list each status.

Like this: You may qualify for these benefits if you have an honorable, general, or medical discharge.

Like this: You may qualify for these benefits if you have an honorable, general, or medical discharge. If you have a different discharge type, you may still qualify for some benefits.

Like this: If you have an other than honorable or bad conduct discharge, you may still qualify for some benefits.

MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans

MOVE! is all capital letters, with an exclamation point at the end. There’s no space between the “E” and the exclamation point. MOVE! isn’t an acronym. After the first mention of the full formal program name, we can use “MOVE!” for all other mentions.

Components

Alert

Added guidance on slim alert length:

Keep slim alerts to 100 characters (with spaces) when possible. If you have a slim alert that’s longer than 100 characters, contact the VA.gov content and IA team. The team will work with you to edit the alert or determine if we need to make an exception (up to 150 characters).
Made edits to the Content considerations to align with the style guide.

IA

VA website organization

This new section explains how and why we organize content on the main VA.gov website and key subdomains.

February 2026

Content style guide

Numbers, signs, and symbols

Added guidance on writing out a length of time:

When writing out a length of time, use XX hours and XX minutes. We should only use decimals, like 3.5 hours, if it’s in a table where space is limited.
Added guidance on when to add “.00” to dollar amounts:

• When you have a dollar amount that doesn’t include cents in running text, don’t add the “.00” at the end.
• When you have a dollar amount that doesn’t include cents in a list or a table, add the “.00” at the end.

Dates, times, phone numbers, and addresses

Updated the subsection title from Zip codes to Zip codes and postal codes
Added guidance on when to use “postal code” versus “zip code”:

When we know an address is a U.S. address, use “zip code.” If the address is outside the U.S. or if you’re unsure of the country, use “postal code.”
Note: The Ask users for…Addresses pattern uses “postal code” for the field label. But the error message will say “Enter a valid 5-digit zip code” if we know the address is in the U.S.

Error and alert messages (System, Engagement, Access, and Feedback)

We made these changes throughout all 4 sections:

Removed all instances of “please”
Removed all directional language
Revised alerts to use active voice
Revised alerts to be more concise and show where they can be customized
Revised alerts to remove any idioms, like “on our end”
Revised similar alerts so they have consistent wording
Aligned the alerts with current style guide guidance

In the System section, we made these additional changes:

Removed duplicative 24-hour maintenance messages
Added examples of 500 error messages
Added and revised account sign in, verify your identity, prefill, and save in progress examples

In the Engagement section, we made these additional changes:

Removed 2-factor authentication example
Added and revised account sign in, verify your identity, prefill, and save in progress examples
Added a verify a U.S. address (failure) example

In the Access section, we made these additional changes:

Removed duplicate authorization examples
Removed duplicate empty state examples

In the Feedback section, we made these additional changes:

Added examples of 500 error messages
Added application/form/claim submission in progress examples

Note: These updates affect almost every error and alert message. We will be working on updating any screenshots or pages with the older examples throughout VADS. But you may notice some inconsistencies in other sections in the meantime.

January 2026

Content style guide

We, us, you

Removed this section. The guidance is available in the Use conversational language section.

They, their

Removed this section. The guidance is available in the Neutral language section.

Changed the order of accounts in the text so ID.me comes before Login.gov.
Removed the guidance to emphasize using Login.gov.
Revised the guidance explaining that ID.me and Login.gov are accounts and not separate tools:

Research has shown that some people confuse Login.gov with being a separate tool, and some people think they need to go to the ID.me or Login.gov websites to sign in rather than VA.gov. So, we reinforce that ID.me and Login.gov are types of sign-in accounts—not separate tools or websites—by using the phrase “ID.me account” or “Login.gov account.”
Added guidance on the term “DS Logon”:

VA no longer offers the ability to sign in with a DS Logon username and password. Use this term only in reference to this option going away or the ability to use this option for Defense Department (DOD) websites.
Added guidance on using the “MFA” acronym: Introduce “MFA” on the first mention and use “MFA” on any subsequent mentions on the same page.
Updated the “My HealtheVet” guidance:

With rare temporary exceptions, VA no longer offers the My HealtheVet user ID and password option for sign in. Today, My HealtheVet on VA.gov refers instead only to the health portal on VA.gov. When using this term to refer to the portal, “My HealtheVet” is 2 words. Don’t italicize the “e” between “Health” and “Vet” in digital content body copy, headlines, or user interface elements such as links, buttons, and navigation. The “e” is italicized only in the logo and in print materials. Note: We no longer tell Veterans to create new My HealtheVet accounts or upgrade existing accounts. We don’t use the terms “My HealtheVet basic,” “My HealtheVet advanced,” or “My HealtheVet Premium.” Don’t refer to the sign-in account Veterans use to access their health portal as a My HealtheVet account. Instead, refer to the type of sign-in account (ID.me or Login.gov) or simply “your sign-in account.”
Added “My HealtheVet account” to the retired terms and updated the guidance:

With rare temporary exceptions, VA no longer offers this sign-in option. Don’t refer to the sign-in account Veterans use to access their health portal as a My HealtheVet account. Instead, refer to the type of sign-in account (ID.me or Login.gov) or simply “your sign-in account.”

Links

Updated the Considerations section to make guidance clearer:

• We use links to connect Veterans and other visitors with related information that may be helpful to them.
• We put links on their own line to help make the page easier to scan and the intention of the link as clear as possible. Too many embedded links can be distracting or overwhelming to people with traumatic brain injuries or other cognitive impairments.
• We tell people where links are taking them and why. External links can be disorienting for all people, but especially people who use screen readers.
Updated guidance in the Link text section to make guidance clearer:

• Describe the purpose of the linked page
• If the link takes the reader outside of VA.gov, name the external website in the link text
• Balance link text length to provide the needed descriptions without having the relevant words get lost in the length
• Use “Select” instead of “Click here,” since not all people are physically clicking links
Added a new section on linking to forms: linking to the form’s About page instead of the PDF (applies to all content other than the form’s About page), linking directly to the form’s PDF on the About page, and added exceptions for links to the direct download to the PDF version:

• For forms that aren’t part of the VA forms database, you may need to use a direct download link to the PDF version of the form. This is a rare situation. Contact the centralized content and information architecture (IA) team for guidance.
• You may also need a direct download link if the person filling out the form is downloading and generating their own completed copy. Contact the centralized content and IA team for guidance.
Added new guidance in the Linking to documents and other file sources section:

• If a link opens a calendar, YouTube video, XLS, or other file format, add the relevant icon from the Components section in the Design System. This does not apply to pages housed within Drupal.
• Include the file format (ex. PDF, HTML, or XML) in the link label. Place the file format at the end of the link label in parentheses. For example, “Download the Continuity of Care document (PDF).”
• If you have a list of links to the same document with different file formats, consider rewording the link text to include the file format earlier. Contact the centralized content and IA team for help with your link text.
Added guidance on not linking to the Code of Federal Regulations on VA.gov pages.
Added a new section on Links in lists that includes general guidance and 3 options for adding links to lists.

Bulleted and numbered lists

Updated the Links in lists section to include 3 options for adding links to lists

Word list

Updated entries:

apply: updated the examples
delete: clarified this is specifically for file uploads
educational and career counseling: removed note on style differences on Education and Career Counseling pages
educational counseling: removed note on style differences on Education and Career Counseling pages
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD): added information on using the acronym and “Chapter 30”
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR): added information on using the acronym and “Chapter 1606”
My HealtheVet: added that this is 2 words
upload: clarified this is specifically for file uploads
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E): added information on using the acronym and “Chapter 31”; added information about the previous names for the program
Added new entries:

approved program
copay (or copayment, or health care copay)
copay bill (or patient statement, or billing statement)
cover the costs/cover expenses
debt
dependent child
education benefit
eligible
entitlement
get paid back
Montgomery GI Bill
national tests
non-qualifying period of service
overpayment or overpayment debt
Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG)
Post-9/11 GI Bill (PGIB)
preparatory courses or prep courses
Primary Family Caregiver
qualify
relinquish your benefits
Secondary Family Caregiver
spouse
Statement of Service
verify and verification
VET TEC 2.0
waiver (debt forgiveness)

December 2025

Content style guide

Bulleted and numbered lists

Made edits to the Considerations section to align with current style guide guidance
Added an example and guidance for using “or” at the beginning of a list item:

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.”

Payments and debts

Updated the definitions for these terms:

copay (or copayment, or health care copay): We use this term to describe the amount some Veterans pay for certain health care services and prescriptions. On first mention, include a plain language definition. For example, “You may need to pay a copay for outpatient care for conditions not related to your military service. A copay is a fixed amount you owe for the service.”
Note: Use “health care copay” on first mention in general content where the context of health care is necessary and then “copay” on subsequent mentions.
copay bill (or patient statement, or billing statement): We use these terms to describe the bill or statement that a Veteran receives for their health care copay. On first mention, include a plain language definition. For example, “You may get a copay bill (or “statement”) for the amount you owe for health care services that aren’t exempt from copays.”
debt: We use this term as the overarching term for any money the Veteran owes to VA. “Debt” encompasses money owed for overpayments as well as copays. If the debt is because of an overpayment or a copay, we should use those terms to explain why the Veteran owes money.
overpayment or overpayment debt: We use this term to refer to a debt that’s because of an overpayment. In some cases, we can go with “overpayments” (and not add “overpayment debts”).
waiver (debt forgiveness): Include “(debt forgiveness)” on first mention. We use this term to describe a debt repayment or relief option in which a Veteran asks VA to forgive (or “waive”) part or all of a debt.
Note: Waivers are a debt repayment or relief option for both benefit overpayment and copay debt. Other options include compromise offers, monthly offsets (overpayment debt only), monthly repayment plans, waivers, and write-offs (copay debt only).

Punctuation and formatting

Added formatting information to the section
Updated the section title to include formatting
Added guidance on note and form field error message formatting:

Notes • Place notes on their own line directly after the text the note applies to.
• Capitalize and bold “Note:”.
• If a note applies to only 1 item in a list, place the note directly after that specific list item (not after the full list). Use a soft return (shift + enter on PCs, shift + return on Macs) so the note appears on a separate line, aligned with the list indent, with no space between the lines. Don’t make the note its own bullet or sub-bullet.

Error messages in form fields • Make error messages for form fields sentence case and bold
• Don’t place a period after the error message unless it has 2 or more sentences
• In most cases, start error messages with a verb, like “Enter” (for text fields) or “Select” (for radio buttons, checkboxes, and dropdown menus)
• If an error message references a specific checkbox, radio button, etc., use quotation marks

Error and alert messages

Updated the section title to include “alert” and added “alert” throughout the page where needed
Made style guide edits throughout to match current guidance
Added guidance on heading/title length:

Error and alert message titles When possible, keep error and alert message titles (headings) to 50 characters, including spaces. Error and alert message titles should follow the general guidelines for page and section titles. Learn more in the Page titles and section titles section of the style guide

Use conversational language

Changed the section title from Use pronouns to Use conversational language to accurately describe the guidance in the section
Moved the content from the We, us, you section to this section
Note: The We, us, you and They, their sections are going to be removed. The content from We, us, you is now in this section and the content from They, their is in the Neutral language section.
Made edits throughout to align with the style guide
Updated the main Plain language standards section to reflect the title change

Components

Alert

Made style guide edits throughout content considerations to match current guidance
Added guidance on heading/title length:

When possible, keep error and alert message titles (headings) to 50 characters, including spaces. Error and alert message titles should follow the general guidelines for page and section titles. Learn more in the Page titles and section titles section of the style guide

Patterns

Help users to recover from errors

Made style guide edits throughout Step 1 to match current guidance
Added guidance on heading/title length:

When possible, keep error and alert message titles (headings) to 50 characters, including spaces. Error and alert message titles should follow the general guidelines for page and section titles. Learn more in the Page titles and section titles section of the style guide

November 2025

No updates

Last updated: May 18, 2026